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Mexico’s Rich Textures and Colors

You love Mexico’s rich textures and colors, so you’re looking for one-of-a-kind items to decorate your home and dress up your persona! style-all while getting some serious R&R in the sun. Start out in Mexico City and then travel east for Puebla’s baroque architecture and magical, old-world feel. Among this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s churches and squares, the ornate 16th century Cathedral points heavenward. Head to the city’s traditional markets to browse for Talavera pottery, el arbol de la vida (“the tree of life”) figurines, and onyx and marble sculptures. Roam south to Oaxaca City for its Historic Centre, which is another impressive World Heritage Site. Must-see highlights include: the Cathedral, the basilica of Our Lady of Solitude, and the Macedonio Alcala Theater. Along the main plaza, you’ll find artisans from around the Oaxaca state selling colorful alebrijes (folk-art sculptures of fanciful animals), beautiful black pottery, and geometric woven wool rugs. Arrive in Nuatulco on the Pacific Coast for relaxed beaches, as well as shops and galleries selling vibrant regional crafts.


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Festival Internacional Cervantino, Mexico

Festival Internacional Cervantino, in Guanajuato Mexico

Bargain prices at luxury properties (up to 70 percent off), value-added pro­motions, and dramatic drops in airfare (averaging 26 percent lower than last year) are part of the Mexico tourism board’s campaign to lure travelers back to its white-sand beaches, colonial cities, and ancient pyramids.

Every fall, more than 500,000 visitors descend on Guanajuato, in central Mexico, for the country’s preeminent cultural celebration, the Festival Internacional Gervantino (October 14-November 1). This year, posadas to five-star hotels are offering packages, starting from $95 per night, at www.festivalcervantino.gob.mx.


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Mexico – Land of Color

An easy flight from many U.S. gateways, Mexico is a land of colorful contrasts and diverse pleasures. Here you can immerse yourself in historic city centers, relax at marvelous beach resorts, travel back in time at ancient ruins, witness the grandeur of whales in their natural habitat, and explore awe-inspiring canyons. Discover Mexico’s magic just south of the border.

SUN AND SEA

Those seeking fun in the sun will find plenty of variety in Mexico. The Yucatan Pen­insula’s Caribbean shoreline features hotspot Cancun, the laid back islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, and the lovely beach resorts of Tulum, Playa del Car­men, and Xpu-Ha. On the Pacific coast, Acapulco beckons with its sublime bay, outstanding hotels, and round-the-clock energy while further north, you’ll find the charming beach village of Zihuatanejo and exceptional lodgings in neighboring Ixtapa.

ARCHEOLOGICAL WONDERS

Numerous archaeological treasures left by centuries of pre-Hispanic civilizations attest to Mexico’s glorious past. Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, is famous for the pyramid-lined Avenue of the Dead featuring the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Monte Alban is a signifi­cant Zapotec ceremonial center on a mountaintop overlooking the valley of Oaxaca. The Mayan ruins at Palenque in the state of Chiapas are dramatically positioned atop a tall ridge at the base of forested mountains. And Uxmal, Chichen Itza, and Ek Balam are impor­tant Mayan sites on the Yucatan Peninsula.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Mexico is blessed with breath­taking natural beauty and wild­life, Head to the Baja California Peninsula (from January through March) to witness the majesty of the gray whale. An estimated 10,000 of these graceful crea­tures travel from the frigid Ber­ing Sea to mate and give birth to their calves in the warm Pacific waters. While there are many great viewing locations, the protected waters of El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve provide ideal conditions for both the whales and whale watchers.

Inland, magnificent Copper Canyon is a 6,487-square-mile network of canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara of Chihuahua. The Chihuahua to Pacific Railway leaves from Los Mochis on the Sea of Cortes and travels inland to Copper Canyon. The railway, an engineering feat with 39 bridges and 86 tunnels, traverses the canyon offering incredible vistas of pine forests, jagged peaks, and valleys before descending into the city of Chi­huahua. You can stay overnight at stops along the way to explore the dramatic terrain while hiking, horseback riding, and camping.


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Mexico – Historic and Colorful

An easy flight from many U.S. gateways, Mexico is a land of colorful contrasts and diverse pleasures. Here you can immerse yourself in historic city centers, relax at marvelous beach resorts, travel back in time at ancient ruins, witness the grandeur of whales in their natural habitat, and explore awe-inspiring canyons. Discover Mexico’s magic just south of the border.SUN AND SEA

Those seeking fun in the sun will find plenty of variety in Mexico. The Yucatan Pen­insula’s Caribbean shoreline features hotspot Cancun, the laid back islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, and the lovely beach resorts of Tulum, Playa del Car­men, and Xpu-Ha. On the Pacific coast, Acapulco beckons with its sublime bay, outstanding hotels, and round-the-clock energy while further north, you’ll find the charming beach village of Zihuatanejo and exceptional lodgings in neighboring Ixtapa.

ARCHEOLOGICAL WONDERS

Numerous archeological treasures left by centuries of pre-Hispanic civilizations attest to Mexico’s glorious past. Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, is famous for the pyramid-lined Avenue of the Dead featuring the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Monte Alban is a signifi­cant Zapotec ceremonial center on a mountaintop overlooking the valley of Oaxaca. The Mayan ruins at Palenque in the state of Chiapas are dramatically positioned atop a tall ridge at the base of forested mountains. And Uxmal, Chichen Itza, and Ek Balam are impor­tant Mayan sites on the Yucatan Peninsula.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Mexico is blessed with breath­taking natural beauty and wild­life, Head to the Baja California Peninsula (from January through March) to witness the majesty of the gray whale. An estimated 10,000 of these graceful crea­tures travel from the frigid Ber­ing Sea to mate and give birth to their calves in the warm Pacific waters. While there are many great viewing locations, the protected waters of El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve provide ideal conditions for both the whales and whale watchers.

Inland, magnificent Copper Canyon is a 6,487-square-mile network of canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara of Chihuahua. The Chihuahua to Pacific Railway leaves from Los Mochis on the Sea of Cortes and travels inland to Copper Canyon. The railway, an engineering feat with 39 bridges and 86 tunnels, traverses the canyon offering incredible vistas of pine forests, jagged peaks, and valleys before descending into the city of Chi­huahua. You can stay overnight at stops along the way to explore the dramatic terrain while hiking, horseback riding, and camping.


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