Travel to Beautiful Mexico

Mexico has always been a popular destination for tourists, expecially those from North America. Its close proximity, along with its rich culture make it both convenient and somewhat exotic, allowing for a real feeling of escape from everyday life.

Most tourist destinations in Mexico are in found on the edges - Mexico enjoys some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world. Tourists flock to Mexico for the stunning beaches, majestic mountains, world-class diving, deep-sea fishing, mystical ancient ruins and even whale-watching in some places. Mexican resort areas boast a multitude of excellent quality all-inclusive and upscale resorts, as well as myriad other options such as time-share condos, rental suites and basic hotels and motels.

Mexico takes tourism very seriously, and they carefully plan and monitor many of their destination areas for best use of resources. They have been busy lately with a sweeping ad campaign, enticing travelers to visit their beautiful home, and many are reconsidering their usual Caribbean destinations in favor of Mexico.

Here is a list of the most popular and up-and-coming Mexican destinations:

EAST COAST

• Cancun: The original planned community developed by FONATUR (Mexico's Trust Fund for Tourism Development), Cancun lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. It quickly became popular, and in fact is Mexico's number one tourist destination. Set on an island-like peninsula, Cancun's hotels enjoy miles of powdery beach. Cancun is great for nightlife and scuba diving.



• Cozumel: Cozumel is an actual island just off the coast south of Cancun, and is known for spectacular diving. It is quieter and offers less hotel choices than Cancun, and Cozumal fans love it that way.



• Mayan Riviera: The area along the coast south of Cancun contains many small communities and is home to an uninterrupted line of spectacular beach. Many of these smaller communities are being purposely and carefully groomed for tourism, and areas such as Playa Del Carmen have fast become a luxury destination with world-class shopping and many elite visitors.

From all of these destinations, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Iza and Tulum are accessible. There is a water shuttle which runs from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen (weather depending, it takes from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes).

WEST COAST



Many of the popular west coast destinations are cities, with tourist areas clustered mostly on the beach.

• Acapulco: Popular for vibrant nightlife and a variety of hotels, Acapulco offers water-and landsports aplenty. This may be the least 'Mexican' experience you can have while visiting Mexico - it is quite tourist-oriented and msot of the cultural references are rather commercialized.



• Puerto Vallarta: Made famous by the move 'The Night of the Iguana,' this coastal town has grown into a full-blown tourist destination over the past 30 years. Beautiful beaches, plenty of watersports, excellent food and nightlife options, along with a vast array of hotel choices make Puerto Vallarta a perennial favorite.



• Huatulco: This destination is in the soutehrn Oaxaca region and is much quieter than the cities mentioned above. Situated in a series of secluded bays, Huatulco boasts beautiful hotels and timeshares and is a lovely, fairly exclusive area. The beautiful scenery, golfing and diving draw discerning clientel and its popularity grows every year.



• The Mayan Riviera/Costa Maya: This catch-all phrase applies to a number of smaller communities which are quickly becoming world-renownedRiviera Maya

BAJA PENINSULA



Technically separated into the North and South regions, Baja is on the extreme west coast, south of California. Amazing deep-sea fishing, kayaking and whale-watching are all popular activities here.

• Los Cabos: This area on the southern tip of the peninsula has come to the attention of international travelers in a big way in the last few years. This stunning location boasts many upscale hotels, including Four Seasons, One & Only and many more. Many of the high-end patrons come here for the spectacular scenery, but also for its exclusivity and relative privacy. You may have neard of the popular Cabo San Lucas in this area.



• Loreto: This is an up-and-coming area mid-peninsula, renowned for unrivalled whale-watching opportunities. Originally a colonial village, this community expansion is being planned and promoted by FONATUR. Look for increasing popularity and many new hotels here over the next decade.

Find out more at www.VisitMexico.com and Cancun-Travel-Guide.net.