Mexico & Central America

Ranked · where to go & why

The Top 20 in Mexico & Central America

Ancient pyramids and turquoise cenotes, cloud forests and Pacific surf, the best food on the continent and the warmest welcome. Here is Mexico & Central America, ranked.

1. 1TulumExplore →Bohemian beach-chic on the Riviera Maya — clifftop Mayan ruins above the sea and jungle cenotes inland.
2. 2Cancún & the Riviera MayaExplore →The Caribbean coast’s resort gateway — powder beaches, reefs, and Chichén Itzá within reach.
3. 3Costa Rica — GuanacasteExplore →Pacific surf beaches backed by dry-forest wildlife — Costa Rica’s sunniest, easiest coast.
4. 4Mexico CityOne of the world’s great capitals — Aztec ruins, world-class museums, and a food scene that rivals any.
5. 5OaxacaMexico’s culinary and craft heartland — mezcal, mole, indigenous markets, and Día de los Muertos.
6. 6Monteverde & Arenal, Costa RicaExplore →Cloud forests, zip-lines and a perfect volcano — the essence of Costa Rica’s “pura vida.”
7. 7BelizeThe Mesoamerican Reef and the Great Blue Hole above water, Maya temples and jungle lodges below.
8. 8San Miguel de AllendeA storybook colonial town of cobbled lanes and rose-stone churches — repeatedly voted a best city on Earth.
9. 9Los CabosWhere the Baja desert meets the sea — Land’s End arch, luxury resorts, and big-game waters.
10. 10Panama (Canal & Bocas del Toro)An engineering wonder of the world plus Caribbean island chill on the Bocas archipelago.
11. 11Antigua GuatemalaA UNESCO colonial gem ringed by volcanoes — and a launchpad to hike an erupting one.
12. 12Lake Atitlán, GuatemalaA volcanic crater lake ringed by Maya villages — long called one of the world’s most beautiful.
13. 13Mérida & the YucatánColonial elegance, endless cenotes, flamingos, and the great pyramids of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.
14. 14HolboxA car-free sandbar island — bioluminescent nights, flamingos, and summer whale sharks.
15. 15CozumelCaribbean Mexico’s diving capital — drift dives along a pristine wall on the world’s 2nd-largest reef.
16. 16Tikal, GuatemalaTowering Maya temples rising above the rainforest canopy — howler monkeys for a soundtrack.
17. 17Puerto VallartaOld-Mexico charm on Banderas Bay — a beloved Pacific resort town with a beating malecón.
18. 18Copper Canyon, MexicoDeeper and wider than the Grand Canyon — ridden by the spectacular El Chepe railway.
19. 19Roatán, HondurasAffordable Caribbean diving and reef snorkeling on the Bay Islands.
20. 20GuanajuatoA rainbow-coloured colonial city of tunnels, plazas and student energy — a UNESCO jewel.

Curated by TravelWell, in the spirit of the great travel guides. Linked picks open a full guide + Safety Card; more are being added.