Mexico

Overview

Mexico, the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos ), is one of the most visited countries in the world. Much of the tourist industry is centered around the beach resorts as well as the altiplano in the central part of the country. Visiting the northern interior allows visitors to get off the beaten path a bit. U.S. American tourists tend to predominate on the Baja California peninsula and the more modernized beach resorts ( Cancún , Puerto Vallarta ), while European tourists congregate around the smaller resort areas in the south like Playa del Carmen and colonial towns San Cristobal de las Casas . Canadians often favor smaller beach resorts like Huatulco or Ixtapa .

April is already the hottest month, especially at the coast and on the Yucatán peninsula. Towns which aren't that hot in April and during the summer are Mexico City , Toluca / Metepec , San Cristobal de las Casas , Pachuca and Zacatecas .

It gets rather cold during the winter except on the coast. There is sometimes snow in certain places like the Sierra Madre mountains of Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León and northern Tamaulipas.

Northern Mexico gets very hot during the summer with sudden violent storms in the afternoon, with heavy rain and hail. The temperatures during the day can exceed 39°C (100°F). Less hot during the summer is Tijuana.

Sights and landscapes

Mexico is on the border of two bioregions; both North American wildlife and Central and South American wildlife can be seen in the country. A number of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are in Mexico as well as a number of RAMSAR wetlands.

The Mexican Tourism Ministry (SECTUR) has a program called Pueblos Magicos to identify and develop tourist programs in smaller, lesser known destinations. Towns designated as Pueblos Magicos usually are rich in colonial heritage, maintain cultural traditions, or offer spectacular natural wonders. These towns are the kinds of places a couple would go for a romantic weekend because they often feature interesting historical sites in a quaint setting with local bed and breakfast inns, regional cuisine in the local restaurants, and good accessibility from major cities.

Experiences

Football (soccer) is Mexico's national sport, and its top men's league, the Liga MX , is one of the best funded outside Europe. The big four teams in the Liga MX are América , Chivas , Cruz Azul and Pumas . The rivalry between Guadalajara 's Chivas and Mexico City 's América, known as El Súper Clásico , El Clásico de Clásicos or just El Clásico , is the biggest in Mexico, and fixtures between the two sides are guaranteed to draw partisan sell-out crowds. In Northern Mexico , the biggest game of the year is the Clasico Regio , pitting Monterrey's two top teams against each other. The Mexican national team is also a regional powerhouse, and matches against its northern neighbor, the United States , are particularly charged affairs.

Baseball is the second biggest team sport in the country with two leagues, Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB) and the Liga Pacifica (LMP)(sponsored by ARCO). The best players make it to Major League Baseball teams in the U.S., but that is not a universal goal in Mexico, where many players enjoy long careers (particularly in the Mexican League teams) and are relatively well paid. The Liga Mexicana began in 1925. It is organized as two divisions, North and South, with 18 teams playing a 114-game season, from April to September. Teams are located in many popular tourist destinations including Cancun (Tigres), Mexico City (Diablos Rojos), Guadalajara (Mariachis), Monterrey (Sultanes), and Tijuana (Toros). The LMP is a winter league with 10 teams, mostly in the states of Sinaloa and Sonora , but with teams in Mexicali (Aguilas), Guadalajara (Charros), and Monterrey (Sultanes). Monterrey and Guadalajara are the two cities with teams in both leagues, so you can catch a game there at almost any time of the year.

Culture and food

Mexican cuisine can be described better as a collection of various regional cuisines rather than a standard list of dishes for the whole country. Because of climate, geography and ethnic differences, we can classify Mexican cuisine broadly in 4 great categories according to the region:

Ask for the "platillo tipico" of the town, which is the local speciality that may not be found elsewhere, a variation, or the birthplace of a recipe. Also consider that most of the recipes change from place to place: for example, tamales in the south are made with the banana plant leaves, and in the Huasteca region tamales are very big (they are called "Zacahuil"); one is OK for a complete family.

Planning your route

Travelling in Mexico is most practical by bus, car, or air. Passenger transport by train is possible in some areas. most extensively in the Yucatán Peninsula, with its modern Tren Maya service. The Chihuahua del Pacifico railroad is one of the most scenic railroads in the world, passing through the Copper Canyon, and departing from Los Mochis on the Pacific coast, or Creel in the east. They cross each other roughly midways at Divisadero and Barrancas Copper Canyon stations at an altitude of 2100 m (7000 ft).

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.