Central & South America · Beach and resort guide
Caribbean resorts, cities and deep cultural travel within one very large country.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
All inclusive, culture and multi-centre travel.
We would think twice for
Travellers who judge a destination by how far they roam from the hotel, because the Riviera's resorts are worlds of their own, and the real Mexico beyond them takes deliberate effort to reach.
What we would want you to know
The resort coast and inland Mexico are very different propositions.
We’ve been here
Our own Mexico travel, in January 2025, was on the Caribbean coast: Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres. Everything beyond it on this page, from Mexico City to the Pacific resorts, comes from research and client enquiries. That split matters, because the Caribbean coast and the rest of the country ask very different things of a traveller.
Map and areas
Where most British visitors stay: Cancún and the Riviera Maya, with the country's biggest choice of all-inclusive resorts, warm sea and Maya ruins within a day trip. Our separate page covers the coast town by town. The catch is scale and sameness, and some summers bring heavy seaweed.
Twin towns at the tip of Baja California, where desert mountains meet the sea at the rock arch of Land's End. Hotels are polished, with golf courses nearby and whale watching in winter. Much of the coast faces the open Pacific and is unsafe for swimming, so hotel choice matters.
A Pacific resort with a real Mexican town at its heart: cobbled streets, a seafront promenade and a lively old quarter around the Zona Romántica. Jungle hills drop to Banderas Bay, where humpbacks arrive in winter. Summer is hot and humid, and the best beaches lie south of town, reached by road or boat.
The Yucatán's elegant capital, with colonial mansions, shady squares and free music and dance on many evenings. It is the base for Uxmal, cenotes and restored haciendas, and a natural add-on to a Caribbean beach week. April and May are fiercely hot, and the sea is a drive away.
A vast capital at about 2,240 metres, with great museums, leafy neighbourhoods such as Roma and Condesa, and street food on every corner. Three nights is a good start. The altitude catches some people out for a day or two, traffic is heavy, and it suits travellers who enjoy big cities.
A handsome colonial city in a mountain valley, famed for its moles, mezcal and markets, with the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán on the hill above. It suits curious travellers and food lovers. It is a flight from Mexico City or the coast, and hotels fill well ahead for its big festivals.
Weather and seasons
Mexico is big enough to hold three weather patterns in one trip. On the Caribbean coast, Cancún's winter highs of 27°C and dry skies make December to April the busy season, while September averages 210mm and carries the main hurricane risk. The Pacific resorts of Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta share that winter dry season, with humpback whales offshore, then a hot, humid summer and storms of their own. Mexico City and Oaxaca sit high enough to stay mild all year, cool on winter nights and wet with afternoon storms from June to September. Late October into early November is a special time to be inland, for the Day of the Dead.
Worth timing a trip around
Dance troupes from Oaxaca's regions perform in traditional dress on two Mondays in late July, with a festival filling the city around them. Tickets and hotels go early.
On the night of the 15th, crowds pack main squares for the Grito, the cry of independence, with fireworks to follow; the 16th brings parades.
Families welcome back their dead with marigold altars, candlelit cemetery vigils and sugar skulls. Oaxaca and Mexico City are the best-known places to see it, so book months ahead.
Oaxaca's main square fills with scenes carved from giant radishes for one evening only, a competition that has run for more than a century.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°C | 20°C | 27°C | 109 mm |
| February | 28°C | 21°C | 26°C | 21 mm |
| March | 29°C | 22°C | 26°C | 44 mm |
| April | 30°C | 24°C | 27°C | 47 mm |
| May | 31°C | 25°C | 28°C | 77 mm |
| June | 31°C | 25°C | 28°C | 175 mm |
| July | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 71 mm |
| August | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 139 mm |
| September | 32°C | 24°C | 29°C | 210 mm |
| October | 30°C | 24°C | 29°C | 195 mm |
| November | 29°C | 22°C | 28°C | 107 mm |
| December | 28°C | 21°C | 27°C | 67 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Cancun Intl, 14 km away at 6 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22°C | 8°C | 3 mm |
| February | 24°C | 9°C | 3 mm |
| March | 26°C | 11°C | 15 mm |
| April | 27°C | 14°C | 20 mm |
| May | 27°C | 15°C | 66 mm |
| June | 25°C | 15°C | 155 mm |
| July | 24°C | 14°C | 174 mm |
| August | 24°C | 14°C | 175 mm |
| September | 24°C | 14°C | 128 mm |
| October | 23°C | 13°C | 57 mm |
| November | 23°C | 10°C | 9 mm |
| December | 22°C | 8°C | 0 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Licenciado Benito Juarez Intl / Mexico City Intl, 6 km away at 2230 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°C | 17°C | 25°C | 23 mm |
| February | 27°C | 18°C | 24°C | 8 mm |
| March | 27°C | 18°C | 24°C | 4 mm |
| April | 27°C | 19°C | 24°C | 0 mm |
| May | 29°C | 22°C | 26°C | 10 mm |
| June | 30°C | 25°C | 28°C | 168 mm |
| July | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 306 mm |
| August | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 288 mm |
| September | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 316 mm |
| October | 31°C | 24°C | 30°C | 92 mm |
| November | 30°C | 22°C | 28°C | 31 mm |
| December | 28°C | 19°C | 26°C | 16 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl / Puerto Vallarta Intl, 4 km away at 7 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
Sand, shingle and swimming
A strip of sand beside the Land's End arch, reached only by water taxi. Swim on the calm Sea of Cortez side; the far side faces the open Pacific and is dangerous.
A sheltered bay on the road between the two towns, with calm water and good snorkelling among the rocks. Public access and parking make it one of the easier swimming beaches in Los Cabos.
Cabo San Lucas's main swimming beach, calm and busy, lined with beach clubs, boats and vendors. Lively rather than peaceful, with views of the arch.
The town beach in the Zona Romántica, with a pier, restaurants on the sand and plenty of life. The sea is generally gentle, but the beach vendors never stop.
A surf village north of Puerto Vallarta with gentle waves for beginners and a busy, colourful main beach. It gets crowded in high season, and water quality has been a concern in some years, so we check before suggesting a stay.
Mérida's seaside, a long Gulf of Mexico beach with shallow, calm water and a very long pier. Quiet midweek and busy with local families at weekends and in summer.
Things to do
The Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the Avenue of the Dead, an hour or so north of Mexico City. Go at opening and wear a hat; access to the pyramid tops has been restricted in recent years, so do not promise children the climb.
Mexico City's great museum of ancient Mexico, home to the Aztec Sun Stone. It is huge, so pick two or three halls rather than trying to see everything, and remember it closes on Mondays.
The Blue House in Coyoacán where Frida Kahlo was born and died. Timed tickets sell out days ahead, so book online as soon as your dates are firm.
Brightly painted flat-bottomed boats glide along old Aztec canals in the south of Mexico City, with mariachi and food boats pulling alongside. Weekends are a party; weekdays are calmer.
A Maya city south of Mérida, known for the Pyramid of the Magician and finely carved facades in the Puuc style. Far quieter than the big-name sites on the coast circuit, and best early in the morning.
The ancient Zapotec capital, built on a levelled mountaintop above Oaxaca with views across the valleys. There is little shade, so go early and carry water.
Humpback whales winter off Los Cabos and in Banderas Bay, roughly December to March, and boat trips run from both resorts. Mornings are usually calmer, and a seasickness tablet is wise.
A colonial hill town in the central highlands, with a pink neo-Gothic parish church, galleries and rooftop terraces. It suits a couple of nights between Mexico City and a beach, and evenings are cool.
A long train journey from the Pacific lowlands up into a vast system of canyons in the Sierra Madre. It needs several days and suits seasoned travellers who want Mexico at its wildest.
Food and drink
Pork marinated with chillies and spices, cooked on a vertical spit and shaved onto small tortillas with pineapple. A Mexico City late-night classic, inspired by Lebanese shawarma.
Oaxaca's dark, complex sauce of chillies, spices, nuts and chocolate, served over chicken or turkey. Every family swears by its own recipe.
A large, crisp tortilla spread with beans, topped with stringy Oaxacan cheese and meat, then toasted over charcoal. Oaxaca's favourite late-night street food.
An agave spirit, mostly from Oaxaca, roasted in earth pits for a smoky flavour. Sip it slowly, traditionally with orange slices and worm salt.
Made only from blue agave, mainly in Jalisco. Good tequila is sipped rather than shot, and the town of Tequila near Guadalajara makes a day out.
Poblano peppers stuffed with meat and fruit, covered in walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds in the colours of the flag. A Puebla dish, served mainly in August and September.
Money
On the Caribbean coast the all-inclusive brand sets the price, so the extra money is best spent beyond it. Three nights in Mexico City or Oaxaca add surprisingly little, because city hotels, museums and food are good value, and they change the whole trip. Internal flights are the main added cost. Los Cabos is the premium end of the Pacific, priced closer to the United States than to the rest of Mexico.
Flights and transfers
Direct flights serve Cancun from Manchester and London, roughly ten hours, which for genuine tropical heat in January is a fair exchange. Transfers down the Riviera Maya run south from Cancun and can reach well over an hour for the furthest resorts, which we always state upfront.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
6 hours behind the UK in winter, 7 hours in summer
Mexican peso (MX$)
Spanish; English is widely spoken in the resorts, less so inland
Type A and B, 127V
On the right
Not safe to drink anywhere in the country; use bottled or purified water
10 to 15 percent in restaurants; small tips for porters, guides and fuel station attendants
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed for tourists. The number of days you may stay is written on your entry stamp, so check it at the desk.
Passport. Valid for your whole stay. The Mexican Embassy recommends 6 months.
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to all or parts of the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima, Guerrero and Chiapas. The places we suggest on this page were outside those areas when we checked, and we check the advice again before every booking.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
Cancún for warm, calm Caribbean swimming, the widest choice of all-inclusive resorts and ruins nearby. Los Cabos for desert scenery, golf and polished hotels, but many of its beaches are unsafe for swimming and prices run higher. For families and first-timers, the Caribbean side usually wins.
The main visitor areas, from the Caribbean coast to central Mexico City, Oaxaca and Mérida, welcome huge numbers of visitors without trouble. The FCDO advises against travel to parts of several states, so we check its advice for every region on an itinerary. Use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps rather than hailing cabs in the street.
Yes, if you enjoy cities. Three nights covers the anthropology museum, Teotihuacan and a food-focused evening or two, and the contrast with a resort week is the point. Go before the beach, so the relaxing part comes last, and take the first day gently because of the altitude.
It can. The city sits at about 2,240 metres, so some people feel breathless, tired or headachy for the first day or two. Drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol at first and plan a gentle first day. Anyone with a heart or lung condition should check with their GP before travelling.
Only at some. Much of the coast faces the open Pacific, with steep shelving, strong undertow and dangerous waves. The sheltered bays on the Sea of Cortez side, such as Chileno, Santa María and Médano, are the ones to swim at, which is why pools matter so much here.
Reckon on 10 hours 10 minutes from Manchester. Mexico is a big country, so the routing depends on where you are heading: Cancún, Mexico City and the Pacific resorts each have different flight options, which we check when we plan the trip.
Photographs
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