Mexico: Travel Weekly destination guide

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Mexico's major draws for European tourists are the beach resorts on its Pacific and Caribbean coasts, but it also offers vibrant cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico city, colourful festivals, and major archeological sites such as Chichen Itza.

Hotel product is well developed, particularly in hotspots such as Cancun, and there is a good range of all-inclusive resorts, particularly on the Caribbean.

On this page you'll find some of Travel Weekly's best features about Mexico, plus information from elsewhere on the web. You can also find out more about our sponsor Occidental's all-inclusive resorts in Mexico.

Mexico on Travel Weekly

• Mexico: Holidays on the Caribbean coast
• Caribbean: What's new in Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic
• Latin America: five of the best experiences
• Latin America: festivals in Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Guatemala
• Mexico: all-inclusive resorts
• Mexico: culture holidays
• Mexico: culture and history drive rise in holiday bookings

Travel fact file

• Currency: Mexican Peso (MX$)
• Climate: The coastal and lowland areas are hot and humid, while the central plateau region has a temperate climate. The highlands tend to be fairly mild but temperature drop sharply at night. Only the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the state of Chiapas in the far south receive much annual rainfall, with the wet season running between Jun-Oct.
• Airports:  Acapulco International General Juan N Alvarez (ACA); Cancun Airport International (CUN); Volaris Mexico City International (MEX); Mexico City International (MEX); Gustavo Diaz Ordaz (PVR)

Current weather for Mexico City from the BBC

Useful links

• Mexico on Gazetteers
• Mexico on Wikipedia
• Mexico on Tripadvisor
• Foreign and Commonwealth office advice for Mexico
• Visit Mexico – Mexico Tourism Board

Mexico photos from flickr.com

Sponsored by Occidental Hotels and Resorts

Featured resort: Allegro Playacar

The Allegro Playacar resort is located minutes away from the picturesque town of Playa del Carmen and has 286 tropical themed rooms situated in Polynesian-style bungalows with a balcony or terrace. Superior Premium rooms are located closest to the beach and swimming pools.

In addition to the property's sandy beaches, the Allegro Playacar features three pools: one for relaxing, one for activities and one just for kids. Endless sports and activities, such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, SCUBA classes, kayaking, snorkelling, boogie boarding and windsurfing are available.

The new Kids Club is a nine-to-five activity centre for children ages 4-12 showcasing a video game room and a children's pool in the shape of the world's most famous mouse. The resort also provides wireless Internet access at the Lobby area and The Buffet at any time of the day.

The Buffet is the property's main restaurant featuring buffet-style dining and a great selection of international cuisine with different themed nights. The Mexican features authentic a la carte Mexican fare. The Italian restaurant offers exquisite a la carte Italian dishes in a stylish atmosphere.

For more casual cuisine, the Pizzeria is situated poolside serving delicious pizzas. The poolside beach buffet offers a variety of snack selections.

The Ambar Bar is the property's very own Margarita bar featuring an extensive and mouth watering margarita menu. Guests will also enjoy the novelty of the Aqua Bar, the resort's popular swim-up bar as well as the Disco Bar.

To learn more about Occidental Hotels and Resorts visit Occidentalhotels.com or resort-marketing.co.uk

Other Occidental resorts in Mexico

• Royal Hideaway Playacar
• Grand Xcaret
• Grand Cozumel