Some cities in Mexico you’ve heard of and some you probably haven’t. For example, if you’ve ever been to Sochimilco, where flowering trajeras glide along the canals, creating a sense of eternal celebration, you know how unique the cultural corners of this country are.
Sochimilco Canal TourOf course, Mexico – colourful, frenetic, alluring – is not limited to its capital city alone. Each city has its own peculiarities, which we will try to reveal. Well, let’s go?
Acapulco
Acapulco is like the two-faced god Janus.
During the day, it’s a relaxed and laid-back city where every hour is a siesta hour. Cliff diving or relaxing on the beach is a great idea.
However, as night falls, the city turns into a raging volcano, shuddering with rhythmic music. Nightclubs and boat parties are how Acapulco shows its true colours.
Oaxaca
Oaxaca at night will also impress you, perhaps even more so. On 23 December there is an annual vegetable festival – Radish Night. This is a pre-Christmas exhibition of craftsmen who carve various compositions out of root vegetables. However, the fair is held in the afternoon, so it is called night only conditionally.
There is a programme for the dark time of day. Namely – mescal. You can taste it in special bars – mescalerias, which are scattered all over the city. Want more? Book an excursion to the mescal factory.
Tijuana
Just imagine: the ocean shore, the glare of the sun, the relaxing atmosphere, the angry bulls… Yes, yes! Tijuana is home to one of the most beautiful bullfighting arenas. The bullfighting arena overlooking the Pacific Ocean is also suitable for less extreme shows – it hosts concerts and performances of famous singers and musicians, as well as boxing fights.
Tijuana: city tour with local food tastingHowever, Tijuana is a dangerous city, so we advise you to be careful. Especially if you plan to visit the red light district, which is popular with tourists.
Cancun
Like many cities in Mexico, Cancun has a unique history and traditions. In addition to gorgeous beaches with clear water, there is a museum of underwater sculptures. It can be visited in an organised way, even if you don’t have any scuba diving experience.
Tours to the pyramids of Chichen Itza are also popular from here. There is the famous Kukulcan pyramid, at the top of which ritual sacrifices were performed. The staircase is flanked by a stone statue of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. During the equinoxes in spring and autumn, you can witness a curious illusion – because of the shadows falling on the sculptural element, it seems that the serpent is crawling up and down respectively. It will be interesting to join the sacred cacao ceremony in Tulum, which is also nearby.
Choose a hotel in CancunBut there’s plenty to see in Cancun itself! There are archaeological zones just a few kilometres from the city centre, one of them, El Meco, near the coast. The other zone, El Rey, is also interesting. An interesting bonus is the large number of iguanas that like to bask in the sun on the ruins.
Monterrey
Monterrey is considered an industrial city. However, there is a biopark here! Here zebras, giraffes, ostriches and many other species of animals live in peace and friendship.
And if you go a little further away from the city itself, you can admire the mountains in addition to the fauna. Even from the inside. The fact is that there are guided tours in Grutas de Garcia. To get to the caves located inside the mountain, you need to ride a cable car. Fortunately, they are not left from the times of the Mayan civilisation, everything is quite modern and comfortable.
Masatlan
If you are overcome with sadness and sorrow, we suggest you go to the International Carnival of Mazatlán, which takes place at the end of February and beginning of March. For over a hundred years, this festival of Mexican culture has given people a sense of festivity and fun and rivals the carnivals of Brazil and Venice.
Masatlán: select a hotel
We don’t know if decadents (representatives of a creative trend characterised by decadence) would approve of burning the Bad Mood Scarecrow. But we do! Do you?
» READ MORE – What Mexico has to offer: the main dishes of the national cuisine
Guadalajara
If Oaxaca is the place to go for mescal, Guadalajara is the place to go for a similar national drink. Tequila, of course. It is produced in the town with the same name Tequila, which is located nearby. However, the historical centre of Guadalajara itself is impressive. Also the Barranca de Oblatos National Park is a place important for history. Many battles took place in the canyon both during the Mexican Revolution and before.
Mérida
Unlike other cities in Mexico, Mérida has retained not only Spanish traditions but also Mayan influence. The city is notable for the fact that Spanish is spoken here, not unlike the language in other regions of Mexico. There are also many speakers of the Mayan language and its variations.
Mérida: 3-hour gastronomic tourInterestingly, they try to preserve the ancient culture here, although attitudes vary – there is some stigmatisation. Especially from the younger generation. Nevertheless, every Saturday, on a specially recreated site next to the Cathedral of Mérida, a Pok-Ta-Pok game is held. This game is over 3,500 years old. It symbolises the rising of the celestial lights against the forces of the underworld. The performance is completely free. In addition, after the game you can agree to a purification ritual performed by a real Mayan priest.
Guanghuato
Bright colours and a unique atmosphere – that’s how you can describe many cities in Mexico, but Guanajuato stands out. So colourful and so vibrant! Pink, green – even the Monastery Basilica is yellow.
Your holiday in this city will be just as colourful. For example, you can go to a unique travelling party – a procession through narrow streets with songs and dances. Speaking of streets. You should definitely take a stroll through these partially underground streets.
Guanajuato: mummies, mines and tunnelsThe city is based on a network of tunnels that shielded residents from the effects of floods. Now they serve for traffic. In general, it is very beautiful and unusual. There is also the Mummy Museum.
Puebla de Saragosa
This city of Mexico is interesting for its location – there are several volcanoes around. In honour of the city is named mole poblano sauce. There is another dish popular in Mexico, the birthplace of which is considered to be Puebla – chilli en nogada. This is chilli peppers in a delicate white sauce sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and herbs. Curiously, the choice of colours of the ingredients is not accidental – it symbolises the colours of the national flag.
Another peculiarity of the city can be called ceramics, as well as tiles, with which the facades of houses are finished. Underneath them, by the way, as in Guanghuato, there is also an underground tunnel system. However, for a long time it was considered just an urban legend, but not so long ago the tunnels were really discovered.
A city tour will allow you to see these amazing architectural details and learn about the history.
Cholula city tour by double-decker busThe article comes to an end – but not the journey. We suggest you head to sunny California, and don’t limit yourself to one capital city either. Have a fair wind and adventure, and see you again!
gttfcad / pixabay.com 
Israel Caballero / Unsplash
Alex Braga / Unsplash
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!