Two weeks in Southern Mexico
Two Southern Mexico states of Oaxaca and Chiapas make up a lush and beautiful part of the country, rich in history, culture and wildlife. We recommend spending two weeks to take advantage of all Southern Mexico has to offer. Home to the palatial Maya ruins at Palenque and Yaxchilán, the waterfalls at Misol-Ha, highland forests and humid lowland jungles of Chiapas, the surfer-hippie vibe at Oaxaca’s Playa Zipolite, the lovely colonial towns of San Cristóbal de las Casas and Oaxaca City, and more.
Yaxchilan, 29950 Ocosingo, Chis., Mexico
An hour boat ride along Usumacinta River on the Guatemala border can take you to Yaxchilan, Palenque’s less visited cousin in the tropics of Chiapas, Mexico. Twelve-thousand-year old architecture brings many questions to mind. But at this moment, I wondered what life was like for these two gardeners, who spend many days working in the shadows of this ancient civilization. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/tabasco-and-chiapas/yaxchilan
Carr. Internacional, Area sin Asignacion de Nombre de Colonia, 68070 Oaxaca, Oax., Mexico
Held every year during the last two weeks of July, the Guelaguetza festival highlights Oaxaca‘s diversity. Representatives of the different ethnic groups of Oaxaca state perform their traditional folk dances and throw items to the crowd that are representative of their region - bread, fruit, baskets... The main presentation takes place in the auditorium on the hill overlooking Oaxaca city, but there are events going on in town and in the surrounding villages as well. You can buy tickets through Ticketmaster Mexico, or get free access to the back section of the auditorium (but line up several hours in advance).
Bahías 207, T, 70989 Crucecita, Oax., Mexico
The Bays of Huatulco are paradise. Made up of 37 beaches spread across nine Oaxacan bays, Huatulco has the beauty and luxury accommodations of its Yucateca sister Cancún, with an intimacy and seclusion that the world famous mega-resort just can’t match. Huatulco is warm nights, the smell of fresh flowers and the ocean, miles and miles of gorgeous beaches, delicious seafood, and some of the most original and beautifully designed hotels in the world. Planned and designated as a resort as recently as the 1980s, Huatulco is graced with hotels short in height and with architectural design that complements the tropical flora and beautiful coast. Everything in Huatulco is within reach: water sports, tours, hiking, horseback riding, boat rides, luxury spas, beautiful hotel pools, even a small but budding night life. While many of the coastal hotels are on the pricey to very-pricey side, budget conscious travelers can find more modest accommodations in nearby Crucecita. And the best thing about the Bays of Huatulco is free: golden-sand, secluded beaches and bays to explore and relax on, where you can imagine yourself a modern-day Robinson Crusoe, shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island.
