What to see in Mexico: 10 must-sees

Cross the great esplanade of Chichén Itzá and stop in front of El Castillo, the pyramid of Kukulcán with its 365 steps, which the Maya aligned with the solar calendar. During the equinoxes, the shadow forms a serpent descending the north staircase. Walk through the largest ball court in Mesoamerica, the Temple of the Warriors with its carved columns, and the observatory known as El Caracol. Then head down to the Sacred Cenote, a water-filled sinkhole where rituals and offerings were once performed. The archaeological zone, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies in Yucatán and receives thousands of visitors every year.

Stop in front of El Castillo, the tallest building at the Tulum archaeological site, perched on a 12-meter cliff facing the Caribbean Sea. Walk along the walls that protected this Maya port dedicated to the obsidian and jade trade, and look at the Temple of the Frescoes, where paintings and reliefs of the descending deity can still be seen. Then head down to the white-sand beach at the foot of the ruins, accessible only from within the site, and bring water and a hat: in Quintana Roo the midday sun beats down hard on the stones.

See the Sun Stone in the Mexica hall of the National Museum of Anthropology, in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City. Tour 23 halls dedicated to pre-Hispanic cultures: the Aztec calendar, the reconstructed tomb of Pakal, and Maya, Olmec, and Zapotec pieces. Walk under the central column of the umbrella in the courtyard and check out the murals on the second floor. Arrive via the Auditorio metro station and allow at least three hours to explore it at a leisurely pace.

Camp near the Tulum archaeological site or beside the Bacalar lagoons, and travel the Riviera Maya from north to south: from the beaches of Cancún to the cenotes of Puerto Morelos and the Sian Ka'an reserve. Take the ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel, swim among the coral in Akumal, and try cochinita pibil and panuchos at the markets in Valladolid or Mérida. In Quintana Roo, Maya ruins like Cobá coexist with fishing villages and mangroves inhabited by turtles and birds. Book ahead in high season, between December and April, when the weather is drier.

Enter Xcaret, the Riviera Maya's eco-archaeological park about 6 km from Playa del Carmen, and swim through its underground rivers among rock formations and mangroves. Explore the aviary, the butterfly pavilion, and the reef aquarium; visit the reconstructed Maya village and the chapel of San Francisco de Asís on the hill. In the late afternoon, catch the "Xcaret México Espectacular" show, where more than 300 performers recreate the country's history, from the pre-Hispanic ball game to the traditions of Mexico's states.

Wander up and down the cobblestone alleys of Guanajuato, a university city built atop ancient silver veins. Cross its underground tunnels, stop at the Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss), barely 68 centimeters wide, and visit the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, a key site of the Independence. In front of the Teatro Juárez, the student tunas sing every night, and the plazas sell charamuscas, the city's traditional sweet.

Peer over the rim of Copper Canyon, a system of six canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara that together surpass Arizona's Grand Canyon in size and depth. Ride the Chepe train route between Chihuahua and Los Mochis, crossing bridges and tunnels over precipices, and hike down to viewpoints such as Divisadero or Cerro del Gallego. Military macaws nest in the volcanic rock walls, and pines, oaks and, in the warmer depths, fig trees and orange trees grow. The Rarámuri have inhabited these canyons for centuries and sell baskets and crafts alongside the trails.