Over the years, our travels to Mexico have demonstrated to us the immense magnetic pull of this nation. There are a ton of sights huge view! You should put sun-drenched beaches with non-stop party vibes, historic sites narrating long-forgotten tales, and contemporary cities honoring the nation’s past on your itinerary.
The top tourist destinations in Mexico will engulf you in the colorful culture of the nation and open your eyes to the richness and complexity of its people, landscapes, cuisine, and, of course, cuisine.
This list of the top locations to travel in Mexico is ideal for those seeking a more genuine experience exploring the nation’s oldest cities and villages, or those seeking a leisurely vacation that consists solely of margaritas on the beach and island excursions.
Table of Contents
1. Cancun
Cancun is the best place to go if you want to let loose and enjoy immaculate, white sand beaches, an incredible selection of beachfront restaurants and bars, and a vast choice of hotels for every budget. Cancun has established a reputation as a party and beach town.
Cancun’s L-shaped hotel district follows the shoreline and provides a variety of waterfront accommodations, from action-packed locations and all-inclusive resorts to hotels that provide a peaceful haven with their own private beaches. A clearer picture of real Mexico can be found in El Centro, the downtown area. Cancun has everything you could possibly want for a perfect holiday day: partying from sunrise to sunset, casting a line for a large fish, or simply relaxing on the sand and sampling the vibrant flavors of Mexico.
Cancun is a popular tourist destination, but it also offers a plethora of outdoor activities, water sports, hip stores and street markets, and mouthwatering cuisine everywhere you look. You won’t have any trouble locating a place to sip cocktails or take a few tequila shots!
If you want a less crowded, beautiful location with less tourists, take the ferry to Isla Mujeres (20–30 minutes). If you want to see Mayan ruins and swim in underground cenotes, consider taking a day excursion to one of the following neighboring locations: Valladolid, Tulum, Chichen Itza, or Uxmal.
2. Riviera Maya
The Riviera Maya is a long, stunning stretch of Caribbean coastline that lies south of Cancun. It includes vibrant beach towns and Mayan ruins in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Puerto Morelos.
The Riviera Maya, albeit less busy than Cancun, provides a more relaxed vacation choice with an abundance of visitor amenities and attractions. If you want to discover old ruins and take in a little bit more of Mexico’s natural beauty, this is the place to go.
Take a dive at Puerto Morelos’ National Reef Park, swim in mystical cenotes that date back thousands of years, stroll among the remains of the Mayans, zip line or take an ATV through the Mayan jungle, and unwind on Playa del Carmen’s stunning beaches.
If you’re ready for an exciting jungle excursion, there are amazing Mayan ruins 45 minutes to an hour and a half away (Tulum and Coba, respectively). Renting a car and making quick journeys to the neighboring towns and attractions is the ideal way to experience the Riviera Maya.
Playa del Carmen is teeming with all-inclusive resorts that offer everything you need for a hassle-free vacation: food, beverages, entertainment, and excursions! If you would prefer to spend your vacation hotel-hopping or eating the majority of your meals off-resort property, the Riviera offers a wide variety of additional options.
4. Baja California
Baja California is a state in northwest Mexico, located in California, right beyond the border with the United States. It is well-liked for vacations from San Diego, which is about 20 minutes away. Cities like Tecate, Mexicali, Rosarito, and Tijuana are located there. This is one of the best destinations to travel in Mexico because of the beaches, deserts, and distinctive, alternative culture.
The entire region of Baja California is worth exploring; you can either pack up and travel by hotel hopping to see and do it all, or you may establish “base camp” at a fantastic hotel and take day trips to the towns farther south.
Explore the hills and pastoral tranquility of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s emerging wine area, or kick back on calm beaches in Rosarito or San Felipe. In lively Tijuana, the birthplace of the salt-rimmed cocktail, eat and drink your weight in fish tacos and margaritas.
This region of Mexico has a very dynamic culture that infuses the area with original music, artwork, and inventive interpretations on traditional Mexican cuisine. The sights, sounds, tastes, and scents of Baja California envelop you as you stroll through art galleries, restaurants, bohemian stores, and lively street markets.
Although violence and drug warfare have cast a shadow over the region in recent years, making it less popular with tourists, it still provides a breathtaking view of Mexico’s diversity and beauty. Furthermore, you won’t likely find any indication of the region’s underbelly in the tourist-heavy places.
5. Mexico City
Without a visit to Mexico City, the country’s vibrant metropolis, a trip there would not be complete. This city, which is a haven of delectable food, skyscrapers and monuments, upscale and bohemian neighborhoods, and an infinite number of stores and museums to explore, is situated on the Central Mexican plateau.
Encircling the stony Chapultepec Hill are hundreds of acres of parkland known as Bosque de Chapultepec. The castle atop it provides a great view of the park and is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon. When cars aren’t allowed inside on Sunday mornings, stroll or ride your bike along Paseo de la Reforma.
You really should go to the expansive Museo Nacional de Antropologia, the picturesque, cobblestoned Coyoacan district’s Museo Frida Kahlo, and the iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Basilica of Santa Maria de Guadalupe for its wonderful architecture.
To feel like you’re in a tiny town even in the bustling metropolis of Mexico City, stay in one of the lovely, tree-lined areas like Polanco, Condesa, or Roma. Not far from the old city center are safe, walking streets with galleries, boutiques, cafes, parks, and nightlife to keep you entertained during your visit.
Many of the greatest restaurants in the city are located in these neighborhoods (condesa and Roma for fashionable and laid-back dining, and Polanco for gourmet dining). As you stroll through the city, you’ll also be enticed by street food offers like tacos filled with fiery meats and shellfish.
5. San Juan Teotihuacan
San Juan Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian metropolis with origins dating back to 400 B.C., is located only 30 miles from Mexico metropolis. It is renowned for its magnificent pyramids, which are remarkably maintained and still stand today, revealing fragments of Mixtec, Zapotec, and Maya cultural narratives.
Large buildings with intriguing geometric designs dot the ancient city; Examples include the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, and the slanted Avenue of the Dead that links the locations.
With its unresolved hieroglyphics and conspicuous absence of palaces and tombs, Teotihuacan is a riddle that has bedeviled historians and anthropologists in their attempts to explain the city’s past. One of the most fascinating aspects about visiting this hallowed location is that.
Today, you may observe ceramics, relics, and ancient items that have been retrieved from the site by going to the Museo de la Cultura Teotihuacana. The old city has a sculpture park that you can explore, as well as areas where you can shop for souvenirs and have a picnic amidst the ruins.
Visiting San Juan Teotihuacan is a popular day excursion from the city because of its accessible position near Mexico City. It can easily pique your interest for a few hours when you’re ready for a break from the bustle and noise of the city.
6. Mayan Ruins
You must see the Mayan ruins in Mexico if you are enthralled with the tales of long-lost civilizations who offered horrifying human sacrifices, based their ancient cities around revered cenotes and cave systems, and created incredible stone constructions that still exist today.
While there are ancient Mayan ruins throughout Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula and its three states—Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche—have the greatest concentration of them. All of the sites are really fascinating to visit, even though some are more well-known than others (Chichen Itza, for example).
You can tour countless sites in the pre-Columbian Maya towns, including enormous pyramids, temples, and buildings that were formerly used as royal residences and stadiums.
Our top picks for Mayan ruins in Mexico include:
- Chichen Itza, Yucatan
- Coba, Quintana Roo
- Tulum, Quintana Roo
- Uxmal, Yucatan
- Edzna, Campeche
- Kohunlich, Quintana Roo
- Yaxchilan, Chiapas
You will be able to explore historic buildings while learning with a guide about the rich, occasionally bloody, but always fascinating history of the Maya people, as well as their customs, beliefs, and everyday lives.
Stick to visiting less-frequented but equally fascinating attractions if you wish to avoid enormous crowds. These sites rarely see large groups of people at one time. For a more sedate tour, Yaxchilan and Edzna are ideal if you wish to see the remains alone.
What could be better than organizing a trip to some of Mexico’s top Mayan ruins? Since many of them are close to each other, visiting several locations in a few days is simple.
7. The Magical Towns (Pueblos Magicos)
Pueblos Mágicos, or “magic towns,” are unique communities in Mexico that are highly recommended for travelers who wish to fully experience the culture, history, and essence of the nation. Pueblos Mágicos, often vibrant and well worth a visit lasting one to two days, may end up being your favorite part of a trip to Mexico.
These magical cities are great destinations to visit in Mexico because they have some of the best cuisine, hippest architecture, ancient ruins, local art, and warmest friendliness. When the first three of these communities were named in 2001, the Mexican government started to promote them.
- Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo
- Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosi
- Tepoztlan, Morelos
There are currently 132 (and the number is still growing) of these enchanted towns in Mexico, each with a distinct yet unified charm connected to the nation’s rich past as well as the fortitude, inventiveness, and beliefs of its citizens.
A town may be added to the Pueblos Mágicos list for a variety of reasons, including vivid architecture, rich history, ancient ruins, enormous stories and myths, vibrant local trades, and stunning natural surroundings.
But how can you decide which places are worth spending a few of your most valuable days in Mexico when there are so many on the list? Here are a few of our top picks for magical towns to visit:
- Tequila, Jalisco: Birthplace of tequila with volcanoes and agave fields
- Taxco, Guerrero: Silver jewelry shops and Spanish Colonial architecture
- Tepoztlán, Morelos: Legend as birthplace of Quezalcoatl with Aztec Tepozteco pyramid
- San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas: Colonial architecture, museums, and markets
- Bacalar, Quintana Roo: Beautiful Lake Bacalar, Fuerte de San Felipe, churches, underwater caves
Generally speaking, all of the towns on the list are easily accessible for weekend getaways and day visits from larger cities. That implies that there will always be a magical town close by for you to explore when you travel to Mexico!
8. San Miguel De Allende
Want to get as real a taste of old Mexico as you can? For a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine, classic Baroque architecture, old cobblestone streets, and exquisitely designed sacred cathedrals, visit San Miguel de Allende.
The town’s center, El Jardín, is a large square surrounded by magnificent specimens of Baroque architecture and constructions dating back hundreds of years.
With cultural festivals and galleries offering a glimpse into the creative energies behind this historic town, the art scene is very much alive here.
While visiting, take in the stunning neo-Gothic Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel with its rose-colored towers, as well as the Templo de San Francisco church, which is surrounded by a large number of eateries, cafés, and retail establishments. If you intend to stay here for a night or two, the old town center is home to a variety of small hotels and inns!
A monk by the name of Juan de San Miguel founded this walled town in the sixteenth century, introducing the local indigenous to advanced farming practices and textile weaving techniques.
Before you depart, explore the amazing Mexican Baroque church, chapels, and ancient murals and oil paintings at the former 18th-century Jesuit sanctuary, which is located just outside of town.
9. Oaxaca
One of the most amazing destinations to visit in Mexico is Oaxaca de Juárez, also known as Oaxaca or Oaxaca City. It is the capital of the state of Oaxaca in Mexico. After visiting, visitors often regret not having reserved a longer stay and vow to return in the near future.
You’ll feel immediately at home because the city is compact, walkable, and simple to traverse once you’re here. Get into the habit of going to the public plaza, Zocalo, where you may choose from a wide variety of eateries, street food sellers, and interesting old architecture.
Oaxaca boasts an amazing art scene, with numerous tiny galleries and institutions to discover as you stroll throughout the city. The Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, and the Museo de Arte Prehispánico de México are excellent places to learn about the city, state, and indigenous cultures.
While there are many excursions available in the city, we have a particular fondness for the mezcal tour, which is highly recommended. It takes you to some of Oaxaca’s greatest mezcal bars where you can sample the product and learn about its various varieties.
and the cuisine. The cuisine! Some of the best Mexican food in the nation can be found in Oaxaca.
Melty, mild Oaxaca cheese originated here, and while you’re here, try some of the best tacos, enfrijoladas (corn tortillas dipped in bean sauce), and tlayudas (similar to an Oaxacan pizza with meat, vegetables, and chiles on top of a big, thick corn tortilla).
10. Puerto Vallarta
Explore the coastal region of Puerto Vallarta in the Mexican state of Jalisco if you’re searching for exciting nightlife, beaches, and a surfing scene that contributes to the town’s distinct laid-back vibe. The city’s core features winding cobblestone lanes and old architecture, which contrast with the active lifestyles of the locals.
With the well-known Boy on the Seahorse sculpture, the El Malecon boardwalk, and the beautifully crafted Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe chapel at its heart, Puerto Vallarta offers plenty of opportunities for sightseeing.
The downtown Cuale River Flea Market is a fun place to spend an hour or two exploring the various booths offering mouthwatering food, beverages, crafts, and artwork.
If you head down to the shore, you’ll find an amazing selection of waterfront pubs, clubs, and eateries where good times and live music are always in store. Take a seat in the sand and observe surfers as they ride large waves (or head just north to experience even bigger waves).
At the lookout at the summit of Cerro de la Cruz, you will see some of Puerto Vallarta’s best views. Gaze out over the glittering Banderas Bay and the downtown streets while people come and go from the eateries and stores that make the region come to life.
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The 10 Best Places to Visit in Mexico (Our Favorites in 2024) (travellersworldwide.com)
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