Lonely Planet's guide to Mexico

JUNGLES, deserts; teeming cities, one-street pueblos; fiesta fireworks, Frida Kahlo's art: Mexico conjures up so many contradictory images.

Mexico Grand desierto Escape

JUNGLES, deserts; teeming cities, one-street pueblos; fiesta fireworks, Frida Kahlo's art: Mexico conjures up so many contradictory images.

-- An outdoor life From the southern jungles to the smoking, snow-capped volcanoes and the cactus-dotted northern deserts, all surrounded by 10,000km of coast strung with sandy beaches and wildlife-rich lagoons, Mexico is an endless adventure for the senses. A climate that ranges from temperate to hot almost everywhere makes for a life spent largely in the open air. Take it easy by lying on a beach, dining alfresco or strolling the streets of some pretty town, or get out and snorkel warm Caribbean reefs, hike mountain cloud forests or take a boat in search of dolphins or whales. -- Soul food Mexico is packed with history and culture. Its pre-Hispanic civilisations built some of the world's great archeological monuments, from Teotihuacan's towering pyramids to the exquisitely decorated temples of the Maya. The Spanish colonial era left beautiful towns full of gorgeous, tree-shaded plazas and elaborately carved stone churches and mansions. Modern Mexico has seen a surge of great art, from the likes of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Top-class museums and galleries around the country document Mexico's long and fascinating history and its endless creative verve. Popular culture is just as vibrant, from the underground dance clubs of Mexico City to the sentimental crooning of ranchera singers. -- Travel for all Travel in Mexico is what you make it and the country caters to all types of voyager. Stay in pampered resorts, budget beach huts or colonial mansions. Eat cutting-edge fusion food in chic gourmet restaurants or abuela's (grandmother's) recipes at a busy market comedor (food stall). Getting from A to B is easy thanks to comfortable buses that run almost anywhere and an extensive domestic flight network. Or try renting a car: Mexico has some excellent roads and, outside the cities, traffic is mostly light. -- Los Mexicanos At the heart of your Mexican experience will be the Mexican people. A super-diverse crew, from city hipsters to shy indigenous villagers, they're justly renowned for their love of colour and frequent fiestas but are also philosophical folk, to whom timetables (while worthy of respect) are less important than simpatia (empathy). You will rarely find Mexicans less than courteous; they're often positively charming, and they know how to please their guests. They may despair of ever being well governed, but they are fiercely proud of Mexico, their one-of-a-kind homeland with all its variety, tight-knit family networks, beautiful-ugly cities, deep-rooted traditions, unique agave-based liquors and sensationally tasty, chilli-laden food. It doesn't take long to understand why. Top experiences -- Marvellous Merida The cultural capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, the large but manageable city of Merida has a beautifully maintained colonial heart, a wealth of museums and galleries and some of the best food in the region. Just out of town are wildlife reserves, graceful haciendas (estates) and jungle-shrouded cenotes to swim in. A little further afield, the little-visited Maya sites along the Ruta Puuc allow you to step back in time without being jostled by tour groups. -- Tulum Take a world-famous Maya ruin, plonk it down beside the achingly white sands and turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean and you have the rightly popular Tulum. There is accommodation here for all budgets, from beachside shacks to top-end resorts, plus some fantastic restaurants and so many attractions in the surrounding area that it's no wonder many people come for a few days and find themselves still here, months later. -- Puerto Vallarta, Pacific pearl Tucked between jungle-clad mountains and North America's second-largest bay, Mexico's most appealing Pacific resort combines its dazzling setting with a fun-loving atmosphere that welcomes everyone from foodies and shopping devotees to outdoors enthusiasts and the international gay and lesbian community. Travel an hour out of town and you can be basking on a secluded beach, horseback riding in the Sierra Madre, whale-watching, diving or reeling in a giant fish worthy of a tall tale at happy hour. -- Shopping for artisan crafts Mexico's super-bright, infinitely varied artesanias (handicrafts) are today's successors to the lavish costumes and beautiful ceramics of pre-Hispanic nobility, and to the everyday handcrafted clothes, baskets and pots of their humbler subjects. Everywhere you go whether browsing city stores, wandering through markets or visiting artisans in their village workshops the skill, creativity and colour sense of potters, weavers, metal-smiths, carvers and leatherworkers delight the eye and tempt the pocket. -- Chichen Itza You're never going to have the place to yourself, but there's a reason why this Maya site was declared one of the new Seven Wonders of the World it is simply spectacular. From the imposing, monolithic El Castillo pyramid (where the shadow of the plumed serpent god Kukulcan creeps down the staircase during the spring and autumn equinoxes) to the Sacred Cenote and curiously designed El Caracol, you don't have to be an archeologist to have an amazing time here.  --- This is an edited extract from Lonely Planet Mexico (13th Edition) by John Noble, et al. Lonely Planet 2012. Published this month, RRP: $45.99, lonelyplanet.com ---  "Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook Follow @Escape_team on Twitter