Lonely Planet Mexico

by Noble, John; Matter, Michele; Keller, Nancy; Schechter, Daniel C.; Lyon, James; Doggett, Scott

• ISBN13: 9781864500899
• ISBN10: 1864500891
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-01
• Publisher: Lonely Planet

Summary

Fancy a fiesta? Savor sun-soaked beaches? Treasure tacos and tequila? Pack your bags and prepare to bask in the glow of vibrant Mexico! Equipped with this bestselling, opinion-packed guide, you'll follow in the footsteps of our Mexico experts through colorful Mexico City markets, across deserted Baja beaches, over Aztec and Mayan pyramids and into the soul of Mexico. GET AROUND - 180 detailed maps, more than any other guidebook to Mexico, plus comprehensive bus schedules BE INSPIRED - customized itineraries and full-color highlights up front to help you plan BECOME THE EXPERT - learn about Mexican history and cuisine from our expert contributors REST EASY - Spanish colonial inns, luxurious Caribbean resorts and other fine spots to lay your sombrero HABLA ESPAÑOL - handy language chapter and reviews of language schools throughout the country

Table of Contents

Introduction	17	(1)
Facts About Mexico	18	(41)
History	18	(21)
Geography	39	(1)
Climate	40	(1)
Ecology & Environment	40	(3)
Government & Politics	43	(1)
Economy	44	(2)
Population & People	46	(1)
Arts	47	(7)
Society & Conduct	54	(2)
Religion	56	(2)
Language	58	(1)
Wild Mexico	59	(7)
Facts For The Visitor	66	(57)
Highlights	66	(2)
Planning	68	(1)
Responsible Tourism	69	(1)
Tourist Offices	70	(1)
Visas & Documents	70	(8)
Customs	78	(1)
Money	78	(2)
Post & Communications	80	(5)
Internet Resources	85	(1)
Books	85	(3)
Newspapers & Magazines	88	(1)
Radio & TV	89	(1)
Photography & Video	89	(1)
Time	90	(1)
Electricity	90	(1)
Weights & Measures	90	(1)
Health	90	(11)
Women Travelers	101	(1)
Gay & Lesbian Travelers	101	(1)
Disabled Travelers	102	(1)
Senior Travelers	102	(1)
Travel With Children	102	(1)
Dangers & Annoyances	103	(1)
Legal Matters	104	(1)
Business Hours	105	(1)
Public Holidays & Special Events	105	(1)
Activities	106	(2)
Courses	108	(1)
Work	109	(1)
Accommodations	109	(2)
Food	111	(6)
Drinks	117	(2)
Entertainment	119	(1)
Spectator Sports	120	(1)
Shopping	120	(3)
Getting There & Away	123	(11)
Air	123	(4)
Land	127	(5)
River	132	(1)
Organized Tours	132	(2)
Getting Around	134	(9)
Air	134	(1)
Bus	135	(1)
Train	136	(1)
Car & Motorcycle	137	(3)
Bicycle	140	(1)
Hitchhiking	140	(1)
Boat	140	(1)
Local Transport	141	(1)
Organized Tours	142	(1)
Mexico City	143	(94)
History	143	(3)
Orientation	146	(2)
Information	148	(6)
Centro Historico	154	(6)
Alameda Central	160	(24)
Mexico City Map Section	161	(23)
Plaza de la Republica & Around	184	(1)
Paseo de la Reforma & Zona Rosa	185	(1)
Condesa	186	(1)
Bosque de Chapultepec	187	(3)
Polanco	190	(1)
Tlatelolco & Guadalupe	190	(2)
San Angel	192	(1)
Ciudad Universitaria	193	(1)
Coyoacan	194	(4)
Xochimilco & Around	198	(2)
Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones	200	(1)
Courses	201	(1)
Organized Tours	201	(1)
Special Events	201	(1)
Places to Stay	202	(6)
Places to Eat	208	(9)
Entertainment	217	(4)
Spectator Sports	221	(2)
Shopping	223	(2)
Getting There & Away	225	(8)
Getting Around	233	(4)
Around Mexico City	237	(80)
North of Mexico City	240	(1)
Tepotzotlan	240	(1)
Tula	241	(3)
Acolman	244	(1)
Teotihuacan	244	(5)
Pachuca	249	(4)
East of Mexico City	253	(2)
Popocatepetl & lztacihuatl	253	(2)
Texcoco	255	(1)
Tlaxcala	256	(4)
Cacaxtla & Xochitecatl	260	(1)
La Malinche	261	(1)
Huamantla	262	(1)
Puebla	262	(11)
Around Puebla	273	(1)
Cholula	273	(3)
Around Cholula	276	(1)
Sierra Norte de Puebla	276	(2)
Southern Puebla	278	(2)
South of Mexico City	280	(1)
Tepoztlan	280	(3)
Oaxtepec & Cocoyoc	283	(1)
Cuautla	284	(2)
Around Cuautla	286	(1)
Cuernavaca	287	(11)
Around Cuernavaca	298	(1)
Taxco	299	(8)
Around Taxco	307	(2)
West of Mexico City	309	(1)
Toluca	309	(3)
Around Toluca	312	(1)
Nevado de Toluca	313	(1)
Valle de Bravo	313	(1)
Teotenango	314	(1)
Malinalco	314	(2)
Chalma	316	(1)
Ixtapan de la Sal	316	(1)
Baja California	317	(46)
La Frontera & the Desierto del Colorado	318	(1)
Tijuana	318	(7)
Around Tijuana	325	(1)
Ensenada	325	(5)
Around Ensenada	330	(1)
Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857	330	(1)
Parque Nacional Sierra San Pedro Martir	330	(1)
Mexicali	331	(5)
San Felipe	336	(1)
Desierto Central & Llano de Magdalena	336	(1)
Guerrero Negro	337	(1)
Reserva de la Biosfera El Vizcaino	337	(1)
Isla Cedros	338	(1)
San Ignacio	338	(1)
Around San Ignacio	339	(2)
Santa Rosalia	341	(1)
Mulege	342	(1)
Loreto	343	(3)
Around Loreto	346	(1)
Ciudad Constitucion	346	(1)
Around Ciudad Constitucion	346	(1)
La Paz & Los Cabos	347	(1)
La Paz	347	(5)
Around La Paz	352	(1)
Around La Paz	352	(1)
Los Barriles	353	(1)
Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de la Laguna	353	(1)
San Jose del Cabo	353	(4)
Cabo San Lucas	357	(4)
Todos Santos	361	(2)
Northwest Mexico	363	(41)
Nogales	364	(3)
Other Border Crossings	367	(1)
Around Northern Sonora	367	(1)
Hermosillo	368	(6)
Bahia Kino	374	(1)
Guaymas	374	(3)
Around Guaymas	377	(1)
Ciudad Obregon & Navojoa	378	(1)
Alamos	378	(7)
Around Alamos	385	(1)
Los Mochis	385	(4)
Topolobampo	389	(1)
El Fuerte	389	(1)
Culiacan	390	(2)
Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon)	390	(2)
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico (Copper Canyon Railway)	392	(5)
Creel	397	(5)
Batopilas	402	(2)
Central North Mexico	404	(28)
Ciudad Juarez & El Paso (Texas)	404	(8)
Other Border Crossings	412	(1)
Nuevo Casas Grandes & Casas Grandes	413	(2)
Around Nuevo Casas Grandes	415	(1)
Madera	415	(1)
Chihuahua	416	(7)
Cuauhtemoc	423	(1)
Hidalgo del Parral	424	(1)
Around Hidalgo del Parral	425	(1)
Torreon	425	(2)
Around Torreon	427	(1)
Durango	427	(3)
Around Durango	430	(2)
Northeast Mexico	432	(43)
Tamaulipas	434	(4)
Reynosa	438	(3)
Matamoros	441	(5)
South of Matamoros	446	(1)
Ciudad Victoria	447	(2)
South of Ciudad Victoria	449	(1)
Nuevo Leon	450	(1)
Monterrey	450	(15)
Around Monterrey	465	(1)
South of Monterrey	465	(1)
Coahuila	466	(1)
Border Crossings	466	(1)
Monclova	467	(1)
Cuatrocienegas	467	(1)
Saltillo	468	(5)
Parras	473	(2)
Central Pacific Coast	475	(95)
Mazatlan	475	(12)
Around Mazatlan	487	(1)
Santiago lxcuintla	487	(1)
Mexcaltitan	488	(1)
San Blas	489	(4)
Tepic	493	(3)
Around Tepic	496	(1)
Chacala	497	(1)
Rincon de Guayabitos	497	(2)
Around Rincon de Guayabitos	499	(1)
Sayulita	499	(1)
Puerto Vallarta	499	(17)
Hotelito Desconocido	516	(1)
Costalegre Beaches	516	(1)
San Patricio-Melaque	517	(4)
Barra de Navidad	521	(4)
Manzanillo	525	(5)
Cuyutlan & El Paraiso	530	(2)
Michoacan Coast	532	(1)
Caleta de Campos	532	(1)
Playa Azul	532	(2)
Lazaro Cardenas	534	(2)
Zihuatanejo & lxtapa	536	(13)
Troncones	549	(2)
Barra de Potosi	551	(1)
Petatlan	551	(1)
La Barrita	551	(1)
Acapulco	552	(13)
Around Acapulco	565	(1)
Pie de la Cuesta	565	(3)
Costa Chica	568	(1)
Chilpancingo	568	(1)
Around Chilpancingo	569	(1)
Western Central Highlands	570	(71)
Guadalajara & Around	572	(1)
Guadalajara	572	(21)
Lago de Chapala	593	(3)
Tequila	596	(2)
Inland Michoacan	598	(1)
Morelia	598	(11)
Santuario de Mariposas El Rosario	609	(1)
Patzcuaro	610	(8)
Around Patzcuaro	618	(4)
Uruapan	622	(5)
Around Uruapan	627	(3)
Zamora	630	(1)
Inland Colima	630	(1)
Colima	631	(6)
Around Colima	637	(4)
Northern Central Highlands	641	(77)
Zacatecas State	642	(1)
Zacatecas	643	(9)
Guadalupe	652	(1)
Fresnillo & Plateros	652	(1)
Jerez	653	(1)
La Quemada	654	(1)
Aguascalientes State	655	(1)
Aguascalientes	655	(6)
San Luis Potosi State	661	(1)
San Luis Potosi	661	(8)
Santa Maria del Rio	669	(1)
Gogorron	669	(1)
Matehuala	669	(2)
Real de Catorce	671	(5)
Guanajuato State	676	(1)
Guanajuato	676	(12)
Cristo Rey	688	(1)
Leon	688	(2)
Dolores Hidalgo	690	(3)
San Miguel de Allende	693	(13)
Around San Miguel de Allende	706	(2)
Queretaro State	707	(1)
Queretaro	708	(6)
Tequisquiapan	714	(2)
Northeast Queretaro State	716	(2)
Central Gulf Coast	718	(59)
Tampico & the Huasteca	721	(1)
Tampico & Ciudad Madero	722	(4)
Ciudad Valles	726	(2)
Around Ciudad Valles	728	(1)
Xilitla	729	(1)
Tamazunchale	730	(1)
Huejutla	730	(1)
South of Huejutla	731	(1)
Northern Veracruz	731	(1)
Tuxpan	731	(3)
Around Tuxpan	734	(1)
Poza Rica	734	(1)
Poza Rica to Pachuca	734	(1)
Papantla	735	(2)
El Tajin	737	(3)
South of Papantla	740	(1)
Central Veracruz	741	(1)
Zempoala	741	(1)
Central Veracruz Coast	742	(1)
Jalapa	743	(6)
Around Jalapa	749	(1)
Veracruz	749	(11)
Cordoba & Fortin de las Flores	760	(3)
Orizaba	763	(3)
Around Orizaba	766	(1)
Southern Veracruz & Los Tuxtlas	767	(1)
Alvarado	767	(1)
Tlacotalpan	767	(1)
Santiago Tuxtla	767	(2)
Tres Zapotes	769	(1)
San Andres Tuxtla	770	(4)
Catemaco	774	(1)
The Coast near Catemaco	774	(1)
Acayucan	774	(1)
San Lorenzo	775	(1)
Minatitlan & Coatzacoalcos	776	(1)
Oaxaca State	777	(72)
Oaxaca City	780	(22)
Valles Centrales	802	(1)
Monte Alban	803	(3)
El Tule	806	(1)
Dainzu	807	(1)
Teotitlan del Valle	807	(1)
Benito Juarez	807	(2)
Lambityeco	809	(1)
Tlacolula	809	(1)
Santa Ana del Valle	809	(1)
Yagul	809	(1)
Mitla	810	(2)
Hierve El Agua	812	(1)
San Bartolo Coyotepec	812	(1)
San Martin Tilcajete & Santo Tomas Jalieza	813	(1)
Ocotlan	813	(1)
San Jose del Pacifico	813	(1)
Arrazola	813	(1)
Cuilapan	813	(1)
Zaachila	814	(1)
Atzompa	814	(1)
San Jose el Mogote	814	(2)
Mixteca Alta & Mixteca Baja	815	(1)
Northern Oaxaca	816	(1)
Guelatao & lxtlan	816	(1)
Huautla de Jimenez	817	(1)
Oaxaca Coast	817	(1)
Puerto Escondido	818	(8)
Around Puerto Escondido	826	(1)
Pochutla	827	(1)
Puerto Angel	828	(4)
Zipolite	832	(4)
Mazunte & Around	836	(2)
Bahias de Huatulco	838	(7)
lsthmus of Tehuantepec	845	(1)
Tehuantepec	845	(2)
Salina Cruz	847	(1)
Juchitan	847	(2)
Tabasco & Chiapas	849	(75)
Tabasco	849	(1)
Villahermosa	850	(8)
Yumka	858	(1)
Comalcalco	858	(1)
Agua Selva	859	(1)
To/From Guatemala via Tenosique	859	(4)
Chiapas	859	(4)
Tuxtla Gutierrez	863	(6)
Chiapa de Corzo	869	(1)
Canon del Sumidero	870	(1)
San Cristobal de Las Casas	871	(12)
Around San Cristobal	883	(5)
Ocosingo	888	(1)
Tonina	889	(2)
Laguna Miramar	891	(1)
Agua Azul, Agua Clara & Misol-Ha	892	(2)
Palenque	894	(10)
Bonampak, Yaxchilan & the Carretera Fronteriza	904	(8)
Comitan	912	(2)
Lagos de Montebello	914	(3)
Ciudad Cuauhtemoc	917	(1)
Reserva de la Biosfera El Triunfo	917	(1)
El Soconusco	917	(3)
Tapachula	920	(2)
Around Tapachula	922	(2)
The Yucatan Peninsula	924	(111)
Quintana Roo	928	(1)
Cancun	928	(13)
Isla Mujeres	941	(7)
Isla Contoy	948	(1)
Isla Holbox	948	(1)
Puerto Morelos	949	(1)
Playa del Carmen	950	(3)
Cozumel	953	(7)
Around Isla Cozumel	960	(1)
Xcaret	961	(1)
Paamul	961	(1)
Puerto Aventuras	962	(1)
Xpu Ha	962	(1)
Akumal	962	(1)
Xcacel	963	(1)
Xel-Ha	963	(1)
Tulum	963	(5)
Coba	968	(2)
Tulum to Punta Allen	970	(1)
Felipe Carrillo Puerto	971	(1)
Xcalak & Costa Maya	972	(1)
Laguna Bacalar	973	(1)
Chetumal	973	(5)
Kohunlich	978	(1)
South to Belize & Guatemala	978	(1)
Yucatan	979	(1)
Merida	979	(15)
Dzibilchaltun	994	(1)
Progreso	994	(2)
Hacienda Teya	996	(1)
Izamal	997	(1)
Chichen Itza	998	(7)
Valladolid	1005	(3)
Tizimin	1008	(1)
Rio Lagartos	1009	(1)
San Felipe	1010	(1)
Celestun	1010	(1)
Uxmal	1011	(4)
Ruta Puuc	1015	(3)
Grutas de Loltun	1018	(1)
Ticul	1019	(2)
Ticul to Merida	1021	(1)
Ruinas de Mayapan	1021	(1)
Ruinas de Mayapan to Merida	1022	(1)
Campeche State	1022	(1)
Campeche	1022	(6)
Campeche to Merida Short Route (Hwy 180)	1028	(1)
Compeche to Merida Long Rute (Hwy 261)	1029	(2)
Escarcega	1031	(1)
Escarcega to Xpujil	1031	(1)
Xpujil	1032	(3)
Language	1035	(8)
Glossary	1043	(6)
Artesanias	1049	(24)
Acknowledgments	1073	(9)
Index	1082	(14)
Map Legend	1096