Lagoon in Riviera Maya
ENJOY THE BEACHES OF ZIHUATANEJO, SAYULITA OR PUERTO ESCONDIDO
If you thought that the beach was only for summer, think again: in Mexico, winter is the beach season par excellence , and one of the best kept secrets of domestic tourism. It is not for less, and it is that the Mexican winter climate is the closest thing to the coastal ideal: daily sun, few or no clouds (don't forget that the rainy season is from May to September) and a paradisiacal temperature that is around 25-30 degrees.
Mexicans know this well, and these months are high season in towns on the Pacific coast like Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa, Sayulita either hidden port . Nevertheless, tourism in this area is fundamentally local , with more than affordable prices and an offer more oriented towards family trips and ecotourism than all-inclusive resorts.
If, on the contrary, Cancun throws you more, go ahead. Yes indeed, remember to book your hotel and flight well in advance: the Riviera Maya is on fire (literally and figuratively) this time of year.
Sayulita in Mexico
VISIT TO THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY IN THE STATE OF MEXICO AND MICHOACÁN
The arrival of the monarch butterfly is one of the most anticipated events of the year in the center of the country, and the great star of Mexican winter tourism.
If your escape takes you to Mexico City and surroundings, get ready for one of the most spectacular scenes of your trip: miles around full of butterflies, which fill the fields and trees of State of Mexico and Michoacan between November and March.
The Biosphere Reserve, as the home of the butterflies is known, extends over ten municipalities in these two states. Two of the best places are The rosary , in Michoacan , either Sanctuary the Table , in Mexico state , both hibernation centers for the monarch butterfly.
SKI IN SIERRA DE ARTEAGA OR NEVADO DE TOLUCA
Skiing in Mexico? If possible. Okay, you probably haven't come here expecting to see snow, or to put on some skis, but if your ideal plan at this time is to jump down the mountain, you can do it in Mexico too.
There are several tracks throughout the country, especially in the north: Sierra de Arteaga , in Coahuila , is the first alpine ski slope in Mexico and the national cover letter as a ski destination. With its 1,200 hectares of forest, dotted with more than 50 cabins, you'll think you're in Switzerland.
If you are going to be in the capital, there are also several tracks nearby, such as the Toulca's snowy or the saw Iztaccihuatl , in the State of Mexico, with the added attraction of skiing over dormant volcanoes.
Monarch butterfly: the most spectacular of all
DANCE AT THE CARNIVAL IN VERACRUZ
That Brazil takes the cake when it comes to carnival celebrations, no one disputes it... but you don't need to leave Mexico to have a party as God intended and receive Lent as the canons send.
Veracruz is the state that takes it to heart, and throws itself fully into a revelry that would impress even Brazilians. Port and the Veracruz City they are dyed in colors these days, taken by comparsas, costume competitions and massive concerts.
The big event is the famous Bad Mood Burning , in which the great evils, represented in a papier-mâché figure, burn to ashes in a bonfire in the city's plinth. Last year, the figure represented the mosquito of the Chinkungunya ; this year, the bets are that the figure will be of a new American president who should not be named...
SAIL WITH WHALES IN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
Another of the species that visit Mexico in winter, in this case by water and not by air, are the gray whales . Between the months of December and March are the high season to see these mammals that are so little lavished at other times of the year.
The best place to see them is Sea of Cortez , in Baja California Sur, especially in the Vizcaino Ecological Park , declared a protected area in 1988 and one of the greatest attractions in the state.
If you're unlucky and no whales come your way, don't consider it a wasted trip. The Sea of Cortez is a hive of life, home to more than 850 marine species (it's not for nothing that Jacques Cousteau called it the “world's aquarium”). A diving getaway (or snorkeling, if that's more your thing) will take you close to sea lions, manta rays and even sharks.
Breaching gray whale in Guerrero Negro, Mexico
CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING IN CHICHÉN ITZÁ OR TEOTIHUACÁN
If your plan is to go to Mexico in mid-March, rushing winter to the max, you have the opportunity to witness one of the most celebrated traditional events throughout Mexican history: the vernal equinox.
Chichen Itza dresses up to receive the quintessential guest of this event: the Feathered Serpent. According to tradition, the god Kukulcan descends to earth on the day spring begins to inaugurate the agricultural cycle. In Chichen Itza it can be seen descending the slope of the Pyramid of Kukulcán, in the form of triangles of light and shadow created by the movement of the sun in the sky.
Do your Mexican plans not include the peninsula of Yucatan ? In the Tehuacan capital, Teotihuacán, the arrival of Quetzalcoatl (the Nauatl name of Kukulcan ) in the Butterfly Temple , where the snake can be seen coming down the stairs. Essential.
Chichen Itza, Mexico.