Last Updated on February 12, 2022 by Natalie

Once you’ve moved abroad it makes sense to see as much of your host country as possible. It’s cheaper to drive (and we have for many of our explorations) than to fly from the Midwestern United States. Even flights within Mexico have the advantage of being shorter and cheaper. When you are paying for four fares, cost definitely matters. Even so, I want to see all the awesome places in Mexico. Yes, we travel around Mexico with kids!

Do you want to travel with kids to Mexico? There are so many awesome places to travel in Mexico. Here are 15 awesome places in Mexico I really want to visit while I’m living here.

Check out these tips for travel hacking 101, to help you see the places YOU want to see!

The Seven Illuminaries (Las Siete Luminarias – Done!)

Los Siete Illuminarias is high on my list. It took over 2 months to finally arrange a trip and it was worth it! This place is a crater in the ground and you have to walk through a pitch black tunnel to see it. They are located near Valle de Santiago and are difficult to find. I highly recommend visiting if you are in central Mexico (Queretaro, San Miguel).

Mexico City

Does more need to be said? It’s Mexico City, formerly Distrito Federal. It’s the largest city in Mexico and the capital. It would be extremely silly to live in central Mexico for any length of time and not hop on a bus for a weekend visit, at the minimum. I can’t believe I haven’t made that visit happen yet. We have visited Teotihuacan (the pyramids just outside of Mexico City – see below) and flown out of the Mexico City airport twice, but that isn’t the same as seeing the city!

The Pyramids in Mexico City (Pyramid of the Sun – Done!)

We made the trip to the Pyramid of the Sun in the month of September. It is a wonderful site and I feel that it’s a must-see when visiting Mexico City. A bonus about going in September is that it wasn’t too hot. I absolutely recommend checking out the Teotihuacan when you’re in Mexico City.

Cancun (Done!)

Cancun left me underwhelmed. The accommodations I booked were inexpensive and the pool was okay, but the beach wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be. My kids were quite a bit younger then and didn’t enjoy the beach very much. We found the restaurants in the hotel zone to be outrageously expensive, as well. However, if I go again, I’d probably stay at a resort and plan some activities. Here’s an awesome 7 day itinerary featuring Cancun and Tulum that talks about what we did and what I’d do differently next time when planning a roadtrip in the Yucatan peninsula!

Chichén Itzá (Done!)

While I expected the site to be overrun with tourists at around 1.4 million visitors a year, I also think it’s a must-see. We stayed over night in the town of Piste and entered Chichen Itza in the morning when it opened. We were greeted with a beautiful site that didn’t start getting busy until around 11 am. It’s worth seeing it this way, if you can do it.

Additionally, I recommend visiting Coba Ruins and the Mayan Ruins in Tulum while in the area.

Tulum (Done!)

Tulum has beautiful, white sand beaches, with beautiful clear, aqua water. What more could you want? Mayan ruins? Yep, it has those, too! It’s a little less touristy than Cancun and Riviera Maya, but is only a few hours away. You can do a day trip to Chichen Itza from Tulum, too. Also close by are the Coba ruins and Ek Balam.

Mérida (Done!)

Mérida came highly recommended as beautiful and safe city. It is the capitol of the state of Yucatan and has a lot of Mayan influence. It’s nickname is “The White City,” though the origin is not completely clear. There are also a lot of activities to do from a base in Merida.

We spent an afternoon in Merida, while we were based in Chixculub, Mexico. It was fun, plus, we got to stay on the beach! We did need to have a car, so we could visit places like the Uxmal Ruins.

The Dance of the Flyers in Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta (Done!)

I’ve wanted to visit Puerto Vallarta for quite some time and we made that happen as our first vacation as Mexico residents. While it wasn’t exactly what I expected (the pacific isn’t a calm ocean), it was still a wonderful area and I loved it. Due to the age and swimming abilities of my kids, we spent most of our time in one of our Airbnb’s 5 pools. Of those, 3 were infinity pools and I spent a lot of time staring at the sand and ocean from my spot in the pool. The Malecon was fantastic and oh, so touristy. We also didn’t make it Los Muertos Beach, but that means we have another reason to return.

Guadalajara (Done!)

My husband has done a fair amount of traveling for work and knew right away he wanted to take us all to Guadalajara. Our first opportunity came as a halfway point stop on our drive to Puerto Vallarta. Our less than 24 hour stay included getting lost and stopped by the police, going to Michin Aquarium, and enjoying the centro’s main square. I’ll visit again in a heartbeat. There is a lot to do and see in Guadalajara.

Guanajuato City (Done!)

Oh, be still my heart, for the long wait to see Guanajuato City in the state of Guanajuato. It’s said to be a beautiful and colorful city and I cannot wait! That’s what I wrote about Guanajuato before visiting. I was excited to see it because it’s a beautiful city and it is unique due to its architecture. However, our visit was not one of fairy tales. While I know it was just due to chance and I don’t actively discourage people from visiting, we did not have a good time in Guanajuato City. It’s absolutely still worth visiting.

San Miguel de Allende (Done!)

Ever since hearing about San Miguel de Allende, I wanted to visit. I was not disappointed. My first visit came pretty quickly after our move and hearing so much English had a comforting effect on me. I love San Miguel. It’s a wonderful place to visit. It’s colorful, bright, and there are many shops and churches to visit. I can’t wait for my next trip! One of my favorite spots we visited were these hot springs.

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas (Done!)

Yes, I did take my kids to Cabo (and here is my awesome guide to Cabo with kids). We went during spring break time and yes, we saw a lot of drunk people at our resort. We also saw El Arco, played in playa Medano (Medano Beach), and had a lovely time. One of the highlights was taking the Yellow Submarine boat trip to Los Arcos.

Cozumel (Done!)

Cozumel seems like a dream destination, even from the USA. Flights there are more expensive. However, flying there from Mexico City Airport, which we can get to in about four hours on the bus from Queretaro, is a non-stop flight and inexpensive in comparison. Cozumel is an incredible island. We stayed here in Cozumel and the beach was perfect. We also visited the San Gervasio ruins on Cozumel, which are fantastic (and not crowded). If you’re looking for a laid-back place, with fantastic beaches, I recommend Cozumel. There are enough activities to keep active people interested and great beaches for ocean loving families.

Oaxaca

Food in each area of Mexico has its own distinct flair and Oaxaca’s cuisine is internationally known. Besides wanting to try some of the area’s unique grub, Oaxaca has wonderful sights to see. I want to visit the ancient city of Monte Alban, try Oaxacan mole, and see some of the state’s many museums. There’s a tree called El Árbol del Tule and it’s the stoutest tree in the world.

Palenque

More Mayan ruins, located in the state of Chiapis. Palenque was a Mayan city state. It isn’t as big as Chichen Itza, but it’s considered to be the finest example of Mayan architecture. It’s also estimated that 1000 structures are still hidden by the jungle. Amazing!

Explore Mexico with Kids

As you can probably tell, Mexico is a large country with so many beautiful sites to offer than just beautiful beaches. Flights between cities are often pretty reasonable, so I hope more people will explore more areas than just the resort towns! Grab your family and explore!

Where’s your favorite place to visit in Mexico? Which places are on your wish list?

Living abroad

A family on the quest for bliss

15 Awesome Places to Visit in Mexico with Kids

Related