Mexico alternatives

Holiday plans to Mexico scuppered by the recent swine flu outbreak? Don't let the pandemic get you down - whether you were off to Mexico in search of Mayan ruins, sunny resorts, historic cities or beautiful coastlines, we've picked out some top alternatives.

For Cancun-inspired hedonistic beach life, try...

Miami
Guaranteed sunshine and a Latin-inspired beat, Miami is an obvious stand-in for Cancun. Florida's most cosmopolitan city, Miami has several diverse neighbourhoods - ranging from Downtown (the commercial centre), Little Havana (home, predictably, to the Cuban community) and South Beach (where you'll find the candy-coloured art deco buildings).

In Miami you'll find the same cloud-free skies, clean blue waters and palm trees as Cancun. It's also, as with Cancun, popular with the youthful American Spring Break-ers, which means lively nightlife awaits, mainly centred around South Beach.

More on Miami.

For Mexico-matching ruins, try...

Guatemala
Guatemala is just over the border to the south of Mexico. If you had your heart set on witnessing Mexico's majestic Chichén Itzá, there are more equally impressive and mysterious Mayan sites on offer in Guatemala.

The most famous of these is Tikal, an ancient site hidden deep in the rainforest that was once home to around 10,000 Maya. Visitors come to see its 70m (230ft) pyramid and 3,000+ structures, including temples and palaces.

Copán (just over the border in Honduras), Quiriguá and Aguateca are other noteworthy sites, whether for their hieroglyphs, monuments or waterways.

Mayan ruins and indigenous culture aside, Guatemala has a landscape made up of volcanic peaks, subtropical forests and sulphurous lakes. Wildlife is a draw, too - exotic creatures roam the land and sky - and orchids spring out of the soil.

More on Guatemala.

For one of the most populated cities in the world, try...

Cairo
Mexico City may be amongst the largest cities in the world, with its population passing the 18 million mark, but bustling Cairo in Egypt isn't far behind. In fact, the only way to keep the cars in Cairo moving is to not have any traffic lights.

Ignore the traffic and the heat (the dusty desert will put Mexico's temperatures to shame in high summer), and you have a lot to explore - there must be something worth seeing if over 10 million people want to live here. Iconic sights (don't miss the pyramids of Giza) sit alongside bejewelled mosques and busy bazaars.

More on Cairo.

For tequila-slamming, try...

Russia
Swap the tequila for vodka and enjoy Russia's national drink in St Petersburg or Moscow, where summer temperatures are a lot more agreeable than the sub-zero winter months. The worm at the bottom of your glass won't be missed in the face of the range of vodkas on offer - they include variations made with grass and hot pepper.

In St Petersburg, you'll find winding canals, Italianate architecture and grand palaces and cathedrals, whilst Moscow offers St Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin, Red Square, an incredibly sophisticated arts scene and plenty of billionaires.

More on Russia.

For historic colonial buildings, try...

Peru
If you were in search of colonial architecture in Acapulco or Guadalajara, head across the Equator to Cusco in Peru instead. It's a small town resting in the Andes (it's the base for the Inca trail) with a colonial plaza and matching cathedrals, built in the 16th century. True to the general theme of the Spanish cathedrals built by the conquistadors, Cusco's twin cathedrals are gothic and Renaissance in style, with baroque traditions also in place.

The city was the Inca capital of Peru and is situated in a valley close to the ruins of Machu Picchu, Ollaytantambo and the rest of the Sacred Valley. Lima, Peru's capital, also has colonial architecture.

More on Peru.

12 May 2009