Colonial Mexico
Political relations between the United States and Mexico may be in a tangled state, but our southern neighbor never ceases to fascinate travelers. During the past year alone, tourism to Mexico has increased by 12 percent according to Travel + Leisure. And, while most people continue to flock to the country’s magnificent beaches, Mexico’s inland Colonial cities offer visitors intimate neighborhoods, energetic street life, and world-class restaurants. With so much going on, you might consider scrapping those beach plans.
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is probably the most well known of the Colonial cities, having topped the World’s Best lists for the past two years. It’s not hard to see why. With its colorful, flower-draped architecture and cobblestoned streets, San Miguel has the feel of a village, but its large population of artists lends it a cosmopolitan flair.
With outstanding restaurants and accommodations, numerous galleries stocked with quality Mexican artesanías (handicrafts), a fantastic spring-like climate and a surfeit of cultural activities including regular festivals, fireworks and parades, San Miguel is an unmissable highlight for anyone visiting the northern central highlands. The entire area was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008, and despite receiving huge numbers of visitors—and a large number of American expats—San Miguel absorbs them well and locals mix warmly with their foreign guests and residents.
Top Highlights
- Visit the pyramids of La Canada de la Virgin, a recently discovered Otomi archeological site that faces the celestial North.
- Look for local handicrafts at any of the city’s street markets, and be sure to hit the gigantic El Tianguis de los Martes held every Tuesday.
- Culinary travelers love San Miguel de Allende for its inventive flavors. Take a food tour, a cooking class, or simply enjoy the cuisine at one of over 350 markets and restaurants.
- Sample tequila and mescal at a local bar or distillery
- Indulge in a spa treatment, visit local hot springs, or cleanse the body and soul in a temazcal, or traditional sweat lodge.
Merida
If your idea of a Yucatán vacation doesn’t extend beyond the beaches of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, you’re missing out on the Mayan heritage, colonial history, and appealing creative enclaves found west of the chaotic coast. Fly into Mérida, the capital of the Yucatán—land of ancient Mayan traditions— rather than Cancún and rent a car for a quick trip of the area, which still remains largely free of tour buses. There you will find a delightful blend of provincial and ‘muy cosmopolitano,’ according to the locals.
Mérida has recently reinvented itself as an enclave for hip expats, who are converting haciendas into sophisticated hotels and bistros, yet it remains an area steeped in colonial history. It's a great place to explore, with narrow streets, broad central plazas and the region’s best museums. It has excellent cuisine and accommodations, thriving markets and events happening just about every night.
Top Highlights
- Kick off your adventure into the rest of the Yucatán state, including ancient cenotes (cisterns) and caves, the flamingo preserve at Celestún, and the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.
- Experience a traditional Maya purification ritual in the underground Sacamucuy cenote.
- Stay in a carefully-restored authentic haciendas just outside Merida. Make sure to take a ride on a donkey-pulled trolley (formerly used for sisal transport) to visit the property’s cenote swimming hole.
- Wander Mercado Lucas De Galvez or Mercado Santiago alone or with a guide to taste local produce like spicy habanero peppers; chaya, a local green similar to spinach; rambutan, a red shell fruit with sweet white pulp often sold as “agua fresca” juice. Or try your hand in the kitchen with a local chef.
- If you need a beach fix, Cancún and Tulum are just a four-hour trip along a newly built superhighway.
Mexico City
Though much maligned in the past, these days, Mexico City, the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere, is cleaning up its act. Revamped public spaces are springing back to life, the culinary scene is exploding and a cultural renaissance is flourishing. On top of all that, by largely managing to distance itself from the drug war, the nation’s capital remains a safe haven of sorts. Visitors to the capital will experience its dynamism: ancient ruins juxtapose with modern architecture, age-old flavors pervade experimental cuisine and the colorful, vibrant city continues to evolve in its cultural identity.
Top Highlights
- Stroll through the buzzing downtown area to reveal the capital’s storied history, from pre-Hispanic and colonial-era splendor to its contemporary edge.
- Exploring the city’s modern attractions, like the San Angel Bazaar and the trendy Polanco and Roma neighborhoods.
- Enjoy the classical Lucha Libre, where professional wrestlers don colorful masks in the ring. Make sure to visit one of the many stands with handmade T-shirts and masks of the local heroes.
- Explore the complex of awesome pyramids of Teotihuacan with a local expert guide and archeologist to learn about what was once Mesoamerica’s greatest city.
- Don’t miss the striking murals painted by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, as well as the city’s world famous museums, home to some of the most impressive ancient and modern art works in the world.