Mexico is the country I keep coming back to. It is not one place — it is a dozen different landscapes, cuisines and cultures packed into a country the size of Western Europe. The Pacific coast beaches share nothing with the Chiapas highlands. The Yucatan jungle is a different world from the Sonoran desert. The colonial cities of the Bajio feel like a different century from Mexico City. And the bus system connects all of it for the price of a few hundred pesos.
In This Article
Where to Start
If you have never been: Oaxaca. No question. The food, the culture, the markets, the ruins, the coast within reach — Oaxaca gives you the best introduction to what makes Mexico extraordinary. Spend at least a week.
If you have been before and want to go deeper: Chiapas (San Cristobal, Palenque, the Lacandon jungle), Michoacan (Morelia, Patzcuaro, monarch butterflies), or the Copper Canyon.
If you want beaches without resorts: the Oaxacan coast (Zipolite, Puerto Escondido, Mazunte) or San Blas in Nayarit.
Getting Around
Buses are the backbone. First-class ADO, Estrella Blanca, Primera Plus and ETN connect every major city. Flights are cheap on Volaris and VivaAerobus if booked ahead. Renting a car makes sense in Baja, the Yucatan and the Copper Canyon region, but is unnecessary in the south where buses go everywhere.
Budget
Mexico is cheap for travelers. A comfortable budget travel day — hostel or basic hotel, three meals at local restaurants, bus transport — runs about $30-50 USD. You can do it cheaper if you camp and cook. You can spend more if you want boutique hotels and sit-down restaurants. The value for money is hard to beat anywhere in the world.