Holidays to Mexico offer superb scenery, delicious food and drink, fascinating culture and friendly, welcoming people. Travelling through Mexico is a trail between the ultra-modern and the traditional. The average off-the-beaten-track village is an endearing picture of drowsiness, while the high-altitude, high-octane capital is rapidly acquiring high-rises. Through all this runs an extraordinary history, from ancient civilisations of amazing complexity, through opulent Spanish colonialism to a revolutionary fervour as fiery as red chili. Mexico has a vast amount of thrills on offer. You can watch whales from December to March from the Baja Peninsula and the Mexican holiday resort of Puerto Vallarta. You can try trekking, particularly among the Mayan remains in the Yucatan Peninsula and in the Chiapas region in the south of Mexico, on your holiday in Mexico. Chichen Itza is the great Mayan site inland from CancunIf you just want to chill out, some of the best beaches along the Caribbean and Pacific shores are to be found in Mexico. Many of the Caribbean beaches, from Cancun south, are sandy beaches with wide stretches of shallow water. Mexico is understandably a popular honeymoon destination. The island of Cozumel off the Caribbean shore has superb reefs, excellent visibility and an amazing variety of marine life.
Adventure seekers
Scuba and snorkelling
Spring break: when US college students descend en masse for partying and general mayhem, especially in resorts near the border, and around Cancun.
Penalties for drug offences are severe.
UK holidaymakers need a passport valid for at least six months from arrival date.
Mexico is enjoyable year-round but October to May is generally the most pleasant time to visit. The hurricane season in Mexico normally runs from June to November. It is hot and humid, especially in the south from May to September. Inland temperatures can approach freezing during December-February.
Flights to Mexico take approx ten hours from the UK
Hire cars are widely available, though driving standards are poor.