841 Best Sights in Mexico

Like Playa Lancheros, this beach on the west side of the island faces Bahía de Mujeres, so the water is exceptionally calm. Once a respite from the crowds, it has become more developed, with a large restaurant (through which you actually enter the beach) that serves burgers, hot dogs, and fish. There are several souvenir stands selling handmade seashell jewelry. On certain days you can find women who will braid your hair or give you a henna tattoo. Many people visit to swim or take photos with tame nurse sharks (MX$50), but the tiny pen entrapping the large creatures is rather sad. Although there are public restrooms, you have to pay for toilet paper.Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming.

The surf here is inconsistent, but when it happens it is superb. The beach is adjacent to the fishing port of La Cruz, along the south side, and the area closest to the port is great for swimming even when the surf is big. Farther south it becomes nicer, but swimming gets trickier because of the rocks at the edge of the water. Amenities: water sports. Best for: solitude; surfing; swimming; walking.

Don't be fooled by the name—this spot is seldom frequented by tortugas. It’s the opportunity to swim, snorkel, kayak, paraglide, and ride WaveRunners that really brings folks to Turtle Beach. The water is deep, but the beach itself (the nicest section of which is on the far right, just past the rocks) can get very crowded. Passengers usually grab a drink or snack here before catching the ferry to Isla Mujeres, and locals from El Centro will spend their entire weekend on the sand. If you are looking for isolation, head elsewhere. There's an over-the-water bungee-jumping tower where your head will actually touch the water.Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; swimming.

Sitting on a narrow sandy beach, Uvas caters to small cruise-ship groups and independent tourists. On-site amenities include a dive shop, kayaks, massages, and more. The basic entrance fee gets you one beverage and the use of beach umbrellas, lounge chairs, and a guided snorkel tour, but additional food and drink purchases can quickly run up your tab; all-inclusive packages are also available. Phone or online reservations are required since the club limits the number of guests.Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming.

Snorkelers and divers love this stretch of coastline, but beachgoers might be a little disappointed. The beach alongside Xcalak town is narrow—eaten away by past hurricanes—and often covered in seaweed and piles of garbage washed in on the tide. The hotels and B&Bs north of town do their best to keep their beaches clean and comfortable, making them the area's best spots for swimming or kayaking.

Sections of the beach connect to a network of protected mangroves frequented by manatees. Moreover, the offshore reef of nearby Banco Chinchorro is great for snorkeling, diving, and fishing. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The beach slopes down to the water, and small waves break right on the shore. In high season and during holidays, there are water-sports outfitters. From here you can hike 20 minutes into the jungle to see the small Cascada Cola de Caballo (Horse Tail Waterfall), with a pool at its base for swimming. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

One of the world's top surfing beaches, Zicatela has cream-colored sands that are battered by the mighty Mexican Pipeline. In November, international surfing championships are held here (as well as popular bikini contests). The beach is just about always filled with buff, sun-bleached aficionados of both sexes intent on serious surfing. Palapa restaurants on the sand serve refreshments, but Calle del Morro, Zicatela's main street, is also lined with hotels, bars, nightclubs, and slightly more upscale restaurants. The mostly flat beach stretches from the rocks at Playa Marinero all the way to La Punta in the southeast so is good for walking.

Even when the waters appear calm, the undertows and rip currents can be deadly. If you have any doubts about your prowess, settle for watching the surfers.

lifeguards; food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports.

partiers; walking; sunset; surfing.

Spend any time along this mile-long stretch of cottony sand, and you'll soon be convinced that this beautiful beach is Mexico's most relaxed and liberal. It's home to the Pacific Coast's best known (but still unofficial) nudist beach, and you should not be surprised if you catch the occasional aroma of pot mingled with the sea air. There are a growing number of upscale options for hotels and dining, but if you don't mind roughing it, Zipolite offers the best bargains on the Pacific coast. The cafés, pizza joints, and casual hippie-style restaurants along the beach are great for a bite to eat. Due to strong currents and whirlpools in even the shallowest waters, the red flag is always flying. Heed the warning signs even if you're a strong swimmer. The riptides near the rocks at the western edge of the beach are especially treacherous, and many visitors need to be rescued each year. Amenities: lifeguards; food and drink. Best for: partiers; walking; sunrise; sunset.

Cabo San Lucas' centrally located town square is a picturesque place to take a breather during an afternoon of exploration. The public space is home to colorful gardens, a gazebo, and an event every Friday evening called "Viva la Plaza" from 5 pm to 9 pm, which features local makers selling artwork and snacks. It's named for Amelia Wilkes Ceseña, a schoolteacher for 43 years, a tireless advocate for the town, and the first woman ever appointed to political office in Baja California Sur. At the edge is the Natural History Museum of Cabo San Lucas; it's modest and in serious need of a refurbishment, but admission is only $2 and it hosts a neat collection of fossils and rocks, along with placards in English.

The smaller of the city's two squares (it's also called Plaza Chica), this is Pátzcuaro's commercial center. Bootblacks, pushcart vendors, and bus and taxi stands are all in the plaza, which is embellished by a statue of the local heroine, Gertrudis Bocanegra. Nearby, a large outdoor mercado sprawls along Libertad and its side streets. At times the road is so crowded with people and their wares—fruit, vegetables, beans, rice, herbs, and other necessities of daily life—that it's difficult to walk. If you press on for about a block, you'll see an indoor market to your left filled with more produce; large, hanging slabs of meat; hot food; cheap trinkets; and locally made wool garments.

The State Band of Jalisco and the Municipal Band sometimes play at the bandstand on Tuesday around 6:30 pm.

The Plaza de Armas, or Main Square, is a perfect spot to relax. Enjoy an ice cream by the gazebo or a Mexican snack sold by stall vendors in one of the many benches around. The city hall is on one side, the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the other, and, in the background, the malecón. On Thursday and Sunday at 6 pm, everybody dances to the sound of danzón while listening to the Municipal Bands.

The city's tree-shaded main square, which is partially lined with restaurants and shops, is marked by a hefty, volcanic-stone statue of revolutionary hero José María Morelos and a couple of little fountains. On weekdays the square fills with vendors from throughout the region. On weekends it is crowded with balloon sellers, amateur painters, and stalls for crafts, jewelry, and knickknacks. Opposite the northwest corner of the square is leafy Jardín Juárez, which hosts concerts in its bandstand, and on the southeast side of the square you can explore the excellent Museo Regional de los Pueblos de Morelos.

During the War of Independence, several rebel priests were brutally murdered on this site, and the plaza, known as Plaza de los Mártires, is named after them. Today sweethearts stroll along the tree-lined walks, friends chat under the silver-domed gazebo, and painters exhibit their work on sunny days.

Connected to the neighborhood's other central plazas by café-lined Calle Higuera, this tree-shaded plaza with red-painted cement benches and pretty gardens is anchored by a little chapel known officially as La Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Church—although everyone calls it by its nickname, "La Conchita." The twin-spired, relatively modest structure has an impressive pedigree: it stands on the site of a pre-Hispanic ceremony ground, and it was built by none other than Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1525 (although, like so many of the city's ancient structures, it was extensively rebuilt later—in this case sometime around the late 1600s). Cortés, incidentally, is said to have had a home overlooking the church. The interior is closed indefinitely for renovations, but you can admire the striking facade of the tezontle (volcanic stone) that's so common in this part of the city. 

Known as the birthplace of mariachi music in Mexico City, you'll likely see multiple mariachi bands performing in this plaza. The area around it isn't always safe after dark, so make your visit there during the daytime, and don't stray too far from the main roads.

Locals generally refer to the city's main square as Plaza Grande or Plaza de la Independencia; others (mostly foreigners) call it the zócalo. Laid out in 1542 on the ruins of T'Hó, the Maya city demolished to make way for Mérida, it's still a focal point—one that's surrounded by important public buildings and makes a good place to start a city tour. It's also a Wi-Fi hot spot; just don't be so glued to your smartphone that you fail to take in the parade of activity, enjoy dance or music performances, and buy souvenirs from low-key vendors. Laurel trees provide shade, confidenciales (S-shaped benches) invite tête-à-têtes, and lampposts keep things beautifully illuminated at night.

Designed around the same time and in a somewhat similar style to Plaza Río de Janeiro, which is a few blocks due north, this stately plaza centered on an elliptical reflecting pool and fountain is one of the most enchanting spots in Roma to sit with a cup of coffee and soak up the streetscape. Art installations are regularly set up around the pool's tree-shaded perimeter, and the streets flanking the eastern and western sides of the plaza contain several imposing Porfirian mansions, some of which now house restaurants and cafés. If you'd rather frequent a more locally grown business than the ubiquitous, albeit attractive, Starbucks on the northwest corner, try Cafe Toscano, at the southwest end of the plaza, which makes a nice break for coffee and cake or a glass of wine and a sandwich. And across the street, Porco Rosso, the U.S.-style barbecue joint with several locations around the city, is a fun place to eat and socialize.

This zócalo (main square) and community gathering space is the heart and soul of San José del Cabo. Surrounded by city hall and the Misión de San José, it's where all manner of events and happenings take place. The nearby streets are filled with all kinds of shops, restaurants, and art galleries, but it's here that locals gather to spend their weekend afternoons eating antojitos (appetizers) and enjoying performances of local street artists.

Walk around the plaza, where old gents share stories and kids chase balloons. Couples dance the stately danzón on Thursday and Saturday evening as the band plays in the wrought-iron bandstand. The town produces ceramics, saddles, and raicilla, a relative of tequila made from the green agave plant (tequila comes from the blue one).

The Casa de Cabildo faces Plaza Zaragoza, the town's main square. In the square's shady center you'll find a bandstand decorated with ornamental lyres.

At the center of town, look for alluring Plaza Zaragoza, a lovely square shaded by towering fig trees. At the center of the plaza stands a turn-of-the-century Florentine wrought-iron gazebo. Flanking the plaza are the contemporaneous Palacio Gobierno and the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, which was built between 1877 and 1912.

Also known as the zócalo or Plaza Revolución, this shaded square at the center of downtown—near the cathedral, city hall, and post office—is the perfect place to relax with a snack from the adjacent ice-cream and pizza shops or shaved-ice stands, get a shoeshine, or mail a letter home. Streets within a couple of blocks in any direction have small restaurants where fast, multicourse lunches (comida corrida) cost between $3 and $5.

The history of Poliforum Siqueiros has been and remains turbulent, but it still remains one of the city's most beloved cultural treasures. The cultural space was first opened in 1971 and features the largest mural of the world, “The March of Humanity” painted by Mexican muralist and political dissenter David Siqueiros. The interior mural covers more than 93,646 square feet and depicts the struggle of humanity across four sections, narrated by the late artist himself as a rotating platform carries visitors on a journey through the mural. The space also features galleries and a theater. The facade, a dodecahedron by design, brings Siqueiros’ art to the outside world. Over the years, numerous groups have worked to restore the building, now officially declared as part of the city’s cultural heritage. While it is officially closed to visitors, you can still see the mural itself just from the outside.

Presa Corinches, a dam about 5 km (3 miles) south of town, has bass fishing, picnic spots (for cars and RVs), and a restaurant where locals go for fish feasts on holidays and weekend afternoons. To get to the dam, head east on Calle Juárez (a block south of the plaza) and follow the signs to the reservoir. Take a walk along the shore or set up a tent near the fringe of pine-oak forest coming down to meet the cool blue water, which is fine for swimming when the weather is warm.

If you want a pristine Caribbean-style strand, you’d better look elsewhere. The primary draw of Progreso's main beach is the distinctive little beach town and its proximity to Mérida, which often leaves the sand packed with tourists and locals alike during summer weekends and holidays. Water shoes are recommended since sharp, slippery rocks lurk below the surface, making this a poor spot for diving or snorkeling. The beach is void of shade, so your best bet is to find refuge in one of the eateries on the malecón that lines the shore. Several restaurant owners rent beach chairs by the hour, but beware: Progreso's peddlers are relentless and leave only once they receive a small tip. Despite its drawbacks, the water here offers a refreshing escape from the bustling city. Amenities: food and drink; toilets (restaurant patrons only). Best for: partiers; walking.