843 Best Sights in Mexico

If you fly into Mexico City at night, there's a good chance you'll spot the tower of this museum; located on the south side of the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, its stoic modernist facade is clad in Moorish starbursts of red and purple neon. The museum hosts regularly rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, often experimental in nature, and a moving permanent memorial to the 1968 massacre that occurred on the plaza, installed in honor of that event's 50th anniversary.

Banamex has set up this small, well-organized art museum right on the main plaza. The beautiful crafts on display include textiles, ceramics, papier-mâché, and woodwork. The center also has a little on-site café and gift shop.

This small gallery and study center is named for the self-taught Mexico City photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo (he won his first photographic competition here in Oaxaca). Exhibitions change every month or two. The building is beautiful, and sitting around the pond watching the hummingbirds is a wonderful experience.

Mazunte's local economy was once based on processing the golfina (olive ridley) turtle for its meat, shell, and oil until the government put a ban on turtle hunting in 1990. Poachers aside, Mazunte is now devoted to educating the public on the species. Four of the world's eight species of marine turtles come to lay their eggs on Oaxaca's shores. July through September is peak nesting season. At the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga, a dozen aquariums are filled with the turtles that flourish here: green turtles, hawksbills, leatherbacks, and olive ridleys. Tour guides give explanations in English and other languages.

Pancho Villa's definitive battle against dictator Victoriano Huerta occurred on this rugged hill, now a city landmark, in June 1914. The spacious Plaza de la Revolución, paved with three shades of pink Zacatecas stone, is crowned with huge statues of Mexican heroes. You can ride a zip line (MX$200 per person, or MX$300 for two) or have your photo taken dressed up like Pancho Villa (complete with antique rifle) and a soldadera (female soldier) companion, with outfits supplied by an enterprising young man. A walk up to the observatory gets you the best view of Zacatecas. Also on-site is the Sanctuario de la Virgen de Patrocinio, a chapel dedicated to the city's patron, and the Museo de la Toma de Zacatecas, which has a separate admission charge.

Some folks take a cab up and the cable car back down to the city; others enjoy taking the cable car up to the site and walking back down.

The countryside just outside town is ideal for hikes and drives. From Mascota's plaza you can walk up Calle Morelos out of town to Cerro de la Cruz. The hike to the summit takes about a half hour and rewards with great valley views.

For a bird's-eye view of the town and coast, hike or drive up Calle Juárez, the main drag, to Cerro de San Basilio. You can also take Road 74 out of town, turn right at the fork and then right at Calle del Panteon, which is the only road you'll find before reaching the river.

The view from Lookout Hill is fantastic, but the road up from Paseo del Centenario is steep and confusing; take a pulmonía. At the top are a rusty cannon and the Centenario Pégola—built in 1848 to celebrate the end of the U.S. invasion (aka the Mexican–American War).

Excavated in 2005, Chacchoben (pronounced chsa-cho-ben) is an ancient city that was a contemporary of Kohunlich and the most important trading partner with Guatemala north of the Bacalar Lagoon area. Several newly unearthed buildings are still in good condition. The lofty Templo Uno, the site's main temple, was dedicated to the Maya sun god, Itzamná, and once held a royal tomb. (When archaeologists found it, though, it had already been looted.) Most of the site was built around AD 200, in the Petén style of the Early-Classic Period, although the city could have been inhabited as early as 200 BC. It's thought that inhabitants made their living growing cotton and extracting chewing gum and copal resin from the trees.

Chankanaab, translated as "small sea," consists of a saltwater lagoon, an archaeological park, and a botanical garden, with reproductions of a Maya village and Olmec, Toltec, Aztec, and Maya stone carvings scattered throughout. You can swim at the beach, and there's plenty for snorkelers and divers to see beneath the surface, including underwater caverns, a sunken ship, crusty old cannons and anchors, a sculpture of the Virgen del Mar (Virgin of the Sea), and parrot fish and sergeant majors galore. Note, though, that to preserve the ecosystem, rules forbid touching the reef or feeding the fish. A seal show is included in the admission, and you'll find dive shops, restaurants, gift shops, a snack stand, and dressing rooms with lockers and showers right on the sand. Chankanaab also has a Dolphin Discovery facility where you can swim with the much-loved marine mammals.

Several grassy beach parks, including Punta Estrella and Dos Mulas, surround the bay. The latter is not recommended due to cleanliness issues. But Punta Estrella has parking, toilets, volleyball courts, and a small boat marina. The water here is calm, if cloudy, and there's plenty of shade from trees and little palapa-topped picnic tables. Popular with fishermen, the bay itself is shallow and the flats go on for miles. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: walking.

Of the four buildings surrounding the main plaza at Chicanná, Estructura II, on the east side, is the most impressive. On its intricate facade are well-preserved sculpted reliefs and faces with long twisted noses—symbols of Chaac. In typical Chenes style, the doorway is zoomorphic, representing the mouth of the creator-god Itzamná. Surrounding the opening are large crossed eyes, fierce fangs, and earrings to complete the stone mask, which still bears traces of blue and red pigments.

Located on a cacao plantation near the Uxmal ruins, this museum highlights the history of cacao and cocoa (the product derived from cacao) and their relationship with Maya culture. Tours take place in traditional homes where you can learn about the cultivation of cacao and the process of making chocolate. At the end, you'll be treated to a traditional Maya drink, prepared with organic cocoa and local spices.

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is dedicated to the patron saint of Mexico and of Puerto Vallarta. The holy mother's image, by Ignacio Ramírez, is the centerpiece of the cathedral's slender marble altarpiece. The brick bell tower is topped by a lacy-looking crown that replicates the one worn by Carlota, short-lived empress of Mexico. The wrought-iron crown toppled during an earthquake that shook this area of the Pacific Coast in 1995 but was soon replaced with a fiberglass version, supported, as was the original, by a squadron of stone angels. This was replaced with a newer and larger rendition in 2009.

Named for the fact that many of its main thoroughfares are named for noted medical doctors, the neighborhood was established in the late 1890s, right before Roma and Condesa. Home to the 42-acre campus of prestigious Hospital General de México, the famous lucha libre venue Arena México, and a number of prominent governmental buildings as well as some impressive old mansions, Doctores abounds with cantinas, bars, nightclubs, and pulquerías—some a bit dodgy, but others with increasing cachet among in-the-know locals. Doctores does have a reputation for crime, especially as you venture farther east and south; the issues are more commonly robbery and car theft than violent crime, but do exercise common sense when walking around this neighborhood, and go with friends or by Uber after dark.

The region's abundant cacao trees provided food and a livelihood for a booming Mayan population during the Classic period (100 BC to AD 1000). Comalcalco, which was founded in about the 1st century BC, marks the westernmost reach of the Maya; descendants of its builders, the Chontal, still live in the vicinity. Its name means "place of the clay griddles" (bricks) in Nahuatl, and it is Tabasco's most important Mayan site, unique for its use of fired brick (made of sand, seashells, and clay), as the area's swamplands lacked the stone for building. The bricks were often inscribed and painted with figures of reptiles and birds, geometric figures, and drawings before being covered with stucco.

The major pyramid on the Gran Acrópolis del Este (Great Eastern Acropolis) is adorned with carvings as well as large stucco masks of the sun god, Kinich Ahau. The burial sites here also depart radically from Mayan custom: the dead were placed in cone-shape clay urns, in a fetal position. Some have been left in situ, and others are on display in the site museum along with many of the artifacts that were uncovered here.

Built in the early 20th century on land formerly owned by Emperor Maximillian, this site was home to Mexican presidents from 1934 until 2018. Since then, it has become a cultural space and museum open to the public

Cannons protect the ruined contaduría, built during colonial times when San Blas was New Spain's first official port.

A favorite of party animals and the young and beautiful, Coralina offers nonstop music all day long with an open bar, fireworks, go-go dancers, and bikini contests also included in the rates. The pool parties here are legendary, as are the champagne wars. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: partiers.

Cosméticos Naturales de Mazunte, an association of natural cosmetic producers in Mazunte, began in 1996 with a group of mostly women and funding from The Body Shop. Their workshop still produces natural cosmetics made with ingredients such as avocado oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and sea algae. Tour the facility and learn about the production process and then stock up on aloe vera shampoo, conditioner, natural insect repellent, scented soaps, and other tempting products in the store. Prices are lower and the selection better here than in other outlets.

Since its opening in 1990, the Costa Careyes Polo Club has received players from all over the world. For $500 you can play in one of their two regulation-size fields with greens fees and horse rental included.

The biologists running the Croco Cun Zoo, an animal farm just north of Puerto Morelos, have collected specimens of many of the reptiles and some of the mammals indigenous to the area. They offer immensely informative tours—you may even get to handle a baby crocodile or feed a monkey. Be sure to wave hello to the 500-pound crocodile secure in his deep pit.

This small waterfall can be reached on foot or you can take a horseback ride for about 150--400 MXN ($8–$20) depending on how well you haggle. You can enter the waterfall from the lower road for free or buy a drink and snack at the restaurant on top of the hill. You can also take a swim in the cold waters below the falls, which are refreshing in summer but quite cold in the winter season.

The most spectacular sights at Dainzú are the well-restored ball court and the Tumba del Jaguar (Tomb of the Jaguar), with the fearsome head of a jaguar perched above the door. Pre-Columbian pottery shards litter the ground all over, evidence that this is a site that, unlike Monte Albán or Mitla, is still in the earlier stages of excavation. You'll likely have it to yourself, too. The grass-covered ruins are particularly pretty in the late-afternoon light. Note that there are no facilities here. Keep an eye out for the turnoff, because it's poorly marked; arriving from Oaxaca City, it's right before an overpass.

American Ron Cooper is one of the most accomplished mezcal exporters in the business; his Del Maguey bottles contain mezcal sourced from extremely traditional artisanal producers in the countryside. They're prized across America, commanding upward of $70 a bottle. You can visit Cooper's bottling plant and tasting room by appointment, or, for a fee, Ron will take you on a fascinating insider's tasting tour of the region, where you'll meet the old-school producers themselves.

On a pristine bay halfway between Bahia Bacochibampo and San Carlos, this facility affords a chance to interact with dolphins. There isn't much here other than getting close to the animals themselves, but it is an unforgettable experience for the kids.

Favored by locals because of its long stretch of sand and beautiful color, Destiladeras is especially popular on weekends. You can reach the beach by bus or car, and there's unofficial parking at the top of the cliff where guards will look over your car for a price. Amenities: parking (free); water sports. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

The alliance between sister cities Dzibanché and Kinichná was thought to have made them the most powerful cities in southern Quintana Roo during the Maya Classic Period (AD 100–1000). The fertile farmlands surrounding the ruins are still used today as they were hundreds of years ago, and the winding drive deep into the fields makes you feel as if you're coming upon something undiscovered. Archaeologists have been making progress in excavating more and more ruins, albeit slowly.

At Dzibanché (which translates as "place where they write on wood" and is pronounced zee-ban-chay), several carved wooden lintels have been found. The most perfectly preserved example is in a supporting arch at the Plaza de Xibalba.

Also at the plaza is the Templo del Búho (Temple of the Owl), atop which a recessed tomb was discovered—only the second of its kind in Mexico (the first was at Palenque in Chiapas). In the tomb were magnificent clay vessels painted with white owls, messengers of the underworld gods.

More buildings and three plazas have been restored as excavation continues. Several other plazas are surrounded by temples, palaces, and pyramids, all in the Petén style. The carved stone steps at Edificio 13 and Edificio 2 (Buildings 13 and 2) still bear traces of stone masks. A copy of the famed lintel of Templo IV (Temple IV), with eight glyphs dating from AD 618, is housed in the Museo de la Cultura Maya in Chetumal. (The original was replaced in 2003 because of deterioration.) Four more tombs were discovered at Templo I (Temple I).

More than 16 square km (6 square miles) of land here is cluttered with mounds, platforms, piles of rubble, plazas, and stelae. Although only a few buildings have been excavated, historians find Dzibilchaltún fascinating because of the sculpture and ceramics from all periods of Maya civilization that have been unearthed here. The area may have been settled as early as 500 BC and was inhabited until the time the Spanish arrived. At its height, there were around 40,000 people living here.

The most notable structure is the tiny Templo de las Siete Muñecas (Temple of the Seven Dolls). It's a long stroll down a flat dirt track lined with flowering bushes and trees to get to the low, trapezoidal temple that is an elegant example of the late Preclassic Period style. During the spring and fall equinoxes, sunbeams fall at the exact center of two windows opposite each other inside one of the temple rooms. A similar phenomenon happens during the full moon that occurs between March 20 and April 20.

Another attraction is the ruined open chapel built by the Spaniards for the indigenous people. Actually, to be accurate, the Spanish forced indigenous laborers to build it for themselves, in a sort of pre-Hispanic "separate but equal" scenario.

One of the best reasons to visit Dzibilchaltún, though, is Xlacah Cenote. The site's sinkhole, with crystalline water the color of smoked green glass, is ideal for a cooling swim after walking around the ruins. Before leaving, visit the small but impressive Museo Pueblo Maya, which contains the seven crude dolls that gave the Temple of the Seven Dolls its name. It also traces the area's Hispanic history, and highlights contemporary crafts from the region.