These 4 Gorgeous Cities In Mexico Are Among The Best To Visit In The World

As customary yearly, world-renowned publication Travel + Leisure has revealed their Favorite Cities in the World checklist, as voted by a whole lot of hundreds of their very own readers, and you understand how the Ancient Latin saying goes, Vox Populi, Vox Dei:

This time, 4 Mexican locations have cracked the highest 25, with one Mexican metropolis specifically claiming the highest spot, and earlier than you attempt to second-guess it, the standard tourism hotspots of Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta are nowhere to be seen.

It appears the Cancun fatigue is admittedly hitting in 2025, as vacationers are drawn as an alternative to authenticity, cheaper costs, and extra significant experiences:

Merida

Coming in at quantity 25 on the checklist, with a reader rating of 88.15, Merida has been described as Mexico’s ‘vibiest’ city, with a gorgeous historic heart dotted with colonial mansions and leafy parks, and loads of meals courts and public markets the place you’ll be able to gorge on Mexican road meals for below $5.

The primary landmark on the town, the Catedral de San Ildefonso is one of many oldest church buildings within the Americas, constructed as early because the sixteenth century, whereas the bustling Mercado Lucas de Gálvez boasts over 2,000 meals stalls—and the perfect $2 chocininita tortas you may attempt anyplace in Mexico!

Besides its apparent cultural and gastronomic attraction, Merida is one of the safest cities south of the border, having constantly been ranked by the U.S. Department of State as a low-risk vacation spot. To sum it up, we guess it is secure to say it does move the ‘vibe’ verify.

Oaxaca

The subsequent Mexican metropolis to characteristic on T+L’s extremely aggressive checklist is Oaxaca, simply lacking out on the highest 20: with a rating of 88.42, it is described as one of the crucial ‘in-demand’ locations in the meanwhile, primarily as a result of its unbelievable delicacies.

It’s the land of the Seven Moles—chocolate-dark, spicy-red, tangy-yellow, you identify it, they’re going to have it—and tlayudas, a crispy tortilla in pizza kind usually topped with beans, quesillo, avocado and chorizo. For the perfect takeouts on the town, ensure you take a look at Mercado de 20 de Noviembre.

On prime of being a world-class foodie hotspot, Oaxaca is dwelling to an intact colonial center, an impressive Baroque cathedral, and Monte Albán, a pre-Columbian archaeological zone that includes historic pyramids and grand plazas, a brief 20-minute drive out of city.

Mexico City

That one metropolis you’ll be able to’t assist however preserve returning to, as one single go to simply won’t do it justice, CDMX is the second highest-charting Mexican vacation spot on T+L’s checklist, with a outstanding rating of 90.86. In different phrases, it acquired critically near attaining common acclaim!

The sprawling nationwide capital of Mexico has a plethora of vibrant, artsy districts to discover, from Roma’s thriving cafe scene and artwork galleries, to Colonia San Rafael’s kerbside markets and small-town really feel, to Polanco’s fine-dining scene and cosmopolitan vibe.

The prospects are countless, however in the event you’re asking us in regards to the unmissable spots in Mexico City, they’d positively embrace the Zócalo and its adjoining Metropolitan Cathedral, Chapultepec Castle (the one royal fort in North America), and the maze-like, gargantuan Mercado de la Merced.

San Miguel de Allende

The crown jewel of Mexico, San Miguel is your picture-perfect historic city that appears prefer it might belong in a whimsical storybook for youngsters: image picturesque cobble-paved alleys, ocher-colored heritage homes which have been there for hundreds of years, and a monumental pink-washed church.

From the lovely cafe-bordered plazas to the laid-back, lived-in really feel of the outdated heart, it is no surprise it has been voted the primary metropolis break for vacationers not solely in Mexico however the complete world, with a reader rating of 93.33.

Beyond the surface-level magnificence, it is totally walkable, with most landmarks a brief 5-10 minutes on foot from one another, and packed stuffed with spa resorts, oftentimes housed in repurposed colonial buildings, just like the Seventeenth-century, boutique Mesón Hidalgo, the place in a single day charges begin from solely $219.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ nations below his belt (and at present weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that may have you ever packing your baggage.