Mexico is a country brimming with attractions of every kind. But what should you see in this Central American country?
On a tour to Mexico, you can, for example, look forward to exploring vibrant cities, delving into ancient Maya ruins in the lush depths of the jungle, and unwinding on countless picture-perfect beaches – all woven into one unforgettable adventure.
Read on to discover what makes Mexico such an extraordinary travel destination.
Chichén Itzá is one of Mexico’s most famous and iconic attractions – and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In ancient times, this archaeological site was an important centre of the Maya civilisation, who lived in Mexico and some of the surrounding countries from around 800 BC to AD 1530.
A true highlight of Chichén Itzá is the 24-metre-high pyramid, El Castillo, built in honour of the Maya god Kukulkan. Kukulkan was the god of rain, wind, storms, and life – who, according to Maya belief, appeared as a feathered serpent. The majestic pyramid is built of stone and has 91 steps on each side. Together with the platform at the top, that makes 365 steps in total – one for every day of the year.
Although Chichén Itzá is undoubtedly the best-known Maya ruin in Mexico, it is far from the only one you can experience in the country. You can also look forward to architectural marvels such as Palenque, rising from the emerald depths of the jungle and steeped in mystery and history, and the ruins of Tulum, where the echoes of history meet a relaxed beach atmosphere.
Not everyone would consider a big city an attraction in its own right, but with a metropolis as lively, colourful, and brimming with culture as Mexico City, it’s almost impossible not to.
Mexico City is full of charm, bursting with experiences, and, with more than 21 million residents, the largest city in the Western Hemisphere. If you’d like to explore Mexican culture, for example, visit the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which impresses with its beautiful architecture and serves as both a museum and a concert hall. Or how about visiting the world-famous artist Frida Kahlo’s Blue House, where you can discover a colourful selection of works by her and other Mexican artists?
No visit to Mexico City is complete without sampling Mexico’s iconic culinary scene. Across the city, you’ll find small eateries serving delicious Mexican specialities such as tacos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. If you’re craving something sweet, you can also visit the café chain El Moro, including a branch just a few hundred metres from the Palacio de Bellas Artes. El Moro is famous for serving Mexico’s best churros. We’ve tried them, and we can only agree!
The Yucatán Peninsula is not only impressive on the surface. Beneath the ground lies a fascinating network of freshwater streams that has formed the so-called cenotes: natural underground sinkholes filled with crystal-clear water.
Mexico’s cenotes are plentiful, so you can experience many of them when you visit Mexico. One of the most atmospheric is Cenote Oxman, just outside the town of Valladolid. Here, the ground yawns open to reveal a turquoise pool ringed by sheer rock walls, draped with lush green lianas and gnarled tree roots that trail into the still water.
As a special treat, you can enjoy a relaxing dip in the clear water, where tiny fish swim inquisitively around you. Or feel the adrenaline as you launch yourself from the edge on the rope swing and splash down in the middle of the cenote.
Ria Lagartos, on the Yucatán Peninsula and just a 1½-hour drive from Valladolid, is a protected nature reserve that captivates anyone with a love of nature and wildlife.
The reserve teems with life, from stealthy crocodiles to peaceful sea turtles that return year after year to lay their eggs. However, Ria Lagartos is especially renowned for its Caribbean flamingos, whose striking plumage bathes the landscape in shades of pink.
Yet the flamingos aren’t the only reason Ria Lagartos is a pink paradise. The area is also known for its pink lakes. These lakes contain high concentrations of salt, creating perfect conditions for microscopic organisms that live in the water and make the entire landscape glow with the most beautiful shades of pink.
About an hour’s drive from Mexico City lies Teotihuacan, one of the world’s most significant archaeological sites. Here, two impressive pyramids rise majestically above the landscape, bearing witness to a bygone era.
No one knows for certain who built the pyramids, but archaeologists reckon they most likely date back several centuries to the BCE. After it had been abandoned, the site was later discovered by the Aztecs, who named it Teotihuacan, meaning ‘the place of the gods’. Teotihuacan enjoyed its heyday with the Aztecs between the first and seventh centuries.
A visit to Teotihuacan not only lets you admire the two mighty pyramids, but also reveals a number of smaller structures along the Calzada de los Muertos, literally ‘the avenue of the dead’, which you can explore.
On the Yucatán Peninsula, beautifully set on the Caribbean Sea, some of Mexico’s very best beaches await, each one enchanting with its own unique charm.
If you’re after a beach experience where history and coastal idyll come together, Tulum is the natural choice. Here you’ll find not only wonderful beaches and a laid-back atmosphere, but also ancient ruins rising dramatically by the coast, bearing witness to the Maya civilisation’s heyday.
For a livelier vibe, head to Playa del Carmen, where golden sands meet cosy beach bars and cafés, and the turquoise sea invites both swimming and watersports. If you’d like to explore beneath the surface, take the ferry to the island of Cozumel just off Playa del Carmen’s coast, renowned for its fantastic snorkelling and dive sites.
If you’d like to venture beyond the mainland, visit some of the fabulous islands off the Yucatán Peninsula. Here you’ll find island gems such as Isla Holbox, which charms with gentle waves and unspoilt nature, and Isla Mujeres, which entices not only with ancient Maya ruins and charming streets, but also Playa Norte, voted Mexico’s best beach. Whichever island you visit, you’re guaranteed family-friendly beaches with shallow water – perfect for a relaxing Beach holiday!
Although Mexico’s beaches are very different, they all share the same magic, so you can be sure of an unforgettable experience whichever beach you choose to visit.
Bacalar is a charming town in the southern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. It sits like a tranquil oasis on the shores of the captivating Laguna de los Siete Colores.
The name, which translates as ‘the lagoon of seven colours’, was given thanks to the water’s incredible play of colours, which shifts through different shades of blue and turquoise depending on depth, the conditions on the lagoon floor, and the angle of the sun. You can experience this magical display on a leisurely boat, a kayak trip across the clear water, or during a refreshing swim in the lagoon’s gentle waves.
Beyond its beautiful lagoon, Bacalar also harbours a host of hidden gems, such as the Fuerte de San Felipe fort, built in 1733 to protect the town from pirate attacks. In the town’s charming streets, you’ll find small shops selling colourful souvenirs and cosy restaurants where you can sample local specialities.
Looking to experience Mexico’s natural beauty at its most awe-inspiring? You certainly won’t be disappointed when you visit the deep Sumidero Canyon, which sweeps along the Grijalva River in the state of Chiapas.
This dramatic gorge was carved by the Grijalva River, which has cut deep into the rock over millions of years. Today, Sumidero Canyon stretches for more than 30 kilometres through the rugged landscape, with cliffs that in places rise over 1,000 metres above the water.
The beauty of Sumidero Canyon is best experienced on a boat trip along the river, where you’ll also have the chance to encounter the area’s fascinating wildlife, from crocodiles to a wealth of birdlife.
In the Chiapas mountains of southern Mexico, one natural wonder follows another. Some of the loveliest are the waterfalls of Agua Azul and Misol-Há.
Agua Azul, which translates as ‘blue water’, takes its name from the many waterfalls that shimmer in exquisite blue and turquoise tones. The mountainside the water cascades over is rich in minerals, which not only lends the water its striking colour but has also coated the rock in a thick layer of limestone, creating small natural pools at different levels. To see the colours at their most vivid, visit Agua Azul during the dry season in April–May, when the concentration of minerals is at its highest.
Set deep in the jungle some 20–30 km from Palenque, Misol-Há is another magnificent natural experience. At the foot of the 35-metre-high waterfall, there’s a refreshing pool that invites a cooling dip, and behind the cascade lies a cave roughly 20 metres deep, where you can admire the falls from a completely different angle.
Although Día de los Muertos, held each year on November 2nd, isn’t an attraction in the physical sense, it’s one of Mexico’s most captivating experiences. Day of the Dead, as the name translates, is anything but sombre; it’s a colourful celebration of life and the spirits of those who have passed.
This tradition is several thousand years old, originating with the ancient Aztecs, Toltecs, and other indigenous peoples. It was believed that the departed remained part of the community, their spirits kept alive through remembrance. Once a year, at the start of November, the dead could briefly return to the world of the living and visit their families again.
Across Mexico, the day is marked with large celebrations in the central squares. You can, for instance, experience the huge festivities in Mexico City, where magnificent parades, loud music, and beautiful decorations such as garlands, flowers, and colourful sugar skulls fill the streets. In local homes, families create impressive altars adorned with photos of departed relatives, flowers, and candles.
Día de los Muertos offers a unique glimpse into Mexico’s soul – and touches the heart of every traveller.
Mexico is a country that offers something for everyone, whether you’re keen to explore age-old history, vibrant culture, idyllic beaches, or captivating natural landscapes.
Set off on a tour to Mexico and come home with a suitcase full of colourful memories that will stay with you!
TourCompass – From tourist to traveller
Join us on an adventure on Mexico’s beautiful Yucatán Peninsula and experience Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, Chichen Itza and conclude with a beach holiday on Isla Holbox’s paradise beaches.
Join an exciting tour where you’ll experience Mexico’s impressive Mayan ruins, breathtaking nature, vibrant colonial towns, and local communities, finishing with a beach holiday in Playa del Carmen.
Discover the highlights of Mexico on an exhilarating tour featuring impressive Mayan ruins, magnificent landscapes, vibrant colonial towns, and authentic Mayan villages, concluding in the beach paradise of Tulum.
Look forward to experiencing the very best that Yucatán has to offer – from magnificent Mayan ruins and charming colonial towns to powder-white sandy beaches and a magical lagoon shimmering in seven shades of blue.
Experience Mexico’s magical blend of culture, nature, and history – from ancient Aztec capital and charming colonial towns, to awe-inspiring Mayan ruins and powder-soft Caribbean beaches.
Magnificent Maya ruins, vibrant colonial history, and breathtaking natural wonders – get ready to experience some of the most captivating highlights of Yucatán.
Join us on an adventure on Mexico’s beautiful Yucatán Peninsula and experience Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, Chichen Itza and conclude with a beach holiday on Isla Holbox’s paradise beaches.
Join an exciting tour where you’ll experience Mexico’s impressive Mayan ruins, breathtaking nature, vibrant colonial towns, and local communities, finishing with a beach holiday in Playa del Carmen.
Discover the highlights of Mexico on an exhilarating tour featuring impressive Mayan ruins, magnificent landscapes, vibrant colonial towns, and authentic Mayan villages, concluding in the beach paradise of Tulum.
Look forward to experiencing the very best that Yucatán has to offer – from magnificent Mayan ruins and charming colonial towns to powder-white sandy beaches and a magical lagoon shimmering in seven shades of blue.
Experience Mexico’s magical blend of culture, nature, and history – from ancient Aztec capital and charming colonial towns, to awe-inspiring Mayan ruins and powder-soft Caribbean beaches.
Magnificent Maya ruins, vibrant colonial history, and breathtaking natural wonders – get ready to experience some of the most captivating highlights of Yucatán.
