Fodor's 1999 Mexico

by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.

• ISBN13: 9780679001287
• ISBN10: 067900128X
• Edition: Map
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-09-01
• Publisher: Fodors Travel Pubns

Summary

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you. The best guide to Mexico, updated every year Great drives and walks, with visits to museums, Maya and Aztec ruins, colonial churches, and other sights Spectacular beaches, snorkeling, diving, and windsurfing By rail through the breathtaking Sierra Madre Silver, textiles, ceramics, and leather at great prices Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Chic resorts, sleek hotels, and charming posadas Smart restaurants, cozy cafes, and traditionaltaquerias Fresh, thorough, practical--off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 69 pages of maps, 36 vacation itineraries, and more Important contacts and smart travel tips Fodor's Choice What's Where Pleasures & Pastimes, the don't-miss activities New & Noteworthy Festivals Further Reading Spanish vocabulary Complete index

Table of Contents

About Our Writers Each year the Gold Guides are written and updated by more than 500 resident writers

How to Use This Book Describes organization, icons, and other key information

Please Write to Us Tells you how to get in touch with our editors

The Gold Guide: Smart Travel Tips A to Z An easy-to-use section divided alphabetically by topic

Under each listing you'll find tips and information that will help you accomplish what you need to in Mexico

You'll also find addresses and telephone numbers of organizations and companies that offer destination-related services and detailed information and publications

Destination: Mexico Helps get you in the mood for your trip

The Many Faces of Mexico Describes the diverse charm of the country

New and Noteworthy Cues you in on trends and happenings

What's Where Gets you oriented

Pleasures and Pastimes Describes the activities and sights that really make Mexico unique

Fodor's Choice Showcases our top picks from special restaurants and one-of-a-kind accommodations to out-of-the-ordinary sights and activities...

Let them inspire you! Festivals and Seasonal Events Alerts you to special Mexican events you'll want to seek out

The following chapters in Fodor's Mexico '99 are arranged geographically

Each city chapter begins with an Exploring section subdivided by neighborhood; each subsection recommends a walking or driving tour and lists sights in alphabetical order

Each regional chapter is divided by geographical area

Within each area, towns are covered in logical geographical order, and within town sections, all restaurants and lodgings are grouped together

Attractive stretches of road and minor points of interest between towns appear in En Route subsections

Off the Beaten Path sights appear after the places from which they are most easily accessible

To help you decide what to visit in the time you have, all chapters begin with our recommended itineraries

The A to Z section that ends all chapters covers getting to and around the area in question

It also provides helpful contacts and resources

Mexico City Baja California Sonora The Copper Canyon: From Los Mochis to Chihuahua City Pacific Coast Resorts Guadalajara The Heartland of Mexico With San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Querétaro, Morelia, and Pátzcuaro

Acapulco Oaxaca Chiapas and Tabasco With San Cristóbal de las Casas, South and East of San Cristóbal, North and West of San Cristóbal, The Road to Palenque and Beyond, and Villahermosa and Tabasco

Northeastern Mexico and Veracruz The Yucatán Peninsula With Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, The North Caribbean Coast, the State of Yucatán, and the State of Campeche

Portraits of Mexico The story of Mexico's turbulent and fascinating history, followed by suggestions for pretrip reading

Spanish Vocabulary A helpful guide to essential words and phrases

Index List of 62 Maps

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Pleasures and Pastimes

Beaches
Beaches are the reason most tourists visit Mexico. Generally speaking, the Pacific is rougher and the waters less clear than the Caribbean, which is a better choice for snorkeling and scuba diving. Cancún, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres, as well as what has come to be called the Cancún--Tulum Corridor, are among the best and most popular beach destinations on the Caribbean coast. Beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are often covered with tar. The Acapulco waters, though much improved by a cleanup effort, are still somewhat polluted, but there is no such problem at the other Pacific resorts. All beach resorts offer a variety of water sports, including waterskiing, windsurfing, parasailing, and if the water is clear enough, snorkeling and scuba diving. Surfers favor Puerto Escondido, near Huatulco, and Santa Cruz, near San Blas.

Bullfighting
An import of the Spanish conquistadores, bullfighting was refined and popularized over the centuries until every major city and most small towns had a bullring or some semblance of an arena. As in Spain, the last few decades have seen some decline of the popularity of the sport in Mexico, where it has been superseded by such modern games as soccer and has been the object of negative publicity by animal-rights activists. It remains a strong part of the Latin American culture, however, and can be thrilling to watch when performed by a skilled toreador. Ask at your hotel about arenas and schedules. Most fights are held on Sunday afternoon, and the most prestigious toreadors perform during the fall season.

Charreada
This Mexican rodeo is a colorful event involving elegant flourishes and maneuvers, handsome costumes, mariachi music, and much fanfare. There are charreadas (Mexican-style rodeos) most Sunday mornings at Mexico City's Rancho del Charro; inquire at your hotel or at a travel agency.

Dining
Mexican gastronomes are dismayed by foreigners' glaring misconceptions of Mexican food as essentially tacos, enchiladas, and burritos; they are bewildered by Tex-Mex and appalled by Taco Bell. The staples of rice, beans, chilies, and tortillas on which the poor subsist form the basis for creative variations of sophisticated national dishes but are by no means the only ingredients commonly used. As Mexican cooking continues to develop an international reputation, more people are recognizing its versatility. Seafood is abundant, not just on the coasts but also in the lake regions around Guadalajara and in the state of Michoacán. Ceviche -- raw fish and shellfish (mariscos) marinated in lime juice and topped with cilantro (coriander), onion, and chili -- is almost a national dish, though it originated in Acapulco. It is worth trying, but make sure it's fresh. Shrimp, lobster, and oysters can be huge and succulent. Other popular seafood includes huachinango (sea bass), abalone, crab, and swordfish. Mexicans consume lots of beef, pork, and barbecued lamb (barbacoa), with a variety of sauces. Chicken is often roasted, served in sauces such as mole, or tucked in enchiladas, tacos, or burritos. Mole, a complex, spicy sauce with more than 100 ingredients, including many kinds of chilies and even a bit of chocolate, is one of Mexico's proudest culinary inventions.

Music
From norteño to mariachi to banda, Mexico's varieties of music have at their core expressive power and verve that make their popularity instantly understandable. Banda has risen to fame in the 1990s -- brass bands small and large arranging tunes from other styles, including ranchera and cumbia. Among its premier practitioners is Banda del Recodo. Cumbia has its roots in Colombia, where it is also a favorite. Immensely danceable, cumbia was the craze before banda came along. Danzón is a European-influenced style, accompanying dignified dancing, that came originally to Veracruz from Cuba. The style's popularity there has waned, but not so in Mexico. Mariachi might seem to be Mexico's signature musical style, even though it is just one of many. It originated in the state of Jalisco, by some accounts at a garden party that dictator Porfirio Díaz threw for Americans in 1907. Mariachi bands play in plazas country-wide, their signature brass sounds backed up with guitars, most noticeably the huge, shoulder-strapped acoustic basses. Norteño, characteristically sung without passion, is known for lyrics that pull no punches when it comes to the tragedies of life. It comes from northern Mexico -- border country. Accordions are usually a part of norteño bands. Ranchero is as passionate as Mexican music gets. Linda Ronstadt's recordings of Mexican music have mostly been in the ranchero style.

Ruins  
Amateur archaeologists will find heaven in Mexico, where some of the greatest ancient civilizations -- among them, the Aztecs, the Olmecs, and the Maya -- left their mark. Pick your period and your preference, whether for well-excavated sites or overgrown, out-of-the-way ruins barely touched by a scholar's shovel.

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Excerpted from Mexico '99: The Complete Guide to the Colonial Cities, Maya Ruins, Resorts, Reefs, Fiestas and Folk Art by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.