843 Best Sights in Mexico

Keep an eye out for the Alfarería Doña Rosa, a workshop named for the woman who invented the technique for giving the pottery its distinctive gloss. The revered craftswoman, famous for her photos with visiting celebrities, died in 1980, but her descendants continue making pottery the old-fashioned way. The workshop, where shelves upon shelves with items for sale line a small courtyard, is open daily 9–6.

Previously, this 18th-century grain-storage facility served as a jail under Emperor Maximilian and as a fortress during the War of Independence, where El Pípila helped the revolutionaries overcome the royalists. The hooks on which the Spanish Royalists hung the severed heads of Father Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende, and two other independence leaders still dangle on the exterior of this massive stone structure. It's now a state museum with exhibits on history, archaeology, and crafts.

Amateur anthropologist Bill LeVasseur shares with the public his collection of more than 500 ceremonial masks collected from all over Mexico. Since visits to this private museum are by appointment only, LeVasseur or his wife, Heidi, will be on hand to talk about the masks as well as the folk art in the adjacent salon. Some of the masks and handicrafts are for sale; museum entrance fee goes to a local preschool.

Located in a colonial building with lovely patios, this former college started out in the 18th century as a Jesuit school for the sons of wealthy Mexicans. Frida Kahlo also famously studied here as an adolescent. It's now a splendid museum that showcases outstanding regional exhibitions, but the best reason to visit is the interior murals by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and Fernando Leal.

As its name suggests, this water park is the way to spend a fun day by the beach. Play beach volleyball, ride a bike through the quaint streets of Isla, explore the calm waters of the Caribbean in a kayak, or let the adrenaline pump through your veins as you slide down one of four slides that end directly in the sea. All the while, you can enjoy a good buffet and an even better open bar. The place is in constant renovation, so note that while some areas are top-notch, others are in need of a face-lift.

San Cristóbal's first "skyscraper," this elegant tower was constructed in 1597 in the Mudéjar (Moorish) style that was popular at the time in Spain. Note the graceful way the three-story-high arch is reflected in the smaller windows on the second and third levels. The tower, which once stood alone, is now connected to the Templo del Carmen.

This privately run, 130-acre park about 30 km (19 miles) west of Tepozotlán is centered on the massive Aqueduct of Xalpa. Construction of this huge aqueduct was begun in the mid-18th-century by Tepozotlán's Jesuits as a project to supply the town and its monastery with water from a nearby river. The Jesuits were kicked out of Mexico before they could finish the job, but the site's later owner completed the project, and in the 1990s, the 200-foot-tall structure was restored as part of the development of the land into a park. It's a dramatic site, and a beautiful place to stroll around. A number of recreational activities are offered here for an additional price, including horseback rides, ziplining over the river, boating on a small lake, and swimming in a pool. There's also a playground, a casual restaurant, and picnic areas. 

The smaller and less polished of the city's two lucha libre arenas, the Coliseo is (as its name suggests) round and (belying its grandiose namesake) has seen better days. But the space allows proximity to the crowd, which means the fighters ramp up spectators to compensate for the lack of bright lights and spectacle in their other home, Arena México. The fights start on Saturday at 7:30 pm; tickets are available at the box office or through Ticketmaster.

In operation for more than 80 years, this is Mexico's biggest venue for lucha libre. Pyrotechnic matches, complete with big screens and grand entrances, are held every week on Tuesday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8:30 pm, and Sunday at 5 pm. Tickets range from MP60 to MP600 depending on quality of seats and the day of the week, with the more expensive matches typically held on Friday and Sunday. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the venue.

These stone arches were part of the 18th-century aqueducts that carried water into the city. Through many of the arches you'll find twisting streets or secluded plazas. It's a pretty section of the city for a stroll, far from the crowds in the Centro Histórico. The arches are a 5- to 10-minute walk north of Santo Domingo church. Follow Calle Garcia Vigil north; the arches are north of Calle Cosijopi.

Roma's main east–west boulevard is wide and tree-lined, with a central promenade that's studded with sculptures and fountains. With dozens of restaurants, bars, cafés, and shops lining either side, Álvaro Obregón is an ideal place to stroll and take in occasional cultural exhibitions and events like classic car shows and public art displays.

Avenida López Mateos, commonly known as Calle Primera, is the center of Ensenada's traditional tourist zone and shopping district. Hotels, shops, restaurants, and bars line the avenue for eight blocks, from its beginning at the foot of the Chapultepec Hills to the dry channel of the Arroyo de Ensenada. The avenue also has sidewalk cafés, art galleries, and most of the town's souvenir stores, where you can find pottery, glassware, silver, and other Mexican crafts.

Although several hotels, shops, and restaurants (serving mostly lunch and dinner) are near the main road, Boulevard Benito Juárez, the area is still being developed. A marina is located at the eastern end of the bay. Playa Chahué itself has a negative reputation: people reportedly drown here more than water conditions seem to warrant. At the main beach you'll find a swimming pool, changing rooms, restrooms, a restaurant and bar, children's playground, and shaded lounge chairs at the Hotel Castillo Club de Playa Chahué (admission MX$100). Amenities: food and drink; parking. Best for: walking; partiers.

The aquamarine, calm waters of this bay are a nice spot for swimming, although the area can be busy with tourists, vendors, and touts when cruise ships are in town. This is the most developed of Huatulco's nine bays. Browse for quality keepsakes in the upscale shops; dine with your toes in the sand at a seafood restaurant; mingle with the locals in the central zócalo; stroll the promenade; or just sip a cool drink and take in the lively beach scene. You can arrange boat tours, snorkeling excursions, and fishing trips at the marina. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

One of the largest and most impressive bays in the Huatulco area, Tangolunda is also the most developed, with a string of luxury hotels, a golf course, and a small shopping mall with restaurants across from the Barceló hotel on Boulevard Benito Juárez. It's about 10 minutes by taxi or bus from La Crucecita. The most swimmable section of the beach is at the easterly stretch near Dreams Hotel. If you're not staying at one of the hotels, there are few amenities directly on the beach, but you can inquire about a day pass at the Barceló or Dreams. Expect to see lots of vendors plying wares such as silver jewelry and inexpensive wooden toys. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; snorkeling.

The largest of the city's bastions contains the Museo de Arquitectura Maya with artifacts from several Campeche State Mayan sites. The bastion was originally built to protect the Puerta de Mar, a sea gate that served as one of four original entrances to the city. Because it uses no supporting walls, it resembles a Roman triumphal arch. Its relatively complete parapets and embrasures afford views of the cathedral, municipal buildings, and old houses along Calle 8.

This bastion, where Calle 8 curves around and becomes Circuito Baluartes, houses the Museo de la Ciudad with a small collection of artifacts, including several Spanish suits of armor and a beautifully inscribed silver scepter. Captured pirates were once jailed in the stifling basement dungeon. The unshaded rooftop provides an ocean view that's lovely at sunset.

Built in 1686 to protect the city from pirate attacks, this bastion flanked by watchtowers now houses one of the city's few worthwhile handicraft shops. The collection is small but of high quality, and prices are reasonable. On the roof are well-preserved corner watchtowers. You can also check out (but not use) the original 17th-century toilet.

The small fortress is all that's left of the old city walls. Like the Fuerte de San Juan de Ulúa, the colonial-era bulwark was built as a defense against pirates. The 1635 structure is impressively solid from the outside, with cannons pointed toward long-gone marauders. Inside is a tiny museum that has an exquisite exhibit of pre-Hispanic jewelry—Spanish plunder, no doubt—discovered by a fisherman in the 1970s.

The last of the bastions to be built has been transformed into the Xmuch-Haltún Botanical Gardens with more than 200 plant species, including the enormous ceiba tree, which had spiritual importance to the Maya, symbolizing a link between heaven, Earth, and the underworld. The original bastion, erected in 1704, was demolished at the turn of the 20th century, then rebuilt in the 1950s.

Just 15 minutes east of Puerto Escondido, the Colotepec River meets the Pacific in a mighty estuary that ebbs and flows with the tides. Here, a medley of community-led ecotourism projects offer experiences such as boating through Laguna Palma Sola (home to 350 crocodiles), dining at La Ballena palapa restaurant (named for a 68-foot-long gray whale that once washed up on the sand), and bird-watching.

Fuel up for the return trip with a tasting of tobala mezcal, sourced from wild-harvested agave, at Los Cántaros mezcaleria near the Colotepec Bridge.

Watch painters and sculptors at work in the galleries in this small district set amid bronze monuments to Poblano authors and poets. Farther down Calle 8 Norte, you can buy Talavera pottery and other local crafts from the dozens of small stores and street vendors. There are occasional weekend concerts and open-air theater performances.

Painted in a striking marigold yellow, the 18th-century Basílica dominates Plaza de la Paz. Inside is Mexico's oldest Christian statue: a bejeweled 8th-century Virgin. The venerated figure was a gift from King Philip II of Spain in 1557. On the Friday preceding Good Friday, miners, accompanied by floats and mariachi bands, parade to the lovely baroque temple to pay homage to the Lady of Guanajuato.

This baroque basilica houses the statue of the Virgin of Solitude, Oaxaca's patron saint. According to legend, a mule that had mysteriously joined a mule train bound for Guatemala perished at the site of the church; the statue was discovered in its pack, and the event was construed as a miracle—one commemorated by this church, which was built in 1682. Many Oaxaqueños are devoted to the Virgin, who is believed to have more than the usual facility for healing and miracle working. In the 1980s thieves removed her jewel-studded crown; she now has a replica of the original and a glass-covered shrine. Take a look at the chandeliers inside; they're held aloft by angels.

On a hill about 1 km (½ mile) northwest of the center of Tlaxcala stands the ornate Basilica de Ocotlán. You can see its churrigueresque facade, topped with twin towers adorned with the apostles, from just about everywhere in the city. The church is most notable as a pilgrimage site. In 1541 the Virgin Mary appeared to a poor peasant, telling him to cure an epidemic with water from a stream that had suddenly appeared. Franciscan monks, eager to find the source of the miracle, ventured into the forest. There they discovered raging flames that didn't harm one particular pine (ocotlán). When they split the tree open, they discovered the wooden image of the Virgen de Ocotlán, which they installed in a gilded altar. Many miracles have been attributed to the statue, which wears the braids popular for indigenous women at the time. Behind the altar is the brilliantly painted Camarín de la Virgen (Dressing Room of the Virgin) that tells the story. At the base of the hill is the appealing Capilla del Pocito de Agua Santa, an octagonal chapel decorated with images of the Virgen de Ocotlán. The faithful come to draw holy water from its seven fountains.

On the large plaza, the Basilica de Talpa is the main show in town. The twin-spire limestone temple is Gothic with neoclassical elements. After visiting the royally clad Virgin in her side chapel, stroll around the surrounding square. Shops and stalls sell sweets, miniature icons of the Virgin in every possible presentation, T-shirts, and other souvenirs. Chicle (gum) is harvested in the area, and you'll find small keepsakes in the shapes of shoes, flowers, and animals made of the (nonsticky) raw material.

This vast church with an ornate plateresque facade and Mudejar (Moorish) tile dome was consecrated in 1730. It's home to the Virgin (or Our Lady) of Zapopan: a 10-inch-high, corn-paste statue venerated as a source of many miracles. Every October 12 more than a million people crowd the streets around the basilica, where the Virgin is returned after a five-month tour of Jalisco's parish churches. It's an all-night fiesta capped by an early-morning procession.

An interesting feature here is the defensive moat—unusual in ancient Maya cities—though barely evident today. Seven gateways, once the only entrances to the guarded city, may have clued archaeologists to its presence. Most of the site's many buildings date from between about AD 600 and 1000, but since there are no traditionally inscribed stelae listing details of royal births, deaths, battles, and ascendancies to the throne, archaeologists have had to do a lot of guessing about what transpired here.

Duck into Estructura VIII, where underground passages lead to small rooms and a concealed staircase that reaches the top of the temple. One of several buildings surrounding a central plaza, this structure has lateral towers and a giant zoomorphic mask on its central facade. It was used for religious rituals, including bloodletting rites during which the elite pierced earlobes and genitals, among other sensitive body parts, in order to present their blood to the gods.

Once the cloister of the adjacent Convent of the Immaculate Conception, this impressive building has been an institute for the study of music, dance, and the visual arts since 1938. Renovated over a period of several years, it has an auditorium, bookstore-giftshop, and salons for rotating art exhibits. Cultural events are listed on a bulletin board at the entrance.

Just a short hop from Tequisquiapan and the state's growing wine country, and about an hour's drive northeast of Querétaro, this officially designated Pueblo Mágico is famous for its scenic peña, one of the largest rock monoliths in the world, which rises 1,150 feet above the town and can be seen for miles away. Though some people come to climb it, many more come for an invigorating walk up its lower half, or just to bask in its supposedly mystical aura. The village itself, with about 4,000 people, makes for a sweet stopover, with its lively restaurants, cafés, and shops selling very nice woolen blankets and clothing in addition to minerals, jewelry, and tchotchkes.