The 18 Most Beautiful Towns In Mexico

Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico, has an abundance of colonial pastel-colored houses with arched doorways and intricate balconies. Following heavy pirate attacks in the 17th-century, the city built itself an elaborate defense system, including thick ramparts with bastions. This mixture of urban and military history has made it a Unesco World Heritage site, spurring comprehensive renovation around the town. Today, it is one of Mexico’s best-preserved colonial towns but visitors are relatively few and you can expect a warm welcome from locals. Nearby, you can visit less-known Mayan sites including Hochob and Dzibilnocac.

The town’s role as an important stop on the silver route from Zacatecas to Mexico City in the 17th and 18th centuries has left San Miguel de Allende with a rich colonial heritage. With its winding, cobblestone streets and well-preserved Spanish mansions, it attracts plenty of visitors. On the plus side, its popularity means fine restaurants and carefully restored boutique hotels are in plentiful supply. Exploring can be thirsty work, but San Miguel has some stunning spots for a drink; check out the rooftop terrace at La Posadita, right opposite the dome of the Parroquia, the largest church in town.

This colorful, colonial town hangs onto the sides of a steep ravine with narrow alleyways twisting between leafy squares and colorful Baroque and Neoclassical buildings. Guanajuato’s wealth came from a nearby silver mine, once the world’s most productive. For the best view, head to Templo de San Cayetano, an ornate church with a pink façade built by mining entrepreneurs on a hill outside of town. Guanajuato’s student population gives it a youthful, lively atmosphere, with plenty of cafés (including popular Café Conquistador) and bars. Leave some time for painter Diego Rivera’s childhood home, now housing his work, as well as a visit to the bizarre mummy museum.

The profusion of monumental churches – 70 in the historic center alone – and ornamental fountains underline Puebla’s historical wealth and strategic importance. The lavish mansions are decorated with the city’s renowned colorful tiles whilst gourmet delights are Puebla’s other claim to fame, with the national dish chiles en nogada originating here. Visit nearby Cholula, which has a church for every day of the year. From here you can outstanding views of Popocatépetl, the nearby snow-capped volcano, which happens to be one of Mexico’s most active.

The ornate pink limestone buildings with intricately carved façades of Zacatecas are testimony to its past mineral wealth; at the height of production, the town produced a third of the country’s silver. Set in a valley and surrounded by mountains, the city is riven with steep alleyways bearing storybook names such as Tenorio (womanizer) or mantequilla (butter). The grateful silver barons helped to build Zacatecas’ many churches and convents and the stand-out 18th-century Baroque cathedral. Make time to visit the Museo del Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguérez, worth seeing if only for the building itself; a former seminary turned prison that’s now converted into a light-filled exhibition space. Time your visit right to see a traditional Matlachines dance.

If you’re interested in indigenous cultures, head to San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas. The mountain town serves as a capital for different groups of Mayan descendants, who come to sell their crafts in the cobbled streets. San Cristóbal de Las Casas is a well-preserved colonial town with a bohemian vibe, well endowed with cafés and artisan markets. Nearby villages, where traditional customs and beliefs continue to thrive, offer a great window into Mexico’s native cultures. Visit the Museum of Mayan Medicine to get an insight into the beliefs behind local customs.

Pátzcuaro is the center of the indigenous Purépecha people, and a curious blend of native and colonial cultures. Its colonial legacy can be seen in the elegant mansions and a generous array of churches. The intact native culture makes it a great place for handicraft shopping. The town’s mixed heritage also means Pátzcuaro is ideal for experiencing Mexico’s renowned celebrations, including Holy Week and Day of the Dead. Head outside to discover peaceful Lake Pátzcuaro dotted with small islands. One of them, Isla Janitzio, has a 40m (131ft) monument to Jose Morelos, one of the leaders of the independence movement, which provides great views of the lake.

Tlacotalpan, which has kept its Aztec name and means ‘between the waters,’ is an old river port in Veracruz, where not much has changed since the early 19th-century. The town, characterized by low-rise, rainbow-colored buildings with arched passageways and red-tiled roofs, is surrounded by vivid green sugar cane plantations. Strangely, this Unesco-listed site remains very much under the radar for tourists. If you’re looking for the real, laid-back Mexico, Tlacotalpan is a good starting point.

Xochimilco is more a suburb of Mexico City these days, but it makes for an easy day trip from the crowds and smoke of the big city. It’s famous for its 105-mile canal network; all that is left of the lake that Mexico City was constructed on. The best way to explore the area, with its gardens, greenhouses, and buildings ranging from run-down shacks to luxury restaurants, is by sailing on the colorful barges. Think of Bangkok’s canals, add loud boats with mariachi bands on them and you have Xochimilco.

Oaxaca, located in a valley and surrounded by mountains, is the city with everything. Quaint colonial streets lined with bright houses and stately churches, archaeological ruins in the shape of Monte Alba, vibrant indigenous cultures and a thriving modern art scene. If that’s not enough, Oaxaca is also known for its delicious cuisine, including seven officially recognized different types of mole, the delicious – and at times spicy – Mexican sauce. The dishes feature uniquely local ingredients including types of corn, chilies or herbs. Follow your nose through the city’s aromatic markets, street food carts and restaurants.

On the road from San Miguel de Allende to Dolores Hidalgo, Atotonilco’s banner of the Virgin of Guadalup was used by the Mexican Independence army as their battle flag. The town’s mini sanctuary church has some beautiful fresco murals painted inside it and the shop and restaurant next door are run by local nuns and serves home-cooked Mexican favorites. Grab a nieve (Mexican ice cream) in the plaza in front of the church and go on weekends to see the town’s tiny outdoor tianguis.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

A sleepy beach town with attitude, Todos Santos has some of the high life bonuses — good coffeeshops, a farmers market, cute places to stay — without the tourist destination downfalls of crowded streets, constant traffic, cheesy bars on every corner. The town is home to lots of ex-pats so classes, tours and events in English are common and it is close to some great surf spots. Todos Santos draws bohemians, artists and the insistent tourist or two looking for Hotel California — which is often rumored to be the same hotel as sung about by the Eagles (but Don Henley has denied that it is).

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

Life on the beach is simple, quiet and lazy, and while the town of Troncones fits into all those categories there are also a surprising number of good little restuarants, surf lessons to take, two well-stocked grocery stores and a decent liquor store. This in addition to a yoga retreat and a great local coffeeshop. You could spend a week or spend a decade, and many people start with the first and end up doing the second. Only 40 minutes from Zihuatanejo, the area’s largest city, Troncones has great beaches and great amentities for anyone in need of a little time on the sand.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

Coatepec’s cool climate is welcome relief for anyone traveling up from the sultry port of Veracruz. This town has a reputation for its delicious shade-grown coffee and its orchids, grown in greehouses throughout the town. Much of the town’s original colonial architecture is still intact and its tree-lined streets and plazas make for a heavenly afternoon walk. Definitely try the coffee (we love Avelino’s cafe), but also a sweet bread to go with it and if you can, head out to one of the nearby coffee plantations to see how local beans are grown.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

If you are looking for stunning colonial architecture, this town should be first on your list. While no longer a sleepy little village, Taxco still retains a very small-town vibe and tourists and locals mix and mingle as they huff and puff up the winding mountainside streets. The town was long a center of silver mining and silver jewerly is a favorite souvenir from this part of Mexico. Taxco’s Holy Week celebrations outshine most in Mexico and their procession of penitents, Roman soldiers and a Christ on the cross are a sight to see.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

Once a famed city of the Mayan people who lived on the Yucatan peninsula, Tulum is now a tourist hotspot for its incredible beaches, laidback vibe and high-end boutique beach hotels. You don’t have to have money to go (there are also reasonably priced hotels and bars) but it definitely helps! Only a short distance from Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Tulum is a nice day trip for visitors to the area, who like to lay on its beaches and swim in the beautiful cenotes in the area. Make sure to spend a morning (before it gets too hot) exploring the ancient Mayan ruins before you kick back with your rum and coke and do nothing for the rest of the day.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

Home to the Tepozteco pyramid (dedicated to the god of pulque), Tepoztlán is a popular weekend destination for residents of Mexico City and Cuernavaca looking for a small town break. Besides the town’s pyramid and its festival-like weekend atomosphere it’s known for its spas, yoga retreats and other wellness offerings as well as a rowdy Carnival held every year in the spring. Take time to appreciate some of the town’s international food offerings — as they have quite a few good restuarants here, hike the pyramid, throw back a michelada and get a massage to round out your day.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.

This town would have never gotten itself on the map without its famous liqour and the Jose Cuervo empire — this industry’s biggest name and the town’s patron saint. Cuervo has invested massive amounts into infrastucture and tourism here. Beautifully perserved buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, a handful of old-style cantinas and upscale hotel options have made the town chic and quaint all at the same time. Make sure you drink in the view in the town’s main plaza, take a tour of the country’s oldest distillery and try some of the local specialties — tortas ahogadas and regional cheeses.

Recommended by Lydia Carey.