Cities and Places in Mexico

Cities and Places in Mexico

Yucatan

Yucatán is a peninsula in Central America that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea and which was the center of the indigenous Mayan culture from the 4th to 10th centuries, which has left countless archaeological sites. The best known are Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Tulúm and Edzná. Chichen Itza was the political and religious center of the New Maya Empire. It is located on the “Holy Cenote”, a karst spring in which people were sacrificed in the dry season. Uxmal is one of the most famous and important Mayan sites at all. The name Uxmal means “three times” in the Yucatec Mayan language, because most of the buildings in Uxmal were rebuilt and expanded again and again during the settlement of the city. The most powerful single building is the Adivino pyramid, the so-called Governor’s Palace, located on a high platform. Edzná is located in the west of the Yucatán peninsula and is characterized in particular by its Chenes-style buildings, the most important of which is the five-tiered main pyramid. There are numerous temples, administrative buildings and palaces on an area of ​​around 25 km². Tulúm is the former economic center of the ancient Maya and one of the largest cities on the Yucatan Peninsula. Today, Tulúm is the only Mayan site that is directly on the sea. Although it plays a subordinate role for archeology, it is particularly idyllic for the visitor. In addition to many archaeological sites, one of the great sights is above all the Playa del Carmen, a very popular seaside resort and tourist center. The capital of Yucatán is Mérida. A rich cultural life has developed over the years in the sympathetic city. Especially on weekends, the colonial city center is particularly full of hustle and bustle, small markets, street artists and live music. You can also hike through the jungle on the Yucatán and experience the rich flora and fauna with the constant company of howler monkeys and toucans.

The Copper Canyon

The Copper Canyon (Spanish Barranca del Cobre) is a mountain formation of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the state of Chihuahua, which was formed by a formerly strong river and is partly in an area populated by Tarahumara Indians. The highlight of the region is a train crossing through the Barranca del Cobre from the Pacific coast to Chihuahua (653 km). The unique rail connection is officially called the Q-Line and is considered one of the hard-to-beat travel experiences. The train overcomes on its way from Los Mochis to Chihuahua a height difference of 2,134 m, it was only completed in 1961, after a construction period of twenty years. It is one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world, a marvel of planning and engineering through a mountain range up to 3,000 m high. The journey begins on the Pacific coast in Los Mochis. In Los Mochis you can enjoy the sea and take a boat trip through the picturesque bay of Topolobampo. After Los Mochis, the most adventurous part of the route begins. Behind the longest bridge that crosses the Rio Fuerte, the steep ascent into the canyon landscape begins. On the way you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Copper Canyon. The ride ends in Chihuahua , the former capital and stronghold of the insurgents.

Baja California

Baja California is a narrow and elongated peninsula in western Mexico, 1,200 kilometers long and 80 to 220 kilometers wide. The Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur lie on it. The sights are mainly of a scenic nature. Excursions to the island world and the sierras and world-famous whale watching make this region an unforgettable experience. The Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is a mountain range that runs from north to south and offers excellent hiking trails and panoramas over the uninhabited mountain landscape. The highest point of the mountain range is the Picacho del Diablo (Devil’s Peak) with a height of 3096 m. Near the Picacho Diablo there are observatories that offer a “devilish” view that extends from the Gulf of California in the east to the Pacific in the west entire peninsula is enough to offer. On the Pacific side, a boat tour to Magdalena Bay and the Lopez Mateos Channel is recommended. For many travelers, this boat trip is the first encounter with mighty whales. The sometimes up to 18 m long gray whales with their newborns are peaceful and curious – they often swim right up to the boats. The area around San Ignacio offers the tallest columnar cacti in the southern Baja and wonderful beaches on the Bahía Concepción, steep cliffs and a turquoise sea. The city of La Paz, on the southeast side of the Californian peninsula, is the starting port for the multi-day boat tour in the island world of the Gulf of California. The tour offers the unique opportunity to intensively experience the fauna and flora in the Gulf of California and on the steep eastern slopes of the Sierra Giganta. In addition to island hikes, there is always the opportunity to swim on snow-white sandy beaches or snorkel in a subtropical underwater world with coral reefs and colorful fish. Cabo San Lucas is located in the extreme south of Baja California with its popular beach areas, from which you can visit the striking “Land’s End” with its beautiful rock formations. Over the southern part of the peninsula you come to the Sierra de La Laguna on the stormy Pacific. Visit themakeupexplorer for Trade Unions in Latin America.

Mexico City

The capital of Mexico is located in a high valley and was built over the ruins of the Aztec metropolis Tenochtitlan. As one of the largest cities in the world, it is the country’s political, social and cultural center with numerous universities, museums and monuments. The city has a lot to offer, for example the Presidential Palace, the Zócalo, the Cathedral and the Templo Mayor in the center. In addition to preserved buildings from the colonial era, there is also modern architecture. In Mexico City is also home to the country’s most important historical museum, the Museo Nacional de Antropologia. The Casa Azul – the Frida Kahlo Museum – in the artist district of Coyoacán is also very significant. Together with the historic center of the city, the Xochimilco district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The floating gardens of the Aztec city Tenochtitlán were formerly located in Xochimilco. Today you can take a boat trip in a famous “trajinera” through the canal labyrinth. About 45 kilometers northeast of Mexico City is Teotihuacán, the famous city of the gods. Teotihuacán is one of the largest excavated ancient Indian cities in Central America to date, best known for its huge pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon. xxx

Oaxaca

The city was founded by the Spanish in 1521 and with its 265,000 residents it is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico today. Oaxaca de Juarez is located in the Central Valley, a main valley of the Sierra Madre del Sur. In the city you can marvel at outstanding examples of Spanish colonial architecture and discover archaeological treasures that the city and the Monte Alban archaeological site have. But since several earthquakes have struck the city in the past centuries and many older buildings have been destroyed as a result, the center makes a relatively new impression. Nevertheless, there is enough to do in the city: museums, galleries, churches, parks and markets – tourism has meanwhile become the determining and also the most dynamic sector of the economy. In the immediate vicinity of Oaxaca is the ancient Zapotec capital of Monte Albán, which was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. The mountain on which the facility is located at a height of 400 m above the city was specially removed in order to create the 40 square kilometer area for the holy city. That around 500 BC. Monte Alban was one of the first cities on the American continent. In 900 AD the city was simply abandoned by its residents and to this day there is no plausible explanation for this. The Zapotecs, the former residents of Monte Alban, are still one of the largest population groups in Oaxaca, and so their traditions, language and culture live on in the surrounding villages of Oaxaca’s central valleys.

Zacatecas

Zacatecas is a city in the north of Mexico that knows how to enchant with its old colonial buildings. The cathedral in the lush baroque style is a real magnet for visitors. Another special feature are the city’s facades: many are made of pink natural stone. A popular lookout point is the “Cerro de la Bufa”, which can be reached by cable car. While many Mexican tourists have already discovered the city for themselves, it is still a real insider tip for foreigners.

Cueva del Diablo

The “Cave of the Devil” is located near Mazatlan, in the center of Mexico. The devil is supposed to live here, and again and again to kidnap people into the cave, who then never reappear.

Cities and Places in Mexico

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