Top 20 Attractions in Mexico

Delightful, ancient, hot Mexico seems to be created in order to enjoy every day of your stay in it. The country where in the old days the amazing and mysterious civilizations of the Maya and Aztecs lived, today blooms and sings on the ruins of old ruins, paying tribute to the memory of a culture that has gone forever. An appeal to ancient legends and myths is a favorite theme of most colorful Mexican festivals.

Giant pyramids and amusement parks, luxurious palace buildings and high fortress walls, bright tropical greenery and turquoise waves that lift surfers to the skies, golden sandy beaches and majestic Catholic cathedrals, five-star hotels and ancient museums - modern Mexico has it all!

What to see in Mexico?

The most interesting and beautiful places, photos and a brief description.

Chichen Itza

Founded in the 7th century AD the sacred city of one of the Mayan tribes - Itza is located one hundred and twenty kilometers from the capital of the Yucatan Peninsula. The architectural wealth of the ancient settlement is made up of the nine-step Temple of Kukulkan and two small temples - the Warriors and the Jaguars, a well used for sacrifices, a huge ball court and a giant rectangle formed from the ruins of columns.

Mexico City Cathedral

The main Catholic temple of the Mexican capital was built on the site of a former Aztec sanctuary dedicated to the god of war - Huitzilopochtli. The construction of the cathedral was carried out from the beginning of the 16th to the beginning of the 19th century. Combining the architectural features of the Baroque, Renaissance and Neoclassicism, the temple was erected in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

National Museum of Anthropology

One of the richest museums in Mexico is located in Chapultepec Park (Mexico City). It consists of two large departments - archaeological and ethnographic. The exposition of the museum is represented by exhibits of the pre-Columbian era, which include the famous Aztec calendar - the Stone of the Sun, Mayan treasures and cultural and archaeological finds belonging to other ancient Mexican civilizations.

Chapultepec Palace

Founded in 1785, the Chapultepec Palace was used as a government residence for a long time. At one time it housed the military academy and the National Astronomical Observatory. Since 1939, the majestic building, built in the neoclassical style, has been exhibiting the main exposition of the National Historical Museum.

copper canyon

The main national park of the country got its name because of the moss growing on the slopes of a one and a half kilometer canyon and cast copper from afar. The bottom of the natural attraction is covered with subtropical forests. The Copper Canyon is home to a third of all Mexican animals, among which you can find a black bear, a Mexican wolf and a cougar.

Acapulco

Located on the Pacific coast, the resort and part-time "night capital" of Mexico gained world fame in the fifties of the XX century. Modern Acapulco is a city of gently sloping sandy beaches, water attractions, fishing, the best discos in the country and constant thirty degrees Celsius both in winter and in summer.

Xcaret Park

Spread over an area of ​​eighty hectares, the Caribbean amusement park is at the same time a place of free habitat for a large number of wild animals. Numerous beaches, a turtle farm, a butterfly park, a trip along an underground river and nightly performances telling about the history of ancient civilizations make Xkaret a favorite vacation spot for both children and adults.

Pyramids of Teotihuacan

The oldest city in the Western Hemisphere, the date of foundation of which raises questions even among experienced archaeologists, is located fifty kilometers from Mexico City. Two of its pyramids - the Moon and the Sun are the main historical sights of the ancient settlement. The remains of sacrificed people and animals were found in the pyramid of the moon. The Pyramid of the Sun is a large-scale structure almost sixty-five meters high.

Cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula

Natural limestone wells filled with groundwater were used by the Maya Indians as places for collecting water and offerings. Cenotes were considered the gates to the Kingdom of the Dead and belonged to the category of sacred objects. Today, a number of natural wells in the Yucatan are a favorite dive site for diving enthusiasts.

Mescaltitan Island

Reaching a diameter of four hundred meters, the island is entirely built up with white and pink rows of houses, accommodating no more than a thousand permanent residents. The legendary home of the Aztecs and the national Mexican drink mezcal is now engaged in fishing and shrimp fishing. Once a year, a ship regatta and a festival dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul are held on Mescaltitan.

San Francisco de Campeche

The capital of the state of Campeche was founded by the Spanish conquistadors in 1540 on the site of an ancient Mayan settlement. Located in the west of the Yucatan, the city still looks like a fortress built in it in the 16th-18th centuries to protect against pirates. The main attractions of San Francisco de Capeche are the forts, the botanical garden and the Franciscan Cathedral.

Mayan city of Tulum

Tulum differs from other Mayan cities with a high wall built by the Indians to protect against the raids of the northern nomadic peoples. The most massive urban structure, located closest to the sea - the temple and fortress of El Castillo, according to archaeologists, could serve as a lighthouse. The temple of frescoes is a clear evidence of the ancient worldview, dividing reality into the underworld (death), earthly (life) and heavenly (gods).

Palenque

A huge number of ruins, located on an area of ​​​​fifteen square kilometers, testify to the former greatness of the ancient Mayan city - Lakam-ha. The modern name of the complex - Palenque - was given to it by the Spanish conquerors. The center of the ancient architectural composition is the Palace, which consists of several large and small courtyards. Three temple pyramids (of the Sun, the Cross and the Leafy Cross) symbolize the ceiba tree, which, according to Indian legends, holds the entire Universe.

Palace of Fine Arts

The main opera house of the Mexican capital was built in the first third of the 20th century according to the design of the Italian architect A. Boari. Carrara marble walls and opulent Art Deco decor make this building one of the most beautiful buildings in the New World. In the Palace of Fine Arts is the famous fresco by Diego Rivera - "At the Crossroads".

Museum of Underwater Sculptures

Created by British sculptor Jason de Cairos Taylor, the unusual underwater museum can be called one of the most expensive in terms of visits - the price of a ticket to it ranges from one hundred dollars. The art installation of four hundred modern objects is divided into three parts and is available for viewing to anyone who knows how to use scuba gear.

island of dead dolls

A tiny island located in the south of Mexico City turned into the last refuge of dolls by accident, when a hermit who lived on it in the middle of the last century found a toy of a drowned girl in the river and hung it on a tree. Over time, the man began to collect dolls and decorate the island with them. Today, sun-bleached and insect-eaten toys give the area an eerie, surreal feel.

cancun

Growing out of a fishing village, a large Mexican resort is loved by tourists from all over the world. In Cancun, the daytime temperature never drops below twenty-four degrees, and the beaches located on it are distinguished by the cleanliness and richness of the waves so necessary for surfing. Five-star hotels and developed infrastructure of the resort allow you to relax in Cancun with maximum convenience.

Giant Crystal Cave

Huge gypsum crystals began to form in a cave near the city of Chihuahua about twenty-six million years ago. Growing at one hundred percent humidity and a temperature of fifty-eight degrees Celsius, the "rays" weigh several tens of tons and reach a length of eleven meters.

Amusement Park Xplor

Xplor's seven extreme activities include river and cave rafting, cable car rides, jungle buggy rides and hammock rides. Professional instructors closely monitor vacationers and help them overcome obstacles. An additional means of security and tracking is a helmet with a microchip built into it.

House-Museum of Leon Trotsky

The house in the Coyoacan district, where Leon Trotsky spent his last days and was killed in 1940, was turned into a museum in 1990. The building, located on the corner of Rio Churubusco and Vienna, exhibits a temporary exhibition of documents and a public library that belonged to a Soviet communist.