Mexico Highlights

It was difficult to limit the choices to only a few Mexico highlights. Mexico is an explosion of colors. Be it waterfalls, the ocean, or buildings, the colors are more intense than in other countries. Apart from the amazing places you can see in Mexico, I think traveling in Mexico is also a lot about the social people you will meet. In no other country have I spontaneously spent time with strangers as much as in Mexico. Alexander Supertramp was right with “Happiness is only real when shared.” And in Mexico, you will surely share your happiness with new friends.

1 Ek Balam Ruins

So many ruins are in Mexico that it’s actually not fair to pick one as the best one. However, I really enjoyed Ek Balam because the ruins are surrounded by jungle and you could climb the steep steps up to the top, which gave way to a view across the jungle and the other ruins. Plus, there weren’t as many tourists as in Palenque or Coba. Yet, I also liked Chichen Itza because it is so well preserved and Teotihuacan. After all, it’s simply so big. Hence, I don’t think you can travel to Mexico and only visit one archeological site :-).

2 Cenote Oxman, Valladolid

With the cenotes, it’s the same as with the pyramids. There are so many and most of them are amazing. Cenotes are craters in the ground that are filled with underground water. Because the water is constantly filtered through rocks, it’s incredibly clear and you can see as far as the light reaches. Plus, the water always shines in a light or dark blue. Some cenotes are connected through underground water passages that even lead into the ocean. Therefore, you find a mixture of sea and freshwater in some cenotes.

I loved cenote Oxman near Valladolid because tree roots hang from the ceiling down into the cenote. The crater is pretty open and therefore you have a lot of natural light, but the descent is cool because you follow along the crater wall. Other nice cenotes are Dos Ojos near Tulum, Jardin del Eden near Playa del Carmen or Santa Rosa in Homun.

In summary, if you want to have a bit of the best of all you should visit El Jardin del Eden for a nice open-air pool with trees and rocks, Dos Ojos for the blue color, and the cave experience, and Oxman for the beauty of the vines.

3 Roberto Barrios waterfall

If this isn’t your first travel guide by me, you might know that I love waterfalls! While the famous Agua Azul in the state of Chiapas certainly was pretty, I was even more struck by the just as blue Cascada Roberto Barrios. It’s less touristy than Agua Azul, but there are many small waterfalls with ponds that you can swim in.

If you want to read more about traveling in Mexico, check out my “I love Mexico” travel guide on Amazon.

You can buy it here in German or here in English.