Howard

Hello <BR> <BR>My map shows that Mexico indeed has long coastlines but also large areas not anywhere near the coast. This leads me to ask why almost all postings here (and by extrapolation travel to Mexico???) are primarily concerned with the same half dozen or so coastal resorts/areas??????? <BR> <BR>It seems to me that the are a lot of wonderful places to travel to in the interior, not difficult to reach, and quite easy on the bank account. Often, even posters that want culture confine their questions to the coast. <BR> <BR>Howard

Kuch

Howard, no offense travel buddy but there are many forums for the travellers that you speak of (Lonely Planet for one). I've been using this forum for over 2 years and find that the posters here are usually of the same mindset...we get 2 to 4 weeks a year and when we're dropping several thousand dollars for that one week or two weeks in the sun, we want those to be in those half dozen or so coastal resorts/areas. <BR>Speaking for fellow Canadians who post to this site, we just have this thing we're we want our winter vacation to be on or near beach resorts where we can enjoy the crystal clear Caribbean waters and all the related activities, ie. snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, etc. In Canada if we want to visit the 'interior' and experience the culture, everyone goes to the cottage which is the easy on the budget part. A recent article in the Toronto Sun advised that 80% of Canadians travelling to the Caribbean and Latin America are going on all-inclusive basis and those all-inclusives tend to be in coastal resort areas...because that's what they want for that 'get away winter vacation'.

Susan

Kuch, I appreciate what you're saying, but don't speak for me!! I am Canadian, but I don't go to cottages for culture! (As a matter of fact, I rarely go to cottages at all.) I've been to Mexico many times and usually try to split my time at a beach with time in the interior. We've been to Mexico City, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca and through the Yucatan (Merida, etc.) As you can tell, we like cities. That's not to say that we don't like the beach - my husband especially likes going to the beach. We both love snorkeling. I never go all inclusive. It has no appeal for either of us. <BR> <BR>We're planning our winter trip right now. We've booked a flight into Acapulco, then back to Mexico City, then we'll bus it to Patzcuaro and Morelia and then fly back to Toronto from Morelia. We've wanted to go to Morelia and Patzcuaro for quite a while - I would love to see the monarch butterflies. Acapulco wasn't our number 1 beach choice, but we're going on frequent flyer miles and that was the easiest place to get to, without spending lots of time hanging around the airport for connections. <BR> <BR>So if any Fodorites have any advice on Morelia, Patzcuaro or Acapulco (we're thinking we'll stay at Pie de la Cuesta rather than Acapulco proper), I'd love to hear it. Any advice on hotels, restaurants, sights, etc. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance.

beachbum

I have to agree with Kuch here. Most of the vacationers to Mexico are looking for rest and relaxation at a beachfront <BR>resort. That is why I and most of the other posters to this board have come here for advice. I am not looking for <BR>high adventure in the jungle or interior <BR>of Mexico.....I want a nice resort where <BR>I can enjoy the hospitality of the Mexican people as well as a bit of local culture.

Howard

Hello again - <BR> <BR>I didn't mean to denigrate people who go to the beach, and am not shocked that most of the postings concerned the beach. However, it seems that 95% plus of the Mexico postings here are in regards to the same few resorts. In reality, there are plenty of tourists who go to the interior of Mexico. <BR> <BR>Kuch - could you point out for me where it says that Lonely Planet is for the interior, and Fodors for the mass resorts?? I haven't seen that!! <BR> <BR> <BR>Beachbum (by the way, are you called bum for short?), travelling to the interior does not demand jungle adventure. For those who bother to investigate, there are a lot of great places to stay, easily accessible, outside the confines of the Cancun, etc. beach strips. <BR> <BR>HB

Beachbum

Howard....to clarify my name, it is <BR>something that my children came up with. <BR>And as for you and your comments, you <BR>obviously have come to this board only <BR>to cause a stir and really have no <BR>interest in helping future vacationers <BR>with their travel questions.

Howard

Obviously, pointing out that there are places to go in Mexico other than a narrow strip along the beach is intended to help future vacationers. from

texasgirl

like one of the previous posters, i'm not sure of the point of this initial poster. it's pretty easily explained by statistics _ far more canadian and us tourists go to the beach areas (2 million to cancun alone) because A. we don't have anything like them and B. they're marketed well. and so of course there are more questions about those areas. In addition, beaches are often an easy way to experience mexico for the first time and thus those folks certainly have more questions than experienced travelers. <BR> <BR>Now, for susan....i am not crazy about the newer sections of acapulco either but i really like the old part of town. Try to go to the main market early in the morning; it's a good one, especially for being so close to a major resort, and frequented by locals as much or more than tourists. A few years ago we saw a funeral procession there, complete with a marching band playing a dirge _ turned out the lady had been a longtime vendor in the market and the procession was going past all her favorite places. unlike other mexican markets i've visited, including oaxaca, you may run into someone wanting to "guide" you for a small tip; they're often quite fun and knowledgeable but beware they will steer you to places they get commissions. I also liked the cliff divers, hokey though it might be, and just wandering around in the older section of town. Yes, stay at pie de la cuesta. as for morelia, i haven't been but my ex studied spanish there and felt it was a great place to get a true feel for mexican life, he loved it.... have a terrific trip, sounds like you have a great itinerary!

Susan

Thanks Texasgirl. I think we will have a great trip.

Elizabeth

Susan........I have been going to Acapulco for some twenty-five years now and agree with Texasgirl about the old <BR>section in the city. I usually rent a <BR>house with pool for a month or so. PLEASE, PLEASE be very careful out at Pie de la Cuesta.......I do not want to <BR>alarm you but there have been many incidents of burglaries and assaults. Do not walk on the beach at night.....also that area has one of the most strongest under-tows. Swimming is at most, for the more experienced. <BR> <BR>If you do nothing else in Acapulco, make sure you go to El Campinario Restaurant. Situated high, high, high up on a hill overlooking the bay....the most wonderful place to have a drink and watch the sunset. Decor is typical Mexican.......your husband must wear slacks, as NO shorts are allowed. I can`t say enough about this place.....have never eaten there, but have been there some 30 times just to have drinks on the patio on the cliff. Have a great trip.

Susan

Elizabeth, thanks for the advice. We'll start off in Pie de la Cuesta, but if we don't like it, we can always move on. <BR>

Jean Valjean

Re: Coast and "Interior" <BR> <BR>Hello! <BR> <BR>Just a quick comment on the 'interior' of Mexico. I have traveled extensively through Mexico, and I have to say that there are many places that can be just as relaxing but certainly more rewarding than costal towns. <BR> <BR>Places like Cancun and Acapulco are geared completely towards (American) tourism, so, if you are searching for 'the real thing' or even good value for your money, these are not the best places. <BR> <BR>If you look in Central Mexico, you'll find places like San Miguel, Queretaro or Guanajuato, covered with colonial architecture, nice restaurants, and incredibly nice people, not to mention very good shopping. <BR> <BR>Another option could be Guadalajara, which even though is a large city, it has very interesting buildings and two superb little towns that were 'swallowed' by the city, but still retain their charm: Tonala and Tlaquepaque. <BR> <BR>In the south, you may find places like Oaxaca, Morelia, Puebla or Merida. Very fine places, and each of them represent a culture of their own (and very good food, too!) <BR> <BR>None of these places would qualify as 'jungle' tourism, there are very good hotels (international quality) and you may be very pleasantly surprised with the prices! <BR> <BR>[email protected]