This is a concise travel guide for Mexico. We have written this travel guide on Mexico to help you to develop an understanding for Mexico and all of the beautiful points to travel. We also want you to understand the nuances of traveling to Mexico such as how to be safe, what places to see, and much more. We assure you that our travel guide to Mexico will be a very helpful tool when visiting this beautiful country. We also offer interpreters in Mexico whenever you need. Please don’t hesitate to contact usvia email or call us toll-free at 1-800-969-6853 for a free quote, if you need an interpreter in Mexico or assistance in any way.

As a special service to our clients and readers, we at World Interpreting, LLC are working hard to offer you something different aside from our language translation and interpretation services. As we actively pursue excellence in our services, we also want you to experience what it will be like to travel to other countries by providing you with concise country and city profiles and other interesting tidbits of information about each country. Travel Guide Mexico is just one of these innovations we are introducing. We will be coming up with more.

Travel Guide Mexico is our initial offering to you. It will take you to different fantastic places in Mexico as well as some of the famous landmarks and notable cities, so you will already have a general idea about Mexico if and when you decide to actually travel and explore this fascinating and exciting Latin American country.

Travel Guide Mexico will assist you in getting a bird’s eye view of the country’s geography, language, the places of interest, landmarks and things you can do in Mexico as well as give you travel safety tips. We do hope you will come back often to travel with us to other destinations around the world.

Introducing Mexico

The country of Mexico, whose official name is United Mexican States, is home to nearly 114 million inhabitants. It’s a staggering number, even for a country that is more or less three times the size of the State of Texas. Its total area is 1,972,550 square kilometers.

Its capital and largest city is Mexico City. Spanish is the de facto language in the land of the Aztecs although the country recognizes 68 indigenous languages. Indigenous people comprise 14.86% of the population of Mexico. The country has a federal presidential constitutional republic headed by a president. The country, which was under Spanish rule for three centuries from 1521 until 1821 declared its independence from Spain in 1810 although it took 11 more years before the independence was recognized in 1821.

Mexico does not lack in charm. The beautiful country with a rugged terrain composed of plains, highlands and plateaus is the one place where you could enjoy pyramids by day and tequilas or Mexican beer at night.

Mexico is a microcosm of various cultural influences and out of the numerous changes or transformations that it has encountered through the centuries, the country has developed a culture that it exclusively calls its own – art, festive celebrations and an almost sacred preservation of well-held values. These are just some of the many things that make Mexico a fascinating tourist destination. The tropical country is a true must-see, what with its mountain ranges, volcanic peaks, diverse terrain, delicious cuisine, ancient architecture and colorful festivals. The heavily Catholic nation is home to beautiful mestizos and mestizas that hail from as far back as the Spanish conquest of Native America. And this developing country has a lot to offer in as far as exploration is concerned.

For this reason, our pocket Mexico Travel Guide has been designed to provide you with practical guide to the information you would find helpful before going to and while you are in Mexico. The overview provides you a good bird’s eye view of things you need to know when you visit Mexico. The sections of our Mexico Travel Guide include the places that you should not miss so you could plan your itinerary better and insights that will make your adventure meaningful. But despite the anticipation of fun and adventure in this large country in North America, your safety is still a priority while in transit. Our Mexico Travel Guide includes a section on travel safety. All the travel guides that we have prepared have a section on basic words and phrases in the local language to help you get around. With the travel guide broken into easy to read sections, it becomes a handy reference.

Mexico is one of the most intriguing and fascinating places of interest for any tourist. Its snow-capped mountains, notoriously gorgeous beaches, breath-taking tropical rain forests, and majestic volcanic peaks all contribute to the diverse and colorful terrain and view.

In the Western Hemisphere, Mexico is fifth in terms of country size and is home to abundant supplies of natural gas and petroleum. It is third to Brazil and Argentina in being the most populated in Latin America. The country is also consistently in the top 20 largest economies of the world. There are some challenges in developing their economy for modernization because of the nation’s historical record of economic crisis, rapid population growth, and limited farming capital. But despite that, Mexico is brimming with activity and charm.

Moreover, Mexico City, the country’s capital city, is also one of the largest cities in the world. This metropolitan area is the central hub that spearheads the entire country’s culture, economy, and politics. Around a fifth of the entire population is known to inhabit in or near the capital city, understandably because of its more upgraded transportation system as compared to the rest of the country and the availability of jobs. It is located in the heart of country in the Valley of Mexico. With its elevation of 2,240 meters or 7,350 feet, the city of Mexico is one of the highest capital cities in the world. The city has the main access to airlines, railroads, and highways and is an alpha global city. Likewise, the city is home to the world’s largest Spanish-speaking population. Mexico City is a prime financial center in North America and is responsible for more than 21% of the country’s GDP.

Mexicans are naturally family-oriented people. Many women are already working like men in the labor force, but most are still at home as homemakers. While there is still importance to indigenous fashions and ways, modern men and women of Mexico are seen sporting international trends just like the rest of the world. They have a rich plethora of artistic masterpieces that are inspired by their rich culture. The heritage of the people in Mexico mainly originated from the Native American civilizations likes the Mayans and the Aztecs. Their mestizo and mestiza features were amplified due to the intermarriages that occurred during the Spanish occupation. Urbanization quickly occurred right after the Second World War, and so did population growth amidst the federal political system. There was also some African influence when 120,000 African slaves went to Mexico between the 1520s until the 1650s.

Mexico is also one of the United States’ largest trading partners. A border shared by both Mexico and the United States is formed mostly by the major river called Rio Bravo (also called Rio Grande). The entire border is around 1,900 miles long, and is one of the longest borders in the world shared by a fully developed economic powerhouse and a developing country. Mixed marriages between native Mexicans and Americans are widely known, and even in the U.S., the Mexicans have extended their communities and reach. But the country in itself is already massive at an area of 761,606 square miles.

Sparsely provided with fertile land for farming, Mexico has large plateaus and limited rainfall. The semiarid climate contributes to the dryness experienced for most of the year. Mexico is heavily surrounded by bodies of water, with the Pacific Ocean at its west and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea at its east. Guatemala is just at its south and the United States is at its north. Two chains of mountains traverse its land, the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental ranges. This attributes to the rugged terrain that Mexico is known for. People live in the center of the vast plateaus created by these mountain chains. Most of the urban development is concentrated at the central and northern regions, while the south is known for its forests and rural regions.

Prior to the current migration patterns, the Mexican people were filled with a colorful history, dominated by a culture and rulers that were too intelligent for their time. When the Spanish were able to subdue and cause the fall of the Tenochtitlan, the original settlement that is now the region of the capital city of Mexico in 1521, the influence of the Spanish culture merged with that of the Aztecs, creating a unique way of life that has been preserved to this day.

The Spanish influence had them adopting the Spanish language and Roman Catholicism. Up to this day, more than 90% of the inhabitants are devout Catholics, and Spanish remains as an official language. Some of them retain the capacity to speak some Native American dialects but the numbers have been dwindling.

There are numerous Mexican holidays, some of which are tied heavily to their religious beliefs. But religious or not, these events are all fun to take part in. Some of these include the Dia de la Candelaria (February 2) which is filled with food, music and dance; Cuernavaca Flower Fair in April; Cinco de Mayo commemorating the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla and the Cancun Jazz Festival (May). There’s also the Navy Day in the coastal areas (June); San Miguel de Allende International Music Festival (August) and the Dia de la Independencia or Independence Day in September. Several musical parties are held in October, as well as the festive El Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead (November) and all the December Christmas parties that begin as early as nine days before actual Christmas day.

Aside from these wonderful festivities, tourist destinations are aplenty in this side of the world. For starters, you can taste the best of beach life by taking a dip in the waters in Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmenand Cancún or sail in the peninsular areas of Los Cabos and enjoy the shade in Tulum. The terrain can be more seen in places like the Copper Canyon,which has the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway to help you go around it. There is also the dream city for walking tourists that could be found in Guanajuato, which is known for its colorful tunnels and buildings, and various alleys where any tourist can get lost in with much pleasure. For another water-filled fun experience, you could also try snorkeling or scuba diving in the waters of Cozumel. For a more Mayan feel, visit the Palenque to witness the best in Mayan architecture and the numerous inscriptions that date as far back as 600 AD. The Chichen Itza is one of the largest cities built by the Mayans and considered a mythical city. It is located in Tinum at the Yucatán Peninsula. The well-preserved ruins were included in the World Heritage Sites list of UNESCO. The pyramids of the Sun and Moon have been built by the Aztecs in Teotihuacan, near the foot of the Cerro Godo Mountain. The Pyramid of the Sun is one of the largest monuments in Mesoamerica and the whole location, including the other ruins such as the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent are included in the list of Mexico’s World Heritage Sites. Off the beaten path, you can also try visiting natural wonders like the Isla Mujere, El Rosario, and Parque Nacional Sierra de Organos.

Some of the staple foods found in Mexico include the famous Mexican tortilla, chili dishes, fajitas, tacos, and enchillada. Of course, there is the Mexican beer and tequila, which is one of the famous products that come from Mexico. Souvenir hunters would have a great time hunting from low-priced souvenir items in the shopping areas of Mexico.

Shopping in Mexico is a fun experience. You can go to the markets in Puerto Vallarta or opt for the modern mall in Cancun called La Isla Shopping Mall. There are also local stores in Cabo and Chedraui. Specialty items abound in Tijuana, where anything creatively handcrafted from boots to bags could be found. Try the souvenir shops in Mazatlan for the best-priced goods that you could take home to give to your friends. There are also interesting peddlers and street vendors who are willing to offer you some items that cannot be easily found elsewhere at bargain prices.

Now that you have finally decided to experience the travel wonders of Mexico, you’re like to find our pocket Travel Guide Mexico extremely useful. Included here are the basic information you need to make the most out of your stay in this vibrant country, from the best sights to see and the many things you can do.