Discover Mexico

Ah Mexico, country of salsa and fiesta! Mexico has 30 states. Mexico City is the largest city in the country.

Top beach destinations in Mexico are Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.

Mayan ruins can be visited in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Mexico has plentiful of interesting cities to visit re Merida, Ixtapa, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende and many more...

Estados Unidos Mexicanos is the official title of Mexico. Mexico is the land of passion because of its passionate, artistic, and strong people who are called Mexicans, unsurpassed tasteful foods, colorful cultural heritage that could be traced to the Maya and Inca civilizations, their traditions and religion, and exotic practices. Mexico is the anti-thesis of lethargy. Anybody who would visit its old churches, see the paintings of its artists, and eat authentic Mexican food would feel his skin tingle with excitement and fill his heart with bursting respirations of passion.

Mexican Cuisine

The remnants of the Maya and Inca cuisine could still be traced in the food served in restaurants all over contemporary Mexico. The dried potato pulp, known as chuño, popcorn, a semi-alcoholic drink called chi chi, and a flat dry pancake now named tortilla are some of these traces. Mexican cuisine was also influenced by the Portuguese, French, and Spanish who occupied the country. Some of these influences are manifested in sweet breads and the bolillo, the use of pork, beef, chicken, garlic, and wine in food preparation, and the alternating habits of eating rice and corn. Modern Mexican restaurants include the following salivating foods in their menus:

Carnitas. A perfect pair with tortillas and salsa and consisted of sautéed beef.
Enchilada. A rolled corn tortilla filled with seafood, vegetables, potatoes, beans, cheese, meat, or a combination of them and finally covered in chili pepper sauce.
Tamale. Hot steamed folded dough filled with spicy meat, vegetables, and fruits, and often wrapped in a corn husk.

Traditions and Practices

Some people get to taste Mexican cuisine even when they do not visit Mexico. There is no other way though to experience its traditions and practices but to be with Mexicanos in Mexico. The Semana Santa or Holy Week and Cuaresma or Lent is still traditionally celebrated by Mexico complete with processions, blessing of the palm, and the staging of the Passion of Christ. Fiestas occur round the year from its beginning to end in honor of patron saints like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Paul, and St. Peter.

Fireworks are almost everywhere during fiestas. La Danza del Sol or translated in English as The Dance of the Sun, which is a 500-year-old ritual with the sole purpose of showing gratitude to the Great Spirit for such a good life in the past year and another year to pass. Posadas are celebrations done the day before Christmas Day. Processions of children in silver or golden robes walking to a designated house and the adults trailing them are part of Posadas. Upon reaching the house, half of the participants go inside the house and the other half remains outside to beg shelter. The piñata is the usual ending of this happy event.

Easy Transfers

Due to the extensive and readily available public transportation system in Mexico, traveling from one point of destination to another is easy and full of convenience. Tourists who would prefer to travel in ultimate luxury may hire vans and buses that are fully-furnished and with Mexican music in the air.

Mexico States and Main Cities

Aguascalientes: Aguascalientes, Valladolid, Villa Juarez, Jesús María, ...

Baja California Norte: Mexicali, San Felipe, San Quintin, Tijuana, Ensenada, Rosarito, ...

Baja California Sur: La Paz, Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos, San José del Cabo, Cd. Insurgentes, ...

Campeche: Campeche, Escárcega, Ciudada del Carmen, Palizada, Tenabo, Candelaria, ...

Chiapas: Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Puerto Arista, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Villa Flores, Tapachula, Comitán, ...

Chihuahua: Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Ocampo, Hidalgo del Parral, , ...

Coahuila: Saltillo, Torreón, Piedras Negras, Monclova

Colima: Colima, Manzanillo

Distrito Federal:Mexico City

Durango: Durango, Gómez Palacio

Guanajuato: Guanajuato, León, San Miguel de Allende, Irapuato

Guerrero: Chilpancingo, Acapulco, Taxco, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo

Hidalgo: Pachuca, Tula

Jalisco: Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Lake Chapala

Mexico: Toluca, Texcoco, Tepotzotlán, Valle de Bravo

Michoacán: Morelia, Uruapan, Pátzcuaro, Lázaro Cárdenas

Morelos: Cuernavaca, Cuautla, Tepoztlán

Nayarit: Tepic, San Blas

Nuevo León: Monterrey, Cerralvo

Oaxaca: Oaxaca, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, Tehuantepec

Puebla: Puebla, Tehuacán, Cholula

Querétaro: Querétaro, San Juan del Río, Tequisquiapan

Quintana Roo: Chetumal, Cancún, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen

San Luis Potosí: San Luis Potosí, Valles, Matehuala

Sinaloa: Culiacán, Mazatlán, Los Mochis

Sonora: Hermosillo, Nogales, Ciudad Obregón, Guaymas, Alamos

Tabasco: Villahermosa, Teapa

Tamaulipas: Ciudad Victoria, Tampico, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Reynosa

Tlaxcala: Tlaxcala, Cacaxtla

Veracruz: Jalapa, Veracruz, Córdoba, Tuxpan, San Andres Tuxtla, Papantla

Yucatán: Mérida, Celestún, Progreso, Valladolid

Zacatecas: Zacatecas, Fresnillo

Do I need to fly or can I do it by bus? Both. There is no useful passenger rail, so flying joins the regions and first-class buses move you within them. Book first class on toll roads rather than second or third class on the free roads — the advisory says the incident rate is lower.

Is Uber safe in Mexico? Not automatically, and not in Cancún. Licensed taxi drivers protesting about Uber have blocked roads by the hotel zone and pulled tourists out of Uber cars, and travellers have missed flights. The advisory's recommendation is regulated sitio taxis from authorised ranks, a hotel-ordered car, or authorised pre-paid taxis at airports.

Can I bring my vape? No. It is illegal to bring e-cigarettes and vaping devices into Mexico or to buy or sell them; customs will confiscate them and can fine or detain you. Smoking or vaping in public carries a fine of up to 3,000 pesos.

Can I drink the water, or the ice? Neither. Only boiled or bottled water, and avoid ice in drinks. Bottled water is cheap and everywhere.

What do the ruins cost? 210 pesos at Teotihuacán and at Palenque. Mexican nationals and foreign residents pay 105; visitors do not get that rate. Budget per site — a Yucatán trip is a string of separate admissions.

What is the emergency number? 911 for police, fire and ambulance. 078 is the tourist assistance line in English for lost documents and advice. In Mexico City, LOCATEL on 5658 1111 has English-speaking staff for questions about procedures and services.

Do I have to carry my passport? Yes, with the entry stamp. The authorities can ask for both and do not accept copies or photographs; without them you can be detained while your status is checked.

When is hurricane season? June to November, on both coasts. Earthquakes are possible year-round, and there is a national drill every 19 September at 11 a.m. in Mexico City.