Mexico is an exotic land inhabited by a colorful people. That it is so near the United States and yet so different is amazing to many people. Travelers to Mexico enter a land of volcanoes and pyramids, mountains and jungles, from which rise the ruins of ancient civilizations.

Mexicans are famous for their warmth, the power of their arts, their playful and melodic take on the Spanish language, and their willingness to celebrate at the least provocation. Mexican food, music and dance have spread throughout the world but the best of this vibrant culture is still to be found in the mountains and beaches of home.

Mexico stretches nearly 2,000 miles from east to west and 1,000 miles north to south. The country includes trackless desert in the north and dark jungles in the south plus many miles of lush seacoast with almost any kind of beach you want.

SECTIONS OF MEXICO

BAJA CALIFORNIA
THE COPPER CANYON
THE PACIFIC COAST
THE NORTH-CENTRAL REGION
THE GULF COAST
TARASCAN COUNTRY
OAXACA, CHIAPAS, TABASCO
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA
(Cozumel included here..Meowmie visited in 1998)

Mexico has two principal travel seasons...high and low. High Season begins around December 20 and continues to Easter..Low Season begins at Easter and continues to mid-December. During Low Season, prices may drop from 20% to 50%, especially in beach locations.

Hurricane season particularly effects the Yucatan Peninsula, especially from June through October.

National holidays in Mexico are:
New Year's Day-January 1
Benito Juarez's Birthday-March 21
Labor Day - May 1
Christmas - December 25

Visitors to Mexico for any length of time usually happen upon a celebration of some sort. Some of the country's most memorable celebrations, such as Holy Week, are solemn and religious while others offer nonstop revelry...a heck of a FIESTA!

Festival de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe is celebrated for the patron Saint of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe

Days of the Dead runs from October 31 to November 2 and it is the general custom to erect altars for the dead, with marigolds (the flowers of the dead) and offer food and drink.

Christmas: Night of the Radishes..unique in this country, December 23 when fantastic scultures are built out of radishes, flowers and dried corn husks.

ATTRACTIONS OF MEXICO
COPPER CANYON

The Sierra Tarahumara, one of the highest and most
rugged sections of the Sierra Madre Occidental, is
also one of Mexico's premier attractions, yet remarkably
few foreigners seem to have heard of it.

The Canyons

People who know of the area may be more familiar with the term "Copper Canyon," which is often loosely applied to one of the sierra's most salient geographical features: its vast network of canyons. Cut into the sierra by many rivers, these canyons represent North America's largest canyon system; at least four canyons here (each over 1,800
meters/5,900 feet deep) are deeper than Arizona's Grand Canyon (1,425 meters/4,654 feet at Hopi Point) according to standard canyoneering measures.


ACAPULCO & Southern Pacific Coast

It was along this coastline that Mexico first achieved recognition for some of the finest beaches in the world! Stretches of blue coves complimenting tropical jungles make a spectacular setting. Acapulco has bright lights and big city glamour and is the largest of the Mexican resorts.

The energy in Acapulco is non-stop, 24 hours a day. The Bay is an adult playground with a nightlife that has made this city famous for decades!

PUERTA VALLARTA and the Central Pacific Coast

This is the area known as the Mexican Riviera; the stretch of coastline from Mazatlan through Puerta Vallarta and down to Manzanillo. The Sierra Madre foothills and palm-studded jungles sweep down to meet the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. Puerta Vallarta is is second most visited resort in Mexico (trailing only Cancun). It has great restaurants, an active nightlife, and a huge variety of activities and attractions.

MEXICAN HAIRLESS (Xoloitzcuintli)

The Mexican Hairless is one of the oldest and most endangered breeds in the world. These animals have been seen wandering along the docks in Hong Kong. Efforts are now being made to protect the breed in its native Mexico.

This breed is totally hairless except for a tuft of short, course hair on its skull. It is a quiet reserved animal, growling only when provoked. It is described as happy and intelligent, yet dignified and unaggressive.

The Mexican Hairless perspires through his skin. Other breeds perspire through respiration. These dogs need a warm environment! They did not originate in Mexico but were brought there by nomadic tribes of Indians. The dog was considered a gift from the Gods by the Aztecs.

THE CHIHUAHUA

Named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua, the dog is believed to have been the sacred dog of the Toltecs and the Aztecs. They are the world's smallest dog, intelligent and inexpensive to own. They are not delicate but they need a coat to keep them warm when outside in winter. They should not live in a kennel.

There is a long coat Chihuahua and a smoothcoat variety. The only difference is the coat. These little dogs are one of the most popular breeds in the world and is always a well behaved competitor in the show ring.

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BIRDS IN MEXICO

THE HUITEPEC CLOUD FOREST
This forest is a haven for migratory birds and more than 100 bird species and 600 plant species have been discovered there.

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MICHOACAN'S MONARCH MIGRATION

A visit to the winter nesting grounds of the monarch butterfly high in the mountains of Michoacan is a stirring experience. The monarchs gently make their way down from Canada for the winter.

In the tiny unpaved village of El Rosario, the brilliant butterflies flutter in a blizzard of orange and black. If a visitor goes up a loop trail (about an hour's steep walk at a high altitude), they can become enveloped by millions of Monarchs. At the high point of the trail, the branches of the tall pine trees bow under the burden of butterflies. For those unable to make the walk, butterflies are also visible around the parking lot.