10 Places in Mexico to Visit for Food, Beaches, and Amazing Sights

With centuries of Indigenous cultural history, ancient ruins, and resplendent cities, Mexico has no shortage of beautiful places to visit.

But this can make choosing a place (or several) to travel to in Mexico a challenge. Do you want to spend your days stretched on a beach in the Yucatán Peninsula or in idle relaxation sitting beside a pueblo plaza? Then again, why not both?

I’ve been writing about and traveling in Mexico for years and whether you’re here for the culture, the food, the nature, or a bit of it all, here are my recommendation for the best places to visit in Mexico.

1. Oaxaca

Photo by Shutterstock

Tucked high up in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, Oaxaca is a place where overflowing baskets of spices and textiles sit beside cafés serving up artisanal coffee. Cuisine is a pillar of the city’s soul, whether in the form of crispy, coal-grilled tlayudas on the street or high-brow rooftop cocktails.

A capital for mezcal artistry, Oaxaca is known for its dozens upon dozens of mezcalerias. Pull up a chair at La Mezcalerita, a veritable library of mezcal, with three downstairs rooms and an appealing rooftop patio—perfect for sunset.

2. Bacalar

Courtesy of Liz Aguayo/Unsplash

Laguna de Bacalar is the second largest lake in Mexico, with colors that change from aquamarine to cobalt because of the different depths of the water, earning it the nickname “The Lake of Seven Colors.” Bacalar has a reputation for eco-friendly resorts, hidden cenotes,and mangrove channels for kayaking. Life is slow-paced here—lights are usually out by 9 p.m., and that’s how the locals like it.

3. Puerto Escondido

Courtesy of Lorraine Mojica/Unsplash

Mexico is in a constant state of development and some foreign investors have set their sights on coveted real estate. But in this port town on the Oaxacan coast, visitors can still eat fish tacos underneath shady palapas, grab an open-air collective van (a one-way ride will cost roughly 10 pesos), travel to the market downtown, and surf along windswept beaches at dawn, in large part thanks to efforts from tourists, expats, and locals to control development.

4. Isla Holbox

Courtesy of Michiel Ton/Unsplash

This island off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula feels as much Caribbean as it does Mexican, with a blend of car-free streets and the lilt of steel drums. Though admittedly less Robinson Crusoe–esque than it used to be thanks to an infusion of boutique resorts like Nomade Holbox and NÁAY Boutique Hotel Punta Coco, this remains a place for freshly caught and grilled seafood and beaches that seem to stretch on forever.

5. Puerto Vallarta

Courtesy of Chris McQueen/Unsplash

Puerto Vallarta is a vibrant mixture of visitors and locals, where bars, restaurants, and shops are unlikely to use U.S. dollars outside of tourist centers. The city buzzes with action, whether through the pulse of the Malecon boardwalk until the wee hours or lively cobblestone streets of Zona Romantica. At the end of the day, travelers can enjoy sunset above the Bay of Banderas.

6. Cancún

Courtesy of ams_c/Unsplash

Cancún is what put the Mexican Caribbean on the map, for good reason: Few places offer better white-sand beaches or all-inclusive resorts than this spot on the Yucatán Peninsula. Cancun’s once locals-only downtown is starting to gain traction from travelers who want to venture outside the Hotel Zone. Here, visitors can get another taste of the city when encountering its street art, taco trucks, and bustling markets like Mercado 28.

7. Guanajuato

Courtesy of gemafv85/Unsplash

Guanajuato is a great jumping-off point for exploring the state’s growing wine route (there are more than 30 wineries in the Guanajuato Grape and Wine Association) as well as regional dishes like enchiladas mineras—head to Enchiladas de Lupe for a delicious one. The city also hosts the annual Festival Internacional Cervantino, which invites musicians, theater performers, and other artists from all over the world to showcase their culture.

8. Mexico City

Courtesy of Bhargava Marripati/Unsplash

No visit to Mexico is complete without exploring the world-renowned restaurants, Aztec ruins, and 24/7 vibe of its capital city. Walk around Roma Norte and other vibrant neighborhoods, each one offering something different from the next. Thanks to its efficient (and cost-effective) mass transit, devouring everything from Diego Rivera murals to inventive cocktails from the top floors of luxury hotels is possible.

9. Puebla

Courtesy of srcharls/Unsplash

Puebla has fostered a scene that is just as proud of its heritage and tradition (it’s said to have a church for every day of the year) as it is of its experimental restaurants, with eateries like Moyuelo and Áttico 303 fusing traditional Mexican ingredients with international techniques and recipes. The city’s kitchens and street carts offer temptations like mole (a dried chile sauce) in every shade, overstuffed bread roll sandwiches known as cemitas, and tacos arabes stuffed into fluffy lavash-style bread.

10. San José del Cabo

Courtesy of Mary West/Unsplash

Los Cabos consists of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, which are connected by a long stretch of resort-lined roads known as the Tourist Corridor. As Cabo San Lucas is the more visited of the two, San José del Cabo is where travelers go to escape the crowds. Those visiting San José del Cabo can experience a thriving farm-to-table scene thanks to organic farms Flora Farms, Tamarindos, and Acre Baja that double as outdoor restaurants.