Where To Next in Mexico?
 

My husband and I love traveling in Mexico. We have been to Oaxaca, Michoacan, Mexico City, and San Miguel de Allende. We enjoy colonial history, art, crafts, architecture, and food. We are not interested in a beach vacation.

Can anyone suggest another city or area that we should explore?

The non-beach areas of the Yucatan peninsula--including colonial cities such as Campeche, Merida, and Valladolid.

Chiapas isn't quite colonial, but it does have plenty of history, architecture, arts/crafts etc.

The mountain cities near SMdA -- Queretaro, Zacatecas, and especially Guanajuato.

Puebla. Merida. San Cristobal de las Casa.

Of the colonial cities/towns I visited in Mexico, I enjoyed several in the Yucatan (including Merida, Valladolid, Izamal, and Campeche) and also San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas.

up in the hills in back of Puerto Vallarta is a Spanish colonial silver mining town from the 1600's called san Sebastian and very worthwhile for a history buff. I talked to a man there that alluded to some B and B's further up in the mtns east of san Sebastian. I can only suggest a partial visit as SS is a small town so perhaps others can add to make a fuller itinerary.

Agree with Fra. Also Guadalajara, Toluca & Leon.

We loved our trip to San Cristobal de las Casas - beautiful town. From there, we took a bus to Palenque to see the ruins, then to Campeche.

Chiapas. If you like ruins, Palenque is the best of Mexico. SCDLC is more like Guatemala than Mexico. Agua Azul, Agua Clara, and Misol-Ha on the road to Palenque are the bomb, if you like waterfalls and such. Canon del Sumidero and El Chiflon near Comitan are certainly worth the visit. And at 7,000 ft. plus, San Cristobal is pleasant year round, but quite cool in the winter months. Palenque is hot year round. Second suggestion would be Queretaro, Tequisquiapan, and the Sierra Gorda ending with La Huasteca and San Luis Potosi. With both tours, you'd need to rent a car.

Surprised no one has yet mentioned Morelia, which is just a beautiful city. Not far is also the lovely town of Patzcuaro.
Oh wait, I just realized you did say you'd been to Michoacan.

In a different direction - and a busride into the hills from Puebla or Mexico City - the unique little town of Cuetzalan.

Guadalajara!! Such a beautiful city, i also love traveling in Mexico and this is one of my favorite destinations.

Loved Valladoild and Mérida plus little San Felipe on the north coast of the Yucatán (tarpon and flamingos). I also highly recommend Chiapas. My photos with blog and travelogue links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there. Happy trails! http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

I also am with Fra. We were in Queretaro, Zacatecas and Guanajuato last summer and loved them. You can also get to Dolores Hidalgo, the birthplace of the Mexican Revolution very easily.

Definitely if you want colonial the best part is the center of Mexico, as some have mentioned, Zacatecas, Queretaro and mainly Guanajuato (If you like San Miguel you'll love this) and also this three cities are very close.