The four most underrated holiday destinations in Mexico

In 2023, ten million visitors came through Cancun; one in four tourists came to Mexico during the year. For a country rich in culture, art and nature, this figure perfectly encapsulates the problem of overtourism: people flock to one or two main points while dozens of beautiful places remain largely under the radar.

Mexico is doing what it can to disperse the crowds outside Cancun. Earlier this year, an airport opened in Tulum, where flights from Dallas, Miami and New York City now land daily. Another airport, in Merida, is in the final stages of a major expansion that will double the number of domestic and international arrivals. And the much-anticipated (but highly controversial) Maya Train, which began operating in December and will connect destinations around five of the country’s eastern states, has just added stations at Chetumal and Bacalar to its growing route network.

But that still leaves many lesser-known destinations for those who want a crowd-free experience. Here are four places that still feel like a secret worth keeping, even though they’re easier to access than ever before.

THE SECRET OF THE COAST

After a decade of government spending to restore and repaint many of the downtown’s colonial facades and imposing fortified walls, Campeche is ready for a close-up. Access is made easier by the new $28.5 billion Mayan Train, which stops right in the center of the city and carries travelers making the 300-mile, six-hour journey from Cancun to Campeche.

As it stands, most tourists in the coastal capital are “experienced travelers from Europe,” says Sebastien Larmier, owner and manager of Narrativ, a collection of luxury vacation rentals in the city. “But more people are coming from the US and Canada. It is a new phenomenon.”

He admits that the train has come with its fair share of controversies and environmental problems. (Its construction has, among other things, razed large swaths of rainforest and endangered local populations of jaguars, pumas, ocelots and armadillos.) But as a Frenchman, Larmier says he has seen firsthand how a train link between two cities can transform the local economy. . “It will be life-changing for the small towns around the Yucatán Peninsula,” he predicts.

Make one of Narrativ’s luxury homes – such as Casa Japa, an 18th-century four-bedroom mansion that opened in 2023 – your home base for explorations of the city, including the four-mile-long Malecon (promenade) path, which runs along the coast and has the best sunset views in the city. Or try Hacienda Puerta Campeche, a grande dame hotel recently acquired by Six Senses Resorts Spas.

The town itself is the main attraction, with excellent restaurants including La Maria Cocina Peninsular or La Casa de los Murmullos; the latter serves seven-course French-Mayan fusion dinners. But you can also use Campeche as a launching pad for day trips to less-visited Mayan ruins like Edzna, which contains 10 square kilometers of well-preserved pyramids and palaces, or boat trips through the nearby tarpon-filled mangroves of Los Petenes.

MAGIC TULUM ALTERNATIVE

Tiny Bacalar has been a rising star since the Mexican government listed it in 2006 as one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos, or Magic Cities, a designation that recognizes spectacular features such as the eponymous Lagoon of Seven Colors. In 2021, it welcomed its first luxury eco-resort, an adults-only outpost of Habitas that offers views of the brilliantly colored Lake Bacalar from its A-frame tent cabins. But it’s now that the city is becoming easier to visit, thanks to the new airport in Tulum, which halves the nearly five-hour drive south from Cancun.

Head to the cenotes and jungles of Bacalar before the city becomes as popular as its northern neighbors. The local swimming holes are among the largest in Mexico; they look more like small lakes than the caves you’ll find further up the Riviera, with Cenote de la Bruja – the Witch’s Ennote – a favorite for its deep, midnight blue waters.

Habitas is also a destination in itself. There are special dinners in honor of the full moon, a DJ on weekends, temazcal (sweat lodge) ceremonies and cocoa rituals involving hot chocolate and meditation (a hard combination to argue with!) with a nod to the Mayan roots of the area. Don’t miss dinner at Siete, the resort’s two-story restaurant, built among the jungle treetops. Chef Jonathan Navarrete – trained at NOMA Tulum and Estimar in Barcelona – uses local ingredients to create delicacies such as slow-cooked pork with pineapple puree.

ANOTHER SIDE OF BAJA

The party capital of Baja California Sur has undoubtedly always been Los Cabos, but the actual capital, La Paz, remains under the radar. For years it was seen as an emerging country, but it has never quite gotten there in terms of tourism. Maybe that’s by design.

While Los Cabos, at the very tip of Baja California, teems with giant resorts and cruise ships, La Paz opted not to expand its port, preventing cruise ships from docking there. But new restaurants and bars are opening: Pujol’s former chef Alejandro Villagomez is cooking at his first solo spot, Nemi, where he uses local produce and seafood to create beautifully composed plates.

Sunrise/Sunset is a new juice bar that focuses on natural wines as the afternoon and evening arrive. And Toto Frito (the name means “everything is fried”) has developed quite a following for its sustainably sourced oyster po’boys and fish tacos — all served in a no-plastic dining room.

There’s now also a great place to stay, thanks to Mexico City-based Grupo Habita, which opened the five-story Baja Club Hotel in 2021. The 32 earthy rooms offer access to a Miami-chic pool and rooftop bar overlooking the Sea of ​​Cortez.

About the Sea of ​​Cortez: This pristine marine area is full of adventures, whether swimming with seals, fishing for tuna or snorkeling through volcanic rock formations. And, unlike Cabo’s rocky beaches, some coves here are open for swimming, like Playa Pichilingue and El Coromuel, with thatched palapa umbrellas and clear, calm waters where you can spot colorful little fish around your ankles.

SAN MIGUEL SWITCH

If ultra-modern Mexico City is the obvious choice for a city dweller south of the border, San Miguel de Allende is the artsy, historic combination: a colonial town just south of the capital, with character and plenty of hustle and bustle.

For similar charms with less fame, try Puebla. It’s actually closer to the capital: 131km on smooth highways. It’s also bigger (it’s the fourth largest city in Mexico), yet it still feels less crowded with tourists and is bursting with art.

Glazed Talavera tiles adorn most buildings, including the palatial Banyan Tree hotel in the center of the city, and you can buy tableware made from the same brightly colored red clay throughout the city.

There are new reasons to go, including a burgeoning wine scene that takes advantage of large swathes of fertile land around the Popocatepetl volcano, some 60km west of the city limits. While many vineyards are still too new to visit, there are exceptions such as Entrerres, where you can pair pinot noir and grenache with generous cheese and charcuterie platters on a lovely terrace overlooking the active, smoky peak.

That same soil gives poblano chiles — traditionally from Puebla — the peppery flavor that characterizes the most famous local dish, chiles en nogada, says Zach Rabinor, founder of luxury travel company Journey Mexico. “There is excitement and hope that the same unique soil that makes Puebla chiles so special will also contribute to unique and excellent wine,” he says.

Ironically, one of the city’s oldest features – a series of 500-year-old secret tunnels – is also one of its newest attractions, only discovered in 2016. ​​Guests at the Banyan Tree Puebla hotel have excellent access, as one tunnel leads straight into its garden.

+ The Washington Post