LA4-5 jan 16 13/1/09 11:56 Page 58
knowledge mexico
ttglive.com
COUPLES.
Mexico ticks the boxes for a romantic break
with world class resorts, boutique hotels,
exotic culture and soft adventure options.
Reaching the Pacific coast now requires a
change of flight in Mexico City, but you can
make the most of it with a stopover.
The city’s huge sprawl
and traffic problems
disguise chic districts
such as the Pink Zone
and Chapultepec, while
at Xochemilco you can
hire a boat to be sere-
naded by mariachi bands.
On the Pacific coast,
glitzy Acapulco has some
beautiful resorts, such as hilltop Las Brisas.
Puerto Vallarta’s old town was the setting for
Mexico is able to cater to your clients’ luxury needs, with hotels including the Casa de Sierra Nevada (Orient-Express Hotel) a real life love affair between
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, during
LUXURY.
Orient-Express Hotels’ Casa de Sierra the filming of Night of the Iguana.
Mexico has had five-star resorts for many Nevada in San Miguel de Allende has opened Sample price: Travel 2’s Essential Mexico
years, but more recently there has been an six suites with private patio plunge pools. City tour costs from £114 for three nights,
upsurge in small luxury properties in resorts The group also operates Maroma Resort. including breakfast, transfers and two half-
and cities all over the country. Banyan Tree Mayakoba will open by day tours. Las Brisas costs from £56 a night.
The colonial-style haciendas of Yucatan April as the only all-pool villa resort on ■travel2.com
(convenient for visiting the Mayan sites) are the Riviera.
well known, and the Mayan Riviera near Sample price: Exsus can tailor-make a 10-
Cancun has many top grade properties. night trip including several haciendas on the
ADVENTURE.
The four-bedroom Villa Cortez has just Yucutan Peninsula plus three nights on the Eco-tourism is developing in many areas
opened at Los Cabos, Baja California, beach from £2,925 per person, including all offering the chance to visit nature reserves,
offering a 24-hour butler service, a 12-seat flights and transfers. and many lesser-known archaeological sites
cinema, private spa and infinity pool. ■exsus.com are deep in the jungle and partly excavated.
The north is little visited by Brits, but one
of the best experiences is the Copper Canyon
PARTY. BUDGET.
rail journey followed by whale watching off
Cancun and Return fares to Mexico remain fairly high the coast of Baja California.
Acapulco are with few deals below £500, but the launch The Copper Canyon is deeper than the
great party resorts, of Mexicana direct flights from Gatwick to Grand Canyon in the US, and the train runs
with the UK market Mexico City from Sunday (January 18) is a along the top. Local indigenous people still
generally choosing welcome increase in capacity. live in caves near towns such as Creel,
Cancun because of Once you’re there it can be cheap to fly coming up from the floor of the canyon
direct flights. around as several low-cost airlines have each day to sell their handicrafts at markets.
The resorts are been established. Aviacsa, for example, flies The train runs from Chihuahua to Los
particularly busy with partygoers during from Mexico City to Acapulco for $47. Mochis and takes 15
the US Spring Break, when thousands of Budget accommodation ranges from hours. Most tourists
American college students fly down in sleazy hang-outs to US-style motels, and spend at least one night
March and April. there is a major network of long-distance at hotels en route, usually
Cancun’s hotel zone has hundreds of bars coaches with highways between main centres. at Creel and Divisadero.
and clubs, with Senor Frog’s, Fat Tuesdays Overland adventure operators offer a mix A ferry operates from
and Xtreme among the best known. Booze of sightseeing and beaches, with the chance Los Mochis to La Paz in
cruises head off to Isla Mujeres (Island of to discover the “real Mexico” of villages and Baja California, known
Women), and there are plenty of gay clubs markets. for its beach resorts, golf
including Bar Picante and Risky Times. Sample price: Tucan Travel’s Markets & and eco tourism.
Sample price: Cosmos offers seven nights Mayans tour operates from Cancun via Sample price: Explore operates a tour called
all-inclusive at the Riu Caribe, Cancun from Merida, Palenque and San Cristobal, ending Copper Canyon and Tequila Express, from
£1,019 with flights from Gatwick and Man- in Guatemala. It costs £350 for 13 days plus £2,595 for 13 days or from £3,195 for 16
chester. local payment of $250. days with Baja California included.
■cosmos.co.uk ■tucantravel.com ■explore.co.uk
58 16.01.2009
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