Mexico

Quick Facts

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Local name

México

Capital

Mexico City

Government

Federal Republic

Nationality

Mexican

Population

104,908,000

Languages

Spanish, Mayan in the south.

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Currency

Mexican Peso (MXN)

Calling Code

+52

Time Zone

various (UTC -6 to -8)

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Introduction

Caribbean Blue

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Modern Mexican culture is the result of centuries of intermingling between the indigenous Amerindian cultures and Spanish culture. In the current day, these cultures have come together to create a modern nation with all the skyscrapers of other Western nations, but with traditional, centuries-old practices still carried on as if white man had never set foot in the New World. For travellers able to tear themselves away from Mexico's metropolitan hot spots and explore the countryside, an engaging insight into Amerindian culture is the reward. But tear themselves away they must, for Mexico's popular tourist spots are popular with very good reason. Whether it be the ancient ruins at Teotihua'an, Spanish colonial towns like Puebla, or the gorgeous seaside resort at Acapulco, Mexico's diversity delights visitors with its brilliant potential.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Mexico is divided into 31 states and 1 federal district (Mexico City).
The 31 states can be grouped into larger regions.

• Baja includes Baja California and Baja California Sur'.
• Pacific Coast includes Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoachan, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas.
• Central Northern Mexico includes Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Aguascalientes.
• Central Mexico includes Guanajuato, Queretaro, Hidalgo, Estado de Mexico, Morelos, Tlaxcacla and Puebla.
• The Caribbean Coast and Yucatan includes Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo.

Cities

• Mexico City. The nation's capital.
• Guadalajara
• Monterrey
• Cancun
• Tijuana
• Oaxaca (City)
• Veracruz. The main port of Mexico.

Sights and Activities

Beaches

The beach

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Mexico has some of the best beaches in the world. Most of the coast of Mexico is white sand with desert or jungle mountains in the background. Some of the beaches have the best nightlife of any tourist scene, were people can drink all night long. Other places are more quiet, romantic or secluded. And for the real trail blazer there is still lots of coastline with nothing on it at all.

• Acapulco. On the Pacific Coast.
• Cabo San Lucas. In Baja California Sur.
• Cancún. On the Yucatán Peninsula in Quintana Roo.
• Huatulco. On the South Pacific.
• Mazatlán. On the Pacific coast in Sinaloa.
• Playa del Carmen. On the Caribbean Coast in Quintana Roo.
• Puerto Vallarta. On the Pacific Coast in Jalisco.
• Rocky Point. Is at the northern tip of the Sea of Cortez.

Calakmul

Maya Tempel

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Calakmul, also known as Kalakmul, is one of the largest Mayan cities ever discovered. Located deep in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve near the Guatemalan border in the state of Campeche, this ancient city is well preserved. Only found in 1931 the city was a major seat of power for the Kaan dynasty and had a population of over 50,000. The city was a rival to Tikal during the late classical period with the Caracol as an alley. The city was occupied from the 6th century to the 10th century and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Other Archeological Sites

The central and southern parts of Mexico were home to the Aztec, Mayan and Olmec civilizations among others and numerous ruins from these civilizations can be visited.

• Calakmul. One of the largest Mayan cities ever uncovered.
• Chichen-Itzá. Located on the Yucatán Peninsula, Chichen Itzá is a large Mayan archaeological site. It is a popular day trip from the resort town of Cancún.
• Monte Albán was one of the oldest Mesoamerican cities and is in Oaxaca.
• Palenque
• Tajín. Found in the heart of the gulf of Mexico, north of Veracruz.
• Teotihuacan
• Xochicalco

Spanish Colonial History

With a long colonial history, Mexico has some amazing places to see from that era. There are wonderful 16th and 17th century churches to explore. There are town squares that look like they should belong in Spain and historic old towns to explore in most of the larger cities. Remember that some of the areas have started to deteriorate, so be careful.

• Campeche
• Cuernavaca
• Guanajuato
• Puebla
• Querétaro
• Zacatecas

Barranca del Cobre

Sunrise in Copper Canyon

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Barranca del Cobre, also known as Copper Canyon, is a series of 6 different canyons in the Sierra Tarahumura, which is in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua. All the canyons added together are larger and some parts are deeper then the Grand Canyon in the USA, although no individual canyon in Barranca del Cobre is larger then the Grand Canyon. The Chihuahuah Pacifico railroad goes up and down the canyon, which is known by the nickname Chepe. The canyons are the traditional home of the Tarahumara people, which are known for their long distance running ability. These people have been known to run 160 km in order to run down an animal to kill it. The Tarahumara people still live a traditional lifestyle and practice a traditional religion with a Roman Catholic twist.

Other Natural Sites

• Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. The largest reserve in the country (South of the Yucatan Peninsula).
• Cozumel is very popular for its scuba diving.
• La Bufadora is a blowhole on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California.
• Sian Ka'an is a national park in Quintana Roo.

Events and Festivals

• The Day of the Dead (Spanish: El Día de los Muertos) takes place on the 1st and 2nd of November honouring lost ancestors. Traditions vary from town to town.
• San Marcos Fair in Aguascalientes.
• Puerto Vallarta festival.

Weather

Mexico's climate is divided by the Tropic of Cancer. North of it, the climate is temperate and experiences cooler months during winter. In this part of the country north of the 24th parallel, summers are hot and humid and winters are mild.

South of the 24th parallel, temperatures are fairly consistent year round and vary based on elevation. Areas up with elevations up to 1000 metres average between 24 °C and 28 °C. Many of Mexico's cities are located in the Valley of Mexico or adjacent valleys with altitudes above 2000 m. The climate at that altitude is more temperate averaging 16 °C to 18 °C throughout the year, with cool nights.

Most of Mexico experiences a rainy season during the summer. Regular rains are most likely from June to September. Mexico's northern regions have a dry climate, while the tropical lowlands in the south of Mexico have an average annual rainfall of 200 cm.

Getting There

By Plane

These are the main gateways to Mexico, with the busiest being at its capital, Mexico City.

• Mexico City International Airport (IATA: MEX, ICAO: MMMX), Mexico City
• Cancún International Airport (IATA: CUN, ICAO: MMUN), Cancun
• Guadalajara International Airport (IATA: GDL, ICAO: MMGL)
• Monterrey International Airport (IATA: MTY, ICAO: MMMY), Monterrey

Apart from these cities, there are a few dozen of Mexican cities with direct international connections, mostly from neighbouring countries like the USA, Canada and Central American and Caribbean countries. Check the Aeropuertos Mexico website for more details.

National carrier Mexicana operates services to North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. AeroMéxico, the largest airline in the country, has connections to Asia, Europe, Central America, South America and USA.

By Train

There is no international rail connection to Mexico, but Amtrak provides a few services up to the border, where you can cross into Mexico and travel further, mostly by bus. There are a few luxurious tourist trains though, including the Sierra Madre Express connecting from Tucson, Arizona to the Copper Canyon.

By Car

There are plenty of crossing spots (about 40) between Mexico and the USA. San Diego/Mexical, El Paso/Ciudad Juarez, Tucson/Nogales and Laredo/Nuevo Laredo are the busiest ones.

Cars from other countries need a special permission to go further than 20 miles. It is recommended to buy Mexican car insurance, even for day visits, when driving in Mexico. Most USA insurance plans do not cover driving in Mexico. There are several companies offering competitive rates for short term Mexican car insurance.

By Bus

If coming from the USA Greyhound has connections with some bus companies in Mexico. There are other border lines also that will take you between 2 cities in both countries and direct bus rides mainly operate from Texas to cities in the north of Mexico. Autobuses Americanos offers cross border services between southern USA and northern Mexico as well, while Autotransportes Tufesa has connections from Phoenix and Tucson and Transportes InterCalifornias travels from San Diego across the border to Mexicali and Tijuana.

In many other cases, you have to take the bus to the border, cross it by foot and then jump on another bus on the other side. Buses will wait for all the travelers to cross the border.

Still, there are also many more direct connections from other countries, mainly from Belize and Guatemala. To and from the latter, there are about 10 border crossings with frequent direct services from Guatemala City and a few other Guatemalan cities to Tapachula, Chiapas and Chetumal. Chetumal is extremely well connected to Belize, with many companies offering direct connections from Belize City and a few other towns in the north and central parts of Belize, like Belmopan and San Ignacio.

By Boat

There are no real regular passenger services by ferry to and from Mexico. There are however a few options to get from Palenque, Chiapas, to both Flores/Tikal area in Guatemala by a combination of riverboats and (mini)buses. The route via the Río Usumacinta is the most popular one, with the best connections.

Other than that, it will be by cruise ship when you will arrive in one of Mexico's ports. Although the Caribbean area is the most popular one, with Cozumel and Cancun as hot spots, there are also many ports on the Pacific side, including Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.

Getting Around

By Plane

There are dozens of airports in Mexico, many of them having international connections, which enable travellers to choose from a wide range of cities for onward transport to smaller regional airports. The biggest carriers within the country are Aero California, Mexicana and AeroMéxico.

By Train

Almost all passenger trains have been suspended since 2000 but several trains remain which are of particular interest. These are operated by Ferromex and basically include only 2 trains:

• The Tequilla Express operates two tourist trains a week doing the Guadalahara-Amatitán route as a roundtrip on Saturdays and Sundays.
• The Chepe, which is the most used and most impressive train ride and handles most traffic. It travels on the Chihuahua-Los Mochis route 2 times a day in each direction, travelling across the beautiful Copper Canyon.

For several other services that might be operating (either for locals, or very touristy trains), check the Mexlist website, which has detailed information about local trains, tours etc.

By Car

Although renting a car gives you maximum flexibility, driving in Mexico can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. There are very good toll roads, but rural roads can be in a bad potholed condition, or aren't even tarred at all. If you feel adventurous though, there are many international and local companies offering cars in resort areas, bigger cities and airports. Yucatan is one of the more popular areas to rent car, especially if you want to visit the historical inland treasures from the coastal zones.

By Bus

Buses are the way to go in Mexico, combined with a few plane rides known and then to avoid spending too much time in buses. There are loads of companies, but a few examples of bus companies having extensive networks include Estrella Blanca and Autotransportes Tufesa.

By Boat

Popular routes include ferries operating regularly between Mazatlán and La Paz (Baja California) on a daily basis. There are also services between Guaymas and Santa Rosalia, across the Gulf of California and between La Paz and Topolobampo three or four times weekly. From Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas there are two ferries a week.

On the Caribbean coast, there are two companies offering ferries between Playa del Carmen and the island of Cozumel of the coast of Yucatan. Crossings are about 15 times a day, with very early (starting at 5am) and late (up to midnight) sailings being a possibility to do some long day trips. There are also ferries from the mainland to Isla Mujeres.

Red Tape

Money

See also: Money Matters

Mexico uses the New Peso (MXN). One Peso is made up of 100 centavos.

• Banknotes: $20, $50, $100, $200, $500, $1000
• Coins: 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100

Work

Study

Many people come to study Spanish in Mexico. Although the Spanish is not as pure as some other countries in South or Central America, Mexican Spanish is fun and good. There is also many private language schools that offer classes all over the country. Therefore a student has plenty of choices about were they want to study.

Language

Related article: Spanish: Grammar, pronunciation and useful phrases

Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in Mexico, although it is not an official language. It is spoken by 97% of the population. There are 62 indigenous Amerindian languages which are considered national languages.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Water

Do not drink tap water ever in Mexico, unless it has been boiled for 3 minutes. Only drink bottled water and make sure the cap has been sealed.

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

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