19 Destinations in Mexico to Visit in 2019

Cities

1. Zacatecas
Reasons to visit:
— Zacatecas is different from any other city in Mexico. This is because of its mining past, baroque architecture, and copious colonial buildings.
— Another reason to visit Zacatecas is the 8th Annual Bienal FEMSA. It is an unprecedented event in the city that will fill its streets with free artistic events of all types.
— There are three hotels worth knowing: Quinta Real, Mansión de Jobito, and Casa Santa Lucía.

2. Querétaro
Reasons to visit:
— Those that have not visited this city in the past years are missing out. Querétaro is clean and beautiful, and its inhabitants have made sure to keep it that way. In fact, a large part of the city center has been made pedestrian-friendly.
— It is the Mexican city that has benefited from the most investments, which means more infrastructure and more places to get to know.

3. San Miguel de Allende
Reasons to visit:
— In 2008, the town center of San Miguel de Allende was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
— In 2019, this small city will be the American Capital of Culture, hosting a number of special events throughout the year.

4. Ciudad de México
Reasons to visit:
— It is one of the cities with the highest concentration of museums in the world.
— CDMX is considered by travel publications like Lonely Planet and El País as one of the urban destinations to know in 2019.
— Recently, 11 restaurants from Mexico City appeared on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants

5. La Paz
Reasons to visit:
— This city in the south of the Peninsula has the best of both worlds. On one hand, it has a laid-back and less affluent vibe compared to the neighboring Los Cabos. On the other hand, it is a destination with countless stunning beaches where you can snorkel or scuba dive.
— This city provides its visitors with a pier filled with cafés and restaurants, a museum dedicated to whales, and the possibility to swim with the world’s biggest fish (yes, fish!) — the whale shark.

6. Guadalajara
Reasons to visit:
— Every year this city is the site of two of the most country’s most important cultural festivals: the International Book Fair, that will host India as its international guest in 2019, and of course, Guadalajara International Film Festival, which showcases the most important in Mexican and international cinema.

States

7. San Luis Potosí
Reasons to visit:
— The Leonora Carrington Museum was recently inaugurated in the pueblo mágico of Xilitla.
— One of the top destinations for 2019 is Real de Catorce, a town reinvented as a colonial destination for its mining past.
— You can also visit the Huasteca Potosina, especially the Tamul waterfall — the highest waterfall in the region.

8. Quintana Roo
Reasons to visit:
— This year, the largest under water archaeological site in the world was found in this state.
— In recent years, the destination has become (even more) accessible to tourists with more roads, more hotels, and various restaurants committed to sustainability.
— Thanks to the Mayan influence, there has been a resurgence of gastronomy in several regions.

9. Yucatan
Reasons to visit:
— In 2018, UNESCO named the Ixi’im restaurant in Mérida as the most beautiful in the world.
— In the town of Chicxulub, there is a crater formed by the fall of an asteroid. Some say that the dinosaurs became extinct here.
— This year an underground cenote was discovered under the iconic Chichén Itzá pyramid.

10. Oaxaca
Reasons to visit:
— This state has two zones you cannot miss: its Pacific coasts and the towns in the heart of the Sierra Madre del Sur.
— It is essential to visit the Pyramids of Monte Alban, an archaeological site that has been expanding for some time thanks to recent discoveries.
— A must-see is Hierve el Agua; a system of petrified mineral waterfalls formed thousands of years ago.
— If you go to the city, you can not go without visiting the 2.3 hectares of endemic plants that embody the Ethnobotanical Garden of the City of Oaxaca.

11. Chiapas
Reasons to visit:
— To truly experience this state, you have to get to know the Lacandon Jungle — one of Mexico’s lungs full of culture, camping sites, and boutique hotels.
— Rafting the impressive Canyon del Sumidero is one of Mexico’s most unique experiences.
— One of the state’s wonders is San Cristóbal de las Casas — a village in the middle of the mountains with unique tourist activities and an eclectic architecture that is seen in the churches and cultural centers of the region. Here there is also a textile tradition that was inherited from pre-Hispanic cultures.
— A unique experience is to cleanse yourself in the polytheistic church of San Juan Chamula.

Experiences

12. El Chepe
Reasons to visit:
— Touring the six canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara via rail is a magnificent way to discover Mexico’s northern landscape.
— In 2019, the train was remodeled and now offers a first class option — the Chepe Express, whose restaurant is run by chef Daniel Ovadía.

13. Natural springs and dunes in Coahuila
Reasons to visit:
— Legend has it that the first settlers chose this area for its natural springs.
— Today, the municipality of Cuatro Ciénegas is an oasis in the middle of the desert, whose hue changes according to the time of day.

14. Go see monarch butterflies
Reasons to visit:
— The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán is the ideal place to experience this natural phenomenon.
— This reserve was created to protect the butterflies’ natural environment and habitat. It has an area of ​​56 thousand hectares and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.

15. Whale watching in the Sea of ​​Cortez
Reasons to visit:
— Humpback whales arrive from Alaska to the Sea of ​​Cortez in November and stay until March. Seeing them in the open waters is a special sight.
— According to the experts, the whales come to Mexico to mate and raise their calves.
— The ideal destinations to observe them are Mazatlán and La Paz. In both places, marine biologists have created initiatives that, in addition to giving tours, investigate the individual whales arriving in Mexico.

16. Valle de Guadalupe
Reasons to visit:
— This wine region is in the northern part of the state of Baja California.
— The area has a series of unique desert landscapes, but also many types of grapes in the wineries. You can find several labels of different origins and multiple tours to learn about the process of winemaking.
— You cannot miss “the bubble hotel”— where you can literally sleep under the stars.

17. Swimming with whale sharks
Reasons to visit:
— Swimming with the largest fish in the world is possible on the Caribbean island of Holbox — one of the most beautiful places in Mexico.
— The island recently banned all use of disposable plastics, being one of the first places in the country to do this.
— During the new moon, you can go swimming in the bioluminescent waters at night.

18. Textile route through Mexico
Reasons to visit:
— From the mountains in Chiapas, through the isthmus of Oaxaca, and up to the Sierra Tarahumara, the textiles of the different indigenous communities are an artisanal expression of Mexican culture and a perfect excuse to take a trip focused on sustainability in the south of Mexico.

19. Punta Mita
Reasons to visit:
— This is where the Sea of ​​Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet.
— This destination offers a wide range of possibilities for tourists, from surfing to visiting the Archaeological Zone of Guachimonton.
— At this beach, there are many exclusive resorts. It is an ideal destination for an upscale getaway. An option is Four Seasons Punta Mita, offering its guests a golf course with coastal views and a 360º view of the sea.

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Other articles that may interest you:

Finding the Monarch Butterflies of Central Mexico
Five Hotel Gastronomic Experiences We Love in Mexico
San Miguel de Allende: central Mexico’s whimsical World Heritage Site