Things to Do in Mexico

If you head east on winding highway 179 past Mitla, you’ll notice how suddenly Oaxacan landscapes can change - in this case, from arid valley to steep mountains wooded with oak. The thermal springs of Hierve el Agua are located on one such mountain, and a swim in the soothing water affords spectacular views of the surrounding peaks, including the “petrified waterfalls” - sparkling stalactite cliffs created from mineral content in the springs - the area is famous for. If you hike southeast from the camping/parking area, you’ll find trails that lead past an ancient Zapotec irrigation system and down to the bubbling source of the spring. Standing at the edge of this buttress of stalactites affords a dramatic view of the pools and valleys below.

Hierve el Agua is not a hot spring---the water hovers at swimming pool temperature, perfect for a long soak in the heat of the afternoon. Local lore ascribes the pools with healing powers and the site attracts all walks of life, from local families to hippie backpackers.

Though you chose Acapulco for its beautiful beaches and exciting nightlife, the Fort of San Diego (or El Fuerte de San Diego) provides a fine, air-conditioned dose of cultural enrichment perfect for the entire family.

The fortress itself, though small, is an excellent example of classic Spanish defensive architecture, built in 1616 to repel increasingly brazen attacks by British pirates on the deep-water port. Its five photogenic stone arms topped with turrets, once protected galleons that connected the Americas to Asian ports.  

Today, they are filled with objects from that era, a part of the Museo Histórico de Acapulco. The permanent collection is solid, and the museum also exhibits shows traveling from elsewhere in Mexico.

The heart of every Mexican city is its cathedral, and Guadalajara is no exception. Officially known as the Basílica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Virgen María, the Guadalajara Cathedral towers over the city’s central plazas. A mishmash of Gothic, baroque, Moorish, and neoclassical styles, the building is atypical for a Mexican cathedral, and its unusual design has made it an emblem of the city.

Since 1561, the massive cathedral has weathered eight earthquakes, two of which did serious damage. An 1818 quake demolished the central dome and towers. The distinctive tiled towers you see today date back to1854. The interior is awesome in the original sense of the word; the stained glass windows are reminiscent of Notre Dame, and 11 silver and gold altars were gifts from Spain’s King Fernando VII. But it’s not all just finery --- the cathedral also has its share of macabre relics. Under the great altar you’ll find the crypts of bishops and cardinals, which date back to the sixteenth century. And to the left of the main altar you’ll see the Virgin of Innocence, which contains the bones of a 12-year-old girl who was martyred in the third century, forgotten, and rediscovered in the Vatican catacombs 1400 years later. The bones were shipped to Guadalajara in 1788.

Just south of the cathedral and facing the pretty Plaza de Armas, you’ll find the imposing governor’s palace. The two-story building is massive, baroque, and beset with snarling gargoyles, but the façade is far less interesting than the building’s illustrious history and unique interior.

The palace was completed in 1790. Father Miguel Hidalgo occupied the building in 1810, during the Mexican War of Independence. A radical priest with a taste for wine and women, Hidalgo crusaded for human rights; it was here in the governor’s palace that he issued his famous proclamation to abolish slavery. Later, during one of Mexico’s numerous small civil wars, Benito Juarez, “Mexico’s Abraham Lincoln,” also occupied the building. When opposing forces entered the city, Juarez was captured outside the palace and very nearly executed. The guns of a firing squad were lined upon him when the novelist Guillermo Prieto jumped forth to shield Juarez. Supposedly he cried “los valientes no asesinan,” (the brave don’t murder) and the soldiers lowered their rifles.

The interior of the Palacio de Gobierno reflects the building’s storied past. The principal stairwell is emblazoned with a dramatic image of Father Miguel Hidalgo, backlit by the fires of revolution. The mural wraps up the stairs, depicting the history and imagined future of Mexico. The paintings are the work of one of the world’s preeminent muralists, Jose Clemente Orozco, and offer a good crash course in Mexican history. A smaller upstairs mural depicts Hidalgo signing the decree to abolish slavery—this mural was Orozco’s last work.

Because Cancun is a flat coastal plain, you don’t really need to gain much elevation for a sweeping view of the town. Imagine, then, the panoramic view from atop Escenica Tower (Torre Escénica), considering the tower puts you 264 feet above the town. As part of the Xcaret network of sights, Escenica Tower offers visitors a view of the massive Xcaret complex, as well as the string of Cancun beaches all the way out to Cozumel in the distance. This is the highest point on the Riviera Maya, and because the enclosed, air-conditioned platform slowly rotates while climbing the tower, all you need to do is look out the window and take in the time-stopping view.