Nature of Mexico - national parks and reserves for active recreation

The nature of Mexico is quite diverse: swamps and mountains, deciduous forests and jungles, deserts and reefs, marshes, sea and Ocean coasts — all these can be found in the wonderful country of festivals. Thanks to this diversity, Mexico is home to a great number of animals. There are about seventy national parks alone here. "Basaseachic Falls" near Ocampo municipality, Chihuahua, is a magnificent national park whose main attraction is 246-meter Basaseachi Falls, the second highest in Mexico. Pine forest, bears, coyotes, vultures - this is a place of thriving, untouched wildlife.

Oldest hotels in Mexico with a rich history

In such a culturally enriched country as Mexico, there are a lot of historic buildings, some of which presently house hotels. Some hotels in the …
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Arrecife Alacranes National Park (English: Scorpion Reef) is an island located in the Gulf of Mexico, or rather a reef surrounding five small islands. Many species of birds make their nests on these islands, turtles lay eggs here, and a large number of fish species like mackerel and sea bass live in the surrounding waters. Here you can visit a wrecked 15th-century ship, go diving or swimming, as well as just walk and enjoy the untouched nature, fresh air, and breathtaking views. Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed to collect any stones and shells for memory.

Contoy Island in the state of Quintana Roo is an eight-kilometer-long national park where seabirds nest. It is attractive with amazing virgin nature, white sands of clean beaches, beautiful slender palm trees, and the opportunity to see whale sharks in the summer. Biologists living here are ready to give a tour of the park. For $ 10 you can go on a boat trip and watch the huge variety of birds, including boobies, cormorants, and flamingos. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

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The name of Cerro de la Estrella National Park is literally translated from Spanish as “Star Hill”. Located in the east of Mexico City, it has been a pacifying oasis of silence in the busy city since the 1930s. The freshness of eucalyptus and coniferous forests helps dissolve in nature. The hill offers a wonderful view of the city. The park is a place of historical importance, where the Aztec fire burned five centuries ago. A pyramid-shaped temple has survived to this day. In the park, you can also ride a bike and have a picnic, relax on comfortable benches, and play sports.

The Biosphere Reserve Monarch Butterfly in Michoacan is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, about 60 million Monarch butterflies spend the winter in hibernation, covering trees that turn completely orange from their wings. Every year they migrate to this place from the east of Canada, overcoming almost 5 thousand kilometers. Those who are lucky enough to be here during the migration can observe an amazing sight: the sky full of butterflies. Sometimes butterflies land on park visitors. In the spring, the park is filled with wildflowers. Here you can take a walk or ride a horse.

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Isla Mujeres - literally "Women Island" - is a quiet paradise in the Caribbean Sea. It is named after the goddess of childbirth and medicine worshiped by the Maya. This is an inhabited island, but the water here is crystal clear, the sands are soft and white, and nature is fantastic. Here you can visit reefs and go diving, swim with whale sharks, visit a Turtle Farm where seahorses and other sea creatures also live and finally relax on the beach under the shade of palm trees. The water is very shallow in many areas. The island is good for watching the stars, as well as meeting sunrises and enjoying sunsets, which are especially beautiful here.

Laguna San Ignacio is an amazing place in Baja California where you can pet a real whale. Tours on the water give you the unique opportunity to see gray whales with your own eyes. These big inhabitants of the depths and their babies are very friendly and come close to boats, especially if they are attracted by slapping hands on the water. Tourists favorite fun is kissing whales. And the babies often open their mouths to let new friends scratch their tongues. It is important to avoid touching the eyes and fins of whales. This is a wonderful adventure to remember for a long time.

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Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Mexico

Reference information

Map of all parks

National and city parks of Mexico
♥ State Park 'Agua Blanca' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ State Park 'Alameda Poniente San José de la Pila' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ World Heritage Site 'Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ City Park 'Andrés Quintana Roo' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ City Park 'Anexo Villa de Guadalupe' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ City Park 'Angel Albino Corzo' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National Park 'Arrecife Alacranes' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National Park 'Arrecife de Puerto Morelos' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National Park 'Arrecifes de Cozumel' . On the map Show on the map

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♥ National Park 'Arrecifes de Xcalak' . On the map Show on the map

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Famous places and sights of Mexico

Cenote Ik Kil Well

From the series “10 Natural Wonders of the World”

Natural wells or cenotes are amazing creations of nature. Some of them are so gorgeous that it’s impossible to believe in their existence. One of these is the Cenote Ik Kil, located in Mexico. This well, which is located on the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of the deepest in the world. Its depth is more than 50 meters, and the height of the walls reaches 25 meters. Researchers have found out that once the Cenote Ik Kil was a cave, whose vaults collapsed. The incredibly attractive well with fresh water was formed as a result of the collapse. These days, high walls are covered with exotic plants.

The cenote is quite old. It was a valuable source of fresh water for the Mayan people. They believed that the deep well served as an entrance to the underworld. Modern tourists have an opportunity … Read all

Playa del Amor

From the series “Most Fabulous and Magic Beaches”

This beach is located on the Mexican island of Marieta. Playa del Amor can be considered one of the most amazing and unique in the world because of its special structure. Playa del Amor is often called the hidden beach. Really, it is almost completely hidden from prying eyes by a natural canopy. Marieta Island is uninhabited. It has been formed many hundreds of years ago by a volcanic activity.

The coastal part of the island is literally covered with a hollow shell. The unique Playa del Amor has formed in the place of the occasional crack in that shell. It's not so easy to find and reach this secluded beach. It's necessary to swim through the tunnel, which is the natural entrance to the cave. It is noteworthy, that a hundred years ago, the Mexican government used Marieta Island as a … Read all

All unique sightseeing Mexico

Cultural sights in regions of Mexico

Playa del Carmen

Muyil tours are of great popularity among the resort guests. Muyil is an archeological destination which was according to the scientists and archeologists a large trading town long ago. Today the destination attracts many tourists to explore and enjoy its unique inestimable findings and ruins of ancient buildings. A genuinely unique construction is the El Castillo castle which is considered to be the highest building of the Maya epoch. The majestic building is 17m high. Another remarkable … Read more

Mexico City

Don’t forget to visit the ancient fortress Malinalco located on one of the highest hills. Supposedly, the fortress was built in the early 15th century. Unfortunately, only a few buildings have survived till our times. The temple known under the name "House of Eagles" is by far the most interesting building of the architectural complex. The temple, which has been carved in one of rocks, is a circular room decorated with sculptures of eagles and jaguars. Frida Kahlo Museum is a magnificent … Read more

Cancun

Isla Mujeres is known as the most famous natural attraction of the Island. It was discovered by travelers relatively not long ago - in 1517. Explorers discovered ancient statues of beautiful women on this island. These statues were constructed by the Mayans and symbolized power of the goddess of fertility. The island has got its name because of these beautiful statues. Travelers can see them even today. Cozumel Island is another attraction located in the immediate vicinity of the city. This … Read more

Puerto Vallarta

This popular beach resort is noted for a number of sights among which there is the Los-Arcos reservation. The reservation is located in the suburbs of the city. In 1984 the reservation was integrated into National sea park. A great number of divers of the whole world dream about visiting this place, the undersea world amazes with various reefs, caves, tunnels, corals and arches. One of the most remarkable landmarks of the tourist destination is the Vallarta Botanical Gardens located on the top … Read more

Guadalajara

Guadalajara is also home to several family houses. The family mansion of Lopez Portillo is surely among the most remarkable places of interest of the city. The house has survived to the present days in almost perfect and untouched state and is now used as a museum. Among the priceless collections of the museum you will see beautiful European furniture of the 17th century, original decor items made of precious wood and precious metals, as well as other antique accessories, which were used as … Read more

Acapulco

The Fort of San Diego is a prominent architectural landmark, the building of which was completed in 1616. Originally it was the main protective facility and had been repeatedly saving the city from pirate attacks. Nowadays the chateau has been converted into a historical museum. In addition to the valuable historical documents the exhibition of the museum includes unique archaeological artifacts. The Chapel of Peace is a no less remarkable construction. This is the highest point of the city. … Read more

Monterrey

Since its unveiling the pharos is still the highest object in the city attracting hundreds of curious tourists to admire the beauty of the monument. Zona Rosa is the next tourist destination attracting travelers. This is the luxury city borough where the rich and luxury mansions, hotels and upscale restaurants and boutiques are placed. Many travelers visit this borough to see the architectonic masterpieces of modern art. There are some permanently working tourist attracting museums which give … Read more

Merida

Merida's main cultural center is the Museum of Anthropology and History that occupies a splendid neoclassical mansion. The building with a snow-white facade was built in the early 20th century and is now surrounded by a lush garden. The museum boasts an interesting collection of artifacts dedicated to the Mayan culture, here you can see archaeological artifacts discovered during archaeological research. Antique tableware, stone sculptures, and wooden crafts, ceremonial attributes and … Read more

Nature of Mexico - national parks and reserves for active recreation

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Mexico

Famous places and sights of Mexico

Cenote Ik Kil Well

Playa del Amor

Photogallery of Mexico

Cultural sights in regions of Mexico

Mexico: Map of sightseeing in regions