Mexico attracts some 42 million tourists each year who come for the bustling white-sand beaches of Cancun, to explore the archaeological sites of Tulum or check into the myriad resort hotels.
But why join the queues and suffer the hassles at these now overrun hotspots?
Mexico is the 13th biggest country in the world. There are scores of destinations much quieter than Cancun and its resort-rammed coast – and they’re easier to reach than you might think.
Magical ancient sites and characterful towns that cherish authentic gastronomy, culture and traditions are dotted all over.
I’ve been visiting the country for almost four decades and have been to every corner of Mexico.
These are the very best spots Mexico has to offer (some you’ve probably never heard of) – and the places to avoid at all costs.
Palenque, Chiapas, boasts limestone pyramids and plazas that are set amidst the jungle
Misol-Ha waterfall is a stunning bathing spot near Palenque and has a secret cave
Palenque, Chiapas
It’s the setting that makes Palenque so special. While Chichen Itza – the mobbed ruins visited by countless coach trips every day out of Cancun – sits on a bare plain, Palenque’s limestone pyramids and plazas are set amidst the jungle.
Orchids, lianas and giant kapok trees frame some of the most exquisite ancient reliefs to be found anywhere in the Mayan world.
Streams trickle, toucans and parrots squawk and the relatively small numbers of visitors means you can explore the site and surrounding wilderness in your own time, while communing with the ancients.
The on-site museum is a must and the nearby Misol-Ha waterfall is a wonderful place to bathe, with a secret cave behind the cascades.
TOP TIP: Love your Mayan sites? Drive southeast to visit Bonampak, an archaeological site with even fewer daily visitors than Palenque.
BOOK IT: Chan-Kah Resort Village, $120 per night. chan-kah.mx
Mérida was previously northern Yucatán’s main city, and is still a regional capital
Mérida, Yucatán
Before the planners came up with Cancun in 1970, Mérida was northern Yucatán’s main city, and is still a regional capital.
Founded in Spanish colonial times, it was given a major makeover in the 19th century when wealthy sisal barons hired Parisian architects to build mansions and turn the city’s avenues into grand boulevards.
Hop into a horse-drawn carriage to ogle the opulent villas along Paseo de Montejo. Come dusk, the convivial central plaza fills up with local families and folk music bands give open-air shows.
Mérida has direct flights from Dallas, Houston and Miami and is a great base for visiting the impressive and under-sold Mayan ruins at Uxmal.
TOP TIP: Pull up a stool at the bar of Cantina Negrita, a classic old-time drinking hole that opened in 1917; sample the mezcal cocktails and delicious bar snacks (cantinanegrita.com).
BOOK IT: Casa Lecanda, $264 per night. casalecanda.com
Oaxaca is famous for a burgeoning art scene and its native cultures
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
Oaxaca is ‘Mexico concentrated’, rather like one of the rich mole sauces used in its celebrated local cuisine.
The historic center is a Unesco World Heritage Site, replete with grandiose churches, romantic palaces and leafy patios and plazas.
The plaza bustles all day and at dusk, when locals step out for their evening paseo, out come the barrel organists, busking guitarists, food vendors, clowns and street food stalls. The church bells ring while brass bands perform on the ornate bandstand.
Oaxaca is famous for three things in particular: its burgeoning art scene, its amazing fusion gastronomy (ingredients include cactus, rose petals and grasshoppers) and its native cultures.
Nearby is the Monte Alban archaeological site and a visit to Oaxaca can be easily combined with a beach break at Puerto Escondido. There are direct flights from Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles to Oaxaca.
TOP TIP: Treat yourself to the tasting menu at Criollo, a restaurant with a cool, casual vibe serving authentic Oaxaquena cuisine – backed by the famous Mexican chef Enrique Olvera (criollo.mx).
BOOK IT: Casa Oaxaca, $490 per night, casaoaxaca.com.mx
San Cristóbal is located in the highlands of Chiapas and still bears the traces of its colonial foundation, with narrow cobblestoned streets and brightly painted baroque churches
San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas
Dating from 1528, San Cristóbal still bears the traces of its colonial foundation, with narrow cobblestoned streets, low-slung houses and brightly painted baroque churches.
Set in the pine-forested highlands of Chiapas, the climate is cool for the latitude and swirling morning mists give the city a mysterious quality.
The food market is a whirl of color, with stalls heaving with tropical fruits, maize and fresh vegetables from surrounding farms, country cheeses and every kind of chili pepper imaginable.
Close by, in the village of San Juan Chamula, is the church of San Juan Bautista, where Mayan and Christian traditions have combined to create a distinctive atmosphere and unique rituals.
TOP TIP: Wander over to the Moxviquil ecological reserve and botanical garden, which specializes in orchids – Chiapas is home to 700 species (orquideaschiapas.com).
BOOK IT: Hotel Bo, $229 per night, hotelbo.mx
Mexico City’s historic center is packed with museums, concert halls, well-preserved heritage buildings and cafés and bars
Mexico City
Unfairly caricatured in movies, Mexico’s vast capital offers a lot more than traffic and crime.
The historic center is packed with world-class museums and art galleries, concert halls, well-preserved heritage buildings and venerable cafés and bars.
At its heart sits the famous central plaza, the Zocalo, and the magnificent cathedral right beside the Aztec Templo Mayor.
Neighboring Roma and Zona Rosa are fascinating boho quarters for sightseeing and coffee shop-hopping; just beyond these, Condesa and Polanco are leafy, upscale districts with boutique hotels and sublime restaurants.
There’s plenty to do in Mexico City, but one day should be set aside for a trip to Teotihuacan archaeological complex and the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe – both of which lie north of the city center.
TOP TIP: Visit the Coyoacán district to see the former homes of Leon Trotsky and Frida Kahlo, both preserved as house-museums.
BOOK IT: Las Alcobas, $503 per night marriott.com
Dolores de Hidalgo, Guanajuato, was once known as plain Dolores but its charming central plaza now boasts stunning churches and civic buildings
Dolores de Hidalgo, Guanajuato
This delightful off-radar town was simply called Dolores until the morning of September 16, 1810, when a local priest pronounced the formal grito – or call – for Mexican Independence.
His name was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and ever since the town has been Dolores Hidalgo, the ‘Cradle of Independence’.
A must-see museum is the Museo Casa Hidalgo, located in the former grain store where Hidalgo and his co-conspirers met to plan the uprising against colonial rule.
The mariachi legend José Alfredo Jiménez – dubbed the ‘father of the ranchera’ – was born in Dolores Hidalgo; his house is a museum and his sombrero-topped tomb a pilgrimage site for music-lovers.
The central plaza is charming, with a handsome church and gracious civic buildings.
The ice-cream vendors offer highly original flavors such as nopal, shrimp and fried pork, as well as the usual fruits.
Dolores is also known for its excellent Talavera pottery.
Nearby are the Unesco-listed towns of Guanajuato, a onetime silver mining hub, and gorgeous, though very much on-radar, San Miguel de Allende. Guanajuato airport, which has international connections, is just 50 miles away.
TOP TIP: Spend half a day at the nearby Cuna de Tierra winery, known for its award winning high-altitude varietals and blends (cunadetierra.com).
BOOK IT: Posada Bonita, $91 per night. On Facebook.
Real de Catorce is a photogenic semi-ghost town located 130 miles north of San Luis Potosi
Real de Catorce
Lying at the end of a lonely desert road, overlooked by barren, cactus-studded hills, Real de Catorce is a fabled, photogenic semi-ghost town, having boomed as a silver mining center and bombed when the price of the precious metal fell at the end of the 19th century.
There’s an abandoned bullring, a cock-fighting arena that resembles a Roman amphitheater, and a grid of quiet streets lined with peeling, sun-baked buildings that give Real a film-set quality; no surprise it featured in the 2001 movie The Mexican, starring Gene Hackman, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt.
The town’s cultural center houses the former mint and horse-riding excursions are available to visit a genuine ghost town a little over a mile away.
Real de Catorce is 130 miles north of San Luis Potosí, which has an international airport.
TOP TIP: Climb the Cerro del Quemado hill, sacred to the local Huichol people.
BOOK IT: Meson de la Abundancia, $186 per night (two-night minimum stay). mesondelaabundancia.com
Vacation hotspot Cancun (pictured) is known for being overrun by tourists all year round
WHERE TO AVOID
Out of season, most corners of Mexico have somewhere you can vacation in peace.
But if you are averse to spending your time with hordes of strangers, you should stay away from these: Cancun, any time of the year, as well as Playa del Carmen; Tulum, because, for all the loveliness of its coastal location, it’s the most thronging of all the Mayan sites; Los Cabos in Baja California, especially at Spring Break.
The wine country of Valle de Guadalupe has seen unmanageable visitor numbers in recent years.
Tiny, paradisaical Isla Holbox, to the north of the Yucatán Peninsula, has fallen foul of the Instagram set and is facing crowd issues as well as environmental, electrical and water supply challenges.
Tulum, for all the loveliness of its coastal location, is the most thronging of all the Mayan sites
SAFETY AND SECURITY
The Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Mexico warns against travel to six Mexican states: Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
Seven further states fall into the ‘Reconsider Travel’ category and ‘Increased Caution’ is advised in many areas.
The destinations recommended above are green-lighted, but crime and kidnapping are widespread in Mexico and you should consult with travel agencies and insurers before undertaking road trips.
