Lonely Planet Mexico (Travel Guide)

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You’d hardly know Cenote Yokdzonot was there. There is another, more famous cenote a 10-minute drive from the Mayan pyramids of Chichén Itzá, but Cenote Yokdzonot is only 10 minutes further, just enough for the crowds and tour buses to have vanished. Mexico is a wonderland. One moment, you're sipping smoky mezcal, and the next you're floating in the bluest of natural pools or being serenaded by mariachi singers while Frida Kahlo peers down from a mural. If you hear the alarm, stay calm, don't run, and follow the locals' lead to a safe place to see the earthquake through. Hotels, restaurants, government buildings, apartment buildings, offices and schools follow a safety protocol. Mexico has hundreds of bus companies. Many of the major ones belong to the four large groups that dominate bus transportation in different parts of the country. Floating through a cenote, you’ll pass yawning caverns and narrow passages, illuminated stalactites and stalagmites, with eyeless fish swimming alongside you. It’s otherworldly – no wonder the ancient Maya considered cenotes entrances to the underworld. Part of the world's largest underwater cave systems, Cenote Dos Ojos is run by a local Maya community project. Snorkel guides lead you through the labyrinth of water-filled caverns, an eerie and unforgettable wonderland, and qualified divers can visit too. 2. Spend time on the beaches

Notwithstanding visas, all foreign visitors must have a passport with at least six months validity and a completed Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM), Mexico’s tourist card or stamp. Where do I get an FMM? Mexico has more than 132 pueblos mágicos, and they truly feel like "magic towns." In each place, you can experience the beauty of traditional Mexican life. This small, beautiful sheltered cove west of the center is a superstar of Mexico’s beaches and a gorgeous place to hang out, swim and live vicariously as a surfer dude. In fact, it is the place for beginner surfers. Book a lesson and you’ll probably end up here making a splash or three. There is a mellow line of palapa beach bars when you finish. In 2009, the Mexican government adopted legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal and immediate use. However, it's best to avoid consuming any type of drugs in Mexico to avoid the legal gray matter. 10. Stay hydrated to help with the altitude When shopping in Oaxaca, prices are fixed in most stores. It's okay to do some friendly haggling with market vendors, artisans and independent shop owners, but keep a sense of perspective about the amounts you're bargaining over as most folks are just trying to make a living. Don't drink the water, but do eat the street foodBottles filled with paint glisten in their tray next to an easel. It feels like the artist has just stepped out. Handicrafts – clay fertility figures, papier-mâché skeletons and dangling cherubs – from across Mexico sprawl out across the rooms. For a taste of culture, float along the ancient canals of Xochimilco with a mariachi band serenade, or savor piping-hot tacos from the many street-food stalls in the downtown areas before catching a show at one of the city’s 160-odd theaters. You might be lost for words, but you’ll never be short of things to do in Mexico City. About 15.5 miles west of Cuemanco lies Cumbres del Ajusco, a national park with a hiking trail that ascends to Mexico City's highest peak. If you like the quiet of Ajusco's fragrant pine forest, consider an overnight stay in a log cabin at the family-friendly Parque Ejidal San Nicolás Totolapan. There are spots of rain in Mexico City, but the mild weather is perfect for wandering around the city. October, along with November and March, is one of the best months to visit northwest Mexico’s spectacular canyon country, with temperatures not too hot at the bottom of the canyons, nor too cold at the top. It’s open to the public, but if you need some courage, there are also bars around town to learn to dance for the cost of a tequila. Mama Rumba turns out a show with its live big band.

On a balmy day, the cool of a Mexican market is an inviting wonderland of fruit salad stands, old-world barber shops, and storekeepers touting woven baskets and Virgin candles. A mercado (market) is where everyday Mexican life happens without the airs and graces, no matter if you’re in an upmarket neighborhood or a mountain village. June is the start of the rainy season in Mexico, as well as the hurricane season, which lasts until November. The highest chance of encountering a hurricane, however, is between August and October. July and August are the best months for surfing and wildlife encounters If you want to swim alongside Mexicans, not just tourists, head to the coast of Oaxaca. Huatulco has 36 golden-sand beaches to enjoy in peace. In Puerto Escondido, Playa Carrizalillo beach is a jewel in a sheltered cove, reached by steep steps to deter most tourists. Many of the buses are level with the platforms to allow for easy boarding and have preferential seating and spaces for wheelchairs.Surrounded by dozens of traditional Tsotzil and Tzeltal villages, San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas is at the heart of one of the most deeply rooted indigenous areas in Mexico. No matter where you walk, you’ll encounter residents with obvious pride in their Mayan ancestry. The forests and mountains here are considered sacred—none perhaps more so than the Cerro Don Lauro, a craggy, pine-covered mountain looming above San Cristóbal. More than 60 Mexican cities have airports with scheduled passenger services, including Mexico City , Cancún , Guadalajara , Tijuana , Monterrey , Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta . Flying can be good value on longer journeys, and regional airlines have a decent safety record. Flying may have a higher carbon footprint, but if you have limited time in Mexico, a domestic hop by air is preferable to a 48-hour bus.

Vistas from your window during the train journey include alpine forests, subtropical valleys, Tarahumara villages and glimpses of some of the world’s deepest canyons. For artsy folks, Mexico City is where many of the country's top muralists left behind their most important works. Peruse Diego Rivera's cinematic murals in the Palacio Nacional and the social-realism work of José Clemente Orozco in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Unlike seawater, the turquoise water in cenotes is fresh and wonderfully mineral-rich. Floating in these still waters feels like slipping into prehistory. Look up at the columns of vines and the shafts of sunlight drifting through. Hummingbirds zigzag by, and it seems like little has changed since the Maya were here.Sister cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo need no introduction. The former is notorious among party-hearty North American crowds, while the latter is more sedate with art galleries, celebrity-frequented luxury resorts, upscale boutiques and over-the-top decadent tequila tasting rooms. Whilst there is an increase in wheelchair-friendly companies offering trips and tours of Mexico – plus a proliferation of newer resorts and hotels with dropped curbs, ramps, and elevators – there are still a number of significant accessibility obstacles for independent wheelchair users to overcome. In many cities, the pavements are old and uneven, with few or no dropped curbs. Most public transport isn't wheelchair friendly either (think: stairs on the Mexico City Metro and no accessibility provisions on buses). However, some taxi firms and tour companies can arrange private transfers for wheelchair users if booked in advance. The spectacular Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico runs through the Sierra Madre Occidental between Los Mochis and Chihuahua (the luxury Chepe Express travels only between Los Mochis and Creel). It’s one of the highlights of Mexico travel and the country's only remaining passenger train. Accessible travel in Mexico