| | |  Travel & Outdoors | December 2009 
Mexico: Perfect Vacations from East to West and Everywhere in Between
 ARA
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December 28, 2009
One of the great things about visiting Mexico is the vast array of options you have not only in where you go, but in how you get there. Whether you want to explore jungles, clamber over ruins or simply kick back on the beach, Mexico has a multitude of places where you can do each of those things - and more.
America might go from "sea to shining sea" but Mexico goes from beach to sandy beach. Cancun, located on Mexico's east coast on what has been dubbed the "Riviera Maya" is always a popular destination, and not just because cheap flights are readily available. If you want to wake up with crystalline blue water and white sand beaches just outside your door, there are plenty of Cancun hotels that can grant that wish - as well as provide you with luxurious accommodations and friendly service.
The area around Cancun has a lot to offer, too. For more beautiful beaches and some excellent snorkeling, take a trip out to nearby Cozumel, Isla Mujeres or Isla Holbox. Two spectacular examples of Mayan ruins are within easy day trips from Cancun. Chichen Itza is a sprawling complex that gives you an idea of what a Mayan metropolis was like, and Tulum, situated on a bluff above the beach, combines a gorgeous Caribbean setting with wonderful examples of Mayan architecture.
The beaches on Mexico's Pacific coast are equally and justifiably famous. If you want to touch down in all of the best locations along the west coast, the easiest way to do it is on a cruise. Royal Caribbean Cruises offers trips that last from five to 12 days and fit in with any travel budget. Cruising can be a particularly great value for people who want to see a number of places, since lodging and transportation, as well as some meals, are built right into the price.
If hopping from one legendary beach to the next is your ideal, you're in luck. Cruises often take off from Southern California and make their first stop in Cabo San Lucas, located at the end of the Baja Peninsula. Cabo has a deserved reputation for being a party-at-all-hours town, but it also has the charms of its natural surroundings, including scenic Land's End, where you can kayak, jet-ski or snorkel among the beautiful rock formations. Moving on down the coast, you'll stop in places like Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Acapulco.
If you want to see what the interior of Mexico is like, look into cheap flights to Mexico City. The sprawling metropolis, one of the largest cities in the world, is as dynamic a place as can be imagined. You'll find every strata of Mexican society represented here, and endless sightseeing options. If you want to take in some unusual sports, check out lucha libre wrestling or a bullfight. Those in search of a cultural experience can get happily lost in artisan and antique markets and museums like the Museo de Arte Popular (Folk Art Museum) and the Museuo Nacional de Antropologia (National Anthropology Museum).
During a relatively brief time each year, you can venture out to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve not far from Mexico City to witness the migration of up to 300 million monarch butterflies. The charming small town of Angangueo makes a great base for exploring the nearby sanctuaries (there are four within the reserve). Some of the sanctuaries offer horseback tours, or you can walk through on foot. Be prepared for an active experience - you'll be hiking through forests (the butterflies cling to the towering trees) at fairly high altitudes, so bring water and dress in layers. The butterflies start drifting in by mid November and leave by the middle of March. |
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