What’s To Love About Mexico
Mexico often does not get the love that it deserves in comparison to its bigger brother the United States, however there are many reasons to visit this beautiful country but we will never be able to talk about all of them in one small blog post. Instead I am going to focus on the things that I do know that I love about Mexico and I hope you enjoy reading more about it.
Variety
One thing that a lot of people don't really realise about Mexico is the size of it. It is much larger than you would expect and has a large variety of different climates, landscapes and people. Because of this, it makes it one of the richest destinations to visit culturally and there is quite literally something for everybody. I know many people that have taken a luxury Mexico vacation or simply backpacked around with very little money, and the common theme was that these people had a great time no matter how they experienced Mexico. Throughout this post I will talk more about this variety too.
Mayan ruins
The Mayans were a native tribe of Mexico and Central America and are well known for their intricate cities, temples and most of all, their intricate pyramids. in particular, you can find a lot of these ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. My personal favourite is El Castillo, which is actually one of the seven wonders of the new world. Unlike the Egyptian pyramids, those of the Maya people are terraced and have a smaller set of stairs leading to the top. El Castillo in particular has two giant snake heads at the base of these, which are incredible to see and almost guard the pyramid. There are also a number of other ruins to see in Mexico and I would highly recommend spending some time seeking these out, as they are some of the most unique on the entire planet.
Tulum’s beaches
Tulum is a very interesting place with many stunning beaches and even Mayan ruins that lie next to the bluest waters you will ever see in your life, which is typical of the beaches that face the Caribbean. The ruins are some of the best preserved in all of Mexico and are an interesting insight to the past.
Xel Ha is another place that you need to visit whilst in Tulum and is a beautiful natural aquarium that is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The crystal clear waters make it easy to see rays, turtles and other marine life. This is the ideal location for families looking for a calm and relaxing place to spend the day.
The National Museum of Art in Mexico City
In Spanish this museum is known as the Museo Nacional de Arte, which literally translates to the National Museum of Art, and it houses perhaps the finest collection of art in the entire country spanning from the 16th century to the 20th century. The museum is iconic with its Spanish architecture and statue of Charles IV of Spain riding a horse at the very entrance to the museum. The interior is definitely as stunning as the art inside, with the most significant room being the Reception Hall. There is gold everywhere and the room has the feel of a palace with its ornate painted ceiling, rather than that of a museum. It truly has to be seen be believed. This is without a doubt something that you must do if you are visiting Mexico City.
Cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula
The Yucatan Peninsula is very famous for its beaches and food, but one thing that I found amazing whilst there was the cenotes or sinkholes that are dotted around the surrounding area. These sinkholes are the result of limestone caves being eroded by water leaving holes in the ground that are filled with plants, water and interesting rock formations. There really isn’t anything quite like entering one of these by a rope or a ladder (usually the only way in) and swimming in relaxing deep blue waters. Don’t forget to bring your snorkeling gear too as cenotes are the ideal places to see stunning limestone formations below the water.
Cancun
This ultimate beach destination is a tourist favourite and definitely a place to visit, even if you don’t plan on partying. The beaches here are especially nice and it really isn’t difficult to see how and why this has become the capital of resort life on the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun also offers many great restaurants and shopping and is somewhere that I enjoyed visiting for its liveliness.
Learn about tequila making
One of the most interesting things produced in Mexico is tequila and there are a huge number of varieties of it. If you think tequila is not your thing, give it a chance, because you truly have not tasted anything as good as you will in Mexico. The tequila that we often try in the West is generally of a lower grade (tequila only needs to be 50% agave to be able to be produced in Mexico by law) and is nowhere near as good as the higher grade versions available in Mexico. Visiting a distillery is a very interesting way to see the phases of tequila production, from harvesting the agave to extracting and distillation. You can also try some different types and I assure you that you will go away thinking it is one of the smoothest drinks that you have ever tried!
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