COUNTRY PROFILE


Mexico T


LATIN AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE Capital city: Mexico City | Language: Spanish | Currency: Mexican peso | Visa: Not required by British citizens | Time zone: GMT -6hrs


here's no doubting it – resurgent Mexico is back in contention for


the crown of Latin America's most popular destination. Hurricanes and swine flu have hit the country hard in the last ten years, but widespread investment and improved air access have seen visitor numbers from these shores rise by 11 per cent in the last year alone, making the UK Mexico's third biggest source market. That over-used cliche of 'having


something for everyone' can genuinely be applied to Mexico, where all-inclusive beach resort holidays to Cancun and the Mayan Riviera are sold in equal measure with two-week tours of cultural highlights like Mexico City, the Copper Canyon, Oaxaca, and the colonial heartland. When it comes to history, Mexico is


one of the most archaeologically-rich destinations in the Americas with a mass of temples and crumbling monuments from the Olmec, Mayan and Aztec empires to be found across the country. The more recent Spanish occupation of Mexico also left its mark, with an abundance of pretty colonial towns waiting to be discovered. Natural wonders are plentiful too,


with the likes of the Sierra Madre mountains, vast canyons, lush jungle and the beaches and wildlife of coastlines on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean all further contributing to the mix.


WWW.VISITMEXICO.COM


■ San Miguel de Allende The country's capital, Mexico City, is


a leading centre for architecture, film, fashion and design, yet can also claim the title of the oldest continually inhabited city in the Americas, having been founded by the Aztecs almost 200 years before the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s. Head out of the city, and only 25 miles away visitors will discover the Aztec Pyramids of the Sun and Moon at Teotihuacan, dating from 100BC. There is no shortage of options for


clients seeking a taste of Mexico's colonial heritage, with Puebla – just 80 miles from Mexico City – Oaxaca and Merida among the favourites. The latter is capital of the Yucatan


SAMPLE PACKAGE Cathy Matos Mexican Tours offers ten nights on the Riviera Maya, including a tour of Chichen Itza and direct flights from the UK, for under £2,000 per person. Contact the operator on 0208 492 0000, or see www.mextours.co.uk.


28 | Latin America


state and serves as a suitable base for exploring the ancient Mayan sites of Chichen Itza – voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World – and Uxmal. With its modern hotels, all-inclusive


resorts, designer shopping and unbeatable nightlife, the resort city of Cancun and the Riviera Maya might


HIGHLIGHTS  Chichen Itza & Tulum  Colonial Merida and Puebla  Beaches of the Riviera Maya  The Copper Canyon  Palenque & Chiapas Highlands


TIPS FROM


THE TOP “Over the last 12 months we have seen a huge increase in the number of people travelling to Mexico with sales up 181 per cent year on year for 2011. Most of our customers typically travel to the beach areas of Cancun and Mayan Riviera, and are couples travelling for between seven and 14 nights on single centre holidays in five- star, all-inclusive properties. They tend to add on the typical Chichen Itza excursion as a day trip. We have also seen an increase in weddings and honeymoons business to Mexico.“


Sarah Jackson, Market Manager, Caribbean, USA & Canada, Kuoni


not offer the most authentic of Mexican experiences, but they are nevertheless the ideal destination to twin a beach break with excursions across the steamy Yucutan peninsula and its various Mayan sites. Towards the border with Guatemala,


the Chiapas Highlands reveal a greener, more tropical side of Mexico. The impressive Maya ruins at Palenque lie amid thick jungle and are less frequented than Chichen Itza. Northern Mexico, in contrast to the


south, is more arid. The mountains, plateaus and canyons of the Sierra Madre are popular with mountain bikers, trekkers and climbers, while the spectacular Copper Canyon rail journey presents a more laidback experience of the region and is featured by many tour operators.


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