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You don’t need an excuse to visit this beachy stretch of Mexican paradise, but we’ve gathered the best festivals, holidays, and celebrations throughout the year in Cancún, Tulum, and other towns along the coast of Quintana Roo.

Roam the savanna in a safari jeep, snorkel with tropical fish, and sample international cuisine—all in one trip.

The national park and UNESCO World Heritage site has long captivated visitors, but recent research is changing the way we experience this ancient place.

Its resorts are world-famous, but there’s much more to Mexico’s most popular beach town - Maya sites, gourmet restaurants, and activities form water sports to spa treaments

From a glampsite in Bali to Pablo Escobar’s former beach retreat, these lush getaways will charm you with their rustic, laid-back vibes.

From an Argentine wine getaway to a Tesla-powered resort in Fiji, these resorts make going green even more glam.

For centuries, Mexican nationals, expats, and beguiled visitors alike have immortalized the country in books, making it a true literature lover’s paradise. Make your way through Mexico’s cities and regions—either literally or figuratively—with these 14 novels, memoirs, and nonfiction works.

Plus: bag fees begone (there’s a catch) and Coppola joins forces with Backroads

A brilliant work of architecture and astronomy, the Pyramid of Kukulkán at Chichén Itzá is so precisely engineered that on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the sun casts shadows that slither like snakes and seem to descend the structure’s stairways. Said to represent the plumed-serpent deity Kukulkán, the shadows return to earth twice yearly to drink from sacred sinkholes known as cenotes. Today the phenomenon attracts thousands to the already crowded archaeological site, but almost-identical light-play can be seen the day before, alongside a mere fraction of the visitors.

Overview

Overshadowed by its larger and more well-known cousins, Palenque and Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal (“Oosh-mahl”) is the ruins of an ancient Maya city located near present-day Campeche. In its heyday, Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucatan peninsula with a population of about 25,000 Maya. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ancient Maya architecture in this part of Mexico is referred to as Puuc architecture, and Uxmal is a prime example of this style. Though there are some Puuc structures in Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal is unique in all of Mexico. Puuc design is most notable for buildings with a plain lower façade and a richly decorated upper façade. Carvings most commonly found include serpents and latticework. Uxmal is dedicated to the Maya rain god, Chaac, and you can see his image everywhere. On the day we were here, it was blisteringly hot and humid; I could’ve used some rain! When I first laid eyes on the four buildings that make up the complex known as the Nunnery Quadrangle, I thought they were the most elegant Maya ruins I had ever seen. The clean lines of the buildings give them a modernity that is surprising considering Uxmal was built more than 1,000 years ago! The carvings on the upper facades are just spectacular and give the entire structure a very delicate feel. Uxmal is located close to Chichén-Itzá, so if you go to Chichén, consider going a bit further to visit Uxmal. You won’t regret it!

Visitors to the Yucatán and the Riviera Maya never miss Chichen Itza, but there is another hidden and almost unknown archaeological Mayan ruin called Ek’ Balam. Set in jungle, the site is not well known because it was discovered much later than other ancient sites in the Yucatán and restoration only started 20 years ago. As such, this great ruin is not yet on the tourist circuit and currently visited only by those in the know. Located 30 minutes drive north of Valladolid, the ruins cover an area of 10 square miles. With only the center of the site excavated, there are currently more than 40 buildings and pyramids to explore. The “Plaza Norte” is the biggest and oldest of all the plazas and it hosts the Acropolis with six levels, vaulted ceilings and over 72 rooms. On the fourth level you can find one of the most impressive construction feats of the whole mayan culture: “La Casa Blanca de la Lectura”. Ek’ Balam was inhabited by the Mayas between 600 BC and 1600 AC, which makes it a site with one of the longest continued occupations by this ancient culture. There are plenty of tour agencies in Merida that can arrange the trip for you or it’s an easy two hour drive by car from Merida. Visit now before it becomes the latest tourist discovery and you’ll have the whole place to yourself.

Beginning right at the entrance to downtown Cancún (kilometer 0, where the median is also home to a spacious outdoor gym) and tracing the Hotel Zone’s entire northern stretch, this wide, red-paved path is a favorite for runners, in-line skaters, and cyclists in search of outdoor exercise with a merciful bit of shade (the path along Boulevard Kukulcan is lined with jungle flora, palm trees, tropical plants, and a smattering of hotel entrances). Locals especially love working out on the Ciclopista early in the morning and in the evening, when temperatures are cooler.

Are you kidding me? 150 feet deep AND the opening to miles of underground caverns? And you want me to jump in? If it isn’t the 30 foot drop that gets you, its the inky blackness below or the who-knows-what that’s living down there. You see, the rainbows that shimmer in the water- falls, and the roots and vines that hang like some bridal veil, and the sunlight that flickers about the place are all just trying to pull you in--into the black nothing that lurks beneath. Never-the-less, if you are brave enough to take the plunge, you will be rewarded with velvety sweet water that feels like lotion on your skin and baby catfish that tickle your toes and, best of all, the exhilaration of knowing you swam in the very entrance to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. So descend into the cavern and climb the chiseled staircase to the dive platform and make sure when you jump, you hold your breath, cause its a long way down.