Go All-In On Mexico
You won't find a quiet welcome in Mexico. It's a nation that greets you like an old friend with zero formalities. It’s the kind of place where your plans get replaced by whatever's happening down the street. So, if you're looking to catch the soul of it all, don't skip these 20 amazing things to experience while visiting Mexico.
1. Explore Chichen Itza
Before cameras and crowds, this ancient city echoed with chants and the sound of stone tools. Built by the Maya between the 7th and 10th centuries, Chichen Itza's El Castillo pyramid aligns with the equinox. Twice a year, sunlight casts a serpent-shaped shadow down its steps.
2. Swim In A Cenote
Cenotes are natural limestone sinkholes formed by collapsed caves, once sacred to the Maya. Over 6,000 of them are found across the Yucatán Peninsula; they range from open pools to deep underground caverns. Clear freshwater fills these formations to bring up surreal places to swim.
3. Wander Around Oaxaca
Markets buzz in the early hours. Oaxaca is known as the cultural heart of southern Mexico. It's where Guelaguetza dancers perform centuries-old traditions, and artisans craft black clay pottery. No two visits feel the same because this city improves without losing its soul.
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4. Visit The Frida Kahlo Museum
What does the inside of an artist's mind look like? Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo's former home in Coyoacán) answers with paint-splattered floors and her self-portraits lining bright blue walls. It's a deeply human space, preserved nearly exactly as she left it in 1954.
5. Eat Street Tacos
No white tablecloths here—just plastic stools and a line of locals. Street tacos in Mexico vary by region, from suadero in Mexico City to cochinita pibil in Yucatán. Even UNESCO acknowledged traditional Mexican cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
6. Relax In Tulum
Once a quiet coastal Maya outpost, Tulum now blends white-sand serenity with boutique chic. Unlike Cancún's high-rises, Tulum's beach zone restricts construction height to preserve sightlines to the sea. Ancient ruins sit just meters from the shore, where iguanas sunbathe near the cliffs.
7. Celebrate The Day Of The Dead
Marigolds, sugar skulls, and candlelit altars mark one of Mexico's most symbolic traditions. Día de los Muertos is held on November 1st and 2nd, blending Indigenous beliefs with Catholic All Saints' Day. Cities like Pátzcuaro and Oaxaca turn into moving displays of ancestral celebration.
8. Cruise Through Xochimilco
Brightly painted trajineras glide past floating gardens led by long poles like Venetian gondolas. Xochimilco preserves a fragment of the ancient Aztec lake system. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its chinampas (man-made farming islands) are one of the oldest sustainable agriculture methods on Earth.
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9. Tour Tequila Distilleries
Tequila isn't just a drink. The town of Tequila, Jalisco, gives the spirit its name and status. Only blue agave grown in specific zones can be distilled under the designation. A tour here explains the jimador's harvest, oven roasting, fermentation, and barrel aging under volcanic mountain backdrops.
10. See Monarch Butterflies
Each fall, monarch butterflies travel nearly 3,000 miles from Canada to central Mexico. They arrive in Michoacán's oyamel fir forests and cluster on trees at elevations above 9,000 feet. These reserves host one of the planet's most remarkable and silent natural migrations.
11. Hike Copper Canyon
Often mistaken as Mexico's answer to the Grand Canyon, it's actually larger and deeper. Copper Canyon is a group of six canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara. Travelers take the Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico train or hike remote trails used by the Indigenous Rarámuri.
12. Experience Lucha Libre
In Mexico, wrestling is Lucha Libre. Born in the 1930s, it became a national spectacle defined by masks and fierce crowd loyalty. Arena Mexico hosts weekly matches where good clashes with evil, and fans participate with roars and total belief.
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13. Visit Palenque Ruins
Hidden in Chiapas' jungle, Palenque tells the story of Maya rulers like Pakal the Great. Its temples and inscriptions offer insight into ancient astronomy and political legacy. Unlike Chichen Itza, it's quieter and more raw. Mist clings to the stones, and howler monkeys echo nearby.
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14. Try Mole In Puebla
One of Mexico's most storied dishes, mole poblano, hails from Puebla. Its complex sauce requires slow cooking and careful balance. Though its convent-origin legend is debated, its role in national cuisine isn't. Mole appears at weddings and street stalls with equal reverence and pride.
15. Stroll San Miguel Streets
What makes San Miguel de Allende more than picturesque is its atmosphere. It's a UNESCO site known for colonial architecture and cultural depth. The city draws painters and travelers without trying. It breathes through candlelit parades and tiny cafés sitting between stone walls.
16. Climb Pyramid Of The Sun
Towering over the ancient city of Teotihuacan, this massive structure remains a mystery. Built around 200 CE, it once hosted rituals honoring unknown gods. Climbing its 248 steps is a glimpse into a civilization that once rivaled Rome. The view from the top is pure silence.
17. Surf In Puerto Escondido
On Oaxaca's Pacific coast, Puerto Escondido attracts serious surfers chasing the "Mexican Pipeline" at Playa Zicatela. Quieter beaches like Carrizalillo also offer gentler breaks and surf schools. The town keeps its bohemian charm intact, with taco joints and sunsets that feel earned.
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18. Visit Basilica Of Guadalupe
The Virgin of Guadalupe's image is said to have miraculously appeared on a tilma in 1531, giving rise to this sprawling basilica complex. Located in Mexico City, it now hosts millions of pilgrims each year. For many, it's a living symbol of Mexican faith and heritage.
19. Taste Mezcal In Oaxaca
Long before tequila gained fame, mezcal was Mexico's spirit of choice. Distilled primarily in Oaxaca using pit-roasted agave, its flavor is bold and earthy. Artisanal producers use wild agave and centuries-old techniques. Some tastings feature pechuga—a ceremonial mezcal infused with meat and fruit during a third distillation.
20. Explore Isla Holbox
Holbox trades engines for quiet. Cars aren't allowed here; only bikes and golf carts rule. Whale sharks glide past the coast each summer and draw snorkelers into calm waters. Street art splashes color across walls, and flamingos feed along the sandbars.
