Mexico Destination Guide Contents Contents 2 Quick Facts 3 About Mexico 4 Events & Nightlife 5 Top Destinations 7 Tours & Activities 8 Food & Dining Out 11 Shopping 13 Best Time To Visit 14 Travel Tips 16 Quick Facts Flying Time: 11 hours 40 minutes Currency: Mexican Peso Language: Spanish - English widely spoken Time Zone: GMT-6 Visit For: Great Beaches, Scuba Diving, Culture, Architecture, Nightlife, Spa, Festivals 3 About Mexico As spicy as salsa roja, intoxicating as a shot of tequila, and volatile as the volcanoes of the central sierra. Surreal as a Frida Kahlo canvas, monumental as the pyramids of Teotihuacán, and warm as its inhabitants; Mexico fills the senses and nourishes the soul. The phrase 'something for everyone' comes to mind: for nature enthusiasts, whale watching, monarch butterfly migrations, coral reefs off the Yucatan coast and the world's stoutest tree (at Tule, Oaxaca); for hedonists, ecstatic nights spent dancing on the beaches of Cancun; for archaeology buffs, hundreds of painstakingly preserved remnants of ancient civilisations; for gourmands, a tantalisingly varied cuisine, from toothsome tacos to magnificent moles; for art lovers, miles of murals; for shopaholics, weavings, silverwork and fantastic animal figurines; and for beach bums, 10,000 kilometers of coastline, hammocks included. And with an extensive, inexpensive public transport network, copious accommodations to suit all budget categories, and a friendly, inclusive vibe, travelling around Mexico is easy and highly recommended. 4 Events & Nightlife See the list of exciting Events taking place in Mexico, as well as the varied Nightlife on offer Events Cuernavaca Flower Fair From: 03-04-2015 To: 07-04-2015 Free. Known as 'Feria de la Flor' in Mexican, this colourful fair sees the streets and parks of Cuernavaca filled with wonderfully aromatic flower booths and displays. A number of floral and gardening competitions are hotly contested by green-fingered locals and add a little friendly rivalry to the proceedings. Come the evening, visitors gather at the main plaza for a dazzling sound and light show that illuminates the night sky. Formerly a residence of Emperor Maximillian and his wife Carlota, the Borda Gardens are also well worth a visit at this time for their outstanding displays. Venue Name: Various venues and locations in Cuernavaca. Fiesta of San Isidro From: 15-05-2015 To: 15-05-2015 Free to spectate. Each year the town of Tepic celebrates the Fiesta of San Pedro - the patron saint of rain, agriculture and livestock. The event is an important part of this rural community's life and is a time when local farmers bring their decorated mules and livestock to town to be blessed and to pray for a good farming season. As part of the celebrations there is also a commercial fair. Venue Name: Various venues and locations in Tepic. Monterrey International Film Festival From: 01-08-2015 To: 31-08-2015Date Description: TBC. First held in 2005, this is a relative new comer to the world of film festivals. Known as the 'Festival Internacional de Cine de Monterrey' in Mexican, this is one of the premier events for filmmakers and filmgoers in Mexico. Taking place in Monterrey, over 400 feature films, animations and documentaries are screened during the weekend with a number of prizes awarded to winning filmmakers in a number of different categories. Venue Name: Various venues in Monterrey. Day of the Virgin of Charity/Assumption Day From: 15-08-2015 To: 15-08-2015Date Description: Assumption Day always takes place on 15 Aug. 5 Free. Celebrated throughout the country, but particularly in Tlaxcala, Day of the Virgin of Charity and Assumption Day is a popular religious ceremony that attracts large crowds from across the region. Highlights include an event known as 'carpeting the streets' which sees the town's roads covered with floral displays and coloured sawdust. Another popular aspect is the running of the bulls where runners try to outrun the bulls as they career along a course through the streets. Many other events take place in Tlaxcala with the main focus of the activities happening in the area around the church in the centre of town. Venue Name: Various venues in Tlaxcala. Nightlife Every larger city has its nightlife zones. In Mexico City it's the Zona Rosa (Pink Zone) near the business centre, and Condesa and Polanco on either side of Chapultepec Park; in Monterrey, it's the Barrio Antiguo; in Puebla, the Plazuela de los Sapos; in Acapulco, 'La Costera,' the coastal strip. These areas generally feature some combination of antros - rowdy drinking halls for a younger set, often with live music - and dance clubs. The latter don't usually get going until late, opening around midnight and closing at dawn. In the hinterlands, you're more likely to catch accordion-driven norteño combos pumping out polkas and cumbias in crowded dancehalls or at street festivals. Mariachis - brass and string ensembles in charro outfits - perform beautiful renditions of traditional ballads wherever they can find employment, whether at weddings, restaurants, bars, or designated zones such as Mexico City's Plaza Garabaldi. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey all attract international rock and pop acts and Latin music stars, as well as some fine ballet and orchestra companies. 6 Top Destinations Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre) One of the largest canyon systems in the world, Copper Canyon is a land of mountains, rivers, waterfalls, desert and forest. Four of the canyons are deeper than Arizona's famous Grand Canyon, although none of them are as wide. Perhaps the most famous attraction for visitors is the Chihuahua al Pacífico Railway, a scenic journey that crosses 36 major bridges, travels through 87 tunnels and climbs to a height of 2438m (8000ft) before descending back down to sea level. The Sierra Tarahumara mountains are inhabited by Tarahumara Indians, who live in isolated communities along the railway line. Disabled Access: No White Mountain Monte Alban was at one time home to 50,000 Zapotec people. The builders of Monte Alban artificially levelled the top of the mountain, which overshadows the three surrounding valleys of Oaxaca. The site emerged as a political centre in around 400 BC, and later developed as an important cultural centre between 500 BC to AD 700. The site was abandoned by the Zapotecs when they began to lose political power, which resulted in conflict between them and the Mixtecs, who moved into the Valley and used it as a burial ground. It was later invaded by the Aztecs and then by the Spanish who gave the site the name Monte Alban, meaning White Mountain, due to the white flowering trees that grow in the area. Disabled Access: No Palenque Located in Palenque National Park in the northern Chiapas highlands, Palenque is one of the grandest of all classical Mayan sites. Situated on a ledge picturesquely overlooking swampy plains to the north, and set against a backdrop of lush, green mountains, Palenque was in its prime between AD 500-700. Visitors can wander from one structure to another amongst waterfalls and jungle, taking in the marvels of this ancient settlement, which is all the more remarkable for having been constructed without the aid of metal tools, the wheel or pack animals. The most notable structures are the Palace and the Temple of Inscriptions pyramid crypt. Disabled Access: No Parroquia (San Miguel de Allende Parish Church) La Parroquia, a pink, Gothic parish church, is one of San Miguel de Allende's most famous landmarks as well as one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Mexico. Standing in the city's main square (El Jardin), the church was originally built in 1683 but was given a facelift in 1880. The crypt underneath the main altar contains the remains of Felipe Gonzalez and General Anastasio Bustamante, both of whom were heroes of the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) against Spain. There is also a sculpture of Ignacio Allende, who is the city's namesake, displayed on the main altar; he was born in San Miguel in 1779 and became a leader and martyr during the Mexican independence movement, prior to his execution in 1811. Disabled Access: No 7 Tours & Activities Beaches in Mexico Mexico boasts a fantastic variety of beaches along both coasts. On the Baja California Peninsula, many head for Los Cabos, to San Lucas and San José. To the east, on the Caribbean side, make for Isla de Mujeres, a slender island off the Yucatán coast fringed by crushed coral sands. Tequila Home to Mexico's most popular export, this town in Jalisco state sits amidst fields of blue agave, the plant that is the basis of tequila. You can sample José Cuervo and Sauza's finest at the distilleries. The best way to arrive is by the Tequila Express, a tourist train from Guadalajara. Chichén-Itzá The ceremonial city of Chichén-Itzá was built over 1,000 years ago, but the Mayan magic still draws crowds. Each spring and autumn equinox, shadows show Kukulcan (the snake) working his way up the steps. Other amazing but less-visited Maya sites include Calakmul in southern Campeche and Bonampak, with its polychromatic murals, in Chiapas. Spas The ancients knew what was good for them and made full use of the country's countless hot springs. Follow in the footsteps of the Aztecs with a relaxing spa break. Costa Azul Mexican resorts offer a full range of water sports, including windsurfing, sea-kayaking and parasailing. Surfers will find plenty of point breaks down the Pacific coast, notably along the Costa Azul of southern Baja, at Sayulita, Matanchén bay south of San Blas and Puerto Escondido on the Oaxaca coast.