Cancun
Developed from a pristine natural environment in the 1970's, Cancun today is a bustling resort mecca offering a wide range of accomodations and entertainment activities for every budget. Its beaches contain some of the whitest sand in the world - so white it reflects the heat and your feet do not burn when you walk on them. The hues of blue of the water range from turquoise to green. Impressive Mayan ruins at Coba, Chichen-Itza and Tulum are within a two hour drive. At night, the discos come alive and stay humming a loud beat until the sun comes up.

Cozumel
The island of Cozumel lies twelve miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula across from Playa del Carmen, the mainland terminal of the cross channel ferry. Most of the hotels, restaurants and activities are located close to the small town of San Miguel on the leeward side of the island. Scuba diving trips to world famous Palancar Reef are arranged by the many dive shops found on the island.

Playa del Carmen
Some thirty miles south of Cancun, on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Playa del Carmen is flourishing as a laid-back resort for fun and adventure. Interesting boutiques and shops are found in the quaint village. The island of Cozumel is a short ferry ride away. Mayan ruins at Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza are within a two hour ride from Playa del Carmen.

Akumal
Is situated on a beautiful bay about 70 miles south of Cancun airport. The bay has a natural reef at its entrance and there is great snorkeling at the reef and in surrounding lagoons. Great beach with palm trees and hammocks. Initially, Akumal was the base for research projects launched by CEDAM - an underwater and deep sea diving society that explored sunken Spanish galleons that ran aground on Palancar and other nearby reefs. Small hotels and condominiums have sprung up around the bay. Nearby markets and dive shops are handy for a complete stay.

Cabo
The town of Cabo San Lucas is situated at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, approximately 20 miles west of San José del Cabo. This once sleepy fishing village has been transformed into a full scale tourism destination. Championship golf courses, world class deep-sea fishing and interesting nearby scuba diving opportunities abound in this resort. Restaurants serving delicious meals and shops with merchandise from all parts of Mexico are found throughout Cabo San Lucas for a complete destination vacation.
Cabo San Lucas boasts a much more active night life than San José del Cabo.

Cabo Pulm
A small fishing and diving village located north of San Jose del Cabo on the eastern shore of the cape. Off the main road on a secondary road. Popular with divers as it is close to the only coral reef found in the Sea of Cortés. Rustic accomodations and palapa restaurants.

San Jose Del Cabo
On the eastern end of the tip of the Baja California peninsula, San José del Cabo offers a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. The city is small and the hotels are spread out. Deep-sea and "panga" fishing to the teeming waters of the Sea of Cortez can be arranged. Other activities include whale watching and golf in the championship courses that are sprouting throughout the area. The marsh north of the city serves as a nesting area for many bird species during the "wet" season.

Todos Santo
Situated between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific road, Todos Santos' founding dates back to 1733. It was a sleepy village until the late nineteenth century when the water table was found to be sufficiently close to the top-soil and easy to use for agricultural development.
Initially, sugar was one of the principal crops. When demand for sugar collapsed other cash crops where developed. These include mangos, papayas, coconuts and other tropical fruits.
The valley is green and the atmosphere relaxing. Near-by beaches offer a number of popular surfing swells.
Rumor has it the Hotel California in downtown Todos Santos inspired "The Eagles" popular song with the same name. Though not proven conclusively, the hotel and area conform to the spirit of the song.

La Paz
A Spanish expedition in 1533 discovered Bahia de La Paz - the beautiful bay on which the city of La Paz is situated. As the city occupies the southeastern corner of the bay, it is possible to view spectacular sunsets across the water from most points in the city.
Settling La Paz was not an easy accomplishment for all who tried. Hernan Cortes failed after an expedition led by one of his lieutenants was decimated by unfriendly natives. Jesuit missionaries finally settled the city some two hundred years later after the natives succumbed to the diseases brought by Spanish settlers.
The territorial capital was shifted to La Paz after a hurricane destroyed Loreto in 1829. Living up to its long historical tradition, La Paz today is the capital of the state of Baja California Sur.

Guadalajara
As Mexico's second largest city, Guadalajara is becoming an industrial giant. Though dubbed the "Silicon Valley" of Mexico, the city retains many of its great traditions. Large exposition fair sites and a bustling business activity fall in pace with the easy going canter of its residents. Downtown attractions set amongst colonial buildings include the Plaza de la Liberacion and the Libertad Market. Culturally rich, Guadalajara is the birthplace to many famous artists like Jose Clemente Orozco and Chucho Reyes.

Huatulco
Mexico's newest master plan developed resort is found on the Oaxaca coast. It consists of a series of resort hotels built on beaches found in a string of nine small bays - an idyllic and unspoiled setting due to its close proximity to the mountainous jungles of the Sierra Madre del Sur. The small town of Santa Cruz Huatulco is away from the beach area. An eighteen hole golf course challenges the skills of the most adept golfers. Scuba diving, water skiing, wind surfing and other popular water sports are practiced in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Ixtapa
Developed by Fonatur in the 1970's, this resort on Mexico's Pacific coast is a beachcomber's delight. Modern hotels line up on the boulevard and extend to the beach. On the inland side there is a wonderful 18 hole golf course. Zihuatanejo bay and its delightful restaurants and beaches are ten minutes away by taxi.

Zihuatanejo
A small fishing village situated in a bay with the same name north of Acapulco and adjacent to the new resort development at Ixtapa. Zihuatanejo was the playground and beach resort for Aztec emperors. A courier system of runners delivered fresh fish and other seafood delights to the emperors.

Manzanillo
Situated between Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta along Mexico's west coast, Manzanillo started figuring historically shortly after Cortes conquered the Aztecs. In the mid-1500's spectacular galleons were built in this natural harbor to explore and develop trade with China and other points in the Orient. Manzanillo's name stems from the manzanilla wood harvested in the surrounding area used in the construction of these daring ships.
The twin bays of Manzanillo and Santiago are separated by Santiago Peninsula where most tourism oriented hotels are situated. Its clean beaches with dark blue water and golden sand attract travelers from all over the world looking for peace and tranquility.
Today's Manzanillo is known as the "Marlin Capital of the World" due to the vast amount of bill fish of this species caught in the deep waters nearby. World class fishing tournaments are held annually.

Mazatlan
On Mexico's mainland, across the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, Mazatlan's long beaches with gentle rolling waves and restaurants serving some of the freshest shrimp call out to travelers from around the world. Daytime activities include deep-sea fishing in the Sea of Cortes, golf on championship courses and other water sports such as surfing, jet skiing and snorkeling. At night, enjoy tasty meals at a local restaurant and live music for dancing as well as a beating discotheque.

Mexico City
Capital of the country, Mexico City has been described as the "biggest" city in the world. In reality, with over 20 million population and an area covering approximately 600 square miles it is probably one of the most densely populated. Regardless, Mexico City is truly one of the great capitals of the world.
Its origin goes back to around the year 1325 when a nomad tribe of warriors called Aztecas, whose chieftain Tenoch followed the instructions of Huitzilopochtli - their tribal deity - to settle "on an island on a lake where an eagle was devouring a serpent while perched on a cactus". That settlement became Tenochtitlan - a city with over 100,000 population living among splendid temples and pyramids built with the spoils gained from the many battles fought with neighboring tribes.
By the time Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, the Aztecas dominance over neighboring tribes had started its decline. Their nearby neighbors - the Tlaxcaltecas - became their bitter enemies and facilitated Cortez' march into Tenochtitlan and his eventual conquest over the Aztecas in 1521. Today's Mexico City is full of hustle and bustle. The underground Metro covers over 200 miles of routes within the city. Restaurants, museums, art galleries, fashion shops, tree lined boulevards, boutiques, taco stands, and the haute and demi mondes are present in Mexico City.
Culturally, Mexico City has something to offer the most jaded visitor. The Museum of Anthropology, built in the early 60's, rivals museums around the world. Visitors can spend hours, even days, viewing the extensive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts collected from sites around Mexico. Testimonials and remnants of the works of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Siqueiros, Tamayo and other notable painters are found throughout the city.
Taking in a performance of the world-renowned Ballet Folklorico is a must for first time visitors ... and highly considered by repeat travelers. The dawn to dusk effects on the Tiffany curtain image of the Popocatepetl and Iztaccíhuatl at the Palace of Fine Arts are an impressive start to a whirlwind performance of flying colors in regional costumes, traditions and beautiful music.

Nogales
Across the US border from Nogales, Arizona, the city of Nogales retains much of its small town flavor. As the gateway to Puerto Peñasco and the starting point of a super-highway to Los Mochis, Nogales has a series of shops in its downtown area that cater to the tourist trade. Its bars and other entertainmen shops relieve tensions of fun-seeking students from Arizona's universities.

Oaxaca
As capital of the state with the same name, the city of Oaxaca was settled in a sub-tropical valley surrounded by the high mountains of the Sierra Madre del Sur. In pre-columbian times, the valley was settled by Mixteca and Zapoteca tribes. Descendants of these noble people are found throughout the state which is famous for its folk art, regional cooking and mezcal - the local fire water. Vestiges of the pre-columbian and colonial periods are found in the magnificent ruins at Monte Alban and Mitla, as well as the Cathedral and Temple of Santo Domingo.

Puerto Vallarta
Was a sleepy fishing village until a few years after Richard Burton and the rest of the cast of "Night of the Iguana" left. It is situated in the middle of Banderas Bay on the Pacific coast of the state of Jalisco. Its church spire, cobblestone streets and red tiled roofs are famous landmarks along with the flower bedecked wrought ironed balconies.

Tampico
Situated on the Gulf of Mexico at the Tamaulipas-Veracruz border, Tampico's present day economic mainstay centers around the oil industry. Though settled in the sixteenth century on the remains of a Huasteca village plundered and destroyed by Cortes, Tampico has experienced various life cycles.
A complex river and lagoon system form part of Tampico's geography. The Panuco and Tamesis rivers merge and form a series of lagoons popular for the variety of marine and aquatic life fished for seafood.
Tampico's port activity rivals that of Veracruz. Oil began to be industrialized at the turn of the century. Mexicana Airlines traces its origin to the mail and payroll services it performed linking Mexico City with Tampico in the 1920's.

Tijuana
One of the most popular border cities due to its proximity to Southern California, Tijuana is an important trade and economic center. Considering day trips and overnight stays, Tijuana is the most visited city in Mexico.
It serves as the gateway to the developing resorts south of the city on the road to Ensenada like Rosarito and Puerto Nuevo.

Ensenada
Situated about seventy miles south of Tijuana on the shore of Bahia Todos Santos along the Pacific Ocean, Ensenada is a small fishing and commercial port catering to weekend and summer travelers from southern California. La Bufadora on the southern end of the bay is a natural rock formation where the sea explodes into a natural geyser.
Beaches for swimming and surfing spots are found both north and south of Ensenada. Other local sports attractions include mountain climbing, beach-combing and hiking.
Ensenada hosts the very popular Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride, the Baja 1000 Off-Road Race and the Newport Beach-Ensenada Regatta. Valle de Guadalupe, one of Mexico's finest wine growing area is close by. Gray whale watching in the winter time is very popular in Todos Santos Bay.

ATM's - Automatic Teller Machines