Teotihuacán
The fabulous archaeological zone
of Teotihuacán lies in a mountain-ringed offshoot
of the Valle de México. Site of the huge Pirámides
del Sol y de la Luna (Pyramids of the Sun and Moon),
it was Mexico's biggest ancient city and the capital
of what was probably the country's largest pre-Hispanic
empire. A day here can be fabulous, unless the hawkers
get you down. The site's main drag is the famous Avenue
of the Dead, a monumental 2km (1.2mi) thoroughfare
lined with the former palaces of Teotihuacán's
elite. To its south is the pyramid-bedecked La Ciudadela,
believed to have been the residence of the city's
supreme ruler. Enclosed within the citadel's walls
is the Quetzalcóatl Temple, with its striking
serpent carvings. Heading north, the avenue passes
the world's third-largest pyramid: the awe-inspiring,
70m (230ft), 248-stepped Pyramid of the Sun. The pyramid
was originally painted a suitably sun-drenched, bloody
red. The avenue terminates at the Pyramid of the Moon,
flanked by the 12 temple platforms of the Plaza de
la Luna. Nearby are the beautifully frescoed Palace
of the Quetzal Butterfly, the Jaguar Palace and the
Temple of the Plumed Conch Shells. Teotihuacán's
most famous mural, the Paradise of Tláloc,
is in the Tepantitla Palace, a priest's residence
northeast of the Pyramid of the Sun. The site has
a museum to help make sense of it all; bring your
hat, water and your walking shoes.
Yucatán Peninsula
Cross the Río Usumacinta
into Yucatán, and you enter the realm of the
Maya. Heirs to a glorious and often violent history,
the Maya live today where their ancestors lived a
millennium ago. Yucatán has surprising diversity:
archaeological sites galore, colonial cities, tropical
forests, peerless snorkelling, seaside resorts, quiet
coastlines and raucous nightlife. The region's famous
Mayan sites are particularly impressive at Uxmal and
Chichén Itzá, near the Yucatán
state capital of Mérida. The coastal state
of Quintana Roo attracts plane-loads of sun-loving
tourists to its islands and white-sand Caribbean beaches,
particularly Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and, party
central, Cancún.
Alamos
This tranquil little town in the
foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental has been
declared a national historical monument. Back in the
18th century, Álamos was a silver boom town
of gorgeous mansions and haciendas, but by the 1920s
it had declined into a forgotten backwater. An injection
of expat funds gave the dilapidated ghost town a much-needed
facelift, and today, Álamos' Spanish colonial
buildings have been beautifully restored. Much of
the architecture has a Moorish influence, thanks to
the Andalusian artisans who originally built the city.
Cascada de Basaseachi
The dramatic 246m (806ft) Cascada
de Basaseachi are the highest waterfalls in Mexico,
and are especially spectacular in the rainy season
- it's worth the bumpy three-hour drive and every
footstep of the five-hour hike to reach the falls
and back. If that sounds too daunting, the views of
the falls from up on the rim aren't so bad either.
Palenque
All those images of romantic Mayan
ruins shimmering in the morning mist come true at
the lost jungle city of Palenque. Surrounded by emerald
jungle, Palenque's setting is superb and its Mayan
architecture and decoration are exquisite. Evidence
from pottery fragments indicates that the site was
first occupied more than 1500 years ago, flourishing
from 600 to 700 AD when many plazas and buildings
were constructed, including the elaborate Temple of
Inscriptions pyramid crypt, the tallest and most prominent
of Palenque's buildings. The best time to visit this
sweltering, breezeless complex is in the early morning
when a humid haze wraps the ancient temples in a mysterious
mist. Only a handful of the almost 500 extant buildings
have been excavated, and all were built without the
use of metal tools, pack animals or the wheel. The
new town, where most hotels and restaurants are clustered,
is about 7km (4mi) from the archaeological zone, and
shuttle buses trundle the route every 15 minutes.
Palenque is easily accessible by bus, but keep an
eye on your valuables during the trip. There is a
bus and ferry connection from Guatemala's Tikal via
the border town of La Palma, linking two of Central
America's most impressive Mayan sites.
Real de Catorce
This reborn ghost town has a touch
of magic. On the fringes of the Sierra Madre Oriental,
and reached by a road tunnel through former mine passages,
Real de Catorce was a wealthy silver-mining town of
40,000 people until early in the 20th century, when
it inexplicably went into decline. Only recently,
Real de Catorce was almost deserted, its paved streets
lined with crumbling stone buildings, its mint a ruin.
Nowadays it is attracting increasing numbers of residents
- wealthy Mexicans and foreigners looking for an unusual
retreat.
Santa Rosalía
Aficionados of industrial archaeology
will find Santa Rosalía well worth exploring
for the ruins of its massive copper-smeltering operation.
The former French company town lies on the Sea of
Cortez coast of Baja California Sur, some 50km (31mi)
east of San Ignacio. The town also has unusual clapboard
residential architecture and a church designed by
the famous Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, of Paris' tower
fame. The prefabricated church was originally intended
for a destination in West Africa but somehow ended
up being shipped to Mexico.
Hotels
All the hotels we recommend are clean,
well located and comfortable hotels varying in services
as according to their category. We rarely use hostels
as the price difference is negligible between a good
hostel and a hotel. We do endeavour to choose the
best hotels in line with your budget. There are five
star hotels all the way to modest three star establishments.
We will always quote you with good hotels on all our
programmes but upgrades or downgrades will be available
as per your request. However, as the price will decrease
with downgrades, this will ultimately reflect in the
services and standards of the hotel.
Flights
Unless otherwise stated, we provide the internal flights
in your programme. We can provide international flight
quotes upon request. We work directly with the best
airlines in South America but are not responsible
for any changes in flight schedules or cancellations
made by the airlines. This is the responsibility of
the airline in question. We will always endeavour
to minimise any delays or changes but cannot guarantee
a successful outcome.
Insurance
It is a mandatory requirement that
all our customers take out adequate travel insurance
cover. Once you have obtained your insurance, it is
company practice to check the validity and cover of
your insurance policy and we hold the right to refuse
travel to anyone whose insurance does not satisfy
Amazing Peru's stringent criteria. These include cancellation
and curtailment, death or injury, medical insurance,
emergency repatriation, delayed baggage, loss and
theft etc.
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