Chatty abuelas gossiping the day away on their front porch, pastel-hue colonial houses that carry more history than your average lifeless suburb ever will, and the smell of grilled carnitas coming from some street vendor somewhere in a buzzing malecón:
Sooner or later, we will all crave a little bit of Mé-ji-co ourselves.
But Mexico is such a vast country, filled with so much cultural diversity, that picking a single destination to start off the year quickly starts looking like a daunting task. Except it doesn’t have to be:
Our fellow travel experts writing at U.S. News have taken it upon themselves to rank the best places to visit in Mexico this year, and if you’re running out of time to make a decision on your vacation plans and you ain’t got time for 20, how about we take a look at the top 5?
Zihuatanejo, Guerreiro
A laid-back resort town northwest of Acapulco, Zihuatanejo is known for sweepingly long sandy beaches, like the palm tree-lined Playa La Ropa, a thriving surfing culture, and the good old Mexican Pacific boutique-hopping.
Make sure you pack your ocean gear, as it is also a prime destination for diving, with over 30 tourist-friendly dive sites. Down Paseo del Pescador, a promenade running along the ocean, find small shops selling beautiful ceramics and crafts.
Of course, it’s not a trip to a Mexican town until you’ve ticked the local market off your list: Mercado Municipal dishes up delicious street food and fresh produce that packs a punch. Their ceviche de pescado, made with freshly-caught white fish, lime and local chilies definitely steals the show, though.
Ixtapa, Guerrero
Ranking number 4, Ixtapa is in fact a short drive away from the previous town, and it’s distinguished by its rapidly-developing beachfront: every year, more and more hotel towers and seafood restaurants seem to spring up on the edge of the curving, white-sanded El Palmar Beach.
Ixtapa Marina is a lively spot brimming with authentic Mexican eateries, and right next door to a golf course designed by Robert von Hagge: we’re talking marina views on an 18-hole, par-72 dunes-style layout, complete with sand traps to keep up the fun.
If you’re not exactly passionate about golfing, how does playing with dolphins sound? Delfiniti is a family-friendly dolphinarium famous for its hands-on dolphin action: feel free to get close, pet, and splash around the tank with these wondrous creatures.
La Paz, Baja California Sur
The capital of Baja California Sur, La Paz, is a (as the name indicates) peaceful city on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, famous for its long Malecón promenade, golden-sand beaches hugged by azure waters, and cozy restaurants overlooking the water.
Balandra Beach is the most popular beach in the area, due to its crystal-clear, shallow waterline and the dramatic rock formations that flank it, though Playa Pichilingue is equally scenic, with its turquoise bay and seafood shacks.
A UNESCO-protected reserve, Espiritu Santo Island is a migration spot for sea lions, and if you’re visiting La Paz between December and April, you should know it’s peak season for whale watching and whale shark swims, two major highlights of the Sea of Cortez.
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
A cultural behemoth of Mexico, up there with the likes of Mexico City and Guadalajara, Guanajuato is a colonial-era treasure that rose to relevance as a silver mining hub, and entered the modern era as an open-air museum perfectly preserved from the 17th century:
Its colonial core is dotted with pastel-colored townhouses and criss-crossed by cobbled streets. Between the yellow-washed Basílica Colegiata and the fortress-like Alhóndiga de Granaditas, which played a key role in the Mexican War of Independence, history is everywhere to be seen, touched, and experienced.
For the lovers out there, don’t miss Callejón del Beso (or Alley of the Kiss), a picture-perfect passageway lined with historic buildings, so that lovers standing on opposite balconies can easily reach forward over the void and kiss. Hence the name.
Isla Mujeres
It’s no wonder it was crowned best island south of the border. Whether it’s dodging the seaweed plague during sargassum season, rock-bottom crime rates, or that unspoiled nature, Mujeres truly delivers the goods.
The best thing about it is, it is so tiny, at only 4.3 miles long and 0.4 miles across, it can be explored by golf cart or even on foot! Discover lost Mayan temples in the south, try ceviche and browse boutiques in ‘Downtown’, or simply find your spot of preference at Playa Norte and bask in the Caribbean sun.
