Underrated Tourist Destinations In Mexico To Add To Your Bucket List

Our southern neighbor, the bottom third of the trio of countries that make up North America, is a land of vast geographical and cultural diversity. It is where to find deserts, rainforests, jungles, scintillating seas, mountains, mangroves, and vibrant reefs. Mexico also has a rich history, and its traditions and language have deeply influenced the daily life of the United States. As tourism in the country has developed, a few spots seem to stand out as perennial favorites. 

At any time of the year, there will always be visitors to Los Cabos, Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, Chichén Itzá, Oaxaca, Tulum, and San Miguel de Allende. But for every sure-fire tourist hit, there are a number of unsung heroes, these lesser-known destinations that still manage to encapsulate the fantastic culture, exciting food, and warm hospitality for which Mexico is famed. Below, you'll find a list of some fabulous alternatives to the tried-and-tested beach, cultural, and foodie destinations that many of us already know and love.

For Californians, the road trip to Baja California can be as simple as getting in the car and driving south. If you go far enough, you can get close to this national park with an impressive range of flora and fauna. Located offshore, this is a stunning realm with five islands, a wide variety of sea life, and plenty to see and do on the islands. 

In the water, visitors might get the chance to see dolphins, the blue whale (the largest mammal in the world), and orcas, either from a boat or on snorkeling and diving trips. Blue whales are most frequently spotted here during the annual migrations, which generally take place in February and March. Still, these aren't the only creatures here that are transitory, as there are also migrations of jack mackerel and dorado each year between July and September that draw scores of sport fishermen. 

Away from the water, there is much to admire, with the chance to wander around secluded bays and laze on quiet beaches, explore underwater caves, and climb lofty dunes. Adventurers can also plan long, picturesque hikes among the semi-arid terrain and overnight stays in tents on the islands.

Any nature lover in the United States will dream of visiting the Grand Canyon, that mouthwatering spectacle in Arizona. And yet, in Mexico, in the state of Chihuahua (yes, this is where the eponymous dog originates from), there is a canyon of scenic beauty larger than the Grand Canyon, most rewardingly seen from the comfort of an iconic train ride. Copper Canyon, known locally as Barranca del Cobre, is a small section of the American Cordillera network of mountains that runs from North America and through to South America, creating stunning landscapes along the way. 

Through the canyon, the El Chepe train winds its route from Chihuahua to Los Mochis, and as it travels its path, it showcases the variety of scenery in this part of the country. It's not a straight-shot ride that steamrolls through the whole route in one shot, but it makes stops along the way, so travelers can choose where to explore if they wish to disembark. Among the stops is Divisadero, for its striking views of the jagged landscape contours, and Los Mochis, for its access to the waterfront town of Topolobampo, where fine beaches allow relaxation.

This town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with the nearby silver mines to which its fortunes are tied, and is a short drive northwest of the infinitely more touristy San Miguel de Allende. Visually, Guanajuato, also the name of a state in Mexico (this city is its capital), is a treat, with colorful houses splattered around the hilly city, making it a feast for the eyes and an excellent subject for the camera. The brightness of some buildings might be a little arresting at first, but once you get used to the audacity of the tones — gaudy pinks and wild bright greens — the jumble is quite refreshing and unique. 

The Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato is one of the most memorable buildings here, a grand church with a bold mustard-yellow exterior accented by red trim, and inside, visitors will find a depiction of the Virgin Mary covered in gems. The city also has colorful blooms, with bougainvillea everywhere, and one of the loveliest ways to pass the time is to stop in one of the many plazas around town and soak in the atmosphere.

This park, situated north of Mexico City, which charges an entry fee has a range of goodies to keep active types busy. What makes the place special is the thermal waters that course through the park, a centerpiece of the swimming areas, caves, pool, tunnels, and more that make up the destination. The cavern has steaming spouts of water and rocky formations that look almost ghoulish, and it's quite something to be sitting under arched rocks with steam rising from the water. 

Though you won't be able to loll about in the heated water, you can enjoy a similar effect at the tunnel, walking through a passage fed by the thermal water, an exciting and scary experience. The bathing pools are probably the park's biggest attraction, a series of small-tiered pools fed by water that is about the same heat as body temperature and notable for its baby blue shade. Elsewhere, visitors can hike, dip in a swimming pool, see waterfalls, and walk along a bridge attached to the side of a rock face.

This beautiful colonial town is the capital of Yucatan state and has pretty architecture and plenty of cultures. Strolling around the streets and seeing the comely colonial buildings is dreamy and will have visitors constantly fumbling for their phones to snap and upload shot after shot of gorgeously colored facades, compact balconies, arched doorways, and other fine architectural details. Mérida is a charming, low-key destination, and the simple pleasure of walking around the historic core is reason enough to visit. 

With its twin towers, the cathedral is probably the city's most iconic building and should be included in any itinerary; it was constructed in the late 1500s and is still mightily impressive today. Another site not to miss is a la Patria, a monument dedicated to the fatherland with carved figures and totems that reflect centuries of the country's history. It's a scintillating piece of art, beautifully realized and laden with meaning. For theater fans, Mérida is home to the country's most acclaimed annual festival, set in an amphitheater and featuring opera, ballet, music, and more each summer.

Many Mexican residents in the United States trace their roots to the state of Puebla, whose main city has great food and beautiful pottery. A visit here invariably takes in the cathedral, a building of grand dimensions that sits slap bang on the city's main square. It features two towers and, as a Roman Catholic Church, gives the nod to the St. Peter Basilica in Rome through the shape and style of its dome. For some great color, visit Toad Alley or Callejon de los Sapos, a row of houses with vibrantly colored facades — think pink, deep blue, bright yellow, lime green, and so on. 

With so much Baroque architecture around the city, it's only fitting that the Internacional Museo del Barroco (International Museum of Baroque) is here, with a fine trove of Baroque works on display. Visit Puebla, and you will likely see Talavera pottery around the city, a technique originally from Spain and distinguished by its fine stencil and enamel work — clay is abundant around the city, hence the popularity of the craft here. When it's time to feed the stomach, specialty dishes to try in Puebla include Mole Poblano (a thick, cocoa-based sauce), Chiles en Nogada (stuffed chili), and the sandwich known as a cemita.

In Chiapas, this town features lovely cobblestoned streets and a sizeable indigenous population. The city is great to visit at any time of the year, thanks to its location 7,000 feet above sea level, ensuring that it is often cool. There are plenty of churches to visit around the city, some bright pieces of confection like the cathedral, in sunny yellow shades, or the artfully contoured Church of Santo Domingo, or others with higher vantage points that come with clear views over the entire urban spread. 

To look at how ancient items can be preserved for millennia, a visit to the Museo del Ámbar (Amber Museum) is not to be missed. There, fossils immortalized in orange resin capture creatures that are, in some instances, 25 million years old, a wild thought when you take a moment to think about it. Today, travelers will enjoy the lively atmosphere along the main drag, Real de Guadalupe, with its stores, restaurants, cafes, and plenty of opportunities to purchase locally crafted items sold by the indigenous residents of the city and its environs.

The towering monument of Christ set in the hills above this town that is an easy drive from Mexico City might have travelers believing they are in Rio de Janeiro, even without any seas nearby. But Taxco's religious landmark is as popular as that in the Brazilian city, even if this one is many times smaller. This, however, isn't the main reason to visit the town — jewelry fans laud Taxco for the wealth of locally produced silver items in a town that was once a hotbed of silver mining. 

The city is achingly pretty, with cobblestoned streets, white buildings topped by red tiles on their roofs, large and small ornate churches, and plenty of places to sit or wander. The city has an immense verticality, set on a steeply sloping hill from which it seems to tumble down into existence. There are shops selling silver all over the town, and visitors will never have to walk far to find one; the prices will seem reasonable for travelers from the United States. 

Make time to stop at the Museo de Guillermo Spratling, named for the American William Spratling, who was instrumental in kick-starting the silversmith industry here almost a century ago. It houses some of his art collection and examples of his jewelry designs.

A lot of tourists visit Cancún for its sumptuous beaches, but five hours south of that city's airport, travelers will find this low-key beach refuge where the water is no less enticing. This is a small place, which can easily be traversed in a few minutes due to its paucity of streets. A couple of lagoons sit behind Xcalak, but what is in front really holds one's attention. Sugar-soft sand, lazy palm trees that rustle and sway in the sea breeze, and crystal-clear turquoise waters will hypnotize even the most avowed beach hater. 

A reef just offshore lets water babies spy on some marine life, but life here is mostly about kicking back, hitting the beach, and unwinding from the grind of daily life, and that seems like a pretty sweet formula for a vacation. The water is calm here, the waves halted by the reef offshore, and fall within the confines of a national park, so expect plenty of great snorkeling.

This is another bohemian beach enclave located in Southern Mexico. What has made Zipolite famous, or perhaps notorious, is that it is the site of the only legal nude beach in the country. However, this shouldn't deter non-nudists from visiting this slice of seafront paradise located south of Oaxaca. The town center is very compact, walkable, and opens to a beach that stretches in an east-west direction, which means that visitors can take in views of the sunrise and the sunset from the sand, a treat for lovers of those magical times of the day.

The beach has unending, surging surf and is bookended by craggy cliffs at either end, adding another facet to its visual appeal. This isn't a destination loaded with nightlife and bars where shots are the de facto drink order, but rather a relaxed beachfront idyll perfect for anyone that loves their beach time natural and possibly au naturel.