A country · 496 places · 30 regions

Mexico, all of it.

496 curated places across 30 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Hierve el Agua · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Quintana Roo, Jalisco, Oaxaca and Puebla — read below as chapters, with 26 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Quintana Roo · 29 places

Quintana Roo

Known as the Lake of Seven Colors, Bacalar is a long freshwater lagoon near the Belize border where shallow sandbars and varying depths produce distinct bands of turquoise, aquamarine, and deep blue. A colonial-era Spanish fort overlooks the lagoon from the town's edge. The calm waters and forested shoreline attract kayakers, paddleboarders, and photographers drawn to the extraordinary color gradients best seen from the air or from wooden docks at midday.

Bacalar

Quintana Roo, Mexico

✦ November to April · $$

Tulum

Quintana Roo, Mexico

✦ December to April · $$

Playa del Carmen

Quintana Roo, Mexico

✦ December to April · $$

All 29 places in Quintana Roo →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Jalisco · 28 places

Jalisco

A resort city on Banderas Bay in Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta preserves a historic downtown core — the Zona Romántica — of cobblestone streets, white-washed walls with flower-draped balconies, and the iconic Malecón seafront promenade with its series of contemporary sculptures. The city gained international exposure in the 1960s through the filming of Night of the Iguana and subsequent visits by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Mountains rise steeply directly behind the city, and accessible jungle hikes begin within minutes of the historic center.

✦ November to April · $$

Meet Puerto Vallarta All 28 places in Jalisco →

Chapter III · Oaxaca · 27 places

Oaxaca

Mineral-rich spring water cascades over a cliffside in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, depositing calcium carbonate formations that resemble frozen waterfalls. Two natural infinity pools perch above terraced agricultural landscapes dating back thousands of years. Morning light from the east illuminates the pale formations against the valley floor below, making early visits ideal for photographers.

Hierve el Agua

Oaxaca, Mexico

✦ November to April (dry season) · $

Monte Albán

Oaxaca, Mexico

✦ November to April · $

Oaxaca City

Oaxaca, Mexico

✦ October to April · $$

All 27 places in Oaxaca →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Puebla · 26 places

Puebla

A city adjacent to Puebla containing the Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest pyramid by volume in the world, its massive earthen core now topped by a Spanish colonial church dedicated to the Virgin of Remedios. Tunnels allow visitors to walk through excavated sections of the original pyramid structure. Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes are prominently visible from the church atop the pyramid on clear days, creating a much-photographed scene of pre-Columbian scale below active volcanic peaks.

✦ October to April · $

Meet Cholula All 26 places in Puebla →

Every place in Mexico

496 places, one country.

Hierve el Agua

Oaxaca, Mexico

✦ November to April (dry season) · $