Mexico City & the Yucatan

Promenade beneath rows of leafy palm trees as you watch ten lanes of traffic zip (or, more often, creep) by on Mexico’s answer to the Champs-Elysées. Emperor Maximilian built the Paseo de la Reforma, or “Reform Avenue,” to connect his house with the Palacio Nacional, and today it remains one of Mexico City’s most elegant and busy thoroughfares. Check out the golden angel on top of the 150-foot Independence Monument, one of the city’s most beloved structures and a favorite spot for wedding photos.

Crowds, cars, and cantinas. Twenty million residents clamoring all day long in the marketplaces and dancing all night long in the clubs. Few cities have the pure, tangible energy of Mexico City. Explore the past and present of this mammoth metropolis, built right on top of the capital of the Aztec empire. A licensed local guide will take you to the immense Plaza de la Constitución, the second largest square in the world after Moscow’s Red Square, whose unofficial name “el Zócalo” means “plinth” because of the never-completed statue in the center. Lining the square are the Cathedral and Palacio Nacional. The Cathedral was built between 1573 and 1813, and its architectural styles change, getting more and more ornate, as you go up. The Palacio Nacional still holds the president’s offices and a spectacular set of Diego Rivera murals — the artist depicted almost the full span of Mexican history, from the Toltecs and Aztecs to the Mexican Revolution, in amazing detail and striking, vivid colors. Nearby, the excavated Templo Mayor shows several layers of the chief Aztec temple. The Aztecs rebuilt their temples every 52 years, and there are at least seven separate structures (most of them now well below water level and not yet excavated) on this site.

See the rough woven cloak that miraculously generated a full-color image of the Virgin Mary. On December 9, 1531, resident Juan Diego, hurrying to find a priest for his dying uncle, saw a vision of the Virgin. She commanded him to build a basilica here and proved her divinity by curing his uncle and miraculously setting her own image into Juan Diego’s cloak. Since then she’s been busy performing miracles, ending plagues, and presiding as patron saint of the Americas. The basilica is now one of the most visited in Latin America.

The Aztecs named it “The Place Where Men Became Gods.” Get some divine inspiration yourself as your licensed local guide shows you this remarkable ancient town, so impressive that when the Aztecs found it in ruins, they assumed a race of giants had built it. At its height in the 7th century, the city had as many as 250,000 residents. The oldest structure, the Pyramid of the Sun, has a base as large as the Great Pyramid in Egypt. The long Avenue of the Dead leads to the smaller but more graceful Pyramid of the Moon. Clamber to the top for spectacular views.

Tropical flowers in fuchsia, yellow and orange. The dark green leaves of almond and tamarind trees. Couples dressed all in white, sitting on ornate stone benches ringing the central plaza or "xocolo". The capital of the state of Yucatán, this sunny city is also the perfect base for excursions to the ancient Mayan Empire. But check out the city's sights first with your Tour Director.

Add to the record books -- Playa del Carmen is now, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest growing town in the world. Attracted by the gorgeous white-sand beach and stunning blue water, the town's newcomers maintain Playa's friendliness and vibrancy. Check out the beach or shop for souvenirs along the bustling main strip.

Ruins, ruins everywhere. Join a licensed, local guide for a visit to Chichén Itzá, one of the country's most famous Mayan sites. The city dates from around the 7th century AD (though there is evidence of farmers living here as early as the 4th century BC). A major trade and ceremonial center, Chichén Itzá is known for its huge, 365-stepped, four-sided, pyramid El Castillo, as well as other buildings, sculptures and carved murals.

See the Mayan idea of a beach town. Tulum is the largest Mayan coastal city and one of Cancún’s favorite daytrips. Survey the limestone ruins, the surrounding lush jungle, and the super-blue ocean with your Tour Director.