Places to Visit in Mexico

1. Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town in Mexico's Jalisco's state on the Pacific coast and a popular vacation destination due to its beautiful beaches, adventurous water sports, and nightlife.

The city center is a historic treasure with cobblestone streets and the beautifully adorned Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church along with plenty of tasty restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. The beachside promenade known as El Malecon is a popular hotspot for clubbing and drinking and has plenty of establishments to keep the party going all night long as well as a number of contemporary sculptures to enjoy while strolling along the beach during the day. Puerto Vallarta Map

2. Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is a resort town set on the Caribbean shoreline in an area known as the Riviera Maya. The area is known for its flawless palm-lined beaches and beautiful coral reefs just off the coast. There is a pedestrian walkway known as the Quinta Agenda, which runs along the beach and offers shopping, dining, and nightlife opportunities.

The beaches feature soft white sand and turquoise water, providing the perfect backdrop for a day of sunbathing or relaxing in a hammock. However, if you like a bit more adventure and activity on your trip, there are plenty of activities available, including diving on the reef, riding jet skis, kayaking, and windsurfing. Playa del Carmen Map

3. Cozumel

Cozumel is a gorgeous island in the Caribbean Sea. The island has received fame as a port of call on many cruise itineraries, but, with the exception of the busy area around the popular cruise port, the island is largely undeveloped. There are several popular beaches with Palancar and Playa Mia Grand being two of the most popular.

Diving is a major reason visitors come to Cozumel. Scuba diving hot spots include the Museo Subacuatico de Arte, where you can see a number of underwater sculptures, the Mesoamerican Reef, and the Chankanaab Eco Park, which features a number of interesting wildlife species and underwater caves for divers to explore. Map

4. Acapulco

Acapulco is a town on the Pacific coast largely known for its beaches and resorts. The town is set on a large bay surrounded by high-rise resorts and residences, with the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains forming a beautiful backdrop. The area was popularized as a destination by the well heeled in the 50s and 60s, however still remains popular today. Visitors come to enjoy the raucous nightlife, relax in the sun on the gorgeous beaches, and explore the mountains. If you are interested in checking out a unique attraction, twice-daily cliff divers dive into a small cove from 40 meters high at Acapulco's well-known La Quebrada cliff. Map

5. Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas is located on the southern end of Baja California. Formerly a quiet fishing village, the city has been transformed into a popular resort city.

It is known as a party destination and for its gorgeous beaches. The main beach in the city is Playa El Medano, which is a gorgeous stretch of sand that is lined with bars and restaurants with plenty of al fresco dining available.

A bit farther out is the uber-popular Playa del Amor and a naturally formed arch in the sea cliffs known as El Arco. Golf enthusiasts will be delighted to find some of the most difficult and beautiful golf courses in the country near Cabo. Map

6. Cancun

Cancun is a city set on the Caribbean Sea on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The city is famous the world over for its resort accommodations, stunning beaches, and nightlife.

There are two main areas that make up Cancun - Zona Hotelera where the resort hotels, restaurants, and clubs are concentrated and a more traditional city center called El Centro. Although Cancun may bring to mind images of college spring breaks where anything goes, in reality there's more to offer than just trendy nightlife. Family-friendly resorts, interesting examples of Mexican and Mayan cultural heritage, crystal-clear waters and soft sandy beaches, and much more all make Cancun a desirable vacation destination for visitors of all ages. Map

7. Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a complex of ruins from a pre-Mexican settlement on the Yucatan Peninsula. The centerpiece of the ancient complex is a huge step pyramid named El Castillo, or the Temple of Kukulcan. A number of interesting carvings, temples, and other ruins also shed a bit of light onto what life might have been like for them. The site is fairly easy to access from both Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

While it is fantastic to look at, the crowds can be a bit difficult to handle, especially during the high seasons. Getting there early is a good way to enjoy the sights, with less of a crowd. While climbing the pyramid was once a popular activity, it is no longer permitted in an effort to preserve this historically significant site. Map

8. Costa Esmeralda

Just north of the seaport town of Veracruz is a stretch of stunningly beautiful beaches with green jungle-like vegetation. The Emerald Coast, as it is known in English, is the name for the stretch between the towns of Papantia and Nautia.

Visitors come here to relax on the wide, clean, sandy beaches and enjoy the calm waters. The water in this area is typically perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and diving as the waves are usually calm. Fishing is also a popular. There are a number of campgrounds and hotels along the beach and the nearby highway is dotted with small restaurants, cafes, and farmers market-style stands selling a variety of fresh foods. Costa Esmeralda Map

9. Ensenada

Ensenada is a city along Mexico's coast in Baja California, an area known for its calm seas and beautiful beaches. It is also close enough to San Diego to provide relatively easy access for Californians who hop across the border. Inland there are mountains, national parks, and La Bufadora, which is an impressive geyser. You will also find Guadalupe Island nearby, which offers the greatest chance of any place in the world to see great white sharks in the wild. Other wildlife experiences are possible, including the possibility to see magnificent colonies of elephant seals on migration and some of the thousands of grey whales that pass through the area on their way south. Ensenada Map

10. Guanajuato

Guanajuato is a city located in central Mexico. It is a destination known for its colonial architecture and has a history as a silver mining town. The city features small networks of tunnels, incredibly narrow streets, and alleyways, such as the famed Callejon del Beso, which means "Alley of the Kiss."

It was so named because the balconies of opposing buildings are so close that a couple could lean across and kiss. There are a number of nice museums in the city, including the Museo Casa Diego Rivera, which was the former home of artist Diego Rivera, the Alhondiga de Granaditas, which is an art and history museum, and the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato, which is an odd but well-known museum that has more than a hundred mummies on display. Map