254 Best Sights in Mexico

A calm enclave—with golf courses, residences, and Chileno Bay Resort—is roughly midway between San José and Cabo San Lucas. Consistently ranked one of the cleanest beaches in Mexico, Chileno has been awarded “Blue Flag” certification, meaning 32 criteria for safety, services, water quality, and other standards have been met. The beach skirts a small, crescent-shape cove with aquamarine waters and an outside reef that are perfect for snorkeling and swimming (there are even restrooms, showers, and handicap access). To the east are tide pools great for exploring with the kids. Getting here is easy, thanks to the well-marked access ramps on both sides of the road. Along the western edge of Bahía Chileno, some 200 yards away, are some good-size boulders that you can scramble up. In winter this part of the Sea of Cortez gets chilly—refreshing for a dip, but most snorkelers don't spend too much time in the water. On weekends get to the bay early if you want to claim shade under a palapa. Amenities: toilets; showers; parking lot. Best for: swimming; snorkeling; sunset.

This wide, sloping, horseshoe-shape beach is surrounded by cactus-covered rocky cliffs; the placid waters here are a protected fish sanctuary. The bay is part of an underwater reserve and is a great place to snorkel: brightly colored fish swarm through chunks of white coral and golden sea fans. Unfortunately, this little slice of paradise has limited palapas for shade, so arrive early or bring a beach umbrella. In high season, from November to May, there's usually someone renting snorkeling gear or selling sarongs, straw hats, and soft drinks. It's best to bring your own supplies, though, including lots of drinking water, snacks, and sunscreen. Snorkel and booze-cruise boats from Cabo San Lucas visit the bay in midmorning through about 1 pm. Arrive midafternoon if you want to get that total Robinson Crusoe feel. The parking lot is a quarter mile or so off the highway and is sometimes guarded; be sure to tip the guard. The bay is roughly 19 km (12 miles) west of San José and 13 km (8 miles) east of Cabo San Lucas. Heading east, look for the sign saying "playa santa maría." Amenities: toilets; free parking; showers; lifeguards. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; surfing; walking.

Veracruz is home to one of Latin America's biggest and best aquariums. One tank alone has 2,000 species of marine life native to the Gulf of Mexico, including manta rays, barracudas, and sea turtles. Other tanks display tiger sharks and gentle manatees that enjoy interacting with the crowds. The entry also has a space where birds, including toucans, fly freely. Kids love the touch tanks. A guided immersion tank ($7 adults; $3.50 kids) provides daring visitors the chance to go nose to nose with the sharks.

The name is Mayan for "the cave with cenotes inside," and these amazing underground caverns—estimated to be about 5 million years old—are the area's largest. You walk through the underground passages, past stalactites and stalagmites, until you reach the cenote with its various shades of deep green. There's also an on-site canopy tour and one cenote where you can swim. This top family attraction isn't as crowded or touristy as Xplor, Xel-Há, and Xcaret.

The manicured gardens of the Alameda Central at the western edge of Centro Histórico have been the heart of Mexico City life since the height of the city's pre-Hispanic glory, when informal markets were held here. Strolling around the park today remains a great way to break up sightseeing in the neighborhood. During the week it's quite lively, but you'll be able to find a shaded bench for a few moments of rest before heading off to more museums. Food vendors throughout the park sell all kinds of snacks, from ice cream to grilled corn on the cob. In the early days of the viceroyalty, the Inquisition burned its victims at the stake here. Later, national leaders, from 18th-century viceroys to Emperor Maximilian and the dictator Porfirio Díaz, envisioned the park as a symbol of civic pride and prosperity. Life in Mexico, one of the quintessential texts on daily life in the colonial period, written by the British countess Frances Calderón de la Barca, describes how women donned their finest jewels to walk around the park even after independence. Over the centuries it has been fitted out with fountains and ash, willow, and poplar trees; through the middle of the 20th century, it became a popular gay cruising ground. Today, the Alameda is one of the best places in town to see people from all walks of life, mingling in the shadow of some of the city's most iconic buildings.

The collection at what is known locally as the Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA) consists of more than 400 lifelike statues that create marine-life habitats in three locations: off the shores of Punta Sam, Punta Nizuc, and Manchones Reef near Isla Mujeres. The sculptures at the Manchones site are 26 feet deep and best observed on a scuba dive. The two sites closer to Cancún, at half that depth or less, can easily be viewed on snorkeling or glass-bottom-boat excursions.

A historic mansion just south of Valladolid's central square contains Mexico's largest private collection of folk art. Rooms around the gracious courtyard contain some 3,000 pieces, with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) figures being a specialty. The selection is impressive, but even without it, the house would be worth touring. This hacienda-style building dates from the early 17th century, and the restoration was led by the same architect who designed Mérida's ultramodern Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (don't worry—the results here preserved its colonial elegance). Casa de los Venados opens to the public each morning for a 90-minute bilingual tour. Just show up; no reservations are needed. The suggested donation of MX$100 is a bargain, and all proceeds help fund local health-care projects.

Begun in 1561, Mérida's cathedral is one of the oldest on the North American mainland (an older one can be found in the Dominican Republic). It took several hundred Maya laborers, working with stones from the pyramids of the ravaged Maya city, 37 years to complete it. Designed in the somber Renaissance style by an architect who had worked on El Escorial in Madrid, its facade is stark and unadorned, with gunnery slits instead of windows and faintly Moorish spires.

Inside, the black Cristo de las Ampollas (Christ of the Blisters) occupies a side chapel to the left of the main altar. At 23 feet tall, it's the tallest Christ figure inside a Mexican church. The statue is a replica of the original, which was destroyed during the revolution in 1910 (also when the gold that once adorned the cathedral was carried off). According to one of many legends, the Christ figure burned all night and appeared the next morning unscathed—except for its namesake blisters. You can hear the pipe organ play at the 11 am Sunday Mass.

One of the city's most interesting museums, Centro de la Imagen shares the old Ciudadela building with the Biblioteca de México. Remodeled just a few years back, the extensive gallery spaces work cleverly to transect and interact with the historic structure and are devoted to reflections on photographs as both historical documents and art. The library near the entrance has a significant collection of photobooks. Guided tours in English can be arranged for free via the website with several weeks' notice.

Little is known about those who founded this dramatic, 6-square-km (2¼-square-mile) metropolis. Some structures, likely built in the 5th century, predate the arrival of the Itzá, the people who occupied the city starting around the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Why they abandoned it in the early 1200s is also unknown, as is its subsequent role. What is known is that the city's name means "the mouth of the well of the Itzá," likely referring to the site's several cenotes—valuable sources of water.

Dominating Mexico's most stunning and well-preserved Maya site is El Castillo (The Castle), also known by its Mayan name, Kukulkán. The much-photographed pyramid is remarkable not only for its size, but also for its perfectly proportioned symmetry. Adorning the corners of its four stairways (no, climbing is not allowed) are open-jawed serpent statues that honor the priest-king Kukulcán (aka Quetzalcóatl), an incarnation of the feathered serpent god. More serpents appear in sculpted columns atop the building.

At the spring and fall equinoxes, the afternoon light strikes the pyramid so that the snake god's shadow appears to undulate down the side of it to bless the fertile earth. Thousands of people, from sightseers to shamans, travel here to witness this phenomenon. Make lodging reservations far in advance if you hope to join them.

Archaeologists are still abuzz about the 2015 discovery of a subterranean river flowing underneath the pyramid, detected via “electrical resistance survey.” Although the Maya would likely have intentionally constructed El Castillo over such a river cavern, there is concern that this will lead to the formation of a gigantic sinkhole that would threaten the structure’s foundation. Although experts say this would probably not happen for several generations, time will tell.

Just west of El Castillo is another highlight: the Anexo del Templo de los Jaguares (Annex to the Temple of the Jaguars), where bas-relief carvings represent still other important deities. To its west is the Juego de Pelota, the city's main ball court. Remarkably, if you stand at one end of it and whisper something, it will be heard all the way at the other end. The game played on this ball court was apparently something like soccer (no hands were used), but it likely had some sort of ritualistic significance. (Note that the Mérida tourist offices stages a popular demonstration of the ball game each Friday evening in front of the cathedral.)

On the other side of El Castillo, just before a small temple dedicated to the planet Venus, a ruined sacbé, or raised white road, leads to the Cenote Sagrado (Holy Well), which was probably for ritualistic purposes. The nearby Cenote Xtaloc was kept pristine, undoubtedly for bathing and drinking. Adjacent to it is a steam bath, outside of which is a tiny pool that was used for cooling down.

Older Maya structures lie south and west of Cenote Xtaloc. Archaeologists have been restoring several buildings in this area, including the Templo del Osario (Ossuary Temple), which concealed several tombs with skeletons and offerings. Behind the smaller Casa Roja (Red House) and Casa del Venado (House of the Deer) are the site's oldest structures, including El Caracol (The Snail), a round building—rare in Maya architecture—with an interior spiral staircase. With eight tiny windows precisely aligned with the points of the compass rose, it was seemingly built as a celestial observatory.

If the Maya gods are smiling, the evening sound-and-light show—which features images projected on El Castillo—won't be plagued by technical issues during your visit. Though some say the show is cheesy, others say it's stunning. Regardless, it offers a different perspective on this remarkable site. It takes place at 8 pm from April through October and at 7 pm the rest of the year. Reservations are required, and you can make them online ( nochesdekukulkan.com.mx) or through a tour operator. Tickets are pricey but include a 30-minute pre-show guided walk and use of a translation device (original narration is in Spanish only).

ChocoMuseo is a museum where visitors not only learn all about the history and nature of chocolate but also find out how to work with it and create different cocoa-based products and dishes. You can book workshops on how to prepare the Mexican national dish of mole, make chocolate truffles, or let your children experiment with a mini chocolate workshop. 

A major metropolis in its day, Edzná was situated at a crossroads between cities in modern-day Guatemala and the states of Chiapas and Yucatán, hence it features a mélange of Maya architectural elements. Roof combs and corbeled arches evoke those at Yaxchilán and Palenque, in Chiapas, and giant stone masks resemble the Petén-style architecture of southern Campeche and northern Guatemala.

Edzná began as a humble agricultural settlement around 300 BC, reaching its pinnacle in the Late-Classic period, between AD 600 and 900, then gradually waning in importance until being all but abandoned in the early 15th century. Today, soft breezes blow through groves of slender trees where brilliant orange and black birds spring from branch to branch. Clouds scuttle across a blue backdrop, perfectly framing the mossy remains of once-great structures.

One highlight is the five-story Pirámide de los Cinco Pisos, which was built on the raised platform of the Gran Acrópolis (Great Acropolis). Hieroglyphs carved into the vertical faces of the 15 steps between each level (some re-cemented in place by archaeologists, although not necessarily in the correct order), as well as into stelae throughout the site, depict the opulent attire once worn by the Maya ruling class—quetzal feathers, jade pectorals, and jaguar-skin skirts. On the pyramid's top level sit the ruins of three temples and a ritual steam bath.

The Pirámide de los Cinco Pisos was constructed so that on certain dates the setting sun would illuminate the mask of the creator-god, Itzamná, inside one of the pyramid's rooms. This still happens on May 1, 2, and 3, the beginning of the Maya planting season, and on August 7, 8, and 9, the days of harvesting and giving thanks. 

West of the Great Acropolis, the Puuc-style Plataforma de los Cuchillos (Platform of the Knives) was so named by the archaeological team that found a number of flint knives inside. To the south, four buildings surround a smaller structure called the Pequeña Acrópolis (Small Acropolis). Twin sun-god masks with huge protruding eyes, sharp teeth, and oversize tongues flank the Templo de los Mascarones (Temple of the Masks, or Building 414), adjacent to the acropolis. The mask at the bottom left (east) represents the rising sun; the mask to the right represents the setting sun.

If you're not driving, consider taking one of the inexpensive day trips offered by tour operators in Campeche. Convenience aside, a guide can point out features often missed by the untrained eye, such as the remains of arrow-straight sacbés. These raised roads in their day connected one important ceremonial building within the city to the next, and also linked Edzná to trading partners throughout the peninsula.

Financed by Bishop Juan Ruiz de Cabañas and constructed by Spanish architect-sculptor Manuel Tolsá, this neoclassical-style cultural center, also known as Hospicio Cabañas, was originally opened in 1810 as a shelter for widows, orphans, and the elderly. The Instituto's 106 rooms and 23 flower-filled patios now house art exhibitions. The main chapel displays murals by José Clemente Orozco, including The Man of Fire, his masterpiece. In all, there are 57 murals by Orozco, plus many of his smaller paintings, cartoons, and drawings. Kids can marvel at the murals, some which appear as optical illusions, and investigate the labyrinthine compound. The center was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The most popular spot on Isla Ixtapa (and the one closest to the boat dock) is Playa Cuachalalate. An excellent swimming beach, it was named for a local tree whose bark has been used as a remedy for kidney ailments since ancient times. A short walk across the island, Playa Varadero hugs a rocky cove and is also good for swimming, but watch for coral-covered rocks on both sides of the cove. Just behind is Playa Coral, whose calmer, crystal clear water is great for snorkeling. Each of the above beaches is lined with seafood eateries eager to rent snorkel equipment. Playa Carey, toward the island's south end, is small and has no services. Pangas run between the boat landings at both Cuachalalate and Varadero beaches and Playa Linda on the mainland, where you'll find a few all-inclusive, high-rise hotels. The ride costs MXN$40 round-trip, and boats run from about 9 to 5 (later in high season). Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Combining art and nature, sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor has created "underwater museums" off the shores of Punta Cancún, Punta Nizuc, and Manchones Reef near Isla Mujeres. Locally known as Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), his main work features more than 480 lifelike statues that serve as artificial reefs to attract marine life. Within the 12 galleries is The Silent Evolution, a 120-ton work of more than 400 individual statues, as well as Anthropocene, a full-scale VW Beetle made from 8 tons of pH-neutral concrete. The displays have conveniently been placed in shallow areas for viewing by divers, snorkelers, and glass-bottom boats. The unusual artificial habitat also helps restore the natural reefs that have suffered damage over the years. Most local dive shops can organize excursions to the site starting at $95.

Turtles sunning themselves on logs, crocodiles masquerading as logs, water-loving birds, and exotic orchids make the maze of green-brown canals that is La Tovara—an out-of-town must for nature lovers. Launches putter along these waterways from El Conchal Bridge, at the outskirts of San Blas, about a three-hour drive from Marina Vallarta, or from the nearby village of Matanchén. After cruising along for about 45 minutes—during which you'll have taken way too many photos of the mangrove roots that protrude from the water and the turtles—you arrive at the spring-fed freshwater pools for which the area is named. You can hang out at the restaurant overlooking the pool or play Tarzan and Jane on the rope swing. Most folks take the optional trip to a crocodile farm on the way back, stretching a two-hour tour into three hours.

Dedicated to the complex world of the Maya, this interactive museum is outstanding. Exhibits in Spanish and English trace Maya architecture, social classes, politics, and customs. The most impressive display is the three-story Sacred Ceiba Tree, a symbol used by the Maya to explain the relationship between the cosmos and Earth. The first floor represents the tree's roots and the Maya underworld, called Xibalba; the middle floor is the tree trunk, known as Middle World, home to humans and all their trappings; on the top floor, leaves and branches evoke the 13 heavens of the cosmic otherworld.

A devoted collector of pre-Hispanic art, Diego Rivera built his own museum to house the more than 45,000 artifacts he collected over his lifetime—which, sadly, came to an end several years before this impressive volcanic-rock building with a design inspired by ancient Mexican pyramids was completed in 1964. The third-floor studio, with its massive wall of windows, displays sketches for some of Rivera's most celebrated murals. Be sure to make your way to the rooftop, which affords sweeping city and mountain views, especially if it's a clear day; look out for the museum's small adjacent nature reserve, which you can also walk through. During the weeks surrounding Día de Muertos, you can view a remarkable altar in honor of Rivera himself. Although located in the larger delegación of Coyoacán, the museum is in the neighborhood of San Pablo Tepetlapa, about a 15-minute Uber ride south of Coyoacán's historic center; it's also a short walk from the Nezahualpilli light rail station.

Architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez's outstanding design provides the proper home for one of the finest archaeological collections in the world. Each salon on the museum's two floors displays artifacts from a particular geographic region or culture. The collection is so extensive that you could easily spend days here, and even that might be barely adequate.

The 12 ground-floor rooms treat pre-Hispanic cultures by region, in the Sala Teotihuacána, Sala Tolteca, Sala Oaxaca (Zapotec and Mixtec peoples), and so on. Objects both precious and pedestrian, including statuary, jewelry, weapons, figurines, and pottery, evoke the intriguing, complex, and frequently warring civilizations that peopled Mesoamerica for the 3,000 years preceding the Spanish invasion. Other highlights include a copy of the Aztec ruler Moctezuma's feathered headdress; a stela from Tula, near Mexico City; massive Olmec heads from Veracruz; and vivid reproductions of Mayan murals in a reconstructed temple. Be sure to see the magnificent reconstruction of the tomb of 7th-century Mayan ruler Pakal, which was discovered in the ruins of Palenque. The nine rooms on the upper floor contain faithful ethnographic displays of current indigenous peoples, using maps, photographs, household objects, folk art, clothing, and religious articles.

Explanatory labels have been updated throughout, some with English translations, and free tours are available at set times from Tuesday through Saturday.

Kids and adults alike enjoy wandering through the galleries, gardens, and animal enclosures of this offbeat natural history museum that's devoted to the region's remarkable biodiversity and incredible vast array of bichos, or critters. Insects, spiders, butterflies, scorpions, snakes, turtles, and lizards native to the area take center stage here, where you'll have the chance to actually touch and maybe even hold many creatures (at least the ones that don't pose any threat). There's also a well-tended botanical garden, a very cool shop that sells all sorts of dried animal specimens as well as cacti and other plants, and a terrace café serving light snacks (some of them made with insects) and refreshments. Be sure to try a "bichelada," the museum's version of a michelada---the rim of the glass is coated with sal de chapulines (grasshopper salt). 

Condesa's other green lung, the 22-acre Parque México lies just southeast of its slightly smaller and slightly older sister, Parque España. Among its many enchanting features, you'll find a gracious duck pond, a large children's playground, fountains, a strikingly ornate art deco iron clocktower, and dozens of footpaths passing by emerald gardens, topiary shrubs, and towering specimen trees. The park was constructed in 1927 on the site of a former racetrack, which explains the circular road, Avenida México, looping its perimeter and the name of the colonia in which its officially located, Hipódromo (hippodrome) Condesa. The park is lined with handsome buildings, including some of the best examples of art deco in the city. Dozens of cafés, taquerias, and bars are within a couple of blocks of the park, making it a great spot to enjoy a casual bite to eat.

Giant stone heads and other carvings were salvaged from the oil fields at La Venta, on Tabasco's western edge near the state of Veracruz. They're on display in the 20-acre Parque-Museo La Venta, a lush park founded by Carlos Pellicer Cámara in 1958. The views of the misty Lago de las Ilusiones (Lake of Illusions) are stirring, which is probably why young lovers come here to smooch in quiet corners. The 6-foot-tall stone heads, which have bold features and wear what look like helmets, weigh up to 20 tons. The park also contains a zoo displaying animals from Tabasco and neighboring states. The jaguars—including one that is jet-black—always elicit screams from children. Sadly, many of the animals housed here are in danger of extinction.

You can walk or ride a bike to long, lovely Playa Borrego, 1 km (½ mile) south of town. Rent a surfboard at Stoners' or Mar y Sol restaurant to attack the year-round (but sporadic) shore or jetty breaks here, or stroll down to the southern end to admire the lovely, palm-fringed estuary. Amenities: parking (free). Best for: walking; sunset; solitude.

"Clothing Beach" apparently got its name hundreds of years ago when a textile-laden ship spilled its silks, which washed up on the sand. The area's most magnificent beach is a 20-minute walk from Playa La Madera and a five-minute taxi ride from town. Parasailers drift above the 1-km (½-mile) stretch of soft light sand; below, concessionaires rent Jet Skis (US$50 for 30 minutes) and Hobie Cats (up to US$50 an hour, depending on the size). Up and down the beach are open-air restaurants—some with hammocks for post-meal siestas—and a handful of hotels. Kids can splash in the calm, aquamarine water or toss a ball or Frisbee on the shore—but not too close to the little stream that empties into the southerly end: it's a crocodile refuge! There's free parking in a lot at the south end of the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; sunset.

Of Puerto Escondido's seven beaches, Playa Manzanillo, which rings Puerto Angelito, is one of the safest for swimming. It's also one of the best for snorkeling, with a sandy ocean floor (watch for the occasional large rock), some coral formations, and calm, clear water. Locals are working towards Blue Flag eco-certification, so you'll see recycling bins, solar-powered lighting, and eco-toilets. Dogs must be leashed. You can reach this beach on foot (a 15-minute walk west of the Adoquín), by taxi (MX$25), or via a pathway from Playa Angelito. There's a long staircase down to the beach. The beach offers plenty of shade and is lined with casual beach restaurants (Palapa de Carrasco is a top choice) with lounge chairs. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; snorkeling.

North Beach is easy to find: simply head north on any of the north–south streets in town until you hit it. The turquoise sea is as calm as a lake here, though developers have built along most of the coast. The small cove between Mia Reef Resort and the Caribbean is the nicest section. Relatively shallow, the water flows directly from the open sea, so it's clean and good for snorkeling; tour guides often lure the fish with food. A food or drink purchase from the Playa Norte Beach Club gives you access to beach beds and changing facilities at Privilege Aluxes Resort. Alternately, you can enjoy a libation at one of the palapa bars where wooden swings take the place of bar stools; Buho's is especially popular, as MX$100 lounge chairs and MX$200 beach beds come with a free drink ticket. At Sunset Grill, lounge chairs, umbrellas, towels, toilets, and showers are included when you spend MX$300 on food or drink. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.

In 2014 Playa Palmares became the first beach in the area to get the coveted international Blue Flag certification. This certification is an eco-award designed for beaches, marinas, and boating tourism operators; recipients of the Blue Flag comply with a series of stringent environmental, accessibility, and safety requirements. Palmares is connected to Punta Negra, but its waves are smaller, which makes it a better fit for families. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

This divine stretch of sand between Zipolite and Playa Mazunte is fringed by elegant coconut palms. It's somewhat safe for swimming, although the current can be strong. Keep to the western edge of the beach for the calmest waters. Early mornings you're likely to see people practicing yoga poses on the sand; there are several yoga schools nearby, including the world-renowned Hridaya Yoga Center and Solstice Yoga. Afternoons, as on neighboring beaches, vendors roam the sand selling ice cream, roasted peanuts, and serapes. Several excellent restaurants offer grilled fish, pizza, and welcome shade from the strong sun. Hang out for the day in a beach lounger; they're free with the purchase of food. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; surfing.