Mexico City's Zócalo
This gigantic main square in the capital is overlooked by the Catedral Metropolitana - one of the biggest churches on the planet and the first to be built in the ‘new world'.

Museo Nacional de Antropología
The exhibits in the National Museum of Anthropology (www.mna.inah.gob.mx) cover 20,000 years of human life, so take your time. Visits to Mexico's pre-Colombian sites are more meaningful after seeing and understanding the priceless art on show here, including the 3,000-year-old Tlatilco Acrobat.

Teotihuacán
The ‘city where the Gods are born', 48km (30 miles) northeast of Mexico City, boasts the ruins of an imperial centre that matched ancient Rome and peaked around the same time. The Pyramid of the Sun is the fourth largest in the world.

Mineral Springs
Boiling water and a frozen waterfall can be seen at the Hierve el Agua mineral springs, near San Lorenzo Albarradas. Water percolates calcium carbonate and magnesium, creating bubbles and, where the spring pours down a cliff face, mineral deposits have formed a petrified cascade.

Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán ('place of copper') is a relaxed town overlooked by steep, jagged cliffs and a pyramid dedicated to Tepoztécatl, God of the Harvest. In the centre, the imposing Convent of the Nativity (dating from 1580) is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Silver jewellery
The ornate silver jewellery produced in Taxco is a joy to behold. Fortunes were made from the silver mines here, and one was poured back into the Church of Santa Prisca and San Sebastián, a jewel of Churrigueresque architecture.

Puebla
For chic colonial-style, look no further than Puebla, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. Church domes and house walls are covered in talavera, colourful glazed tiles that are still produced by the town's artisans.

Sacred City
The sunset over Monte Albán, a sacred prehistoric city and centre of the Zapotec culture, which flourished 2,000 years ago, is a magical sight. The remarkable Central Plaza, the Ball Court, and many of the tombs are open to the public.

Tulum
Seeing the sunrise over the Mayan ruins of Tulum, near Playa del Carmen, is well worth an early start. Explore in peace then take a pre-breakfast dip in the turquoise sea - the ruins are practically on the beach.

Manatees
Manatees abound in Chetumal Bay, Gulf of Mexico. Distant cousins of the elephant, manatees like to live in warm shallows - a habit that has seen many of them killed by boat propellers.

Grey Whales
Off Mexico's other coast, grey whales can be spotted at the Parque Natural de la Ballena Gris. This Pacific reserve is where they come to breed between November and March.

Chichén-Itzá
The ceremonial city of Chichén-Itzá was built over 1,000 years ago, but the Mayan magic still draws crowds. Each spring and autumn equinox, shadows show Kukulcan (the snake) working his way up the steps.

Mexican Rodeo
The professionals can be caught in action at the charreada (rodeo) in Guadalajara, held every October. The famous ‘Mexican Hat Dance' originated in this area - locally, it's called Jarabe Tapatio.
 
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