WHY GO TO MEXICO

Mexico offers a truly astonishing variety of travel options. The attractions of the country can be divided into four major themes. It is very common (and desirable) to have several, if not all, of these attractions combined into a single holiday:

- Beaches and Resorts

- Native American Culture and Archaeology

- Colonial Era History and Architecture

- Natural Scenery, Ecological Treasures and Adventure Travel

WEATHER
Contrary to popular impressions about south of the border travel, Mexico does not experience true "reverse" weather seasons from the U.S. and Canada. Summers at Mexico's beach resorts are generally quite hot and humid, while winter travellers to inland cities can experience cool and even cold weather. Recommendation: Head to beach resorts from November-April and inland cities from May-October.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY AIR
International air travel to Mexico has seen some significant changes in the last few years, including:

New non-stop service to Manzanillo by Alaska Airlines

New non-stop service to Los Cabos from Chicago by American Airlines

Expansion of destinations served by La Paz-based AeroCalifornia

The development of strong "code-share" agreements between U.S. and Mexican carriers.

Expansion of flights by Continental Airlines (Torreón, Saltillo, Chihuahua) to include 14 Mexico destinations.

Expansion of service by America West Airlines via PHX hub; now serving 7 cities.

An enormous increase in charter air service from the U.S. & Canada.

The introduction of international service by three Mexican carriers (Aviacsa, Aeromar and Taesa).

BY SEA
Cruise ships offer an excellent way to see Mexico's coastal resorts. Cruise visitors reached 2.2 million. Basically, Mexico cruises can be broken into two types:

Transcanal Cruises: usually begin and/or end in Los Angeles and touch several Mexican ports of call (usually Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, or Zihuatanejo) en route to Panama. All stop at Acapulco, the Mexican cruise "hub."

Mexico Cruises: normally seven-day cruises begin in Los Angeles /San Diego or Acapulco. Common stops include Los Cabos, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, and Zihuatanejo. The Sea of Cortés features "naturalist" cruises. The Yucatán peninsula ports of Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, Mexico's most popular cruise ports (over 1 million annual visitors).

BY GROUND
Following recent Mexican legislative changes, escorted bus tours to Mexico have become a more popular mode of entry into Mexico. In 1991 a mere 12,000 visitors arrived by motor coach; in 1998 over 500,000 vacationers arrived by motor coach. The National Tour Association and its members have actively worked with the Mexican government to streamline motor coach arrivals. Dozens of U.S. and Canadian operators now offer escorted motor coach tours to Mexico.