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Best of …
… Yucatán

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Yucatán’s glittering caves


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Shopping in Cancún

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Cancún – a brief overview
Even into the 1970s, Cancún was still a sleepy fishing village on a quiet Caribbean beach. Then the Mexican government decided to transform it into a resort – and did so with overwhelming success. Today, Cancún is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world, attracting six million visitors a year. The village became downtown Cancún, the city center on the mainland, which is home today to the Mexicans working over in the “vacation factory.”
Tourists stay in the Zona Hotelera (hotel zone) on the narrow, but roughly 20-kilometer-long peninsula separating Laguna de Nichupté lagoon from the Caribbean Sea. Many travelers use Cancún as a starting point for their journey into the highlands or continue on from there to places like Tulum and Xcaret on the Riviera Maya. A great way to escape the bustle of Cancún for a day is to take a boat out to nearby Isla Mujeres (the Island of Women)
Flight and accommodation
Top 10 sights in Cancún

Tulum
Mexico
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Tulum, some 130 kilometers south of Cancún, is a unique Maya site – unique because it’s the only Maya ruin located right on the coast. A day trip to Tulum is well worth making if only for the view of the ruined city framed against the gleaming white Caribbean sands and turquoise waves. But exploring the place that was once an important trading center, back in the days of the Maya, and discovering something of its history is also rewarding.
Cancún Aquarium
Boulevard Kukulcan Km 12.5
Zona Hotelera
Cancún
Mexico
Tel.: +52-998/20 63 311
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Opening times:
Daily 0900-2000
This aquarium inside the La Isla Shopping Mall Cancún offers a hands-on experience of marine lore. For instance, it has touch tanks with starfish and sea cucumbers inside for visitors to stroke as well as several viewing tanks containing fish and marine mammals, such as dolphins and sea lions. The aquarium’s Sea Trek tours – 20-minute diving expeditions (for an additional fee) – are particularly attractive
Museo Maya de Cancún
Zona Hotelera
Cancún
Mexico
Tel.: +52-998/88 53 842
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Opening times:
Tue-Sun 0900-1800
One of the most recent additions to Cancún’s line-up of galleries and museums, the Museo Maya de Cancún is home to approximately 350 Mayan artefacts housed in three separate galleries. The admission price also includes access to the San Miguelito ruins.
Torre Escénica de Cancún
Zona Hotelera
Cancún
Mexico
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At 100 meters, the scenic tower is Cancún’s tallest structure. As it climbs slowly to a height of 85 meters, the tower’s observation platform for up to 60 people revolves around its own axis, affording an unbeatable panoramic view of the ocean, the lagoon and the entire Zona Hotelera.
Xcaret
77710 Playa del Carmen
Mexico
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Opening times:
Daily 0830-2230
A huge theme park celebrating Mexican culture, Xcaret boasts a large stretch of jungle and a pristine chunk of Caribbean coastline. Snorkelling is a popular activity and when night falls, the park puts on flamboyant local dance displays.
Playa Delfines
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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One of Cancún’s loveliest public beaches, Playa Delfines offers creamy white sand and beautifully clean turquoise water. Several of the shops lining the sand rent out sunbeds, while others specialise in watersports – among them parasailing.
Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA)
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Opening times:
Various
One of the world’s most unusual art museums, MUSA is a collection of about 500 modern sculptures – all of which are located underwater close to the Manchones Reef. Although a dry visitor centre exists, most visits are done in a glass-bottom boat or as part of a scuba dive.
Sian Ka'an
Mexico
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A three-hour drive from Cancún, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is one of Mexico’s most important wild areas thanks to its enormously diverse flora and fauna. UNESCO listed since 1987, activities include boat tours, snorkelling on its pristine reef and exploring the site’s Mayan ruins.
Isla Mujeres
77400 Isla Mujeres
Mexico
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True, the days when the island off Cancún was a sleepy paradise are past and gone. But it is still worth a visit. As well as some lovely bathing spots on the Playa Norte, the island has some interesting attractions, including the Capitán Dulché Museum and the Tortugranja marine turtle conservation station and hatchery. Tip: There are plenty of catamaran services to the island, but quaint, old-fashioned ferries also make the crossing and depart from Puerto Juarez.
Swimming with dolphins
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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The Caribbean coast is home to dolphins. These friendly, inquisitive creatures accept and interact with human visitors, and several tour operators run trips from Cancún, Cozumel and Isla de Mujeres. Various aquariums also offer dolphin visits. Also available are tours to the habitats of whale sharks, the world’s largest fish.
Flight and accommodation
Country information
Country overview
Mexico is one of the most popular travel destinations in Latin America. Nowhere will you find a more diverse range of natural spectacles and fascinating structures dating from several centuries. More than 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) of Pacific and Caribbean coastline beckon with the promise of relaxing bathing vacations amid dream surroundings; Acapulco and Cancún are among the biggest magnets for beach lovers and divers. The architectural legacies of the Olmecs, Toltecs, Maya and Aztecs hold a fascination for all visitors. The best-known archeological sites are Chichén Itza and Uxmal on Yucatán and the pyramid city of Teotihuacán in the Central Highlands. Mexican culture has been shaped by Indigenous and colonial influences have shaped Mexican culture, which is extraordinarily colorful.
Festivals are held throughout the year, and if you can, arrange to celebrate the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (November 1 and 2) with Mexicans. The spectacle commemorating the dead involves weird skull and skeleton jewelry and morbid baked goods.
Geography
Mexico is at the southern extremity of North America and is bordered to the north by the USA, northwest by the Gulf of California, west by the Pacific, south by Guatemala and Belize, and east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Mexico’s geographical features range from swamp to desert, and from tropical lowland jungle to high alpine vegetation.
Over half the country is at an altitude greater than 1,000m (3,300ft). The central land mass is a plateau flanked by ranges of mountains to the east and west that lie roughly parallel to the coast. The northern area of this plateau is arid and thinly populated.
General knowledge
Key facts
Population: 124,7 Million (estimate 2018)
Capital: Mexico City (Ciudad de México)
Language
Spanish is the official language.
Currency
Mexican Peso (MXN; symbol M$) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of M$1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of M$10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50 and 20 centavos.
Note: The M$1,000 and M$500 notes can be difficult to change and are sometimes not accepted.
Electricity
110 volts AC, 60Hz. American two-pin (flat) plugs are usual, but most sockets cannot accept a US-style three-pin plug.
Public holidays
Listed below are the public holidays for the period January 2020 to December 2021.
2020
Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2020
Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day): 3 and 4 February 2020
Natalicio de Benito Juárez (Birthday Benito Juárez): 15 and 16 March 2020
Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): 5 April 2020
Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday): 9 April 2020
Viernes Santo (Good Friday): 10 April 2020
Domingo de Pascua (Easter Sunday): 12 April 2020
Primero de Mayo (May Day): 1 May 2020
Batalla de Puebla (Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla): 5 May 2020
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day): 16 September 2020
Día de la Raza (Columbus Day): 12 October 2020
Día de los Muertos (All Souls’ Day): 2 November 2020
Aniversario de la Revolución (Revolution Day): 15 and 16 November 2020
Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe): 12 December 2020
Día de Navidad (Christmas Day): 25 December 2020
2021
Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2021
Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day): 1 and 5 February 2021
Natalicio de Benito Juárez (Birthday Benito Juárez): 15 March 2021
Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): 28 March 2021
Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday): 1 April 2021
Viernes Santo (Good Friday): 2 April 2021
Domingo de Pascua (Easter Sunday): 4 April 2021
Primero de Mayo (May Day): 1 May 2021
Batalla de Puebla (Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla): 5 May 2021
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day): 16 September 2021
Día de la Raza (Columbus Day): 12 October 2021
Día de los Muertos (All Souls’ Day): 2 November 2021
Aniversario de la Revolución (Revolution Day): 15 and 20 November 2021
Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe): 12 December 2021
Día de Navidad (Christmas Day): 25 December 2021
All information subject to change.
Flight and accommodation
Yucatán – Best of tourist destinations
Extending between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, Yucatán has everything visitors could want for. For the more energetic vacationers, there are Maya temples deep in the jungle to climb and some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world to dive down to,
while visitors who prefer to take things easy on holiday will enjoy strolling through some splendid colonial towns, taking a dip in one of the magical waterholes (cenotes) or chilling on one of the gleaming white beaches hereabouts. Read on to discover some of the peninsula’s highlights.
Dive near Banco Chinchorro
Malecón s/n, Col. Mahahual
77940 Mahahual
Quintana Roo
Mexico
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The Banco Chinchorro reef is a divers’ paradise. The largest atoll in the northern hemisphere, it is separated from the east coast of Yucatán by an underwater valley 1000 meters deep and 30 kilometers wide. Diving here, you can spot wooden shipwrecks with heavy cannons as well as an amazing number of diverse species. Huge barrel and Venus’ flower basket sponges sway with the ocean swell, while crocodiles, turtles, spotted eagle rays and in some places reef and hammerhead sharks swim to and fro among the bright violets and oranges of elephant ear corals. A colorful underwater scene.
Swim in the X’Kekén cenote
Camino a Dzitnup
97780 Valladolid
Quintana Roo
Mexico
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Yucatán is famous for its cenotes – subterranean limestone caves with freshwater-filled sinkholes – like X’Kekén near the village of Dzitnup, a roughly 15-minute car ride southwest of Valladolid. Stalactites several meters long hang from the roof here, and a hole allows a ray dim daylight to shine on the water, inviting swimmers and divers to take a dip. Outside, just a few meters away, there’s the entrance to the Samulá cenote, another cave temple, in which the roots of the cottonwood trees reach right down to the water. Information about these and other cenotes is available from the local tourism office.
Watch flamingos in Celestún
Calle 12 antigua Carretera Sisal s/n
Rancho Santa Cruz de Xixim
97367 Celestún
Quintana Roo
Mexico
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Celestún, in the far west of the Yucatán Peninsula, is a sun-scorched fishing village where the word “hectic” is unknown. The beaches have beautiful fine, white sand, but most visitors come for the Reserva de la Biosfera Ría Celestún, a 590-square-kilometer nature reserve with dense jungle and vast mangroves that are home to over 350 species of birds. To really get close to the animals, take one of the boat trips that can be booked all over town – as well as through the Xixim Unique Mayan Hotel right next door to the nature reserve.
Visit the ruins of Becán
Carretera Federal 186, Kilometer 146
Becán, Chetumal
Quintana Roo
Mexico
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To avoid the crowds that descend on the famous pyramids of Chichén Itzá, take a trip further south, to the ruins of Becán near Campeche. The Maya inhabited this place for some 1500 years and erected a mighty ceremonial center here. Visitors will be impressed not only by the ancient plaza, stone ball courts, dwellings and large defensive ditch, but also by the pyramids towering up to 32 meters high with their monumental flights of steps, twin towers and cylindrical pillars. And unlike so many other Maya sites, people are welcome to walk and climb wherever they like.
Go kayaking in Laguna Bacalar
Carretera Federal 307, Kilometer 27
77930 Bacalar
Quintana Roo
Mexico
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Close to Chetumal, deep in the jungle on the east coast of Yucatán, there’s a lagoon that really isn’t a lagoon at all. Over 60 kilometers long, Laguna Bacalar is a stretch of water made up of seven connected cenotes, where people come to camp, bathe and relax. A tour in a kayak rented from a local tour operator or rental company is a particularly pleasant way to spend a few hours on the shimmering blue and turquoise waters of the lake. Along the way, levies, wooden pavilions and water swings make good places to take a break. From a boat, you also have a fantastic view of the Spanish fort near Bacalar town that once protected the settlers from pirate raids.
Stroll down Paseo de Montejo
Paseo de Montejo, Calle 56A
97000 Mérida
Quintana Roo
Mexico
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Merida is the peninsula’s cultural center. The downtown area with its narrow, cobbled streets, sunny plazas, museums, galleries and some of the best restaurants in the region is absolutely charming, but to see the town from its most impressive side, you really need to stroll down Paseo de Montejo, the boulevard running between Calles 56 and 58. The urban planners who designed it back in colonial times were aiming to create something to compare with Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma or the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Especially in the evening hours, in the romantic light of the street lamps, the boulevard with its fountains, green areas, heroic monuments and opulently decorated 19th century mansions, is at its most splendid.
Flight and accommodation
Samulá – amazing cave in Yucatán
The Mexican peninsula of Yucatán has more than 1000 cenotes, limestone sinkholes filled with freshwater. Many of them are connected to each other in an extensive system of caves. Samulá, a magnificent, subterranean cenote, is located some 160 kilometers west of Cancún. As the day progresses, the sunlight entering through a small chink in the cavern roof moves across the surface of the water far below the ground, so that it glitters a brilliant turquoise, making bathing, snorkeling and simply observing an unforgettable experience. A flight of steps is the only access to the cenote. Daily tours to the cave are available from Cancún.
Camino a Dzitnup
Valladolid 97780
Mexico
Flight and accommodation
Restaurants in Cancún
Cancún’s restaurant scene is as diverse as you would expect of an internationally popular resort, with Mediterranean and Asian cuisine on offer, as well as Mexican and U.S.
To eat like a local, leave the Zona Hotelera behind and head for downtown Cancún on the mainland, where the fare is traditional Mexican and prices are far lower than in the resort.
Tempo by Martin Berasategui
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Price: Luxurious
Contemporary cuisine and a respectable wine list make the Tempo one of the top addresses in Cancún. Reservations recommended.
Bandoneon
Zona Centro
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Price: Luxurious
An Argentinean restaurant, Bandoneon has a menu that carnivores’ dreams are made of.
La Palapa Belga
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Price: Moderate
An open-air thatched restaurant in the heart of the Hotel Zone, it specialises in Belgian and French cuisine.
La Destileria
Zona Hotelera, La Isla
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Price: Moderate
Tequila is the beverage they serve up here with Mexican specialties. Tip: If you’re fond of mariachi bands, you’ll like it here.
El Galeon del Caribe
Zona Hotelera
Cancún
Mexico
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Price: Budget
This snack bar is tucked away down near the lagoon, but if you have the patience to seek it out, you will be rewarded because fish tacos, the house specialty, are reputedly the best in all of Cancún.
Flight and accommodation
Hotels in Cancún
The Hotel Zone is dominated by big resorts but downtown and the nearby islands are home to a smattering of quieter, more stylish places to stay.
Le Blanc Spa Resort
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Category: Luxurious
This all-inclusive hotel complex is one of the top addresses in Cancún. Spacious, luxuriously appointed rooms, a spa and several restaurants are all part of the package. Please note: The Le Blanc is an “adults only” hotel.
Hyatt Ziva Cancún
Manzana 51, Lote 7
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Category: Luxurious
One of the most popular luxury hotels in Cancún offering every conceivable comfort and convenience, from an infinity pool with an amazing view over the Caribbean to a butler service. Its first-class location on the Punta Cancún perfects the luxury.
GR Solaris Cancún
Mz 55 Lote 59-2 Seccion A 2da Etapa
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Category: Moderate
A sprawling resort with comfortable rooms, this hotel is usually peaceful but can get noisy in peak season.
Hotel Antillano
Ciudad de Cancún
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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Category: Budget
This hotel is situated close to the bus station in the center of downtown Cancún. It has ensuite rooms with air conditioning and an outdoor pool.
Mansion Giahn
77560 Cancún
Mexico
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Category: Budget
This bed and breakfast is located on the Tulum road, between the airport and downtown Cancún. When you book here, you get a decent place to sleep at a fair price.
Flight and accommodation
Nightlife in Cancún
Cancún is famous for its nightlife, with everything from huge nightclubs to beach shacks, tavernas and quiet bars on offer.
The entertainment on offer caters mainly to U.S. tastes.
The City
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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This three-storey club claims to be the largest in Latin America and is famous for live acts.
Carlos’n Charlie’s
Boulevard Kukulkan Km 8
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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A popular bar that stays open into the small hours, drinks are cheap and the atmosphere friendly.
Coco Bongo
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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A Cancún institution, Coco Bongo is a vast nightclub with good music and acrobatic performances.
HAN Social Room
Diomeda Local 16 y 17
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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A slickly decorated drinking spot that has proved a hit with stylish locals and well-heeled tourists.
Columbus Dinner Cruises
77500 Cancún
Mexico
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The Columbus, a sailboat resembling a pirate galleon, offers moonlight cruises on Nichupté Lagoon. Sultry saxophone in the background combined with lobster and seafood on the menu make for a truly romantic experience.
Flight and accommodation
Calendar of events
Carnaval (Carnival)
February 21 – 23, 2020
Venue: Cancún
Attendants to this annual festival celebrate the coming of Ash Wednesday in full flair with plenty of art shows, fireworks and nightly street celebrations. Watch shimmying dancers in brilliantly coloured costumes and impressive street parade floats while feasting on enough local food and drink to last through the fasting of Lent.
Spring Break
March 2 – 24, 2020
Venue: Cancún
Every spring, when U.S. universities and colleges have a few lecture-free days, hordes of young people head for Cancún. Spring break is like a force of nature urging everyone wishing to join in the pretty wild revelry to travel to Cancún.
Cancún Day
April 20, 2020
Venue: Boulevard Kukulkan
Cancún throws one of its biggest parties for its anniversary on 20 April. The festivities begin a few days early when locals serenade their city happy birthday backed by a mariachi band. The following days bring a traditional street parade and plenty of fairs, music and dancing.
Cancún Jazz Festival
This jazz festival is held every year on Memorial Day weekend. Visitors are – no big surprise – mainly from the USA, but the musicians come from all over the world. The venue is a wonderful beach resort just south of Cancún.
Día de los Muertos
November 1, 2020
Venue: Cancún and all of Mexico
Families build extravagant altars decorated with candles, flowers and skull-shaped candy and bread to honour their dead relatives with a feast of their favourite food and drink.
All information subject to change. Please check the dates on the relevant event organizer’s website.
Flight and accommodation
Phone calls & Internet
Telephone/Mobile Telephone
Dialing code: +52
Telephone
Public telephones are found in casetas de teléfono – normally in restaurants, snack bars and small stores. You will also find public card telephones on the street. These are operated by various telephone companies, and telephone cards can be purchased in supermarkets and kiosks, for example. Making international calls from your hotel can be horrendously expensive, so make sure to inquire about prices before making a call.
Mobile Telephone
A cell phone is called a teléfono celular in Mexico. A regional cellular network using TDMA and GXM 1900 operates in Cancún, for which a tri-band device is required. It usually costs far less to buy a cheap cell phone with a Mexican SIM card locally, from Telcel (telcel.com) or Movistar (movistar.com), say. Network coverage is good in Mexican cities, but there may be gaps in rural areas.
Internet
Free Internet access via Wi-Fi is possible in many busy tourist spots. When using public Wi-Fi networks, it is a wise precaution to ensure encryption of all passwords, credit card details and banking credentials entered. Use of a VPN app or security software to check the safety of a hotspot is recommended.
Flight and accommodation
Shopping in Cancún
Key Areas
Stores of every kind, from Mexican general stores to U.S.-style luxury malls line the central Boulevard Kulkulkán in Cancún’s Zona Hotelera. The goods generally cost less in downtown Cancún, where Avenida Tulum is the best address for shopping.
Markets
There are groups of foods stalls in the style of mini-farmers’ markets on almost every street corner in Cancún, usually along with second-hand, T-shirt and sunglasses stalls. If you’re looking for unusual souvenirs, try Market 28 (Calle Xel Ha in Downtown Cancún), which sells clothes, ceramics and decorations.
Shopping Centres
For many guests, shopping is an integral part of the vacation program and the Zona Hotelera (hotel zone) caters to their needs. Well-known addresses there include Plaza Caracol (plazacaracol.mx) on Boulevard Kukulcán and Forum by the Sea (forumcancun.mx).
Flight and accommodation
Best time to visit
Today: Friday, 15.01.2021 07:00 UTC

overcast
temperature
21°C
wind direction
northwind speed
6.25 mphhumidity
99%7 days forecast
Saturday
16.01.2021
23°C / 18°C
Sunday
17.01.2021
23°C / 16°C
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18.01.2021
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Tuesday
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20.01.2021
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Thursday
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Friday
22.01.2021
27°C / 22°C
Climate & best time to visit Mexico
Mexico is a great destination to visit throughout the year. Altitude is a determining factor with regards to the weather, with cooler temperatures at higher elevations (Mexico City, Puebla, San Cristóbal de las Casas) and warmer, tropical weather as you descend to sea level (Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Cancún).
Along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the winter months (November-February) are warm and sunny. Many Europeans visit during this time to escape winter in their homelands. The summer months (June-August), meanwhile, are very hot and humid with heavy rain showers and the occasional hurricane.
October and November are perhaps the best months to visit the interior, after the rains have ended and everything is still green.
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absolute max | absolute min | Ø absolute max | Ø absolute min | relative humidity | Ø precipitation | days with deposit > 1mm | sunshine duration | |
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Jan | 35 °C | 7 °C | 27 °C | 19 °C | 78 % | 59 mm | 5 | 7.0 h |
Feb | 32 °C | 11 °C | 27 °C | 20 °C | 78 % | 38 mm | 4 | 7.0 h |
Mar | 32 °C | 11 °C | 28 °C | 21 °C | 77 % | 45 mm | 3 | 8.0 h |
Apr | 36 °C | 11 °C | 29 °C | 22 °C | 73 % | 32 mm | 2 | 9.0 h |
May | 37 °C | 17 °C | 30 °C | 24 °C | 74 % | 64 mm | 4 | 8.0 h |
Jun | 38 °C | 17 °C | 31 °C | 25 °C | 75 % | 124 mm | 6 | 7.0 h |
Jul | 38 °C | 17 °C | 32 °C | 25 °C | 76 % | 60 mm | 4 | 8.0 h |
Aug | 37 °C | 17 °C | 32 °C | 25 °C | 77 % | 59 mm | 4 | 9.0 h |
Sep | 38 °C | 17 °C | 31 °C | 24 °C | 77 % | 102 mm | 7 | 8.0 h |
Oct | 38 °C | 15 °C | 30 °C | 23 °C | 77 % | 135 mm | 8 | 7.0 h |
Nov | 37 °C | 12 °C | 29 °C | 22 °C | 78 % | 60 mm | 5 | 7.0 h |
Dec | 31 °C | 11 °C | 27 °C | 20 °C | 78 % | 76 mm | 6 | 7.0 h |
year | 38 °C | 7 °C | 29 °C | 23 °C | 76 % | 855 mm | 58 | 7.7 h |
Flight and accommodation
Visa & Immigration
IATA Travel Centre
The IATA Travel Centre delivers accurate passport, visa and health requirement information at a glance. It is a trusted, centralized source for the latest international travel requirements. The IATA Travel Centre is the most accurate source available because it is based on a comprehensive database used by virtually every airline, and information is gathered from official sources worldwide, such as immigration and police authorities.
Flight and accommodation
Traveller etiquette
Social Conventions
Despite its pre-Columbian traditions, Mexico is a largely Christian country. Travelers should behave with sensitivity in religious matters and respect Catholic customs. Children are welcome everywhere. Even an attempt to make yourself understood in Spanish will generally be warmly appreciated. If you are invited to dinner in a Mexican home, it’s better not to arrive bang on time. It’s also a good idea to allow extra time for bus and train journeys, as well as appointments. A handshake is the usual form of greeting.
Clothing
Smart leisurewear is acceptable on the street. Formal attire is only suitable for official occasions. Jeans, shorts, sneakers and sandals are only appropriate in bathing resorts. Restaurants in Mexico City generally expect a more elegant standard of clothing. Your travel baggage should also include long-sleeved clothes and long trousers to protect you from insect stings and bites.
Taking photographs
Always ask permission before you take a Mexican’s photograph.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted on public transportation, in schools, taxis, at airports or bus stations, or most restaurants.
Tipping
Some hotels and restaurants include a service charge in their bills. In restaurants, it is usual to tip roughly 10 to 15 percent of your bill. Porters and chambermaids are happy to receive roughly one U.S. dollar per item of baggage or day of your stay.
Flight and accommodation
Health
Main emergency number: 065
Food & Drink
Water in bottles or marked ‘drinking/sterilised water’ can be drunk without precautions. All other water should be boiled or sterilised before consuming. Milk in major cities, hotels and resorts is pasteurised, otherwise it will probably be unpasteurised. Travellers concerned about drinking unpasteurised milk will find powdered or tinned milk readily available. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, cooked vegetables and peeled fruit.
Other Risks
Diarrhoea and sunburn affect some travellers.
Outbreaks of malaria, filariosis and dengue fever have occurred, chiefly in the southeast states of Chiapas and Veracruz and the northern border states of Chihuahua and Tamaulipas. So, taking precautions against mosquito bites by using DEET and covering arms and legs in the evenings is wise.
Rabies is present. If bitten, seek medical advice without delay.
Take care when going from sea level to high altitude – if you’re sensitive to it, don’t go on any major hikes the first day you arrive. Allow several days to acclimatise to altitudes over 2,500m (8,200ft). Initial symptoms include headaches, breathlessness (especially when walking up hills), dizziness and nausea. This should pass within 72 hours.
Vaccination against hepatitis B is sometimes recommended, especially for those spending long periods of time in Mexico. Hepatitis C occurs. All normal precautions should be exercised to avoid exposure to sexually-transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Flight and accommodation
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