843 Best Sights in Mexico

Mascota's pride is La Iglesia de la Preciosa Sangre (Church of the Precious Blood), started in 1909 but unfinished due to the revolution and the ensuing Cristero Revolt. Weddings, concerts, and plays are sometimes held here under the ruins of Gothic arches. Note the 3-D blood squirting from Jesus's wound in the chapel—you can hardly miss it.

Just north of Parque Hidalgo is one of Mérida's oldest buildings and the first Jesuit church in the Yucatán. It was built in 1618 from the limestone blocks of a dismantled Maya temple, and faint outlines of ancient carvings are still visible on the west wall. Although the church is a favorite place for society weddings, its interior is not ornate. In former convent rooms at the rear of the building, however, you'll find the Pinoteca Juan Gamboa Guzmán, a small but interesting art collection. The most engaging pieces are the striking bronze sculptures of indigenous Maya crafted by celebrated 20th-century sculptor Enrique Gottdiener Soto. On the second floor are about 20 forgettable oil paintings—mostly of past civic officials.

On one corner of the plaza is the town's white-spire Iglesia de la Virgen de los Dolores. The Virgin of Sorrow is feted on September 15, which segues into Mexican Independence Day on the 16th.

On the plaza is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Balvanera. A cactus that grows out of one of the church's walls is said to mark the spot where the Virgin appeared to the Yaqui Indians in the 17th century.

This evocatively faded red church is typical of Yucatán's colonial sanctuaries. It has been ransacked on more than one occasion, but the Cristo Negro (Black Christ) altarpiece is original. The best view might be from the outside, where you can take in the facade and savor the slow pace of the town as families ride by in carts attached to bicycles and locals mill around in traditional Maya dress.

This church has one of Guanajuato State's finest churrigueresque facades. The term for this style refers to José Churriguera, a 17th-century (baroque) Spanish architect noted for his extravagant surface decoration. Built in the late 18th century, the church was financed by donations from wealthy patrons and by bullfight revenues. Topping the elaborately carved exterior is the image of St. Francis of Assisi. Below, along with a crucifix, are dozens of limestone sculptures of angels, saints, and Franciscan friars. The church's interior, by contrast, is rather stark.

With its flat, boldly painted facade and bells ensconced under small arches instead of in bell towers, the Church of St. Francis looks more like a Mexican city hall than a Catholic church. Outside the city center in a residential neighborhood, the beautifully restored temple is Campeche's oldest. It marks the spot where some say the first Mass on the North American continent was held in 1517—though the same claim has been made for Veracruz and Cozumel. One of conquistador Hernán Cortés's grandsons was baptized here, and the baptismal font still stands.

The Iglesia de San Lorenzo, on the main square, at first looks much more traditional than the church in San Juan Chamula, and it is; services are basically Catholic. But look closely and you will notice odd little touches, like ceramic representations of animals sacred to the Maya scattered about.

Several other churches are scattered around Tlacotalpan, but none are more delightful than the diminutive Iglesia de San Miguel Arcangel. Known to locals as San Miguelito (Little Saint Michael), the whitewashed structure, constructed in 1785, was once a parish church reached by crossing a little bridge. If you're in town September 27 to 29, you can take a peek at the Fiesta de San Miguelito. The church is about three blocks north of Plaza Zaragoza.

Like most Franciscan churches, this one is sober and plain, and its single bell tower is the only ornamentation. The equally sparse interior is brightened a bit by some colorful stained-glass windows, and the carved and inlaid altarpiece serves as a beautiful backdrop for an ebony image of Jesus, the "Black Christ," brought from Italy in about 1575. Although understandably skeptical of Christianity, the indigenous people, who the Spaniards forced into perpetual servitude, eventually came to associate this Black Christ figure with miracles. As legend has it, a ship that refused to carry the holy statue was lost at sea, while the ship that accepted it reached Campeche in record time. To this day, the Feast of San Román—when worshippers carry a black-wood Christ and silver filigree cross through the streets—remains a solemn but colorful affair.

On the hill above the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista are the ruins of the Iglesia de San Sebastián. This church was built with stones from the Mayan temple that once stood on the site. Surrounding it is the old cemetery, an especially colorful place on the Day of the Dead, November 1.

Iglesia de San Sebastián is a restored 1800s-era church that comes to life in the days preceding its saint's day, January 20.

On the south side of the town's main plaza stands the large Iglesia de San Servacio, sometimes spelled "San Gervasio." Although many refer to it as a catedral, it is not the seat of the diocese—that's in Mérida. Its limestone exterior is impressive, but the interior is rather plain. The church makes a stunning anchor for the plaza when illuminated at night.

The exterior of this 16th-century church might be simple, but inside waits an explosion of color and swirling shapes. To facilitate the conversion of the indigenous population, Franciscan monks incorporated elements recalling the local cult of the goddess Tonantzin in the ornamentation of the chapel. The result is a jewel of the style known as churrigueresque. The polychrome wood-and-stucco carvings—inset columns, altarpieces, and the main archway—were completed in the late 17th century. The carvings, set off by ornate gold-leaf figures of plant forms, angels, and saints, were made by local craftspeople.

The elaborately carved main altarpiece and matching side altars here were restored inch by inch, and this long, narrow house of worship now adds more than ever to historic Calle 59's old-fashioned beauty. Built in 1565, it was originally called Iglesia de San Francisco for St. Francis. In addition to a statue of Francis, humbler-looking saints peer out from smaller niches.

Since the school's founding in 1951, thousands of students from around the world have come here to learn Spanish and to take classes in the arts. The historical campus, a former country estate, is open to visitors—even if you don't plan on taking any courses, the institute is a great place to spend a few peaceful hours, though it is definitely not a must-see. Take a break at El Cafecito coffee bar. The Galería La Pérgola specializes in modern Mexican art. The Institute also provides a complete travel service, hotel bookings, and cultural, adventure, and shopping tours.

This small but interesting gallery has constantly changing exhibits of graphic art and design, including some extremely big names in the national and international communities. It is also an art library, featuring some exquisite copies of very unusual and historic art books. There is also a café.

The enthusiastic staff at this small aquarium incorporate concern for the environment into their presentations, and the animals are well looked after. For added fees, you can participate in an aquarium trek, a dolphin presentation, or a swim with the dolphins.

The northern Gulf area forms an impressive desert-coast ecosystem, and scientists conduct research programs at the Intercultural Center for the Study of Desert and Oceans (known as CEDO, its acronym in Spanish), about 3 km (2 mi) east of town on Fremont Boulevard in the Fraccionamiento Las Conchas neighborhood. You can take an English-language tour of the facility to learn about the ecology of the area and its history, or just pick up a tide calendar (useful if you're planning beach activities) or field guide from the gift shop. Talks and nature outings—including tide-pool walks, Pinacate volcano excursions, and kayaking expeditions of area estuaries—are on offer.

In late January, you can attend the International Festival of Migratory Birds for bird-watching tours and conferences with experts and fellow enthusiasts.

Each of the nine islands set in front of Chamela Bay can be reached by boat. However, not all of them have such a beautiful beach as Isla Cocinas. Get a boat from Punta Pérula or Playa Chamela for as little as $15, and in 20 minutes you’ll be sunbathing on one of the most extraordinary beaches you’ve ever seen. The island is uninhabited, so privacy and quiet are guaranteed. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming.

Off Punta Norte on the northwest coast, private Isla de Pasión has one of Cozumel's loveliest beaches. Most people arrive on organized excursions (from MX$1,300), but you can also get to the Isla dock independently (it’s at the end of the bumpy dirt road to Punta Norte) and come over for MX$150 per person. If coming as part of an organized excursion, your visit includes the short round-trip boat ride, a buffet lunch, soft drinks, some alcoholic drinks, and use of the extensive facilities. You can easily spend a whole day here strolling the strand, floating in the shallow water, swinging in a hammock, playing volleyball, indulging in a massage (for an extra fee), or even getting married in the island's chapel. This is a favorite stop for hordes of cruise-shippers, but the beach stretches for 4 km (2½ miles), so you can still escape the crowds. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Among the most popular sights in the state of Morelos, the Borda Gardens were designed in the late 18th century for Don Manuel de la Borda, son of Don José de la Borda, a wealthy miner who established the beautiful church of Santa Prisca in Taxco. The gardens were once so famous they attracted royalty. Maximilian and Carlotta visited frequently. Here the emperor reportedly dallied with the gardener's wife, called La India Bonita, who was immortalized in a famous portrait. Novelist Malcolm Lowry turned the formal gardens into a sinister symbol in his 1947 novel Under the Volcano. A pleasant café and a well-stocked bookstore sit just inside the gates, and there's a cultural center that shows rotating art exhibits as well.

On the west side of UNAM's campus, this sprawling 32-acre swatch of greenery is Mexico's oldest botanical garden. Created in 1959 to preserve and encourage the study of the nation's diverse flora that spans the tropical, high-desert, and forested mountain regions, a walk through this remarkable landscape and its many greenhouses truly showcase Mexico's incredible biodiversity. The garden consists of 15 different collections, and contains more than 1,600 specimens, with a particularly diverse and remarkable array of cacti. A critical aspect of the garden's mission is protecting endangered flora as well as developing methods for sustaining them.

This 150-acre botanical garden is the largest in Mexico. Named for a local botanist, it exhibits the peninsula's plants and flowers, which are labeled in English, Spanish, and Latin. The park features a 130-foot suspension bridge, three observation towers, and a library equipped with reading hammocks. There's also a tree nursery, a remarkable orchid and epiphyte garden, an authentic Maya house, and an archaeological site. A nature walk goes directly through the mangroves for some great birding; more than 220 species have been identified here (be sure to bring bug spray, though). Spider monkeys can usually be spotted in the afternoons, and a tree-house lookout offers a spectacular view—but the climb isn't for those afraid of heights.

At the beginning of the harbor, Carretera 200 jogs around downtown and intersects with Carretera 110. Avenida Morelos leads past the shipyards and into town. The zócalo, known as Jardín de Alvaro Obregón, is right on the main road by the waterfront. It's sunstruck and shadeless during the day but can be quite lively in the cool of the evening. A collection of restaurants and bars whip up quick meals and stiff drinks. Streets leading away from the plaza have ice cream and shops selling souvenirs.

This plaza is prominently marked by a statue of its namesake and War of Independence heroine, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez. Behind the monument stands the Arbol de la Amistad (Tree of Friendship). Planted in 1977 in a mixture of soils from around the world, the tree symbolizes Querétaro's hospitality to all travelers. This is the town's calmest square, with plenty of choices for patio dining.

Guanajuato's central square is a tiny, tree-lined, wedge-shaped plaza bordered by pedestrian walkways. There are musical performances in the plaza's band shell Thursday at 6 pm and Sunday at noon; at other times, groups of musicians break into impromptu song along the shaded tile walkways. Strolling mariachis will perform, too—for a price. This is a great place to sit—on the wrought-iron benches or at an outdoor café—to enjoy the scene and to reconnoiter.

This very centrally located park that divides Cuauhtémoc from San Rafael is best known for its all-day artisan market on Sundays. This is an excellent spot to people-watch, eat local snacks, and pick up souvenirs of all kinds, from traditional handicrafts to hip clothes. The artists are primarily Mexican, and representative of all corners of the country.