Thousands of travelers each year find themselves in the beautiful Riviera Maya region. There are many things to do here and there is something for almost anyone. Riviera Maya, located in the Yucatan, has a myriad of activities for the young and old alike.

For those interested in seeing historical sites, the Tulum ruins are nearby. These ruins are the only ruins by the sea in Mexico and is considered one of the most beautiful things about Riviera Maya. At Tulum, one can see more than sixty structures. By the main temple, there is a small beach where travelers can swim and look up at the ruins. Cobá is a great place for visiters walk among many Mayan architectural wonders such as temples and other structures reaching up from the jungle floor.

Riviera Maya is also a great place for those who enjoy water sports. Snorkeling and scuba diving is highly popular here as the region has a sprawling underwater ecosystem. Xel-Ha is the best place in the area to explore underwater life. The area is surrounded by underwater caves, rocky coastlines, and thick jungles. The beaches at Akumal offer silky white beaches perfect for swimming.

For those who enjoy a little excitement, there is much to be done at Xcaret, which is a theme park that allows visitors to swim with dolphins, walk jungle trails, learn about Yucatan ecology, and swim at the beach. The park also allows visitors to floats down one of two rivers in the area. Akun Chen gives visitors the chance to explore caves and subterranean rivers flow through many of the area’s caves.

Travelers who prefer to just relax often enjoy many of the areas spas. Many of these spas give personalized treatments in a relaxing environment. This is a treat for not only the sense of touch, but the sense of smell as well. Many of the area spas offer treatments such as clay massages, crystal therapy, and even henna tattoos.

Playa Del Carmen, or Playa as many call it, is a beautiful beachside city located in Yucatan. It is best reached by flying into Cancun and taking the short drive to Playa. Playa Del Carmen, once a small Mexican fishing village, has been growing at the rate of 25%+ per year. This account for many of the tourist attractions and lively activities that the area now offers.

5th Avenue, which runs along the ocean in Playa Del Carmen, has a myriad of hotels, restaurants, and rentals. There are also many stores along 5th avenue where tourists can find clothing, local crafts, rum, and even Cuban cigars. The many bars and clubs along 5th also give Play its party atmosphere which brings tourists in droves.

Playa Del Carmen is also known, obviously, for its beaches. The sand here is white and clean and the water is blue. The local beach crew also cleans any seaweed or garbage out of the water to keep the area nice for tourists. Water sports such as diving and snorkeling are popular here as there is a small coral reef nearby. Fishing is also highly popular in the area. There are many boating companies that will take tourists out for the water activities.

Those who wish to enjoy Playa Del Carmen, but wish to stay off the beaten path, there are many unique non-touristy stores as travelers get further inland away from the beach scene. The prices of things also get much cheaper as many tourists tend to stay near their resorts. By leaving the tourist areas, travelers can save a lot of money when purchasing things like clothing an souvenirs. The crafts made away from the tourist locales give visitors a look at things made more from the heart and less mass-produced. Also, travelers also get a better look at “real” Mexico as they get further away from the tourist attractions.

Merida, the capital city of the Mexican state of Yucatan, is one of many popular Mexican travel destinations. Known as the White City, Merida is constructed of mostly white limestone. Many of the buildings are traditionally painted white as well. Up until recently, it was difficult for travelers to reach Merida due to the road conditions in Mexico. Because of this, those living in Merida became a tightly knit community. They are warm people and there is little crime in Merida.

Merida is a great place to go for those who wish to enjoy the beauty of the Yucatan peninsula, but want to stay away from tourist traps. Because of the aforementioned tightly knit communal feel of Merida, it is a great place for travelers to get a “real” look at Mexico and see how Mexicans really live their daily lives. There is a deep culture in Merida which can be seen in many locales. Many traditional dances and foods can be experienced here.

For those who wish to explore the many ruins of the Yucatan, Merida is the perfect place to be. Because of its central location to many ruins, Merida makes a great hub. Merida is also connected to Cancun via highway, which makes Merida a great place to spend a day trip for those who want to get away from the crowds. Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Campeche and Cozumel are also somewhat close which makes Merida a great place to be for those who wish to explore the Yucatan peninsula as a whole. Another great place for traveler’s to visit is nearby Progreso which is a port where flamingoes can be seen. There are also salt flats in .

Those who wish to travel to a historical, fun, beautiful, and large city should consider Mexico City. Mexico City has just about everything for just about anyone. The Zócalo (main square) is the largest main square in Latin America. Another thing that makes it special is that is the location where Montezuma’s palace once stood. Mexico City is filled with monuments, fountains, plane trees, and friendly people.

Chapultepec Park should not be missed as it is a 2000 acre park containing many different types of entertainment including three museums one of which is the National Museum of Anthropology. The National Museum of Anthropology, which was built in the 1960s, has one of the best collections of ancient Mexican crafts, jewelery, sculptures, and more. This is truly a place where tourists can get a look into the lives of those who lived hundreds of years ago before the Spanish even came to Mexico. For those with children, it’s a good idea to take them to the Papalote which is a children’s museum filled with educational and fun experiences. Papalote is also located in Chapultepac Park. There are also many different beautiful historic neighborhoods in the area for those who wish to see some of Mexico’s finest architecture. There are also many zoos in Mexico City as well as amusement parks for those who don’t really care much for history. Mexico City houses both Six Flags Mexico, which includes Batman the Ride and the Medusa Roller Coaster, and La Feria de Chapultepec, which has Mexico’s first roller coaster and many other attractions.

Mexico City is very much unlike American cities as there is no distinct downtown. American cities such as Chicago have the largest high rises in the center of the city whereas Mexico City has high rises all over the place making for many different places a tourist can explore. The Ciudadela crafts market is a great place to buy crafts made by different cultural groups. This is great for those who wish to see “real” Mexican crafts.

For those who are looking for a luxurious vacation, there is no need to look any further than Cancun, Mexico. Those who’ve never been to Cancun may wonder what there is to do in Cancun besides bake in the sun. There is actually a lot to do in Cancun. Those traveling to Cancun should have an idea of what they’re looking for in a vacation. Those looking for a romantic setting may want to plan on some more romantic types of activities and those looking to party may want to do something different. Luckily, Cancun is a great destination for vacationers of all shapes and sizes.

Those looking to enjoy water sports such as snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, swimming, etc, may want to consider the lagoon side as these types of water sports are more popular on this side. Those looking to surf are urged to head over the the Caribbean side of Cancun where the waves are higher.

Many people honeymoon in Cancun and there are many romantic getaways here. Many honeymooners stay in the beach side villas so they can get an ocean breeze and a romantic setting. There are many all-inclusive resorts in the area that have great packages for honeymooners.

Those who are vacationing with children may want to plan on some activities that would be fun for the whole family. There are many water parks and activities that many different types of people enjoy. Many resorts also have activities on the premises that children enjoy. Some even offer babysitting so adults have time to enjoy their own activities.

Cancun has a nightlife like no other. With bars and nightclubs nearly everywhere, the party seems to never end in Cancun. Different clubs offer different types of atmospheres and music, so no-one is left out. There are many different clubs that offer salsa music, world music, techno, etc. The music varieties are almost limitless, so any one wanting to party can do so in Cancun.

Those who have never been to Mexico have little knowledge of how it is a gem hidden in the rough. There are literally thousands of things to see and do in Mexico and these things are enjoyable for people of all ages.

For those who enjoy taking the scenic route to wherever they go, there is a lot to be enjoyed in Mexico. There are the beautiful snow-capped volcanoes of Popocatépetl (first image) and Nevado de Toluca. Those who enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving may be shocked to hear that many actually do so in the craters of these volcanoes. There are also many historic sites to see such as Mitla (second image), which are ancient ruins constructed by the Zapotec civilization around 200 AD. Nearby to the ruins there is a large tree which may well be older than the ruins themselves. There is also the Copper Canyon railway (third image) which is one of the most beautiful and scenic train trips that tourists can take. Those who enjoy scenery such as canyons and rivers will find themselves finding both on this trip. For those with a little bit of cowboy in them, there are ranches that are open for tourists to visit and to enjoy horseback riding. Some ranches also offer tequila tasting as a way to cap off the evening.

Those who enjoy the beach scene will be quickly spoiled in Mexico. Mexico is known for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world including Cabos San Lucas (image to the left) and Cozumel. Beaches are very lively places in Mexico thus thousands of American tourists find themselves at Mexican beaches each year. Mexico is also known for its fine arts. Many people flock to Mexico City’s Palace of fine arts to see many cultural dances and ballets.

One of the best ways of traveling around Mexico is by bus. There are many different sights there are to see throughout Mexico that can’t really be seen by train and those who drive themselves often miss things themselves. Traveling by bus also allows those traveling Mexico to meet other travelers.

There are different types of buses in Mexico and each one offers something different. Each one has their own price range as well, so it’s important for traveler’s to know what type of bus they’d like to travel on before embarking on a long trip in one. The nicest buses have comfortable reclining seats and often have snacks or drinks for their customers to enjoy on long trips. Some also have televisions and provide headphones so that passengers can enjoy a movie while they travel. There are also “Segunda Clase” buses that are something like an American school buses with slightly more comfort. However, these buses don’t reserve seats and when they get full there is often standing room only. Standing room only is great for those who are traveling a short distance, but those who are taking a longer ride will likely not enjoy the bus trip.

Travelers can literally get to anywhere in Mexico by bus as almost every town has at least one bus stop. Larger cities obviously have numerous bus stops. It’s easy for anyone to find a bus from downtown Mexico City to Cancun or even to La Paz (which is one really long, but scenic bus trip.) Also, buses of course can take tourists over short distances such as from one side of Mexico City to the other and this can be done for a very low cost. This is great for those who don’t wish to rent a car in Mexico or those who enjoy travel on a budget.

Puerto Vallarta, located on the west coast of Mexico in the state of Jalisco, attracts many visitors in the United States looking to find the place with perfect weather. Puerto Vallarto has much to offer its visitors with cobblestone streets, the beautiful Pacific ocean, the Sierra Madre mountains, exciting culture, and vibrant nightlife. Despite the recent surge in tourists, Puerto Vallarta has kept its Mexican charm making it a great place for tourists to have a fun, luxurious vacation and still experience real Mexico.

Those who enjoy water sports will not be disappointed as the Banderas Bay offers much in the way of water sports. This bay, one of the deepest bays in the world, offers swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing and more. This area is known for its diving and is one of the best places in Mexico to go scuba diving as there are many underwater caves nearby that divers can explore. Many villas on the beach offer snorkeling and scuba diving lessons for those who are interested. Many people also rent kayaks and go kayaking to the nearby islands to explore many of the tropical ecosystems and secret beaches the area offers. The area is also known for its eco-tours and zip lines. Anyone interested in eco-tours will never find themselves bored in Puerto Vallarta. The Banderas Bay, being the second largest bay in North America, offers a lot in the way of boating. Sailing is popular here and many tourists find themselves on a sailboat enjoying the sun or learning how to sail. Kite surfing and para sailing are also popular here.

Other outdoor activities include exploring what the Sierra Madre has to offer. By way of the Sierra Madre mountains, tourists can experience the Mexican outback and see the many plants and animals in this sub-tropical location. Many tours will take visitors out here to allow them to experience this beautiful area. Some of these tours will also take tourists to local villages, too.