One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in Mexico

Mexico is a large country in both size as well as diversity. It is the thirteenth largest country in the world and is well known for its natural beauty and its more than sixty-eight hundred miles of coastline touching on four distinct bodies of water. Mexico also offers a splendid cultural and artistic legacy with its countless archaeological sites, its colonial towns, and the presence of fifty-nine different indigenous tribes, each with its own folklore and traditions. As of last year, no less than twenty-four of Mexico’s natural and architectural treasures have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition, Chichén Itzá was recently elected one of the “new” Seven Wonders of the World.

There are 2,750 miles between Mexico’s eastern- and westernmost points and, in between, more than 12 percent of the species living on earth can be found. It ranks fourth in the world in terms of flora with more than twenty-six thousand different species, and most of the world’s climate types can be experienced here. Its geography varies between tropical jungles and mountains that punctuate the landscape, and between mountain plateaus and vast deserts—all of which has created a vast biodiversity. Travelers to Mexico can visit what Jacques Cousteau called “the aquarium of the world” off the coasts of Baja California; bird-watch in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, with its plethora of protected species; or enjoy the fascinating architecture at Tulum. There is also Batopilas, situated among the impressive, narrow passages of the Barrancas del Cobre; much to marvel at in Cuatro Ciénegas, where there are more than two hundred multicolored desert marshes; and much to enjoy in Comitán with its fifty-nine beautiful lakes.

Mexico’s art is both ancient and magnificent. Its existence stretches back more than four thousand years to the enigmatic cave paintings of Baja California. Wonderful examples of pre-Columbian art can be found in the Mayan jewel of Palenque as well as in the elegant cultures of central Mexico such as Tula and Teotihuacan. Tajín near Papantla is like a fantasy while Monte Albán has an aura of serene grandeur. At the same time, treasures of colonial art can be enjoyed in opulent mining towns such as Guanajuato or in the innumerable beautiful monasteries that are found from the Sierra Gorda near Querétaro to the lower slopes of the Popocatépetl volcano. But there are also towns that shine with the genius of more popular art such as Tonanzintla and the colorful Tlacotalpan. Mexico’s Romantic heritage is on display in the hundreds of haciendas that dot the Yucatán Peninsula as well as in the legacy of Gustave Eiffel found in Santa Rosalía.

Many Mexican towns are distinguished by their imaginative local crafts, including work inspired by the pre-Hispanic era such as Paquimé ceramics or the black earthenware vessels of Oaxaca. Other traditions find their inspiration in mestizo culture, such as the masks and wood-carved work of Pátzcuaro, the furnishings and ceramics of Tlaquepaque, or the silver jewelry of Taxco. Some pueblos are famous because of their beverages such as the wines from the Valley of Guadalupe and Parras de la Fuente, which was the first vineyard in the Americas. Tequila has found its fame through its eponymous elixir of the gods while Coatepec is known as the land of aromatic coffee. Other pueblos are ideal places to rest and relax, such as the mountain hideaways of Valle de Bravo and Tapalpa, and spectacular ocean-side locations such as San José del Cabo, with its wildly contrasting landscapes, or Cozumel and Isla Mujeres located on the seductive Caribbean.

The 101 towns selected for this book represent an amazing and little-known Mexico, which is open to a range of travelers with varied interests. It promises 101 surprises and discoveries.