Top Day Trips in Mexico

Chocholá (Ixi'im) ★ 4.8

Ixi'im at Chablé Yucatán in Chocholá is Yucatán's other Michelin one-star (with a Green Star), Luis Ronzón cooks from 100-plus traditional Mayan gardens.

Puebla ★ 4.8

Puebla is the colonial capital 2 hours east of Mexico City, the birthplace of mole poblano and chiles en nogada, with the 1531 city centre and the cemita.

Teotitlan del Valle ★ 4.8

Teotitlan del Valle is the Zapotec weaving village 30 km east of Oaxaca, home to Tlamanalli (Abigail Mendoza) and El Sabor Zapoteco cooking school with Reyna.

Tequila (UNESCO Town) ★ 4.7

Tequila town in Jalisco is the UNESCO agave landscape 45 min west of Guadalajara, with Casa Sauza, Mundo Cuervo tours and the canonical tequila tasting trail.

Mitla and Santiago Matatlan (mezcal capital) ★ 4.7

Mitla and Santiago Matatlan are the World Capital of Mezcal: the Zapotec ruins at Mitla and 200-plus palenques in Matatlan running tours and guided tastings.

Puerto Morelos (Punta Corcho) ★ 4.6

Puerto Morelos lies 36 km south of Cancún; Punta Corcho, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, serves octopus gorditas, ceviches and aguachiles under a thatched roof.

Izamal (Kinich) ★ 4.6

Izamal is the Yucatán yellow town 75 km east of Mérida; Restaurante Kinich on Calle 27 has run regional Yucatecan poc chuc and queso relleno from 1993.

Monte Alban (archaeological) ★ 4.6

Monte Alban is the Zapotec capital ruins 10 km west of Oaxaca, with a museum and on-site restaurant for buffet lunch and a long valley view from the plaza.

Tlacolula Sunday Tianguis ★ 4.6

Tlacolula's Sunday tianguis fills the plaza around the Cathedral of Tlacolula every week with Zapotec valley farmers, barbacoa de chivo and mezcal producers.

Playa del Carmen (Axiote) ★ 4.5

Playa del Carmen is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Cancún by ADO bus; Axiote, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, serves modern Yucatecan dishes and lamb birria.

Tulum (Cetli) ★ 4.5

Tulum is roughly 2 hours 40 minutes by ADO bus from Cancún; Cetli, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, cooks Mayan-inspired dishes such as istak in almond mole.

Tlaquepaque ★ 4.5

Tlaquepaque in Guadalajara metro is the 20-minute east artisan town, with the El Parian arches, Casa Fuerte courtyard and Tapatio plates served.

Tixkokob (Pueblo Pibil) ★ 4.5

Pueblo Pibil in Tixkokob 20 km east of Mérida is chef Silvio Campos's Bib Gourmand pib-cooking kitchen, slow-roasted pork and Yucatán al pib techniques.

Teotihuacan (Sunday barbacoa) ★ 4.5

Teotihuacan is the pre-Hispanic pyramids site 1 hour north of Mexico City, with Sunday morning barbacoa pits scattered along the highway and the village.

Hierve el Agua (petrified waterfalls) ★ 4.5

Hierve el Agua is the petrified-waterfall site east of Mitla, with mineral pools to swim in and Comedor Citlaly nearby for tlayudas before the drive home.

Cholula ★ 4.5

Cholula sits ten minutes west of Puebla and eats differently: sopa cholulteca, orejas de elefante stuffed with beans, and cacao served the old way.

TipThe portales and the San Pedro market are where the town actually eats, rather than the restaurants facing the pyramid.

Valladolid ★ 4.4

Valladolid 160 km east of Mérida is the Yucatán colonial midpoint, cochinita stalls in Mercado Municipal and Lomitos de Valladolid at Plaza Principal.

Xochimilco trajineras ★ 4.4

Xochimilco is the city's southern lake-and-canal district with floating trajineras since the Aztec era, where mariachi boats serve tamales, esquites.

San Andres Huayapam (tejate) ★ 4.4

San Andres Huayapam 10 km north of Oaxaca is the tejate village, hosting the Feria del Tejate every Palm Sunday with 88-plus producers of the recipe.

San Pablo and Reyes Etla (quesillo and tianguis) ★ 4.4

Reyes Etla is the village 30 km north of Oaxaca that put quesillo on the map; the Wednesday tianguis at Mercado Reyes Etla draws the valley producers weekly.

Atlixco ★ 4.4

Atlixco is the cecina town of Puebla, its consome loaded with avocado, cheese and chicharron, and in August it runs a cecina fair and an elotada at once.

TipGo in August if you can: the cecina fair, the Elotada and nogada season all land within a fortnight of each other.

Isla Mujeres (Playa Lancheros) ★ 4.3

Isla Mujeres is a 20-minute ferry from Puerto Juárez in Cancún; Playa Lancheros serves tikin xic, an achiote-marinated whole fish grilled for sharing.

Tonala (Thursday and Sunday tianguis) ★ 4.3

Tonala in Guadalajara metro is the 25-minute east pottery town, with the Thursday and Sunday tianguis, the largest open-air market in Jalisco for comedores.

Puerto Vallarta (overnight) ★ 4.3

Puerto Vallarta from Guadalajara is the 4-hour west Pacific overnight, with mariscos, agave-spirit beach bars and Vallarta-style ceviche on the malecon.

Celestún (flamingos and pescado frito) ★ 4.3

Celestún 95 km west of Mérida is the Yucatán flamingo lagoon; La Palapa de Don Beto on the beach runs pescado frito and ceviche after the lagoon boat tour.

Cuetzalan ★ 4.3

Cuetzalan is the Sierra Norte food town of Puebla, cooking smoked cecina with wild mushrooms, tlacoyos de alverjon with chiltepin and pipian ranchero.

TipThis is an overnight rather than a day trip from Puebla; the road into the sierra takes about three hours each way.

Valladolid (Hostería del Marqués) ★ 4.2

Valladolid is about 160 km from Cancún; Hostería del Marqués on the main plaza cooks relleno negro turkey, cochinita pibil, queso relleno and lomitos.

Ajijic and Lake Chapala ★ 4.2

Ajijic and Lake Chapala is the lakeside town 1 hour south of Guadalajara, with La Bodega lunch, pescado blanco from the lake and mezcal pours on the malecon.

Progreso (Crabster Seafood) ★ 4.2

Crabster Seafood and Grill on the Progreso malecón runs Gulf seafood, ceviche, lobster and grilled catch directly opposite the beach 40 km north of Mérida.

Cuzamá (cenote circuit + lunch) ★ 4.2

The Cuzamá cenote circuit 50 km south of Mérida pairs a horse-cart tour of three cenotes with a Yucatecan lunch at a Cuzamá lonchería, cochinita and poc chuc.