Top Sights

1. Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá is a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. A massive step pyramid, known as El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcan, dominates the ancient city, which thrived from around 600 A.D. to the 1200s. Graphic stone carvings survive at structures like the ball court, Temple of the Warriors and the Wall of the Skulls. Nightly sound-and-light shows illuminate the buildings' sophisticated geometry.

2. Mexico City

Mexico City is the densely populated, high-altitude capital of Mexico. It's known for its Templo Mayor (a 13th-century Aztec temple), the baroque Catedral Metropolitana de México of the Spanish conquistadors and the Palacio Nacional, which houses historic murals by Diego Rivera. All of these are situated in and around the Plaza de la Constitución, the massive main square also known as the Zócalo.

3. Cancún

Cancún, a Mexican city on the Yucatán Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea, is known for its beaches, numerous resorts and nightlife. It’s composed of 2 distinct areas: the more traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona Hotelera, a long, beachfront strip of high-rise hotels, nightclubs, shops and restaurants. Cancun is also a famed destination for students during universities’ spring break period.

4. Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is a coastal resort town in Mexico, along the Yucatán Peninsula's Riviera Maya strip of Caribbean shoreline. In the state of Quintana Roo, it’s known for its palm-lined beaches and coral reefs. Its Quinta Avenida pedestrian thoroughfare runs parallel to the beach, with blocks of shops, restaurants and nightspots ranging from laid-back bars to dance clubs.

5. Cozumel

Cozumel, a mostly undeveloped Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, is a popular cruise ship port of call famed for its scuba diving. At Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, there's diving spots around a section of the Mesoamerican Reef and the Museo Subacuático de Arte’s submerged sculptures. Chankanaab is an eco park surrounding a lagoon with underwater caverns, home to dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.

6. Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife. Playa El Médano is Cabo’s main beach, with outdoor restaurants and numerous bars. Past the marina is Land's End promontory, site of Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach) and El Arco, a natural archway in the seacliffs.

7. Guanajuato

Guanajuato is a city in central Mexico. It's known for its silver mining history and colonial architecture. Its network of narrow streets, alleyways and tunnels is typified by the Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss), so named because the balconies are close enough for a couple to reach across and kiss. In a former granary, the Alhóndiga de Granaditas is an art and local history museum with pre-Columbian exhibits.

8. Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in Jalisco state. It is known for its beaches, water sports and nightlife scene. Its cobblestone center is home to the ornate Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, boutique shops and a range of restaurants and bars. El Malecón is a beachside promenade with contemporary sculptures, as well as bars, lounges and nightclubs.

9. Sian Ka'an

Sian Ka'an is a biosphere reserve in the municipality of Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It was established in 1986 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. “Sian Ka’an” means “gate of heaven” or “a place where heaven begins”.

10. Tulum

Tulum is a town on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It’s known for its beaches and well-preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan port city. The main building is a large stone structure called El Castillo (castle), perched on a rocky cliff above the white sand beach and turquoise sea. Near the ruins is the Parque Nacional Tulum, a coastal area with mangroves and cenotes (natural limestone sinkholes).

11. Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, 13 kilometers off the coast from Cancún. It's a vacation destination known for beaches such as northern Playa Norte, resort hotels and for snorkeling and scuba diving on the surrounding coral reefs. At Punta Sur, the southern tip, there's a lighthouse, the remains of a Mayan temple and a sanctuary for sea turtles.

12. Mérida

Mérida, the vibrant capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, has a rich Mayan and colonial heritage. The city’s focal point is Plaza de la Independencia, bordered by the fortresslike Mérida Cathedral and white limestone Iglesia de la Tercera Orden, both colonial-era churches built using relics from ancient Mayan temples. The Casa de Montejo, a 16th-century mansion, is a landmark of colonial plateresque architecture.

13. Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan is a vast Mexican archaeological complex northeast of Mexico City. Running down the middle of the site, which was once a flourishing pre-Columbian city, is the Avenue of the Dead. It links the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun, the latter two with panoramic views from their summits. Artifacts in the Museum of Teotihuacan Culture, on-site, include pottery and bones.

14. Acapulco

Acapulco, a beach resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast, is set on a large bay backed by high-rises and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. Made famous by the jet set in the 1950s and ’60s, it's known for its high-energy nightlife, beaches and golf. From its iconic La Quebrada cliff, professional divers plunge 40m into a small ocean cove every day and night.

15. Oaxaca

The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Mexican state.

Templo de Santo Domingo and Zócalo square

16. Guadalajara

Guadalajara is a city in western Mexico. It’s known for tequila and mariachi music, both born in Jalisco, the state of which Guadalajara is the capital. Guadalajara’s historic center is dotted with colonial plazas and landmarks such as the neoclassical Teatro Degollado and a cathedral with twin gold spires. The Palacio del Gobierno houses famous murals by painter José Clemente Orozco.

17. San Cristóbal de Las Casas

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a highland town in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. It’s known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, such as the centuries-old, yellow San Cristóbal Cathedral on the Parque Central. Los Altos Museum, in the baroque former Santo Domingo de Guzmán convent, has regional history and textile exhibits. Outside the building, a market sells colorful weavings and other handicrafts.

18. Puebla

Puebla is a city in east-central Mexico, southeast of Mexico City. It’s known for its culinary history, colonial architecture and pottery. The painted Talavera tiles adorning numerous buildings are locally produced. The Renaissance-era Puebla Cathedral has tall bell towers and overlooks the central square, the Zócalo. Museo Amparo offers an extensive display of pre-Hispanic art, such as ceramics and mural fragments.

19. Akumal

Akumal is a coastal resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, on the Yucatán Peninsula. Akumal Beach has white sands, a coral reef and warm waters rich in marine life, including turtles. To the north, Half Moon Bay has a curved beach, while Yal-ku Lagoon teems with colorful tropical fish, plus stingrays and barracudas. Inland, Aktun Chen Parque Natural is known for its caves, cenotes (freshwater pools) and underground river.

20. Mazatlan

Mazatlán is a Mexican resort town along the Pacific shoreline in the state of Sinaloa. Sandy beaches line its 21km-long malecón (boardwalk), and it's renowned for big-game fishing. In its Centro Histórico, or Old Mazatlán, 19th-century landmarks include the performance hall Teatro Ángela Peralta and the towering Immaculate Conception basilica. The modern district of Zona Dorada is known for nightlife and hotels.

21. San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city in Mexico’s central highlands, is known for its baroque Spanish architecture, thriving arts scene and cultural festivals. In the city’s historic, cobblestoned center lies the neo-Gothic church Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, whose dramatic pink towers rise above the main plaza, El Jardín. The Templo de San Francisco church nearby has an 18th-century churrigueresque facade.

22. Heroica Veracruz

Veracruz, also known as Heroica Veracruz, is a Mexican port city on the Gulf of Mexico coast in the state of Veracruz. It's one of the country’s oldest and largest ports, founded in the 16th century by Spanish settlers. On an island overlooking the harbor is San Juan de Ulúa, a colonial fortress and former prison complex that's now a history museum.

23. Tequila

Tequila is a town in Mexico’s western state of Jalisco. It’s known for its production of the famous spirit. Near the foot of the Tequila Volcano, the outskirts of town are dotted with fields of blue agave, the liquor’s main ingredient. The production process can be observed at several distilleries and haciendas. The Museo Nacional del Tequila and the Museo Los Abuelos feature exhibits on the history of the drink.

24. Xochimilco

In southern Mexico City, a gritty working-class neighborhood gives way to the famous canals of Xochimilco, the last remnants of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs. Colorful gondola-like boats take visitors on cruises while food vendors, artisans and mariachi bands float past. The atmosphere is festive, especially on weekends. Tourists can also visit the eerie, purportedly haunted Island of the Dolls.

25. Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon, in northern Mexico, is a series of massive canyons in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. Popular for hiking, it gets its name from the copper-green hue of the canyon walls. The famous Chepe (Ferrocarril Barrancas del Cobre) train connects the region via over 80 tunnels and nearly 40 bridges. Divisadero, a photo stop on the line, offers views into Urique Canyon.

26. Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido is a port town and resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. It’s known for its many beaches and buzzing nightlife. The town’s central Principal Beach is lined with palm trees and thatch-roofed bars. Busy Zicatela Beach is renowned for its Mexican Pipeline surf break. Neighboring La Punta Beach has smaller waves. Carrizalillo Beach is set in a cove backed by steep cliffs.

27. El Tajin

El Tajín is a pre-Columbian archeological site in southern Mexico and is one of the largest and most important cities of the Classic era of Mesoamerica. A part of the Classic Veracruz culture, El Tajín flourished from 600 to 1200 CE and during this time numerous temples, palaces, ballcourts, and pyramids were built.

28. Lake Pátzcuaro

Day of the dead celebrations. Lake Pátzcuaro is a lake in the municipality of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. Lake Pátzcuaro lies in an endorheic basin, which does not drain to the sea. A watershed area of 929 square kilometres drains into the lake, of which 126.4 are the water body.

29. Zacatecas

Zacatecas is a city in central Mexico. It's known for being a 16th-century silver mining hub. An underground train leads to the Mina El Edén, a former mine with rock formations and antique mining machinery. The mine’s prosperity is reflected in the city’s ornate churches and colonial buildings, like the Catedral de Zacatecas and the Palacio de Gobierno Estatal, built with pink stone and ornamental wrought iron.

30. Palenque

Maya site in jungle at Parque Nacional Palenque