Travel and Outdoors

Although best known as a beach resort, Puerto Vallarta is one of the most versatile adventure travel destinations in the world. Nestled between the jungle-covered Sierra Madre Mountains and the sheltered waters of Banderas Bay, this region's geographical diversity offers an extremely wide variety of natural attractions and outdoor adventures.  read more »

Teresa Bitler thought about spending Easter this year lounging on the beach in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, with her husband and two daughters. Then she changed her mind.

"We heard about the drug violence down there," says Ms. Bitler, who lives near Phoenix. She envisioned the 4½-hour drive, much of it through vast stretches of empty Mexican desert. Instead, the family is going to Disneyland this weekend.

Just a few months ago, American travel to Mexico was booming. Despite the economic downturn in the U.S., Mexico reported a 14% increase in visitors in January over the previous year, spurred by a strong U.S. dollar against the Mexican peso and a wave of American tourists who wanted to stay close to home. Eighty million Americans visited Mexico last year alone, according to the Mexico Tourism Board, making tourism a $13.2 billion industry, and Mexico's third-highest revenue stream.  read more »

Budget Travel

(Budget Travel) -- When you have beach on the brain, who wants to bother with a layover? Budget Travel has prepared the ultimate insider's guide to seven resort towns south of the border that are just one quick flight away.

MAZATLÁN

As resort towns go, Mazatlán is one of Mexico's prettiest, with an assortment of 19th-century neoclassical, republican, and French baroque buildings in pastel colors. The best place for wandering is Old Mazatlán, particularly the tree-lined streets around Plazuela Machado, where guitarists and singers roam from one sidewalk café to the next.  read more »

A lime vendor waits for customers in the market at Patzcuaro, once home to the Purepecha empire, which defeated the Aztecs.: By Lynn Milness, CanWest NewsTowns off the beaten track steeped in rich history and culture

GUANAJUATO, Mexico - Guanajuato and Patzcuaro are off the radar of most tourists, but the colonial towns in the central highlands north and west of Mexico City are richly cultured gems with important roles in the country's history.

Guanajuato is nestled in the Sierra Guanajuato Mountains, 2,008 metres above sea level. Named "place of frogs" in the indigenous dialect for its cool, moist, bowl-like setting, Guanajuato served the Valenciana Mine in the hills above town. It produced two-thirds of the world's silver in the 18th century, and the seam's riches are reflected in Guanajuato's opulent theatre and glorious churches.

A mine-like subterranean main road tunnels along the original course of the Guanajuato River almost three kilometres into the centre of town, where it emerges as the only road in and out of town. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, Guanajuato has no traffic lights or neon signs.  read more »

Summer Travels

I have asked some of my friends who are traveling this summer to send me updates and photos of their adventures. Marco, who owns CARAVANSERAI, in Sayulita, left us in late July headed for the Yucatan to a place called Holbox. He has sent me photos and a simple note, which i will share with you all here. I will also publish a summary of the places he visits. As of the last e-mail, Marco is headed for Europe, so much more to come I am sure.  read more »

There are only a few places left in Mexico that still keeps such important elements as rich history, a mineral mining, rich in nature and vast wildlife. San Sebastian del Oeste is one of these.

It´s located in the mountains of souther Jalisco 43 Kilometers(about 27 miles_) away from Mascota town and 47 kilometers (29 miles) from Puerto Vallarta. In order to arrive to this town you have to drive the brand new highway (45 minutes if you come from Puerto Vallarta or 30 minutes from Mascota town )  read more »

There is something to be said for arriving at a foreign destination at night. San Miguel was quiet. There was only an occasional car, hurrying to end the day. The dimly-lit plaza was empty, except for a man who walked slowly, hunched over. A gentle breeze disturbed the tree branches, making moon shadows dance about the pavements. The town was heavy with an aura of mystery that daylight would not erase.

The reality of San Miguel is no less attractive. The town was founded in the mid-sixteenth century and Doors in San Miguel reached its glory during the Spanish colonial period that ended in 1821. Most of the structures in San Miguel date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, thus the designation of the town's architecture and the town itself as "colonial." San Miguel's charm today is not by accident. It was declared a National Monument in 1926  read more »

Jalisco and Nayarit governments hope to take public transport to the high seas as part of a new massive interstate public transport corridor that will include water taxis.  read more »

Hop a bus or a taxi to explore small towns and the wide, white sandy beaches north of Puerto Vallarta
Lindsey Norris , Freelance

The pelican sleeping on the dock ignores the man with a fishing rod and a tempting tackle box full of bait. It is equally impervious to the roar of speedboats and the hum from the crowded beach.  read more »