TRAVEL: 5 Unique Reasons to Visit Mexico

So, you probably saw my recent Ultimate Travel Bucket list post. If you didn’t, I picked my top 5 ultimate travel destinations, but the truth is…. my list doesn’t just stop there, it’s actually never ending. I spent a vast majority of my time daydreaming about travelling, planning my next trip, or plotting ways to squeeze in my next trip. Why do we have so much time to work, but so little to travel? Ho hum, one day my work/life/travel balance will hopefully work a little more in my favour. For now I’ll stick to the dreaming and todays dream destination is Mexico.

When I think of Mexico I instantly think of the food, it’s one of my absolute favourite cuisines in the WORLD. Fajitas, Tacos, Nacho’s – yum, yum and YUM. Colourful flavours, bursting with herbs and spices, I could eat Mexican food every day. However….. food aside, Mexico has SO much more to offer, from beautiful beaches, fascinating historical sights, quaint traditional villages and some of the best tequila in the world. We all know why we’d like to travel to Mexico, but have you thought of these things? Here are 5 of the unique reasons I’d like to visit Mexico one day… and why you need to add Mexico to your travel bucket list RIGHT NOW. 

Have you ever been to a museum under the sea before? No – me neither! Mexico is one of the only places in the world you can visit an actual underwater museum, with nearly 500 submerged statues creating an artificial reef where coral can grow and fish can thrive. During the tour you are likely to swim alongside colourful fish, turtles and rays, it sounds just magical.

The Mayan Pyramids are a breathtakingly stunning piece of historical architechture. The Maya flourished here between 400 and 1100 A.D, with Coba being the home to over 50,000 inhabitants. They have left behind them numerous temple pyramids, the largest being 42m tall and if you are lucky enough to be able to climb to the top, it offers some of the best views across the whole of Mexico. 

Where better to spend a day relaxing than the natural hot springs, literally in the middle of nowhere in the Moutains of Mexico. A mixture of natural hotsprings, waterfalls and man-made bathing areas this place looks just heavenly, I must visit one day!

 Mexico has some of the most colourfully decorated villages dotted all across the country, this amazing rainbow mural was a project that not only brightened up over 200 houses, but brought jobs to local people and it reduced youth violence in the area too, pretty amazing stuff! Similar local street art projects are popping up across the country rejuvenating rundown areas and creating opportunities for young people, such a great idea.

If you visit in November, you could join in with the famous ‘Day of the Dead’ fesitivities. Originating in Mexico, in ancient times indiginous people believed the Gates of Heaven opened for one day and the spirits of all deceased children would be reunited with their families for 24 hours, the following day adults will come down. Beautiful alters are created with offerings, decorations and items to honour the dead with folk art skeletons and sugar skulls provide the finishing touches. People also paint themselves as a calavera (skull) or a calaca (skeleton).

Lastly, (I know I said five reasons, but this one is just for luck!) Mexico also has some rather unusual sights too, where else would you be able to visit La Isla Las Munecas, an island filled with hundreds of hanging, decomposing dolls? Yep, you can see that in Mexico. A scene most tourists would find horrififying, the man who hung all the dolls around the island actually saw them as beautiful protectors of the island and would show tourists around for a small fee. Random, but it’s got to be one of the most unique islands of the world, right?