Experiences

Nightlife

Mezcalerías, rooftop bars, cantinas that have not changed in 80 years. Where locals actually go out, and how to skip the tourist-strip markup.

Pacific Coast

City

Acapulco

Faded golden-age resort city -- cliff divers, a huge bay and real problems

Skip unless…City

Guadalajara

Mariachi, tortas ahogadas and Mexico's second city without the polish

Worth itBeach

Ixtapa

Planned resort strip of high-rise hotels -- convenient, generic, five minutes from the

If nearbyCity

Puerto Vallarta

Old-town charm, a lively malecon and the gateway to Banderas Bay

Worth itBeach

Sayulita

Nayarit's beginner-surf party town -- charming and crowded in equal measure

Worth it

Yucatán Peninsula

City

Cancún

Mexico's biggest beach airport, wrapped in an all-inclusive resort strip.

Skip unless…City

Playa del Carmen

Ferry hub to Cozumel with a walkable, very touristy main drag.

If nearby

Central Mexico

Pueblo

Cholula

A church on the world's largest pyramid, and beer after

Worth itCity

Mexico City

Where nearly every central-Mexico trip begins and half of them end

Must-see

Colonial Highlands

City

Guanajuato City

Silver-mine city of tunnels, alleys and estudiantina nights

Must-see

Baja

Beach

Los Cabos

The resort corridor from San José to Cabo San Lucas, for better and worse

If nearby

Northern Mexico

Beach

Mazatlán

A revived colonial Centro grafted onto a working Pacific beach city

Worth itCity

Monterrey

Glass towers wedged between jagged sierra, built on cabrito and hustle

Worth it

Gulf Coast

City

Veracruz

A working port that eats and dances better than it swims.

Worth it