Discover the different destinations of Mexico. We propose eleven ideal scenarios to meet and enjoy “in a single day”.
It’s time to pack your stuff and be encouraged to travel. We present 11 incredible destinations for you to visit on a short trip. Which of these places are you going to start?
San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco
Starting point: Puerto de Vallarta, Jalisco
How to get?
On the highway no. 70 Puerto Vallarta-Guadalajara. It is 60 km from Puerto Vallarta.
What’s so special?
It is a mining town, founded in 1605, where time was trapped between stories of miners, luxury estates and mansions, now converted into attractive hotels and hostels. Located at the foot of the Cerro de la Bufa, it is a white hamlet with red roofs and cobbled alleyways, surrounded by forests.
What to do?
We recommend visiting the main square, the church, the old shops, the Museum where the Encarnación family collection is exhibited, there you will appreciate everything related to mining in the region over time.
Outside of San Sebastián del Oeste there are some haciendas ruins. Following a dirt road you can reach Real del Alto and from there to reach the top of Cerro de la Bufa, from where you will have a spectacular view of the mountain range that, on the horizon, seems to be confused with the faint blue color of the Pacific Ocean.
Tepotzlán, Morelos
Starting point: Mexico City
How to get?
Take the highway to Cuernavaca (Mexico-Acapulco) and after passing the curve known as “La Pera”, take the deviation to Tepoztlán and Oaxtepec. Travel time is approximately 45 minutes.
What’s so special?
It is one of our favorite destinations for its climate and charm, ideal for a weekend. They emphasize the Ex-convent of La Natividad, built by the indigenous Tepoztecos under the orders of the Dominican friars between 1555 and 1580; In 1994 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In what was the barn now is the Museo Carlos Pellicer, which houses an interesting collection of archaeological pieces.
What to do?
On Sundays they put on a great tianguis with a great variety of handicrafts and food stalls with quesadillas, itacates, tlacoyos, pancita, barbecue, Yecapixtla beef jerky, mole, pozole and fresh waters.
In the neighborhoods that surround the center of Tepoztlán it is worth visiting the chapels of San Miguel, Santísima, Santo Domingo, San José and Santa Cruz. As for the natural attractions, La Canasta ecotourism site stands out, located on the banks of the Río Atongo. It is the ideal place to rest, spend a picnic and in the rainy season go swimming in the river, and if you like to walk, you can climb the Tepozteco pyramid dedicated to the god Ometochtli-Tepuztécatl, one of the deities of pulque, located at the top of the hills, from where you have a spectacular panoramic view.
San José Iturbide, Guanajuato
Starting point: Guanajuato City
How to get?
From Guanajuato, take highway no. 110 towards Dolores Hidalgo, continue to San Miguel de Allende on the same road, once there, take the deviation to highway no. 111 to San Juan del Río and continue until you reach the junction with the number 57.
What’s so special?
It is considered “The Northeast Gate”. After a walk through its quiet streets, one can find surprises, some typical crafts such as candles, wooden puzzles and regional sweets. In the center of the town, the Parish of San José stands out, of neoclassical architecture and in whose hallway of high columns with Corinthian capitals that evoke those of the Pantheon of Rome, two plaques can be seen, one with the dedication “To the liberator Iturbide in the centenary of his triumphal entry into the capital of the republic. One of the few towns that have not forgotten their memory. San José de Iturbide, September 27, 1921.
What to do?
Only 17 km away is the El Salto resort, which offers alternatives for the practice of ecotourism and adventure sports such as rock climbing, mountain biking or paragliding. A few kilometers from there, in the town of Cieneguilla, is the Arroyo Seco ecological reserve, where following interpretive trails, you can meet a wide variety of species of cacti, especially the giant biznaga. The oldest specimens are over 300 years old and reach a height of two meters by one meter in diameter.
Peña de Bernal, Querétaro
Starting point: City of Querétaro
How to get?
It is located in the municipality of Ezequiel Montes, 57 km from the state capital. Take highway no. 57 Mexico-Querétaro and shortly before San Juan del Río, take Highway 120 towards Tequisquiapan, passing this one, in Ezequiel Montes, take State Highway No. 4 towards Bernal.
What’s so special?
This colorful and picturesque town is located on the slopes of a spectacular rock monolith known as Peña de Bernal, considered the third largest in the world. It has excellent hotels and restaurants where you will spend a weekend resting and contemplating the landscape.
What to do?
Good purchases of a great variety of handicrafts are made and we recommend the cheeses, custard and sweets of quince, guava and peanut. If you like adventure, it is possible to climb the rock by 60%. There are numerous climbing routes, it is recommended to do it in the company of a specialized guide (in the hotels they will give you necessary information).
Jalcomulco, Veracruz
Starting point: Xalapa, Veracruz
How to get?
Jalcomulco is located on the banks of the Río La Antigua River, Pescados Section, 30 km from the city of Xalapa and 22 from Coatepec, bound for Huatusco and Córdoba; the highway ascends from 300 to 1,500 meters above sea level.
What’s so special?
This picturesque town dates from pre-hispanic times; It was founded on the left bank of the Río Huizilapan (hummingbird river), now known as the Río Pescados. There are numerous camps and rafting companies that offer lodging services.
What to do?
Today is the mecca of rafting in Mexico. You can descend through the Actopan, Pescados and Antigua rivers, two of the most fun rivers in Mexico if you sail by raft, between large canyons and exciting rapids. There is also the ease of performing various activities such as mountain biking, zip line, temacal baths and spa.
Uxmal and its Ruta Puuc
Starting point: Mérida, Yucatán
How to get?
Uxmal locates approximately 63 km from Merida. You drive south on highway number no. 261
What’s so special?
In Uxmal, the well-known Ruta Puuc begins, where you can visit the archaeological sites of Labná, Sayil, Kabah and Uxmal itself. All are part of the list of World Heritage recognized by UNESCO and share the same architectural style known as Puuc, developed between 600 and 900 AD, with ornaments of freckles, rhombuses, and masks of Chac, Mayan god of the rain.
What to do?
In addition to the archaeological sites you can visit the Lol-tún caves located 7 km from Oxkutzcab.
The caves have been conditioned to safely make a journey of approximately one kilometer in length.
Aguaselva, Tabasco
Starting point: Villahermosa, Tabasco
How to get?
This jungle and mountain region is located in the Sierra de Huimanguillo and forms a natural border between Tabasco and Chiapas, in the Chontalpa region, 75 km from Villahermosa. To get there, take Highway 180 towards Cárdenas, then take Highway Number 187 that passes through the town of Huimanguillo until you reach the archaeological site of Malpasito (the only archaeological zone of the Zoque culture open to the public). Subsequently follows a dirt road that is making its way through the jungle to the town of Francisco J. Mújica, where there is rustic cabins and a simple restaurant.
What’s so special?
As the name implies, Aguaselva is an area occupied by thick forests, impressive hills, streams, waterfalls and archaeological remains, which combine perfectly to offer a splendid natural landscape.
In the area you can see more than 60 petrograbados located in the ejidos of Malpasito, Villa Guadalupe, Chimalapa and Francisco Mújica. You will find in them: characters, animals and geometric designs, some of them symbolic, related to fertility and hunting rites.
What to do?
The main activities that can be carried out in the area are: wildlife observation, photographic safari, interpretive hiking, camping, mountain biking, rappelling, canyoning, ethnotourism and ecoarchaeology. You can also explore about 40 waterfalls, such as La Copa, La Pava, Las Golondrinas, Los Enamorados, Velo de Novia, Los Tucanes and La Tina.
El Triunfo, Baja California Sur
Starting Point: La Paz, Baja California Sur
How to get?
From La Paz, take the highway no. 1 to the south, 48 kilometers away is the town of El Triunfo, a place that was distinguished by the exploitation of gold and silver mines during the colonial era.
What’s so special?
It is like a movie set. It has old buildings and a colorful cemetery. They call attention to the ruins of the foundry with its chimneys with everything and name: the largest called “Ramona” and the smallest, “Julia.” Art breathes throughout the population, the old houses, remodeled, house galleries and boutiques.
What to do?
Following the “Camino Real de Santa Ana”, which communicated to El Triunfo and San Antonio, you can visit buildings with more than a hundred years old and some mines such as El Hormiguero, Santa Rosa and the Mina Mendoceña. San Antonio, like El Triunfo, was a town rich in silver veins initially exploited in the mid-eighteenth century and depleted just like its neighboring town in the early twentieth century. It is reached by a dirt road (8 kilometers), also by highway no. 1 to the south.
Just 10 minutes away, in the neighboring ejido El Rosario, is the Cactus Sanctuary, where the largest cactus on the planet is located, the giant columnar cardon.
Mexiquillo, Durango
Starting point: Durango City
How to get?
It is located 146 km from the city of Durango, to reach take federal highway no. 40 Durango-Mazatlán, reach the town of La Ciudad and 3 km away you will find the deviation to Mexiquillo.
What’s so special?
Coniferous forests, rock formations that exceed the imagination and spectacular views of the Sierra Madre Occidental are part of the natural attractions that you can visit during a weekend in Mexiquillo. There are cabins that you can rent.
What to do?
The place is ideal for picnics, hikes and mountain bike tours discovering its natural attractions, among which the Espinazo del Diablo, where deep canyons are observed both on its side of Sinaloa and Durango; its beautiful waterfall, whose waters fall on basaltic rocks; the enigmatic Jardín de Piedras, with unique rock formations of its kind. You can also know the old route of the Mazatlan-Durango train track, there are eight tunnels that cross the mountain range and it is fun to cross them properly equipped with lamps. Another option is to practice recreational trout fishing in the natural dam.
San José del Pacífico, Oaxaca
Starting point: Oaxaca City
How to get?
San José del Pacífico marks the highest point in the Sierra Sur of the state of Oaxaca, located 136 km from the state capital on the Oaxaca-Puerto Escondido highway.
What’s so special?
Here you can spend a pleasant weekend enjoying the tranquility and harmony that nature offers, as well as delight your view with beautiful landscapes offered by the mountains covered with thick vegetation.
What to do?
In the village you can stay in comfortable cabins with restaurant and do activities such as ATV rides, walks, photography, enjoy a temazcal bath and a rich organic coffee, as well as buy handicrafts from the region.
