The Spinny Index: Mexico
Spinny's verdict: unscientific, but built on a lot of travel. 5 wheels = maximum.
Yucatán: Maya cities, cenotes and a turquoise Caribbean coast
The Yucatán Peninsula is a flat shelf of limestone with flooded caves below. Where the rock has collapsed, you get a cenote, a natural pool of clear fresh water.
Chichén Itzá, one of the great Maya cities, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its stepped pyramid, El Castillo, is also called the Temple of Kukulcán.
On the Caribbean coast, the Maya ruins of Tulum stand on a cliff above the sea. Farther north, Cancún and Playa del Carmen are lined with hotels.
Best for: beaches, history, swimming · Spinny tip: Get to Chichén Itzá early. The heat and the tour buses arrive later in the day.
Mexicans are obsessed with…
Oaxaca: market food, mole and a mountaintop Zapotec city
In the southern state of Oaxaca, food is a reason to travel in itself. The region is famous for its moles, rich sauces made with chiles, spices and sometimes chocolate.
In the city's markets, try a tlayuda, a large crisp tortilla with toppings, and look out for baskets of toasted chapulines: grasshoppers.
Above the valley, the plazas and pyramids of Monte Albán sit on a leveled mountaintop. Together with Oaxaca's historic center, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Oaxaca is also the heartland of mezcal, the smoky agave spirit.
Best for: food, markets, culture · Spinny tip: Eat in the market food halls at lunchtime, when the stalls are at their busiest.
Spinny's food dare
Four words that open doors
| Hello | Hola | O-la |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRA-sjas |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! | sa-LUD |
| Goodbye | Adiós | a-DJOS |
Capitals = stressed syllable. ə = a short, neutral vowel.
Mexico City: an Aztec capital beneath a modern metropolis
Mexico City is built on the site of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec (Mexica) capital that stood on an island in a lake. Beside the cathedral and the Zócalo, you can walk through the ruins of its main temple, the Templo Mayor.
The National Museum of Anthropology holds the famous Aztec Sun Stone. At Xochimilco, colorful boats called trajineras glide along canals left from the old lake system.
Northeast of the city, Teotihuacan has the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, linked by the long Avenue of the Dead. Find more ideas in our city break guide to Mexico.
Best for: city breaks, museums, food · Spinny tip: Mexico City lies high up, so take your first day slowly and drink plenty of water.
Mexico in 60 seconds
- 1325 The Mexica found Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco.
- 1521 Tenochtitlan falls to Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés and their Indigenous allies.
- 1810 Miguel Hidalgo's call to arms, the Grito de Dolores, starts the War of Independence.
- 1910 The Mexican Revolution begins.
- Today A federal republic of 31 states plus Mexico City, its capital.
The Pacific side: gray whales, desert islands and surf towns
In Baja California Sur, desert meets the ocean. The lagoons of El Vizcaíno on the Pacific side are a breeding ground for gray whales and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
On the other side of the peninsula, the islands and protected areas of the Gulf of California are on the World Heritage list too.
Farther south, Riviera Nayarit runs north from Puerto Vallarta, with surf towns like Sayulita and humpback whales offshore in winter.
Best for: wildlife, surfing, road trips · Spinny tip: Plan whale-watching for winter, and go with a licensed boat operator.
Mexico: three easy mistakes
Mexico by numbers
Myth vs truth
💶 What it costs
Prices are highest in the Caribbean resort towns around Cancún and Tulum. Street food, markets and the Mexico City Metro keep everyday costs low.
A day in Mexico
Per person per day, sharing a double room, excluding flights.
Prices worth knowing
Spinny's money tips
- Small family restaurants serve a fixed-price lunch with soup, a main and a drink. The best-value meal of the day.
- Use Uber or DiDi in Mexico City instead of street taxis.
- The Mexico City metro is one of the cheapest in the world.
🛂 Visa & entry (tourist stays)
- EU/EEA citizens: Most EU citizens need no visa for tourist stays of up to 180 days. The immigration officer decides how many days you get, shown on your entry record. Your passport must be valid for your whole stay.
- US citizens: No visa needed for tourist stays of up to 180 days; the immigration officer decides the exact number of days. Your passport must be valid when you enter, and to fly you need a passport book, not a passport card.
- UK citizens: No visa needed for tourist stays of up to 180 days. Your entry stamp shows how many days you are allowed. Your passport must be valid for your whole stay.
Other nationalities, longer stays or work: check the official source.
General guidance only, not legal advice. This information is collected automatically and may be incomplete or out of date. SpinYourDestination takes no responsibility for your entry to any country – always check the official source or the embassy before you travel.
