Laguna San Ignacio
The lagoon is in Baja California and is a haven for migratory whales. The upper part of the lagoon is where females give birth, while in the lower lagoon, visitors will have the chance to see males and females congregating to find a mate. Visitors who go out on small boat expeditions can get close enough to touch the whales.
Merida (Progreso)
Located on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in the fascinating Mundo Maya Region,
Merida provides a looking glass that reveals both colonial influence and the
mystique of an ancient civilization. In fact, the city is built on the exact
site of an indigenous ceremonial center.
Easily one of the best way to see Merida is by climbing into a calesa - a
high-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage. The city is also easily explored by foot.
As you amble past whitewashed houses, through lively marketplaces and around
the flower-filled Plaza Mayor, you'll begin to feel as if you've stepped back
in time. You can also visit one of Mexico's oldest cathedrals, built from the
stones of a Mayan temple, explore Paseo Montejo, a Parisian-style boulevard
lined with Victorian mansions, and visit the treasure-filled museums.
Wind down with the friendly locals in the welcoming bars and restaurants of
the old colonial district. If you want to travel even further back in time,
you'll find Merida is surrounded by one of the richest collections of Mayan
ruins in Mexico. Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Dzibilchaltun, and more are just a short
trip away.
San Miguel De Allende
It is the smallest of the cities and perhaps the most relaxed, but it offers
such a variety of restaurants, shops, and galleries that urbanites find themselves
quite at home.
Most of the buildings in the central part of the town date from the colonial
era or the 19th century; the law requires newer buildings to conform to existing
architecture, and the town has gone to some lengths to retain its cobblestone
streets.
San Miguel has a large community of Americans: some retired, some attending
art or language school, and some who have come here to live simply and follow
their creative muses -- painting, writing, and sculpting. The center of this
community is the public library in the former convent of Santa Ana. It is a
good place to find information on San Miguel or just to sit on the patio and
read.
A notable aspect of San Migueleña society is the number of festivals it celebrates.
In a country that needs only the barest of excuses to hold a fiesta, it is known
far and wide for them. Most of these celebrations are of a religious character
and are meant to combine social activity with religious expression. People practice
Catholicism with great fervor here -- going on religious pilgrimages, attending
all-night vigils, ringing church bells at the oddest times throughout the night
(something that some visitors admittedly might not find so amusing).
Mexico City
From the Alameda, a leafy center of activity since Aztec times, to the Zona Rosa, a chic shopping neighborhood, Mexico City offers endless options to urban adventurers.
Founded by the Aztecs as Tenochtitlán in 1325, Mexico City is both the oldest and the highest (7,349 ft) metropolis on the North American continent. And with nearly 24 million inhabitants, it is the most populous city in the world. It is Mexico's cultural, political, and financial core -- braving the 21st century but clinging to its deeply entrenched Aztec heritage.
You only need to stand in the center of the Plaza of Three Cultures to visually comprehend the undisputed significance of this city. Here, the remains of an Aztec pyramid, a colonial church, and a towering modern office building face one another, a testament to the city's prominence in ancient and contemporary history. Located at the heart of the Americas, Mexico City has been a center of life and commerce for more than 2,000 years. The Teotihuacán, Toltec, Aztec, and European conquistadors all contributed to the city's fascinating evolution, art, and heritage. Although residents refer to their city as simply México (meh-hee-koh), its multitude of ancient ruins, colonial masterpieces, and modern architecture has prompted others to call it "The City of Palaces."
The central downtown area resembles a European city, dominated by ornate buildings and broad boulevards, and interspersed with public art, parks, and gardens. This sprawling city is thoroughly modern and, in places, unsightly and chaotic, but it never strays far from its historical roots. In the center are the partially excavated ruins of the main Aztec temple; pyramids rise just beyond the city.
The lagoon is in Baja California and is a haven for migratory whales. The upper part of the lagoon is where females give birth, while in the lower lagoon, visitors will have the chance to see males and females congregating to find a mate. Visitors who go out on small boat expeditions can get close enough to touch the whales.
Located on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in the fascinating Mundo Maya Region,
Merida provides a looking glass that reveals both colonial influence and the
mystique of an ancient civilization. In fact, the city is built on the exact
site of an indigenous ceremonial center.
Easily one of the best way to see Merida is by climbing into a calesa - a
high-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage. The city is also easily explored by foot.
As you amble past whitewashed houses, through lively marketplaces and around
the flower-filled Plaza Mayor, you'll begin to feel as if you've stepped back
in time. You can also visit one of Mexico's oldest cathedrals, built from the
stones of a Mayan temple, explore Paseo Montejo, a Parisian-style boulevard
lined with Victorian mansions, and visit the treasure-filled museums.
Wind down with the friendly locals in the welcoming bars and restaurants of
the old colonial district. If you want to travel even further back in time,
you'll find Merida is surrounded by one of the richest collections of Mayan
ruins in Mexico. Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Dzibilchaltun, and more are just a short
trip away.
It is the smallest of the cities and perhaps the most relaxed, but it offers
such a variety of restaurants, shops, and galleries that urbanites find themselves
quite at home.
Most of the buildings in the central part of the town date from the colonial
era or the 19th century; the law requires newer buildings to conform to existing
architecture, and the town has gone to some lengths to retain its cobblestone
streets.
San Miguel has a large community of Americans: some retired, some attending
art or language school, and some who have come here to live simply and follow
their creative muses -- painting, writing, and sculpting. The center of this
community is the public library in the former convent of Santa Ana. It is a
good place to find information on San Miguel or just to sit on the patio and
read.
A notable aspect of San Migueleña society is the number of festivals it celebrates.
In a country that needs only the barest of excuses to hold a fiesta, it is known
far and wide for them. Most of these celebrations are of a religious character
and are meant to combine social activity with religious expression. People practice
Catholicism with great fervor here -- going on religious pilgrimages, attending
all-night vigils, ringing church bells at the oddest times throughout the night
(something that some visitors admittedly might not find so amusing).
From the Alameda, a leafy center of activity since Aztec times, to the Zona Rosa, a chic shopping neighborhood, Mexico City offers endless options to urban adventurers.
Founded by the Aztecs as Tenochtitlán in 1325, Mexico City is both the oldest and the highest (7,349 ft) metropolis on the North American continent. And with nearly 24 million inhabitants, it is the most populous city in the world. It is Mexico's cultural, political, and financial core -- braving the 21st century but clinging to its deeply entrenched Aztec heritage.
You only need to stand in the center of the Plaza of Three Cultures to visually comprehend the undisputed significance of this city. Here, the remains of an Aztec pyramid, a colonial church, and a towering modern office building face one another, a testament to the city's prominence in ancient and contemporary history. Located at the heart of the Americas, Mexico City has been a center of life and commerce for more than 2,000 years. The Teotihuacán, Toltec, Aztec, and European conquistadors all contributed to the city's fascinating evolution, art, and heritage. Although residents refer to their city as simply México (meh-hee-koh), its multitude of ancient ruins, colonial masterpieces, and modern architecture has prompted others to call it "The City of Palaces."
The central downtown area resembles a European city, dominated by ornate buildings and broad boulevards, and interspersed with public art, parks, and gardens. This sprawling city is thoroughly modern and, in places, unsightly and chaotic, but it never strays far from its historical roots. In the center are the partially excavated ruins of the main Aztec temple; pyramids rise just beyond the city.
