15 Things to Do in Mexico

El Castillo's stairways sum to 365 steps. On the spring equinox, a shadow serpent descends the north staircase — ancient astronomical engineering that still staggers modern architects.

Maya cliff-top ruins above a turquoise Caribbean bay. Below, cenotes — natural sinkholes with crystal-clear groundwater — form an underground network the Maya considered gateways to the underworld.

The National Museum of Anthropology is one of the world's great archaeological collections. The Condesa and Roma neighbourhoods are where the restaurant scene plays out — from tacos al pastor to Pujol tasting menus.

Mexico's most gastronomically complex city — seven moles, the world's finest mezcal and the Benito Juárez market. Monte Albán's Zapotec ruins overlook the valley.

Four times larger than the Grand Canyon — the Chihuahua al Pacífico train crosses 87 bridges and 86 tunnels in one of the world's greatest rail journeys through the Sierra Madre.

400km of Caribbean coastline from Cancún to Tulum — turquoise water, white sand and the world's second-largest barrier reef with eagle rays and 30m visibility.

El Castillo at dawn then cenote hopping between Ik Kil, Gran Cenote and Cenote Azul. The Yucatán's underground river system is the largest flooded cave network on earth.

The Benito Juárez market's seven mole varieties, mezcal tasting at In Situ bar and the Zapotec hilltop city of Monte Albán at sunset across the converging valleys.

National Museum of Anthropology, Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul, Diego Rivera murals at the Palacio Nacional and tacos al pastor at El Huequito — the four essential CDMX experiences.

Maya cliff-top temples above a Caribbean bay — the only ancient city built on the coast. The cenotes within 30 minutes are the finest in the Yucatán.

100 million monarchs arrive in Michoacán each November from Canada — covering trees so thickly they bend branches. One of nature's most extraordinary migrations.

The 'Mexican Pipeline' — Zicatela Beach's barrel wave is one of the world's heaviest shore breaks. The town has the best seafood-at-a-plastic-table dining in Mexico.

A UNESCO colonial city in a narrow gorge — painted houses connected by underground tunnels. The Cervantino theatre festival (October) is Latin America's largest arts festival.

Grey whales migrate to Baja's lagoons January–April — mothers and calves approach boats seeking contact, making this one of the most intimate large mammal encounters on earth.

Mexico City's most serious food market — whole Ibérico ham, truffles, fresh Japanese tuna and every variety of Mexican cheese in a covered market that serious cooks consider essential.