Mexico 13 - Contents

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
PAGE
54
ON THE
ROAD
Baja
California
p691
YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE
In-depth reviews, detailed listings
and insider tips
Copper Canyon &
Northern Mexico
p735
Northern
Central
Highlands
p626
Central
Pacific Western Around Mexico
Coast Central
City p131
p481 Highlands
Veracruz
p565 Mexico City
p194
p56
Chiapas
Oaxaca
p339
p411
SURVIVAL
847 GUIDE
PAGE
Directory A–Z .................
Transportation ...............
Language ........................
Index ................................
Map Legend ....................
848
861
869
883
902
Yucatán
Peninsula
p247
VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO
HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
ngly
s in
erica, the
ciation of the
of Mexico they
‘million’, but in
unced as the ‘y’ in
y are represented in
s. Note that in other
ou’ll also hear them
in ‘measure’, the ‘sh’
judge’. The stressed
d with an acute accent
g días) and with italics in
des.
used in this chapter;
informal options are
ed by the abbreviahere necessary, both
e forms of words are
a slash and with the
perdido/a (m/f).
·ma oo·ste (pol)
·mas (inf)
(pol)
(inf)
·do
ACCOMMODATIONS
sye·ra oo·na
a·bee·ta·syon …
een·dee·vee·dwal
·ble
·ta por
·na
o·la
dyos
as
desayuno?
de·sa·yoo
· ·no
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
John Noble,
Kate Armstrong, Ray Bartlett, Gregor Clark, John Hecht, Beth Kohn,
Tom Masters, Freda Moon, Brendan Sainsbury, Lucas Vidgen, Luke Waterson
“ All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”
TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET
Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions
to help you put together your perfect trip
2
4
6
18
20
22
23
28
33
Welcome to
Mexico
6
25
Soul Food
From the southern jungles to the smoking,
snowcapped volcanoes and the cactusdotted northern deserts, all surrounded
by 10,000km of coast strung with sandy
beaches and wildlife-rich lagoons, Mexico
is an endless adventure for the senses. A
climate that ranges from temperate to hot
almost everywhere makes for a life spent
largely in the open air. Take it easy by lying
on a beach, dining alfresco or strolling the
streets of some pretty town, or get out and
snorkel warm Caribbean reefs, hike mountain cloud forests or take a boat in search
of dolphins or whales.
Mexico is packed with history and culture.
Its pre-Hispanic civilizations built some
of the world’s great archaeological monuments, from Teotihuacán’s towering pyramids to the exquisitely decorated temples
of the Maya. The Spanish colonial era left
beautiful towns full of gorgeous, treeshaded plazas and elaborately carved stone
churches and mansions. Modern Mexico
has seen a surge of great art from the likes
of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Top-class
museums and galleries around the country
document Mexico’s long and fascinating history and its endless creative verve. Popular
culture is just as vibrant, from the underground dance clubs of Mexico City to the
sentimental crooning of ranchera singers.
TOP
COUNTRY
COU
CO
NTRY
Y & CI
CITY
TY
Y
Th original
i i l
• The
• Comprehensive
• Adventurous
SHOESTRING
SH
HOESTRI
HOE
STRING
NG
B trips
trips,
• Big
small budgets
• Multicountry
ENCOUNTER
ENC
EN
COUNTE
ER
P
• Pocket-sized
• Easy-to-use
• Highlights
PHRASEBOOK
EXPERIENCES
38
40
46
50
An Outdoor Life
Isla Holbox
•
#
Isla
Mujeres
É
Welcome to Mexico ........
Map ..................................
25 Top Experiences .......
Need to Know .................
First Time ........................
What’s New .....................
If You Like... .....................
Month by Month .............
Itineraries ........................
Studying Spanish
in Mexico.......................
Exploring Mexico’s
Ancient Ruins ...............
Travel with Children ......
Regions at a Glance .......
YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT
Cancún •
#
#•
Marvelous Mérida
Chichén Playa del
cultural capital of the Yucatán
Peninsula, this large but manageable city
1(p294The
•
# Itzá
Carmen
•
#a beautifully maintained colonial
) has
•
#
É
Mérida
É
2
PLAN
YOUR TRIP
Studying Spanish
in Mexico
Top Cities to Study
Spanish
Oaxaca Lovely southern city with several
good language schools (p421).
Guanajuato Lively university town with
popular language schools (p659).
Cuernavaca Mexico’s highest concentration
of language schools, attracting many US
college students (p176).
Puebla Attractive colonial city (p145), with
the prestigious Universidad de las Américas
Puebla (www.udlap.mx) at nearby Cholula.
San Cristóbal de las Casas Charming
highland town with several schools good for
travelers (p356).
Mexico City Latin America’s biggest university, UNAM, oՖers courses for foreigners
(p95).
Guadalajara Mexico’s second-largest city
has university and private courses (p574).
Mérida Private-school and university
courses in the Yucatán’s cultural capital
(p299).
Xalapa Courses at the Universidad Veracruzana in this urbane state capital (p210).
•
# Uxmal
•
#
•
#
heart, a wealth of museums and galleries
and some of the best food in the region. Just
out of town are wildlife reserves, graceful
•
#
haciendas (estates) and jungle-shrouded
Tulum
cenotes to swim in. A little further aÀeld, the
little-visited Maya
sites along the Ruta Puuc
Isla
allow you to step back in time without being
jostled byCozumel
tour groups.
Ruta Puuc
#
Campeche •
Tulum
Take a world-famous Maya ruin, plonk it
down beside the achingly white sands
and turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean
and you’ve got the rightly popular Tulum
(p278). There are accommodations here for
all budgets, from beachside shacks to topend resorts, plus some fantastic restaurants
and so many attractions in the surrounding
area that it’s no wonder many people come
for a few days and Ànd themselves still here,
months later.
2
Looking for other travel resources?
•
# Edzná
Mexico has many professional, experienced
schools specialized in teaching Spanish, offering everything from short courses for
travelers to longer courses for serious students of the language. Schools are often
located in Mexico’s most attractive and
interesting cities, and present a great opportunity to get an inside experience of
Mexican life. Extracurricular activities such
as dance, cooking, music, excursions and
volunteering are usually programmed into
courses or available as optional extras. Many
schools also oՖer specialist courses in Àelds
like Spanish for medicine or social work, or
Mexican indigenous languages, as well as
cultural courses in history, arts, politics etc.
It’s important to do your research to Ànd
schools that provide the kind of teaching
and experience you want. Check out schools
(many are recommended in this book) via
their websites or reviews on the internet,
by talking to people who have studied in
Mexico, and by emailing schools with your
questions. Here are key points to consider.
É
Palenque
tóbal
asas
•
#
•
#
É
PAGE
Get the right guides for your trip
É
BELIZE C A R I B B E A N
SEA
•
#
Schools
» Private school or university? Many Mexican
universities have special departments providing
tailor-made courses for foreigners (usually lasting
between one month and one semester). Some
universities also accept foreigners with good
Spanish into their regular classes under semesterabroad, year-abroad or student-exchange
arrangements. Time spent at a Mexican university
can be a real cultural immersion experience.
UNDERSTAND
795 MEXICO
GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP
PAGE
Mexico Today ..................
History .............................
Mexican Way of Life .......
The Arts...........................
Architecture ....................
The Mexican Kitchen .....
Landscapes & Wildlife ...
796
798
813
817
827
829
839
Learn about the big picture, so you
can make sense of what you see
population per sq km
MEXICO
USA
CANADA
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Lonely Planet in numbers
≈ 9 people
cyclical nature of things enabled the future to be predicted by looking at the past.
They also believed in predestination and developed a complex astrology. To win the
gods’ favors they carried out elaborate rituals involving dances, feasts, sacriÀces, consumption of the alcoholic drink balche, and bloodletting from ears, tongues or penises.
The Classic Maya seem to have practiced human sacriÀce on a small scale, the later
post-Classic Maya on a larger scale.
The Maya inhabited a universe with a center and four directions, each with a color:
east was red; north, white; west, black; south, yellow; and the center, green. The heavens
had 13 layers, and Xibalbá, the underworld to which the dead descended, had nine. The
earth was the back of a giant reptile Áoating on a pond.
The later Aztecs, similarly, observed the heavens for astrological purposes and also
saw the world as having four directions, 13 heavens and nine hells. Those who died by
drowning, leprosy, lightning, gout, dropsy or lung disease went to the paradisiacal gardens of Tláloc, the rain god, who had killed them. Warriors who were sacriÀced or died
in battle, merchants killed while traveling far away, and women who died giving birth to
their Àrst child all went to heaven as companions of the sun. Everyone else traveled for
four years under the northern deserts in the abode of the death god Mictlantecuhtli,
before reaching the ninth hell, where they vanished altogether.
The Aztecs believed they lived in the ‘Àfth world,’ whose four predecessors had each
been destroyed by the death of the sun and of humanity. Aztec human sacriÀces were
designed to keep the sun alive.
1325
The Aztecs settle at
Tenochtitlán, on the
site of present-day
Mexico City. Over the
next two centuries
they come to rule an
empire extending
over nearly all of
central Mexico.
SABRINA DALBESIO/LONELY PLANET IMAGES©
c 1000
Chichén Itzá, an
abandoned Maya city
on the Yucatán Peninsula, is reoccupied,
developing into one of
Mexico’s most magniÀcent ancient cities,
in a fusion of Maya
and central Mexican
styles.
70
Mexico Today
The Drug War
There’s no denying that most of the Mexico news reaching the outside
world for the last few years has been bad. Terrible, in fact. Some 50,000
people had been killed by the end of 2011, after President Felipe Calderón declared war on the country’s gruesomely vicious drug gangs in
late 2006. The Mexican government deployed 50,000 troops as well as
naval forces and several police forces against the drug mobs. It’s assumed
that most of the killers and killed were mobsters themselves, in battles
over the multi-billion-dollar tra՗cking routes for Colombian cocaine
and Mexican marijuana and methamphetamines into the US. The ‘good’
news in 2011 was that the number of killings, while still on the rise, was
rising ess ra idly. Pessimists argued that any possible respite in the may
hem was sim y ecause the most powerful cartels had eՖective y wi e
out their weaker rivals. Indeed, by 2012 there seemed to be only two
languages spoken
by our writers
12
seconds pass
between posts
on our Thorn Tree
travel forum
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Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their
favorite places are listed first
Look out for these icons:
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MEXICO CITY . . . . . . . 56 NORTHERN VERACRUZ . . 226 CHIAPAS . . . . . . . . . .339
Tuxpan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Tuxtla Gutiérrez . . . . . . . . .342
SOUTHEAST VERACRUZ . . 236
Tlacotalpan . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Santiago Tuxtla . . . . . . . . . .237
San Andrés Tuxtla . . . . . . .239
Catemaco . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Reserva de la Biosfera
Los Tuxtlas. . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Agua Azul & Misol-Ha . . . .372
Palenque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373
Bonampak, Yaxchilán &
the Carretera Fronteriza . . . 384
Comitán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Laguna Miramar . . . . . . . . 396
El Soconusco & Beaches . .398
Tapachula . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
AROUND MEXICO
Papantla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228 San Cristóbal de
CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 El Tajín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 las Casas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
NORTH OF MEXICO CITY. . 134
Tula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Teotihuacán. . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Pachuca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
EAST OF MEXICO CITY . . . 145
Puebla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Cholula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Popocatépetl &
Iztaccíhuatl . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Tlaxcala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Cacaxtla & Xochitécatl . . . 162
Cuetzalan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
SOUTH OF MEXICO CITY . . .167
Tepoztlán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Cuernavaca . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Taxco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Parque Nacional Grutas
de Cacahuamilpa . . . . . . . . 186
WEST OF MEXICO CITY . . . 187
Toluca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Valle de Bravo . . . . . . . . . . .190
Malinalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
YUCATÁN
TABASCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
PENINSULA . . . . . . . . 247 Villahermosa . . . . . . . . . . . 406
QUINTANA ROO . . . . . . . . . 250
Cancún . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Isla Mujeres . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Parque Nacional
Isla Contoy . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Isla Holbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Puerto Morelos . . . . . . . . . 266
Playa del Carmen . . . . . . . .267
Isla Cozumel . . . . . . . . . . . .272
Tulum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .278
Mahahual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
Xcalak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Chetumal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
OAXACA . . . . . . . . . . . 411
OAXACA CITY . . . . . . . . . . . 414
VALLES CENTRALES . . . . . 435
Monte Albán . . . . . . . . . . . 436
East of Oaxaca:
Valle de Tlacolula . . . . . . . 439
South of Oaxaca:
Valle de Zimatlán . . . . . . . 442
North of Oaxaca:
Valle de Etla. . . . . . . . . . . . 444
SIERRA NORTE . . . . . . . . . . 445
Pueblos Mancomunados . .445
VERACRUZ. . . . . . . . . 194 YUCATÁN STATE . . . . . . . . . 293 WESTERN OAXACA . . . . . . 446
Veracruz City. . . . . . . . . . . . 195
CENTRAL VERACRUZ . . . . 206
Xalapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Córdoba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Fortín de las Flores . . . . . 220
Coscomatepec . . . . . . . . . .222
Orizaba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Mérida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Chichén Itzá . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Valladolid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Ek’ Balam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Río Lagartos . . . . . . . . . . . .325
CAMPECHE STATE . . . . . . . 326
Campeche . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326
Yanhuitlán, Coixtlahuaca &
Teposcolula . . . . . . . . . . . . .447
OAXACA COAST . . . . . . . . . 448
Puerto Escondido . . . . . . . 448
Pochutla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Puerto Ángel . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Zipolite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
San Agustinillo . . . . . . . . . 465
See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.
On the Road
Mazunte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .467
Bahías de Huatulco . . . . . .470
Barra de la Cruz . . . . . . . . .477
ISTHMUS OF
TEHUANTEPEC . . . . . . . . . . 478
Tehuantepec . . . . . . . . . . . .478
Juchitán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .479
Reserva Mariposa
Monarca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .610
Angangueo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Zitácuaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612
Pátzcuaro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612
Uruapan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
Volcán Paricutín . . . . . . . . .624
Angahuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625
CENTRAL PACIFIC
COAST . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 NORTHERN CENTRAL
Mazatlán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483 HIGHLANDS . . . . . . .626
Mexcaltitán . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
San Blas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .497
Tepic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .501
Sayulita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Puerto Vallarta . . . . . . . . . .507
Costalegre Beaches . . . . . . 521
Bahía de Navidad . . . . . . . .522
Manzanillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .526
Boca de Pascuales . . . . . . . 531
Michoacán Coast . . . . . . . . 531
Ixtapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .536
Zihuatanejo . . . . . . . . . . . . .539
Pie de la Cuesta . . . . . . . . 549
Acapulco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
WESTERN CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS . . . . . . .565
GUADALAJARA . . . . . . . . . . 568
AROUND GUADALAJARA . . 589
Lago de Chapala. . . . . . . . 590
Zona de Montaña . . . . . . . 594
INLAND COLIMA STATE . . 595
Colima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
INLAND MICHOACÁN . . . .600
Morelia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
ZACATECAS STATE . . . . . . 628
Zacatecas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
La Quemada . . . . . . . . . . . .637
Guerrero Negro . . . . . . . . .708
San Ignacio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Santa Rosalía . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Mulegé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713
Loreto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715
La Paz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Reserva de la Biosfera
Sierra de la Laguna . . . . . .725
San José del Cabo . . . . . . .725
Cabo San Lucas . . . . . . . . .728
Todos Santos . . . . . . . . . . .732
COPPER CANYON &
NORTHERN
MEXICO . . . . . . . . . . . . .735
AGUASCALIENTES STATE . .637
Aguascalientes . . . . . . . . . .637
SAN LUIS POTOSÍ STATE . . 642
San Luis Potosí . . . . . . . . . 642
Real de Catorce . . . . . . . . 648
GUANAJUATO STATE . . . . . 653
Guanajuato . . . . . . . . . . . . .653
Dolores Hidalgo . . . . . . . . 665
San Miguel de Allende. . . 668
QUERÉTARO STATE . . . . . . 681
Querétaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681
Tequisquiapan. . . . . . . . . . 688
BAJA CALIFORNIA . . 691
NORTHERN BAJA. . . . . . . . 693
Tijuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693
Ensenada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700
Parque Nacional
Constitución de 1857. . . . .705
Mexicali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .706
SOUTHERN BAJA . . . . . . . . 708
NORTHWEST MEXICO . . . . 739
Bahía de Kino . . . . . . . . . . .744
Álamos & Around . . . . . . . . 747
Los Mochis . . . . . . . . . . . . .750
THE COPPER CANYON &
FERROCARRIL
CHIHUAHUA PACÍFICO . . . 752
Ferrocarril Chihuahua
Pacífico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .754
Parque de Aventuras
Barrancas del Cobre . . . . .760
Creel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761
CHIHUAHUA & CENTRAL
NORTH MEXICO . . . . . . . . . 768
Chihuahua . . . . . . . . . . . . . .768
Mata Ortiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . .776
Durango . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .778
NORTHEAST MEXICO . . . . 782
Cuatro Ciénegas . . . . . . . . .786
Monterrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 787
Reserva de la Biosfera
El Cielo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .793
› Mexico
Phoenix
San Diego
Tijuana
Mexicali Reserva de la
Biosfera El
Tucson
Pinacate y Gran
Desierto de Altar
Ensenada
Nogales
ns
e
Ciudad
Chihuahua
a
ahu
Acuña
Guaymas
Cuauhtémoc
Ciudad
il o
Obregón c ar r ífic Creel
o Pac Divisadero
Cuatro
Jiménez
Navojoa
Ciénegas
Sea of
Álamos
Hidalgo
Monclova
Cortez
El Fuerte
del Parral
Loreto
Los Mochis
Gómez
Topolobampo
Isla
Saltillo
Palacio
Espíritu
Torreón Parras
Santo
ah
n
ue
Ferr
u
ih
Ch
ih u
Ch
Si
er
se
ra
ra
M
a
Culiacán
O
ant
re
Gig
ad
la
de
cc
La Ventana
en
Los Barriles
Cabo Pulmo
San José
del Cabo
l
Mexcaltitán
San Blas
Islas
Marías
Guadalajara
Mexico's vibrant secondlargest city (p568)
15ºN
Fresnillo
Zacatecas
La Quemada
San Luis
Potosí
Aguascalientes
Tepic
Sayulita
Puerto Vallarta
Sophisticated, fun-loving
Pacific pearl (p507)
ta
Mazatlán
Teacapán
Land's End
Spectacular rock arch with
a colony of sea lions (p729)
Real de
Catorce
Durango
id
Todos Santos
Isla Espíritu Santo
Marvelous snorkeling, kayaking
Cabo San
Lucas
and camping (p719)
20ºN
Del Rio
Presidio
Ojinaga
Hermosillo
La Paz
ncer
o
s
re
r
Sie
Tropic of Ca
Ri
De
no
Mata
Ortiz
Isla del
Tiburón
Isla Cedros
Bahía de
Kino San
Guerrero Negro
Carlos
Desierto de
Santa
Vizcaíno
Rosalía
San Ignacio
Mulegé
25ºN
Nuevo
Casas
Grandes
e
an d
Gr
l
de
vo
ra rte
to
o B No i e r
So
Paquimé
UNITED STATES
Ciudad
Juárez
Rí
Douglas
Agua
Prieta
to
Isla Ángel
de la
Guarda
El Paso
Nogales
ier
an
ra S tir
Sierro Már
Ped
30ºN
Puerto
Peñasco
Des
Parque Nacional
Constitución
de 1857
Chacala
Puerto
Vallarta
San Miguel de
Allende
León
Guanajuato
Irapuato
Guadalajara
Celaya
Morelia
Pátzcuaro
Colima
Uruapan
Volcán
Barra de Navidad
Paricutín Reserva
Manzanillo
Mariposa
Cuyutlán Boca de
Monarca
Pascuales
Troncones
Lázaro Cárdenas
Ixtapa
Zihuatanejo
ELEVATION
Guanajuato
Lively, historic university
town (p653)
3000m
2000m
1500m
1000m
400m
200m
0
0
0
10ºN
115ºW
PACIFIC OCEAN
San Miguel de Allende
Cobblestone streets, glorious
colonial mansions (p668)
300 km
150 miles
110ºW
105ºW
ssiss
ip p i River
Top Experiences ›
Fort Worth
Dallas
Mi
OF AMERICA
Montgomery
Jackson
Tallahassee
Baton
Rouge
Austin
Houston
San Antonio
Eagle
Pass
Teotihuacán
The awesome Pyramids of
the Sun and the Moon (p137)
Piedras Negras
Nuevo
Laredo
Laredo
McAllen
Monterrey
Reynosa
Padre
Island
Brownsville
Matamoros
Chichén Itzá
Simply spectacular ancient
Maya ruins (p317)
Gulf of Mexico
25ºN
Sie
Mexico City
Mammoth yet traditional
metropolis (p56)
rra
er
Tropic of Canc
Matehuala Ciudad
Ma
dre
Tulum
Maya ruins meet
Caribbean beaches (p278)
Victoria
Reserva de la
Biosfera El Cielo
Ek'Balam
Parque Nacional
Río
Isla Contoy
Mérida
Lagartos Isla Mujeres
Progreso
Cancún
Beautiful, cultured colonial city
Tizimín
Izamal
Puerto Morelos
(p294)
Playa del Carmen
Tuxpan
20ºN
Mérida
Valladolid Isla Cozumel
Querétaro
Poza Rica
Chichén
Tulum
Papantla
Pachuca
Itzá
Uxmal
Campeche
Felipe Carrillo Puerto
El Tajín
Reserva de la
MEXICO Teotihuacán
Xalapa Fortín de las Flores
Reserva de la
Biosfera
CITY Tlaxcala Pico de
Biosfera Sian
Cardel
Calakmul
Orizaba
Ciudad del
Veracruz
Ka'an
Escárcega
Carmen
Toluca
Santiago
Córdoba
Puebla
R ío
Cuernavaca
Xpujil Chetumal
Tuxtla
Orizaba
Us Calakmul
Villahermosa
um
Taxco Cuautla
Catemaco
a
Tehuacán
Palenque c
Santiago
Palenque
Acayucan
Apoala
Exquisite Maya architecture in
Chilpancingo
Istmo de
Tuxtla Ocosingo
Oaxaca Tehuantepec
Sie rr a
a jungle setting (p373)
Yaxchilán
Gutiérrez
Ma d
Monte
re
San Cristóbal
d e Albán
Mitla
Juchitán
l
Acapulco
Comitán de las Casas
Sur
Tonalá
Pochutla Tehuantepec
Pie de la
GUATEMALA
Puerto
Bahías de
Volcán
Cuesta
Escondido Puerto Huatulco
Tacaná GUATEMALA HONDURAS
Ángel
Reserva de la
(4110m) CITY
O
Reserva de la Tampico
Biosfera
Sierra
Gorda
ri
en
ta
l
in
ta
TEGUCIGALPA
Biosfera La
Encrucijada Tapachula
SAN SALVADOR
Reserva Mariposa Monarca
Monarch butterflies in
their millions (p610)
EL SALVADOR
Oaxaca
Gorgeous handicrafts, uniquely
savory cuisine (p414)
100ºW
95ºW
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Atmospheric colonial town
(p350)
90ºW
NICARAGUA
OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of
adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed
for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to
Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but
inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling
together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap.
Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and
Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook
should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
OUR WRITERS
John Noble
Coordinating Author, Oaxaca John has felt Mexico’s pull ever since reading the
unlikely story of Cortés and the Aztecs as a teenager in his native England. An
early backpacking trip took him from Ciudad Juárez to Ciudad Cuauhtémoc
and he has since returned for numerous extended visits. Coordinating author
of every edition of this guide since 1994, John has explored almost every part
of Mexico. On many editions he was joined as an author by his late wife Susan
Forsyth. John loves Mexico’s art, archaeology, music, food, drinks, languages, traditions, beaches,
landscapes, and most of all its charming people. He lives in Spain.
Kate Armstrong
Northern Central Highlands An Australian by birth but a Latina (she believes) in a
former life, Kate visits Mexico regularly. She struck gold when asked to cover the
silver cities for the third time for Lonely Planet. She cycled among cacti-strewn
deserts, attended every festival possible (many – this is Mexico!), consumed
kilos of gorditas (baked corn-dough cakes) – until she became a bit gordita
(plump) herself – and talked and danced her way through the magic of Mexico.
At other times, she is a freelance writer, based in Australia. Kate’s freelance writing adventures
appear at www.katearmstrong.com.au.
Ray Bartlett
Baja California Ray first fell in love with Mexico in college, and now divides his
time between a casita in Baja California Sur and a house on Cape Cod. He has
written about Mexico for more than a decade, and his other Lonely Planet titles
include Japan, Yucatán, New England Trips and Korea. When not traveling, he
surfs, writes fiction, drinks way too much coffee and burns way too much midnight oil. For more about Ray visit his website, www.kaisora.com.
Gregor Clark
Central Pacific Coast Gregor’s love affair with Mexico began three decades ago,
on a multiday bus ride from San Francisco to a summer volunteer project in
Oaxaca, eating homemade tamales under a sky full of incomparably brilliant
Sonoran Desert stars. His travels since then have focused on Mexico’s Pacific
coast. Favorite memories from this trip include butterfly-spotting in the Sierra
Madre, releasing baby turtles into the Pacific and cooking chiles rellenos in
Zihuatanejo. Gregor has authored more than 20 titles for Lonely Planet since 2000.
OVER MORE
PAGE WRITERS
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonABN 36 005 607 983
able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about
13th edition – Sep 2012
the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxiISBN 978 1 74220 016 3
mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.
© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in China
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
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and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such
as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.
Bestselling guide to Mexico – source: Nielsen BookScan, Australia, UK and USA, April 2011 to March 2012
John Hecht
Mexico City John’s passion for Mexico began two decades ago when he moved
from San Francisco to Guadalajara to study Spanish. Three years later, he said
adiós to the mariachi capital and moved to Mexico City, where he currently resides. Working on the Mexico City chapter reminded him of everything he loves
about his adopted city, from its convivial cantinas and finger-lickin’ street eats
to its endless cultural offerings. He has previously contributed to Lonely Planet’s
Mexico and Puerto Vallarta & Pacific Mexico guidebooks.
Beth Kohn
Chiapas Beth has been sojourning in Mexico for almost 30 years, and this was
her third whirl through Chiapas for the Mexico guide. This time around, she
sloshed up muddy waterfalls, contemplated the predawn call-and-response of
rowdy howler monkeys and sacrificed her feet to invisible sandflies. A thankful
resident of San Francisco, she’s co-authored Lonely Planet’s California, Puerto
Rico and Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks guides. You can see
more of her writing and photography at www.bethkohn.com.
Tom Masters
Western Central Highlands Tom is a travel writer based in Berlin. His first experience of Mexico was in the jungles of Chiapas filming at Palenque, which led to
repeat visits and a stint of living in Mexico City. Having previously authored the
Around Mexico City chapter for Lonely Planet, this time Tom covered the western central highlands and loved every minute of getting to know this muchunderrated region. Find more of Tom’s work online at www.tommasters.net.
Freda Moon
Around Mexico City Freda first fell in love with Mexico while sailing the Sea of
Cortez with her father as a semi-amphibious three-year-old. Later, she revisited
the country on a wild multimonth honeymoon with her fellow traveler and partner
in adventure, Tim Stelloh. Although she’s found herself sick and stranded in the
deserts of Baja and stared down by federales, she’s never grown weary of this,
her favorite country. A regular contributor to the New York Times travel section,
Freda’s work as a travel writer and journalist can be seen at www.fredamoon.com.
Brendan Sainsbury
Veracruz An expat Brit now living in Vancouver, Canada, Brendan first visited Mexico in the early 1990s when he foolishly cycled from Veracruz to Mexico City and –
miraculously – lived to tell the tale. He has returned numerous times since to get
married, to honeymoon and to initiate his two-month-old son, Kieran, to the joys
of global travel. Brendan has authored more than 25 guidebooks for Lonely Planet
including the current guides to Cuba, Italy, Spain, the USA and Canada.
Lucas Vidgen
Yucatán Peninsula Lucas first visited the Yucatán in 2002, breezing through long
enough to be captivated by the lush scenery, irresistible beaches and delicious
food. He now lives in Guatemala and makes it a point to pop over the border
whenever he can to munch down on pibil and splash around in cenotes. Lucas
has contributed to a variety of Lonely Planet’s Latin American titles. Back home
he publishes – and occasionally works on – Quetzaltenango’s leading nightlife
and culture magazine, XelaWho (www.xelawho.com).
Luke Waterson
Copper Canyon & Northern Mexico Returning to Northern Mexico for this edition didn’t faze Luke: after all, Juárez (fish tacos, actually) was his first Mexican
experience. Why? Because he knew the shallow reporting condemning the entire
north as dangerous was inaccurate, and that for those who arrive taking the
media hype with a well-deserved pinch of salt, incredible experiences await. Luke
has been exploring Mexico since 2004: this is his third book for Lonely Planet.
He’s also a force behind relaunched UK travel magazine Real Travel. Peruse his travel writing at
www.lukewaterson.co.uk and find him on Twitter (@lukewaterson1) ranting about Latin America,
from border conflicts to Chávez and steak.
33
Itineraries
Whether you’ve got six days or
60, these itineraries provide a
starting point for the trip of a
lifetime. Want more inspiration?
Head online to lonelyplanet.
com/thorntree to chat with other
travelers.
GULF OF
MEXICO
#
Cancún •
•
# Isla Mujeres
É
•
#
•
# Isla Cozumel
•
# Tulum
É
É
É
É
É
#
Cobá •
•
# Selvática
É
YUCATÁN
Playa del
Carmen •
#
Cristalino Cenote
É
•
# Reserva de la
Biosfera Sian Ka'an
É
QUINTANA
ROO
CARIBBEAN
SEA
CAMPECHE
É
Banco
Chinchorro
•
#
É
•
#
É
Mahahual
É
BELIZE
•
# Xcalak
Two to Three Weeks
Riviera Maya & Costa Maya Getaway
Once you’re over the beach and nightclubs of Cancún, slip across to more relaxed
Isla Mujeres for some good snorkeling or diving. If you brought kids along, spend a
day at one of the mainland ‘eco-parks’ such as Selvática with its 12 zip-lines. South
along the Caribbean coast, spend some days at Tulum, which has one of Mexico’s
most perfect beaches and most spectacularly sited Maya ruins. Within day-trip reach are the
jungle-surrounded Maya pyramids and temples of Cobá and the wild Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an. South of Tulum the coast takes the name Costa Maya – far less developed
and touristed than the ‘Riviera Maya’ to the north. Mahahual remains a laid-back Caribbean village despite cruise-ship visits, with marvelous snorkeling and diving at the offshore
coral atoll Banco Chinchorro. To really escape, head on to the tiny fishing town of Xcalak,
another excellent diving and snorkeling base. Returning northward, wind up your trip with
a stop at chic Playa del Carmen, a great base for superlative diving and snorkeling on
Isla Cozumel and cenote (limestone sinkhole) diving or swimming at Cristalino Cenote.
34
Zacatecas
•
#
É
É
#
Guadalajara •
•
# Querétaro
É
É
Morelia
•
#
Pátzcuaro
MEXICO
CITY
•
#
É
_
#
É
•
# Puebla
•
#
É
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
Guanajuato
•
# É
•
# San Miguel de Allende
Taxco
PA C I F I C O C E A N
Two to Four Weeks
Colonial Towns & Cities of Mexico’s Heartland
The nation’s capital is ringed by a necklace of colonial cities that are blessed with gorgeous architecture of carved stone and colorful tiles, broad plazas, splashing fountains and lively, modern cultural scenes – Mexico’s historic, architectural and artistic
gems. To do justice to all these cities would easily occupy a month and might result in
travel (and monument) fatigue, but you can get a very good taste of the region by selecting
about five destinations for a shorter tour.
Mexico City itself has a large concentration of grand colonial architecture, starting with
its central plaza, the Zócalo, and the cathedral and National Palace that flank it. The colonial center is interestingly spiced with plenty of more modern, and a bit of pre-Hispanic,
architecture and art.
Head east for Puebla, which has the country’s greatest concentration of restored colonial
churches and mansions – many of the latter now housing interesting museums – and is still
one of the most Spanish-influenced cities in Mexico. Southward, charming hillside Taxco
harbors many silver workshops and other surprises in its lovely cobblestone alleyways.
Go west to Michoacán’s lively capital Morelia, home to an imposing cathedral and many
well-preserved buildings. Pátzcuaro is a handsome, low-rise, highland town where the indigenous Purépecha sell their wares around one of Mexico’s loveliest central plazas. Further
west, muy mexicano Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, is perhaps less quaint than
its neighbors but retains beautiful plazas and plenty of fine colonial architecture, not to
mention fabulous shopping and nightlife.
To the north, trip up to prosperous Zacatecas, a stylish silver city with a stupendous
baroque cathedral. Heading back toward Mexico City you reach El Bajío, the region famed
as the Cuna de la Independencia (Cradle of Independence) for its vital role in the early19th-century independence movement that put an end to Mexico’s colonial era. Here,
lively Guanajuato awaits in a ravine awash with quixotic callejones (alleys), a vibrant
student life and historical reminders galore, while the festive and charming expat capital
San Miguel de Allende is full of beautifully restored colonial buildings, including many
homes. Before you hit Mexico City again, don’t neglect handsome Querétaro, which has
several fine museums and a very walkable historic center.
35
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
PAUL KENNEDY/LONELY PLANET IMAGES©
DAVE MERCER/LONELY PLANET IMAGES©
» (above) The legendary waves at
Puerto Escondido’s Playa Zicatela
(p448)
» (left) The cobblestone streets of
colonial San Cristóbal de las Casas
(p350)
36
•
#
É
Mérida
Teotihuacán
•
#
É
#
Campeche •
MEXICO
É
•
#
•
#
•
# Uxmal
•
#
Tulum
Ruta Puuc
•
#
Isla
Cozumel
•
# Edzná
É
•
# Veracruz
É
Puebla
É
É
Palenque
#
Monte Albán •
San Cristóbal
de las Casas
•
# Oaxaca
É
•
#
•
#
É
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
Cancún •
#
#•
Chichén Playa del
Itzá
•
#
Carmen •
#
•
#
É
GULF OF
MEXICO
_ CITY
#
Isla
Mujeres
É
Isla Holbox
É
•
#
BELIZE C A R I B B E A N
SEA
Yaxchilán
É
#
Puerto Escondido •
•
#•
#
Mazunte Zipolite
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
PA C I F I C O C E A N
Six Weeks
Beaches, Cities & Temples of Mexico’s South
This classic journey leads travelers south from Mexico’s central heartland to its glorious Caribbean beaches, and gives as good a sampling of the country’s highlights as
you can get in a few weeks. Start by exploring Mexico City, a fascinating megalopolis that is key to any understanding of Mexico, the country. Take a side trip to
Teotihuacán, capital of ancient Mexico’s biggest empire, with its awesome pyramids. Then
head east to colonial Puebla and the fun-loving, tropical port city of Veracruz, before
crossing the mountains southward to Oaxaca. This lovely colonial city, with Mexico’s finest
handicrafts, sits at the heart of a beautiful region with a large indigenous population. Don’t
miss the ancient Zapotec capital, Monte Albán, just outside the city.
Cross the Sierra Madre del Sur to one of the sun-baked beach spots on the Oaxaca coast,
such as Puerto Escondido, Mazunte or Zipolite. Continue east to San Cristóbal de las
Casas, a beautiful, cool, highland town surrounded by intriguing indigenous villages. Move
on through Chiapas to Palenque, perhaps the most stunning of all Maya cities, with its
backdrop of emerald-green jungle, and Yaxchilán, another marvelous Maya city accessible
only by river, echoing with the growls of howler monkeys deep in the Lacandón Jungle.
Head northeast to the Yucatán Peninsula, with a first stop at Campeche, an attractive
mix of painstakingly restored colonial city and bustling modern town, and a side trip to the
nearby Maya site of Edzná. Move on to colonial Mérida, the Yucatán’s lively cultural capital
and the base for visiting the superb Maya ruins of Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. Next stop
is Chichén Itzá, the Yucatán’s most celebrated ancient Maya site. From here, head directly
to Tulum on the Caribbean coast, a Maya site with a glorious beach nearby. Now make
your way northward along the Riviera Maya to the hip beach town of Playa del Carmen,
with a side trip to Isla Cozumel for world-class snorkeling and diving, before reaching
Mexico’s most popular and most unabashed coastal resort, Cancún. For final relaxation,
head out to Isla Mujeres or low-key Isla Holbox. At Holbox, if it’s between mid-May and
mid-September, you can take a swim with some giant (and harmless) whale sharks.
37
#
Tijuana •
#
Ensenada •
É
UNITED
STATES
•
#Sierra de San Francisco
•
# San Ignacio
•
#
Mulegé
•
# Loreto
É
La Paz
Todos Santos
Cabo San Lucas
•
# La Ventana
•
#
•
# •
#
Mazatlán
•
#É
#
•
#•
San
José del
Cabo
PA C I F I C
OCEAN
Baja Road Trip
Pacific Dreams
Cabo
Pulmo
GULF OF
MEXICO
•
# Mexcaltitán
•
# San Blas
•
# Puerto Vallarta
# San Patricio-Melaque
Bahía Tenacatita •
•
# É
# Barra de Nexpa
Playa Maruata •
•
#
•
# # Zihuatanejo
Troncones •
Mazunte
# É
Acapulco •
•
#
#•
Puerto Escondido •
# Zipolite
Three Weeks
Four Weeks
Baja Road Trip
Pacific Dreams
Over 1700km along the Carretera
Transpeninsular (Hwy 1) from Tijuana to Los Cabos is a classic Mexican
road trip, traversing deserts, beautiful remote coastlines and half a dozen alldifferent cities.
Get a feel for the border buzz of Tijuana,
then savor the surf and wines of Ensenada
before moving further south to watch the
whales on Laguna Ojo de Liebre (January to March). Cross the Desierto de Vizcaíno to the leafy oasis of San Ignacio, and
check out the ancient rock art of the Sierra
de San Francisco. Follow this with some
diving or kayaking in the Sea of Cortez off
Mulegé or Loreto.
Further south, cosmopolitan La Paz provides access to brilliant beaches and the
superb marine life of La Ventana. Try snorkeling or diving the coral reef off uncrowded
Cabo Pulmo before landing at the foot of
the peninsula and sampling tranquil San
José del Cabo and the party scene of Cabo
San Lucas. Slip away to artsy Todos Santos for a change of pace and some of Baja
California’s best surf.
Mexico’s Pacific coast is a glittering sequence of pristine jungle-lined beaches, super surf, busy resorts and every
grade of coastal dream in between.
Sip margaritas on the lively plaza in Mazatlán, a beach town with an artsy historic
core, before visiting the ancient island of
Mexcaltitán and the surf and wildlife-rich
lagoons of laid-back San Blas. Then it’s
on to clubs, gourmet food, whale-watching
and shopping in Puerto Vallarta.
Isolated beaches abound on the Costalegre, home to some luxurious resorts: spend a
day (or more) on the beaches of palm-fringed
Bahía Tenacatita. Moving on, don’t miss
the street tacos in San Patricio-Melaque.
Hang out at tranquil Playa Maruata, the
most beautiful beach in Michoacán, or rent
a cabaña (cabin) at the quaint surfer haven
of Barra de Nexpa. Surf, snorkel or take
to horseback at Troncones before hiring a
kayak at charming Zihuatanejo.
See the cliff divers and learn a little
Mexican history in Acapulco before moving on to relaxed Puerto Escondido, with
its A-grade surf and a lively little after-dark
scene. To end your trip, lie back in a hammock at the low-budget paradise beaches of
Mazunte or Zipolite.
PL AN YOUR TRIP I T I N E R A R I E S
Laguna Ojo
de Liebre •
#
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
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