MUST SEE THINGS in Mexico
You say you have been to Mexico? Have you REALLY seen this amazing country??
Pictured above – Hierve el Agua (Spanish for “the water boils”) OAXACA, is a set of natural rock formations in the Mexican state of Oaxaca that resemble cascades of water. The site is located about 70 km east of Oaxaca city, past Mitla, in the municipality of San Lorenzo Albarradas, with a narrow, winding unpaved road leading to the site.The site consists of two rock shelves or cliffs which rise between fifty and ninety metres from the valley below, from which extend nearly white rock formations which look like waterfalls. These formations are created by fresh water springs, whose water is over-saturated with calcium carbonate and other minerals. As the water scurries over the cliffs, the excess minerals are deposited, much in the same manner that stalactites and iron can also be found and determines the color of a particular stalactite. The calcium carbonate in the water is due to rainwater which passes underground. First it absorbs carbon dioxide, and forms molecules of carbonic acid. This acid comes into contact with underground marble and partially dissolves creating calcium bicarbonate. When the water runs above ground, the excess minerals fall out.
Oaxaca City is THE premier place in Mexico to do away with your diet. Sink your teeth into crispy grilled tlayudas filled with chicken tinga. Savor huitlacoche quesadillas. Indulge in one of the many varieties of molé. Crunch into something weird, like grasshoppers sautéed in chili and garlic, or suck down a cow’s head taco. Go high brow at the elegant Casa Oaxaca, or go cheap at the local market, Mercado 20 de Noviembre, or the innumerable street carts and hole-in-the-wall taquerias. Chase it all down with a small-batch mezcal. And if you have the incomprehensible urge to do something, oof, active, pay a visit to the nearby Zapotec archaeological site, Monte Albán.
Mexico is full of towering peaks, jewel-colored lakes, and sprawling jungles. It has a “Grand Canyon” even deeper than ours. It has 34 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and over 100 Magic Towns — a meaningful distinction given to villages that still embody the spirit of traditional Mexico. It has blissfully low-key beaches where time slows to a crawl, and vivacious, thrumming cities where world-class art and dining are yours to consume at a stupid-generous exchange rate.
Eat shark meat in Campeche City
The capital of Campeche is one of the most visually stunning colonial cities in Mexico, with a brightly colored historic center overlooking the Gulf from its long, meandering malecon. It’s also, admittedly, a sleepy kind of place, so you’ll certainly be catching an early bedtime after you chow down on local eats. A delicacy in Campeche is pan de cazón, meaning bread of small shark. This local dish is prepared lasagna-style with layers of tortillas stuffed with shark meat, black beans, and bathed in a spicy tomato sauce.
Within the western states of Jalisco and Nayarit, this bay is bound to the north by Punta Mita and to the south by Cabo Corrientes. It’s one of the largest bays in the world, its most popular port being Puerto Vallarta. That hushed moment when the sun sinks below the horizon paints the sky over Puerto Vallarta brilliant shades of blood orange. When the show’s over, nab a bar stool at El Solar for a shot of tequila and a plate of shrimp al pastor tacos. There’s no better place in the world to call it a day.
Writer/Blogger Meagan Drillinger wrote a great piece about 20 amazing things to see/do in Mexico before you die! Above are just some highlights. Read the whole article here.
