Lonely Planet Mexico

by Noble, John; Bao, Sandra; Forsyth, Susan; Greenfield, Beth; Grosberg, Michael; Konn, Morgan; Nystrom, Andrew Dean

• ISBN13: 9781740596862
• ISBN10: 1740596862
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-05
• 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	p. 13
Facts About Mexico	p. 16
History	p. 16
Geography	p. 35
Climate	p. 36
Ecology & Environment	p. 36
Flora & Fauna	p. 39
Government & Politics	p. 44
Economy	p. 45
Population & People	p. 47
Arts	p. 48
Society & Conduct	p. 55
Religion	p. 56
Language	p. 58
Artesanias	p. 59
Buying Handicrafts	p. 60
Textiles	p. 60
Ceramics	p. 64
Masks & Headdresses	p. 65
Lacquerware & Woodwork	p. 66
Bark Paintings	p. 67
Leather	p. 67
Jewelry & Metalwork	p. 67
Retablos	p. 68
Baskets, Hats & Hammocks	p. 68
Festival Crafts	p. 69
Facts for the Visitor	p. 70
Highlights	p. 70
Suggested Itineraries	p. 72
Planning	p. 73
Responsible Tourism	p. 74
Tourist Offices	p. 75
Visas & Documents	p. 75
Embassies & Consulates	p. 78
Customs	p. 81
Money	p. 81
Post & Communications	p. 84
Internet Resources	p. 88
Books	p. 88
Newspapers & Magazines	p. 91
Radio & TV	p. 91
Video Systems	p. 92
Photography & Video	p. 92
Time	p. 92
Electricity	p. 93
Weights & Measures	p. 93
Laundry	p. 93
Toilets	p. 93
Health	p. 93
Women Travelers	p. 103
Gay & Lesbian Travelers	p. 104
Disabled Travelers	p. 104
Senior Travelers	p. 104
Travel with Children	p. 105
Dangers & Annoyances	p. 105
Legal Matters	p. 107
Business Hours	p. 108
Public Holidays & Special Events	p. 108
Activities	p. 109
Courses	p. 113
Work	p. 113
Accommodations	p. 114
Food	p. 116
Drinks	p. 118
Entertainment	p. 120
Spectator Sports	p. 120
Shopping	p. 122
Getting There & Away	p. 123
Air	p. 123
Land	p. 128
River	p. 131
Organized Tours	p. 132
Getting Around	p. 133
Air	p. 133
Bus	p. 134
Train	p. 136
Car & Motorcycle	p. 136
Bicycle	p. 139
Hitchhiking	p. 139
Boat	p. 139
Local Transportation	p. 139
Organized Tours	p. 140
Mexico City	p. 142
History	p. 142
Orientation	p. 145
Information	p. 147
Centro Historico	p. 173
Alameda Central & Around	p. 178
Plaza de la Republica & Around	p. 179
Paseo de la Reforma	p. 180
Zona Rosa	p. 181
Condesa & Roma	p. 181
Bosque de Chapultepec	p. 181
Polanco	p. 185
Xochimilco & Around	p. 185
San Angel	p. 186
Ciudad Universitaria	p. 187
Coyoacan	p. 189
Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones	p. 192
Tlatelolco & Guadalupe	p. 193
Cycling	p. 194
Courses	p. 194
Organized Tours	p. 195
Special Events	p. 195
Places to Stay	p. 196
Places to Eat	p. 202
Entertainment	p. 209
Spectator Sports	p. 213
Shopping	p. 214
Getting There & Away	p. 216
Getting Around	p. 223
Around Mexico City	p. 228
North of Mexico City	p. 229
Tepotzotlan	p. 229
Tula	p. 232
Acolman	p. 235
Teotihuacan	p. 235
Pachuca	p. 239
Around Pachuca	p. 241
East of Mexico City	p. 243
Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl	p. 243
Texcoco	p. 245
Tlaxcala	p. 246
Cacaxtla & Xochitecatl	p. 249
La Malinche	p. 251
Huamantla	p. 251
Puebla	p. 251
Around Puebla	p. 261
Cholula	p. 262
Around Cholula	p. 265
Sierra Norte de Puebla	p. 265
Southern Puebla	p. 267
South of Mexico City	p. 268
Tepoztlan	p. 269
Oaxtepec & Cocoyoc	p. 272
Cuautla	p. 272
Around Cuautla	p. 275
Cuernavaca	p. 276
Around Cuernavaca	p. 286
Taxco	p. 287
Around Taxco	p. 295
West of Mexico City	p. 296
Toluca	p. 296
Around Toluca	p. 299
Nevado de Toluca	p. 300
Valle de Bravo	p. 300
Teotenango	p. 301
Malinalco	p. 301
Chalma	p. 302
Ixtapan de la Sal	p. 303
Baja California	p. 304
Northern Baja	p. 304
Tijuana	p. 306
Around Tijuana	p. 312
Ensenada	p. 312
Around Ensenada	p. 316
PN Constitucion de 1857	p. 316
PN Sierra San Pedro Martir	p. 316
Mexicali	p. 316
San Felipe	p. 321
Southern Baja	p. 321
Guerrero Negro	p. 322
Isla Cedros	p. 323
San Ignacio	p. 323
Around San Ignacio	p. 324
Santa Rosalia	p. 325
Mulege	p. 326
Loreto	p. 327
Around Loreto	p. 330
Ciudad Constitucion	p. 330
Around Ciudad Constitucion	p. 330
La Paz	p. 331
Around La Paz	p. 336
Los Barriles	p. 336
Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de la Laguna	p. 337
San Jose del Cabo	p. 337
Los Cabos Corridor	p. 340
Cabo San Lucas	p. 340
Todos Santos	p. 343
Northwest Mexico	p. 345
Nogales	p. 345
Other Border Crossings	p. 349
Around Northern Sonora	p. 349
Hermosillo	p. 349
Bahia Kino	p. 354
Guaymas	p. 355
Around Guaymas	p. 358
Ciudad Obregon	p. 359
Navojoa	p. 359
Alamos	p. 360
Around Alamos	p. 365
Los Mochis	p. 365
Topolobampo	p. 369
Culiacan	p. 369
Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon)	p. 369
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico (Copper Canyon Railway)	p. 370
El Fuerte	p. 374
Cerocahui	p. 374
Urique	p. 375
Areponapuchi (Posada Barrancas)	p. 375
Divisadero	p. 376
Creel	p. 377
Around Creel	p. 381
Cascada de Basaseachi	p. 382
Batopilas	p. 382
Central North Mexico	p. 384
Ciudad Juarez	p. 384
Other Border Crossings	p. 391
Nuevo Casas Grandes & Casas Grandes	p. 391
Around Nuevo Casas Grandes	p. 393
Madera & Around	p. 393
Chihuahua	p. 394
Cuauhtemoc	p. 400
Hidalgo del Parral	p. 401
Around Hidalgo del Parral	p. 402
Torreon	p. 402
Around Torreon	p. 404
Durango	p. 404
Around Durango	p. 407
Northeast Mexico	p. 409
Tamaulipas	p. 411
Nuevo Laredo	p. 411
Reynosa	p. 414
Matamoros	p. 417
South of Matamoros	p. 421
Oudad Victoria	p. 422
South of Ciudad Victoria	p. 424
Nuevo Leon	p. 425
Monterrey	p. 425
Around Monterrey	p. 439
South of Monterrey	p. 440
Coahuila	p. 441
Border Crossings	p. 441
Monclova	p. 442
Cuatrocienegas	p. 442
Saltillo	p. 443
Parras	p. 447
Central Pacific Coast	p. 449
Mazatlan	p. 449
Around Mazatlan	p. 461
Santiago lxcuintla	p. 461
Mexcaltitan	p. 461
San Blas	p. 462
Tepic	p. 466
Around Tepic	p. 468
Chacala	p. 469
Rincon de Guayabitos	p. 469
Around Rincon de Guayabitos	p. 470
Sayulita	p. 470
Puerto Vallarta	p. 471
La Cruz de Loreto	p. 487
Costalegre Beaches & Resorts	p. 487
San Patricio-Melaque	p. 487
Barra de Navidad	p. 491
Manzanillo	p. 494
Cuyutlan & El Paraiso	p. 500
Michoacan Coast	p. 501
Caleta de Campos	p. 502
Playa Azul	p. 502
Lazaro Cardenas	p. 504
Troncones, Bahia Manzanillo & Majahua	p. 505
Ixtapa	p. 507
Zihuatanejo	p. 510
South of Ixtapa & Zihuatanejo	p. 521
Pie de la Cuesta	p. 522
Acapulco	p. 524
Around Acapulco	p. 538
Costa Chica	p. 539
Chilpancingo	p. 539
Around Chilpancingo	p. 540
Western Central Highlands	p. 541
Guadalajara & Around	p. 543
Guadalajara	p. 543
Tequila	p. 564
Lago de Chapala	p. 564
Southern Mountains	p. 568
Inland Colima	p. 568
Colima	p. 569
Around Colima	p. 574
Inland Michoacan	p. 577
Morelia	p. 578
Santuario Mariposa Monarca	p. 588
Patzcuaro	p. 590
Around Patzcuaro	p. 597
Uruapan	p. 601
Around Uruapan	p. 606
Volcan Paricutin	p. 607
Zamora	p. 608
Northern Central Highlands	p. 610
Zacatecas State	p. 611
Zacatecas	p. 611
Guadalupe	p. 620
Fresnillo & Plateros	p. 621
Jerez	p. 622
La Quemada	p. 623
Sombrerete	p. 623
Sierra de Organos	p. 623
Altavista	p. 624
Aguascalientes State	p. 624
Aguascalientes	p. 624
San Luis Potosi State	p. 630
San Luis Potosi	p. 630
Santa Maria del Rio	p. 637
Matehuala	p. 638
Real de Catorce	p. 639
Guanajuato State	p. 644
Guanajuato	p. 644
Cristo Rey	p. 656
Leon	p. 657
Dolores Hidalgo	p. 659
San Miguel de Allende	p. 662
Around San Miguel de Allende	p. 674
Celaya	p. 676
Queretaro State	p. 676
Queretaro	p. 676
Tequisquiapan	p. 683
Northeast Queretaro State	p. 684
Central Gulf Coast	p. 686
Tampico & the Huasteca	p. 689
Tampico & Ciudad Madero	p. 689
Ciudad Valles & Around	p. 694
Aquismon & Around	p. 696
Tancanhuitz	p. 696
Xilitla	p. 696
Tamazunchale	p. 697
Huejutla de Reyes	p. 698
South of Huejutla	p. 698
Northern Veracruz	p. 698
Tuxpan	p. 698
Around Tuxpan	p. 701
Poza Rica	p. 701
Poza Rica to Pachuca	p. 701
Papantla	p. 702
El Tajin	p. 703
South of Papantla	p. 707
Central Veracruz	p. 708
Coastal Communities	p. 708
Jalapa	p. 710
Around Jalapa	p. 715
Veracruz	p. 716
Cordoba & Fortin de las Flores	p. 727
Orizaba	p. 731
Around Orizaba	p. 733
Tlacotalpan	p. 734
Los Tuxtlas & Southeast Veracruz	p. 735
Santiago Tuxtla	p. 735
Tres Zapotes	p. 736
San Andres Tuxtla	p. 737
Catemaco	p. 738
Around Catemaco	p. 741
Acayucan	p. 741
San Lorenzo	p. 743
Oaxaca State	p. 745
Oaxaca City	p. 748
Valles Centrales	p. 770
Monte Alban	p. 771
El Tule	p. 774
Dainzu	p. 774
Teotitlan del Valle	p. 774
Lambityeco	p. 775
Tlacolula	p. 775
Santa Ana del Valle	p. 775
Yagul	p. 776
Mitla	p. 777
Hierve El Agua	p. 778
San Bartolo Coyotepec	p. 779
San Martin Tilcajete & Santo Tomas Jalieza	p. 779
Ocotlan	p. 779
San Jose del Pacifico	p. 779
Arrazola	p. 780
Cuilapan	p. 780
Zaachila	p. 780
Atzompa	p. 780
San Jose el Mogote	p. 780
Mixteca	p. 781
Northern Oaxaca	p. 782
Guelatao & Ixtlan	p. 782
Pueblos Mancomunados	p. 782
Oaxaca Coast	p. 784
Puerto Escondido	p. 784
Around Puerto Escondido	p. 792
Lagunas de Chacahua	p. 793
Pinotepa Nacional	p. 794
Pochutla	p. 794
Puerto Angel	p. 795
Zipolite	p. 799
San Agustinillo	p. 801
Mazunte	p. 802
Bahias de Huatulco	p. 806
Isthmus of Tehuantepec	p. 813
Tehuantepec	p. 814
Salina Cruz	p. 815
Juchitan	p. 816
Tabasco & Chiapas	p. 817
Tabasco	p. 817
Villahermosa	p. 818
Yumka	p. 826
Comalcalco	p. 826
To/From Guatemala via Tenosique	p. 826
Chiapas	p. 827
Tuxtla Gutierrez	p. 831
Chiapa de Corzo	p. 837
Canon del Sumidero	p. 838
San Cristobal de Las Casas	p. 839
Around San Cristobal	p. 851
Ocosingo	p. 855
Tonina	p. 856
Laguna Miramar	p. 858
Agua Azul, Agua Clara & Misol-Ha	p. 859
Palenque	p. 860
Bonampak, Yaxchilan & the Carretera Fronteriza	p. 871
Comitan	p. 878
Lagos de Montebello	p. 881
Ciudad Cuauhtemoc	p. 883
Reserva de la Biosfera El Triunfo	p. 883
El Soconusco	p. 883
Tapachula	p. 885
Around Tapachula	p. 888
The Yucatan Peninsula	p. 891
Campeche State	p. 895
Escarcega to Xpujil	p. 895
Xpujil	p. 897
Hormiguero & Rio Bec	p. 898
Campeche	p. 899
Campeche to Merida--Short Route (Hwy 180)	p. 905
Campeche to Merida--Long Route (Hwy 261)	p. 906
Yucatan State	p. 907
Merida	p. 908
South of Merida	p. 920
Dzibilchaltun	p. 930
Progreso	p. 930
Celestun	p. 931
Izamal	p. 933
Chichen Itza	p. 934
Valladolid	p. 940
Ek' Balam	p. 943
Tizimin	p. 944
Rio Lagartos	p. 944
San Felipe	p. 945
Quintana Roo	p. 945
Cancun	p. 945
Isla Mujeres	p. 957
Parque Nacional Isla Contoy	p. 963
Isla Holbox	p. 964
Puerto Morelos	p. 964
Playa del Carmen	p. 965
Cozumel	p. 969
Xcaret	p. 977
Paamul	p. 977
Xpu-Ha	p. 977
Akumal	p. 977
Cenote Tours	p. 978
Tulum	p. 978
Grand Cenote	p. 983
Coba	p. 983
Tulum to Punta Allen	p. 986
Felipe Carrillo Puerto	p. 987
Xcalak & Costa Maya	p. 988
Laguna Bacalar	p. 989
Chetumal	p. 990
Kohunlich	p. 994
South to Belize & Guatemala	p. 995
Language	p. 996
Glossary	p. 1003
Food & Drink Glossary	p. 1009
Thanks	p. 1013
Index	p. 1025
Map Legend	p. 1040
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