Hidden Gems in Mexico: Heading Off the Beaten Path

In Puerto Escondido, its the internet users who have actually put it on the map, riding some of the biggest waves in North America. Couple of other foreign travelers seem to make it here, so the town is a far cry from the more built-up resort areas of Mexico, with mostly low-rise developments along the various beaches. Keep rolling along the coast to discover even mellower alternatives, including at the Hotel Escondido luxury resort.

These arent the only concealed gems in Mexico naturally. We d likewise suggest the colonial cities of Zacatecas, Morelia, Patzcuaro, and Taxco. Adventure travelers will find plenty of ways to pump the adrenaline up in the Copper Canyons, Chiapas, and Baja Sur. Head to the bottom of Quintana Roo, near the Belize border, to the stunning lagoon that looks like the Caribbean Sea: Lake Bacalar.
How about you? What surprise gems have you discovered off the beaten path in Mexico?
The post Hidden Gems in Mexico: Heading Off the Beaten Path appeared first on Luxury Latin America Blog.

There are a number of fascinating cenotes nearby that you can go to and go swimming in, consisting of Zazil Tunich and Chukum. Direct to Rio Lagartos by the Gulf for a boat trip to Las Colorados, colored lakes by a lagoon that are part of a sea-salt extraction operation, with flocks of flamingoes close by at all times of the year. (You can likewise catch flamingos in Celestun, an outing from Merida.) Valladolid itself is a nice colonial town with excellent restaurants, cafe, and a brewpub even.

To check out Yucatan state in design, get in touch with the finest luxury tour business in the region: Catherwood Travels.

Oaxaca State and Its Beaches

While Oaxaca City is a popular destination in the interior of Mexico, a lot more so after the Pixar film Coco came out, the majority of visitors dont venture out much to see the rest of the state. There are lots of fantastic trips you can reach from the city however, including the ruins of Monte Alban and tk, the towns producing Oaxaca mezcal, and towns that create numerous of the very best handicrafts from Mexico. See more on all that in our short article Ruins and Recipes in Oaxaca
Endeavor 70 km from the capital city for a series of fossilized waterfalls. They formed countless years earlier from water extremely saturated with minerals. There are 2 warm springs at the top of the Hierve el Agua waterfalls, watching out over a valley, a scene similar to the Pamukkale geothermal springs in Turkey.

While the Huatulco beaches in Oaxaca state are widely known to domestic tourists, only a smattering of Canadian expats appear to venture there from up north, taking benefit of Huatulco property prices that are more appealing than in better-known Mexican beach locations. Theres plenty to see and do around Huatulco though.

Valladolid and Yucatan State

While Cancun is among the most popular destinations worldwide, the area of the Yucatan Peninsula far from the Caribbean coast gets far less visitors. Those who do explore this location away from the huge crowds often leave bewitched. Ive been to the location more times than I can count at this point and am always shocked by just how much there is to do in Yucatan state. When it comes to concealed gems of Mexico, this state has lots of them.

The primary base is Merida, which is not exactly unknown, so strategy to spend some time in a smaller sized city thats likewise a great exploration base: Valladolid. Plus you can check out the yellow city of Izamal, which has its own significant pyramid right in the center and its famous monastery a few blocks away.

Were based in Mexico, in a location that could be considered a covert gem on its own if it werent so popular with domestic travelers: Guanajuato City. The strange mountain ghost town of Real de Catorce is located in the state of San Luis Potosi in central Mexico, driving distance from the capital city or tk. In an independent Mexico, the city came back to life: a rich regional population funded a theater, a cathedral, and fine homes, with a tunnel assisting in access to the city through the mountains. While Oaxaca City is a popular location in the interior of Mexico, even more so after the Pixar motion picture Coco came out, a lot of visitors dont venture out much to see the rest of the state. There are plenty of great trips you can reach from the city though, consisting of the ruins of Monte Alban and tk, the towns producing Oaxaca mezcal, and villages that create numerous of the finest handicrafts from Mexico.

Mexico is a big nation, about as broad as the USA and with almost as much geographical diversity. It has a few dozen international airports and excellent roadways, so you can go direct to a concealed gem or even fly into among the “greatest hits of travel” in the country and still get someplace intriguing away from the crowds. In many cases, similar to Todos Santos and Valladolid, getting off the beaten course in Mexico only requires taking a trip a couple of hours from a place thats thronged with short-stay visitors.
Were based in Mexico, in a location that might be thought about a surprise gem on its own if it werent so popular with domestic tourists: Guanajuato City. A lot of visitors whiz right by it on the way to more well-known San Miguel de Allende, however those who come here before or after often want they had spent more time here. Here are some quieter, lesser-known spots though that you may wish to add to your next Mexico trip list.

Before you go, see our page with links to intriguing articles about trips in the country and check out NatVisa for travel ideas on going to Mexico.

Todos Santos in Baja Sur

Drive north from Los Cabos, past the unrelenting construction of brand-new tourist developments and real estate for the people who support them, and quickly youll reach the far different atmosphere of Todos Santos. “All Saints” is a smaller community of less than 10,000 individuals, the traveler facilities mostly restricted to boutique hotels and guesthouses. When an oasis that was a welcome sight for shipping vessels requiring to restock, the location is still much greener than the majority of the Baja Peninsula and the tree-lined lagoon is a favored spot for migrating birds and waterfowl.

The beach here is hardly ever crowded and you can take some stunning hikes along the cliffs to a secret beach or 2 where youll seldom see more than a few other individuals. See our story on the location here: Todos Santos Hiking and Horseback Riding. The company Todos Santos Adventures runs several experience trips in the location, including treking journeys and island explorations covering several days.

Mexico is no secret to North American tourists. The Cancun airport ended up being the second-most-popular in the world in 2021 for arrivals and Mexico Citys moved up into the top-10. The beach resort areas of Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos hardly missed a beat in attracting tourists last year and Chichen Itza had to put in capability controls when the Mayan site got too mobbed with travelers. Head to one of the concealed gems in Mexico instead if none of that sounds really appealing to you.

The Ghost Towns of Real de Catorce and Mineral de Pozos

Throughout Spanish Colonial times, Mexico was a major source of minerals, particularly silver, at one point supplying the majority of it that entered into silverware, serving trays, and jewelry around the world. When the veins were diminished or accidents closed the mines, some of the more remote locations saw a dramatic drop-off in population and structures were delegated Mother Nature.

The strange mountain ghost town of Real de Catorce is located in the state of San Luis Potosi in main Mexico, driving distance from the capital city or tk. When silver mining was actively developing, it was founded in 1772. A flood of people poured into the city, but the War for Mexican Independence that broke out suspended work for several years. In an independent Mexico, the city returned to life: a wealthy local population funded a theater, a cathedral, and great houses, with a tunnel assisting in access to the city through the mountains. Eventually the mines ran out of riches, nevertheless, and people slowly left the city. The only individuals pertaining to check out were spiritual pilgrims: they visited an image of the face of St. Francis in the regional church.

The most intriguing is high on a hill ignoring the city, reached by a hike or horseback flight. In the other instructions, there are mining towns you can reach through a historic Willy Jeep before seeing an area where Huichol people gather hallucinogenic peyote.

The back story is comparable in Mineral de Pozos, located about an hour from San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato state. One mining settlement there goes back to the arrival of the Jesuits in tk. A couple of waves of abandonment and reactivation followed over 2 centuries, until in the early 20th century when the city developed into a collection of ghost towns. The population dropped from 50,000 to a couple of hundred.ow you can check out old mining towns that are well-preserved in the dry climate, developed of stone and brick, with the bones of the structures still apparent. Roam through roofless churches, town hall, and hacienda buildings where wildflowers might be flowering in what were once the floors and streets.

Las Pozas and Huasteca

The perfect place for fans of surrealism is Las Pozas Sculpture Park, located in the “magic town” of Xilitla in the state of San Luis Potosi. At very first glimpse, it might appear that it was created numerous centuries earlier by ancient Indians or even aliens.

The Las Pozas Gardens are situated deep in the jungle on an area of about 40 hectares and include great streets and gravity-defying structures that serve no purpose however to be a visual delight. Columns that seem to hold up natural rock protrusions and extravagant spiral staircases appear to be ruins preserved from a previous civilization however are really a homage to the idea of surrealism.

Around two hours to the west, likewise in San Luis Potosi state, is central Mexicos experience play ground of Huasteca, with Cuidad Valles as the base in the center of it all. In this area you can go whitewater rafting, scuba diving in a clear lake, rappelling down a waterfall, and tubing on waterways that are a striking blue color much of the year. The really distinct offering here, however, is the Mico River series of waterfalls you can leap off of into the froth. After you strap on a helmet and lifejacket, you progress through a series of greater falls, jumping off at the leading and getting a soft landing at the bottom.