Mexico: Things To Do

Centro Historico The heart of colonial Mexico city is the Centro Historico, with a massive zócalo (central square), the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the ruins of the Templo Mayor.
family | culture | history | religion

Chichen Itza Explore the ruins of this spectacular ancient Mayan city dating back to the 6th century. Several pyramids, including the 79-foot tall El Castillo, are still intact and open for visitors to climb. Mayan Riviera
family | outdoors | history | ruins

Cobá Located a 45-minute drive inland from Chichen Itza, Cobá is a barely-explored lakeside archaeological zone with sacbeobs (elevated limestone roads) extending as far as 62 miles. Mayan Riviera
family | outdoors | history

Cuernavaca The city of Cuernavaca’s temperate climate and lush environs have drawn everyone from the Aztec conqueror Cortes to chilangos (upper-crust Mexico City residents). Visit the area’s historic palaces, spas, and the quarts- and onyx-filled Tepozteco Mountains.
history

Isla de Holbox West of Cancun, untouched Holbox island, with its quiet natural beauty and mangrove-lined estuaries, seems light years from Mexico’s booming beach developments. Summer sees the arrival of massive whale sharks and flocks of up to 40,000 flamingos. Isla de Holbox
outdoors | nature

Museo Casa Robert Brady The former home of American expat Robert Brady is now a required stop on Mexico’s museum circuit – his collection encompasses some of the country’s best artists including Frida Kahlo, Graham Sutherland, and Miguel Covarrubias. 011-52-77-7318-8554; www.geocities.com/bradymuseum
museum | art

National Museum of Anthropology The absolutely not-to-be-missed National Museum of Anthropology houses over 600,000 artifacts and artworks including Aztec sculptures and calendars and a top-quality arts and crafts shop. Avenida Paseo de la Reforma; 011-52-55-5286-2923; www.mna.inah.gob.mx
family | museum | history | shopping

OMR Gallery A must for art-lovers, this Mexico City gallery is famed for breaking emerging Latin American talent (the now-famous Adolfo Riviera and Luis Ortiz Monasterio both got their start here). Plaza Rio de Janeiro 54; 011-52-55-5207-1080; www.galeriaomr.com
culture | art

Teotihuacan Once home to the Toltec people, central Mexico’s richest and most powerful empire, these pyramid and palace ruins occupy nearly 20-square-miles. The massive Pyramid of the Sun, the world’s third largest, provides amazing views from atop its 248 steps.
family | outdoors | history | ruins

Zacatecas Zacatecas was the first of the wealthy silver-mining cities, and inside the town’s churches, altars are encrusted in gold leaf. Outside the city, atop a hill in the Malpaso Valley, lie the mysterious ruins of the pre-Colombian city of La Quemada.
history | ruins