Family Holidays: Mexico family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

An experienced host to hordes of American tourists, Mexico, although an exotic, fascinating and beautiful country, is also a relatively ‘safe’ option, for travelling families. If you are looking for the ultimate package holiday, then Mexico has an enormous variety of quality resorts, from Cancun in the East to Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast. It is possible to get very good deals to both these top destinations. If you are interested in the culture and history of the country, then the Yucatan Peninsular is the place to go – show your children the extraordinary Mayan ruins scattered throughout this region. Bring out the inner Indiana Jones climbing over crumbling towers and peering through the jungle to find the altars once used for human sacrifice. Mexico City is best avoided with children, as the heat and human crush is overwhelming, but the Aztec ruins surrounding it are definitely worth a visit. The mountains and deserts of the North West are wonderful, but maybe better attempted with older children. Mexico can be whatever you want it to be as a holiday destination, as adventurous as you like, or the ultimate in Caribbean beach-life. We thoroughly recommend it.

Top left: Yucaton Ferry
Top middle: Giant stone warrior heads at Tabasco
Top right: Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza

Bottom left: Mexican street scene
Bottom right: Cancun aeriel view

Do

Visit the Caribbean beaches around Cancun, even if you can’t face the actual resort town, the beaches on either side and down towards Playa del Carmen and Tulum are beautiful, although accommodation is more basic here.

Visit Chichen Itza, the greatest of the Mayan ruins, not to be missed.

Try Acapulco for unadulterated fun, but stop your children emulating the high divers.

Go to Oaxaca, a beautiful colonial city for handcraft shopping and trips into the mountains. There are some wonderful archaeological sites in the vicinity if you have been inspired by the likes of Chichen Itza.

Don’t forget Guadalarjara, Mexico’s second city and a lot easier to visit than the capital – birthplace to tequila, mariachi and full of Mexican cowboys.

Eat

Mexican cuisine hardly needs an introduction here, popular internationally; it is of course at its best in its home country. The staples of the cuisine are tortillas, frijoles and chillies; these are eaten throughout the country, with many regional varieties and subtle differences. There are many places to eat a blander international cuisine, which children seem to crave, but the fabulous fresh fruit and desserts should encourage them to experience a taste of Mexico. Seafood is fabulous here, but only eat it on the coast, it’s not worth the risk inland. May we particularly recommend Ceviche; marinated raw fish with a sublime lime, onion, chilli, garlic and tomato sauce.