MEXICO FAMILY ADVENTURE HOLIDAY
Family Holiday Overview
By day, a rusting Dodge rattles through narrow-cobbled streets whilst Mayan women flaunt brightly coloured huipiles. By night, local kids shoot pool at battered green tables in antique colonnades while revellers don costumes in an explosion of Day of the Dead festivities. This, my fellow travellers, is Mexico, where the vigorous thrum of daily life beats loud beneath its stuccoed skin.
The Yucatán Peninsula is a land of delectable dichotomies. It has a versatility few other destinations can offer. Inland, steaming jungles and wildlife-rich lagoons encircle the vestiges of Aztec and Mayan empires. By the coast, pelicans dive into aquamarine waters, cocooned by sugary beaches and armies of cacti. There are graceful colonial towns, emerald-green cenotes, remote haciendas and magnificent ruined pyramids where powerful civilizations left a legacy of captivating myths.
At the heart of this country are the Mexican people, renowned for their love of spirited fiestas and its food. Whether it's tacos al pastor on the streets of Mérida or a fiery aguachile in Tulum your eyes & taste buds are in for a real treat here. Viva la Vida!
Interesting Facts
- Mexico’s real name is the United States of Mexico. The country is divided into 31 states, plus the Federal District.
- Mexico's Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is the time of year when the deceased return to earth to spiritually walk alongside their loved ones.
- The Yucatán Peninsula is the site of the Chicxulub crater, formed by an asteroid which struck around 65m years ago and may have triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs.
- Although there are various lists of the new “7 wonders”, the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá are often considered among them.
- Mexico has the world's smallest volcano - the Cuexcomate volcano – located outside the city of Puebla and just 43 feet tall.
- When Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of Mexico, the Aztecs thought he was a white god and welcomed him with what they thought was a heavenly beverage, hot chocolate.
- Artists can pay their taxes using artwork that they create.
