THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

John Noble, Kate Armstrong, Stuart Butler, John Hecht, Beth Kohn,

Tom Masters, Josephine Quintero, Adam Skolnick, Iain Stewart, Phillip Tang, Lucas Vidgen

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Welcome to Mexico . . . . . .6Mexico Map . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Mexico’s Top 21 . . . . . . . . .10Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 20First Time Mexico . . . . . . 22What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 24If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . 25Month by Month . . . . . . . 30Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Eat & Drink Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . 42Exploring Mexico’s Ancient Ruins . . . . . . . . . 48Travel with Children . . . . 54Regions at a Glance . . . . .57

MEXICO CITY . . . . . . 62

AROUND MEXICO CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140North of Mexico City . . .141Tepotzotlán. . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Tula. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Teotihuacán. . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Pachuca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150East of Mexico City . . . 154Puebla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154Cholula. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Popocatépetl.&..Iztaccíhuatl. . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Tlaxcala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Cacaxtla.&.Xochitécatl . . . .171La.Malinche. . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Huamantla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Cantona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Cuetzalan .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 174Yohualichán. . . . . . . . . . . . . 175South of Mexico City . . .175Tepoztlán. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Cuautla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Cuernavaca. . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Taxco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Parque.Nacional..Grutas.de..Cacahuamilpa. . . . . . . . . . . 195West of Mexico City . . . 195Toluca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

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Nevado.de.Toluca. . . . . . . . 198Valle.de.Bravo. . . . . . . . . . . 199Malinalco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200Ixtapan.de.la.Sal. . . . . . . . .202

VERACRUZ . . . . . . . . 203Veracruz.City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .205Central Veracruz . . . . . . 215Central.Coast . . . . . . . . . . . 216Xalapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217Córdoba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Fortín.de.las.Flores . . . . . .230Coscomatepec. . . . . . . . . . 231Orizaba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Pico.de.Orizaba . . . . . . . . . 235

Northern Veracruz . . . . 235Tuxpan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Papantla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237El.Tajín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241Southeast Veracruz . . . 245Tlacotalpan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 245Santiago.Tuxtla. . . . . . . . . . 247Tres.Zapotes. . . . . . . . . . . . 248San.Andrés.Tuxtla . . . . . . . 249Catemaco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251Reserva.de.la.Biosfera..Los.Tuxtlas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

YUCATÁN PENINSULA . . . . . . . 255Quintana Roo . . . . . . . . 258Cancún. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258Isla.Mujeres. . . . . . . . . . . . . 267Parque.Nacional.Isla..Contoy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272Isla.Holbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272Puerto.Morelos. . . . . . . . . . 273Playa.del.Carmen. . . . . . . . 276Isla.Cozumel. . . . . . . . . . . .280Akumal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285Tulum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286Mahahual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295Xcalak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296Laguna.Bacalar .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 297Chetumal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297Yucatán State . . . . . . . . 301Mérida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301Celestún. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317Dzibilchaltún. . . . . . . . . . . . 319Progreso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320Izamal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320Chichén.Itzá . . . . . . . . . . . . 321Valladolid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328Ek’.Balam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331Río.Lagartos. . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Campeche. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332Xpujil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

CHIAPAS & TABASCO . . . . . . . . .345Tuxtla.Gutiérrez . . . . . . . . .348Chiapa.de.Corzo. . . . . . . . . 354San.Cristóbal.de.las..Casas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356Ocosingo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374Toniná. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376Agua.Azul.&.Misol-Ha. . . . 377Palenque. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377Bonampak,.Yaxchilán.&.the.Carretera..Fronteriza . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388Comitán. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .398El.Soconusco.&..Beaches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .403Tapachula . . . . . . . . . . . . . .406Tabasco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411

OAXACA . . . . . . . . . . .417Oaxaca City . . . . . . . . . . 420Valles Centrales . . . . . . 442Monte.Albán . . . . . . . . . . . .442Valle.de.Tlacolula. . . . . . . .445Valle.de.Zimatlán. . . . . . . .449San.Agustín.Etla. . . . . . . . .450Sierra Norte . . . . . . . . . 451Pueblos..Mancomunados. . . . . . . . . 451Western Oaxaca . . . . . . 453Yanhuitlán,..Coixtlahuaca..&.Teposcolula. . . . . . . . . . . 453Oaxaca Coast . . . . . . . . 454Puerto.Escondido. . . . . . . .454Pochutla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466Puerto.Ángel. . . . . . . . . . . . 467Zipolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .469San.Agustinillo. . . . . . . . . . 472

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Mazunte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474La.Ventanilla. . . . . . . . . . . . 477Bahías.de.Huatulco. . . . . . 477Barra.de.la.Cruz. . . . . . . . .484Isthmus of Tehuantepec . . . . . . . . . 485Salina.Cruz . . . . . . . . . . . . .485Tehuantepec. . . . . . . . . . . .486Juchitán. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487

CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST . . . . . . . . . . . 489Mazatlán . . . . . . . . . . . . 491Mexcaltitán . . . . . . . . . . 503San Blas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504Tepic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508Laguna.Santa.María..del.Oro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509Volcán.Ceboruco . . . . . . . .509Chacala . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509San Francisco . . . . . . . . .511Sayulita . . . . . . . . . . . . . .511Punta Mita . . . . . . . . . . . 514Puerto Vallarta . . . . . . . 514Costalegre Beaches . . . 529Bahía de Navidad . . . . . 529San.Patricio-Melaque . . . .530Barra.de.Navidad. . . . . . . . 531Manzanillo . . . . . . . . . . . 534Boca de Pascuales . . . . 537Michoacán Coast . . . . . 537San.Juan.de.Alima. . . . . . . 537Las.Brisas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538Playa.La.Ticla. . . . . . . . . . . 538Faro.de.Bucerías . . . . . . . . 539Playa.Colola . . . . . . . . . . . . 539

Playa.Maruata. . . . . . . . . . . 539Barra.de.Nexpa. . . . . . . . . .540The.Cartel’s.Coast. . . . . . .540Caleta.de.Campos. . . . . . . 541Lázaro Cárdenas . . . . . . 541Troncones . . . . . . . . . . . 542Ixtapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544Zihuatanejo . . . . . . . . . . 546Barra.de.Potosí. . . . . . . . . . 556Soledad.de.Maciel. . . . . . . 557Pie de la Cuesta . . . . . . 557Acapulco . . . . . . . . . . . . 559Costa Chica . . . . . . . . . . 570Playa.Ventura.&..Around. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570Cuajinicuilapa. . . . . . . . . . . 571

WESTERN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS . . . . . . 572Guadalajara . . . . . . . . . . 573Lago.de.Chapala .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .596Zona.de.Montaña. . . . . . . .600Colima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .603

Inland Michoacán . . . . . 607Morelia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .608Reserva.Mariposa..Monarca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616Angangueo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618Zitácuaro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 619Pátzcuaro .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..619Uruapan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627Angahuan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .630

NORTHERN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS . . . . . . 632Querétaro State . . . . . . 634Querétaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . .634Tequisquiapan. . . . . . . . . . . 641Guanajuato State . . . . . 643Guanajuato. . . . . . . . . . . . .643León. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .654Dolores.Hidalgo . . . . . . . . . 655San.Miguel.de.Allende. . . . 657Aguascalientes State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671

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Aguascalientes. . . . . . . . . . 671San Luis Potosí State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676San.Luis.Potosí. . . . . . . . . . 676Matehuala. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681Real.de.Catorce . . . . . . . . .682Zacatecas State . . . . . . 686Zacatecas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686La.Quemada. . . . . . . . . . . .695

BAJA CALIFORNIA . . . . . . 696Northern Baja . . . . . . . . 698Tijuana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .698Playas.de.Rosarito. . . . . . . 704Ensenada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705La.Bufadora. . . . . . . . . . . . . 710Parque.Nacional..Constitución.de.1857 .. .. .. ..710Mexicali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710Southern Baja . . . . . . . . .711Guerrero.Negro . . . . . . . . . 712San.Ignacio. . . . . . . . . . . . . 713Santa.Rosalía . . . . . . . . . . . 715Mulegé. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716Loreto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718La.Paz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722La.Ventana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 728Los.Barriles. . . . . . . . . . . . . 728Cabo.Pulmo. . . . . . . . . . . . . 729Reserva.de.la.Biosfera.Sierra.de.la.Laguna. . . . . . 729San.José.del.Cabo. . . . . . . 730Los.Cabos.Corridor. . . . . . 732Cabo.San.Lucas. . . . . . . . . 732Todos.Santos . . . . . . . . . . . 736

COPPER CANYON & NORTHERN MEXICO . . . . . . . . . . 740Northwest Mexico . . . . 745Puerto.Peñasco . . . . . . . . . 746Hermosillo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 748Bahía.de.Kino. . . . . . . . . . . 749San.Carlos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750Álamos.&.Around. . . . . . . . 752Los.Mochis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 755The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757Ferrocarril.Chihuahua.Pacífico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .759El.Fuerte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761Cerocahui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762Urique .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 763Areponápuchi.(Posada.Barrancas). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764Parque.de.Aventuras.Barrancas.del.Cobre. . . . . 765Divisadero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765Creel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765Batopilas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770Chihuahua & Central North Mexico . . . . . . . . . 772Chihuahua. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772Nuevo.Casas.Grandes..&.Casas.Grandes. . . . . . . . 778Mata.Ortiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 779Hidalgo.del.Parral .. .. .. .. .. .. . 779Durango. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782Northeast Mexico . . . . . 786Saltillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 786Parras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788

Cuatro.Ciénegas. . . . . . . . .790Monterrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791

UNDERSTAND

SURVIVAL GUIDE

SPECIAL FEATURES

Mexico Off the Beaten Track Map . . . . .40

Eat & Drink Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Exploring Mexico’s Ancient Ruins . . . . . . . .48

Chichén Itzá 3D Illustration . . . . . . . . . .324

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10 DAYS

Fly into Cancún and head straight for relaxed Isla Mujeres’ beaches and snor-keling, taking a side-trip to Isla Contoy, a national park with excellent bird-watching and, June to September, the chance to swim with whale sharks.

Alternatively opt for hip Playa del Car-men, with its own fine beaches, underwater activities and lively nightlife. ‘Playa’ is also the jumping-off point for the world-famous dive sites of Isla Cozumel. If you have kids, spend a day at the nearby ‘eco-parks’ such as Selvática with its 12 jungle zip-lines, or Río Secreto where you hike and swim through a 600m-long cave. Next stop: Tulum, with

one of Mexico’s most perfect beaches and most spectacularly located Maya sites. Near-by are the pyramids and temples of Cobá, as well as the wildlife-rich Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an. South of Tulum the Costa Maya is less developed and touristed than the ‘Riviera Maya’ to the north. Head to Mahahual, a laid-back village with snor-keling and diving at the coral atoll Banco Chinchorro, or the tiny fishing town of Xcalak, another excellent water sports base. After three nights chilling at either of these, either opt for a fourth, or, if you’re worried that you missed out on Cancún’s nightlife, spend your last night there.

Riviera Maya & Costa Maya Getaway

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Mahahual

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Playa delCarmen

Tulum

Cancún

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Selvática

Isla CozumelRío Secreto

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Flock of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an (p294)

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This classic journey leads south from Mexico’s central heartland to its glorious Caribbean beaches, and gives a superb sampling of what makes the country so fascinating.

Start by exploring the exciting megalopolis of Mexico City, key to any understanding of Mexico the country. Take a side-trip to the awesome pyramids at Teotihuacán, capital of ancient Mexico’s biggest empire. Then head east to the fun-loving port city of Veracruz, before crossing the mountains southward to Oaxaca. This cultured colonial city, with Mexico’s finest handicrafts, sits at the heart of a beautiful re-gion with a large indigenous population. Don’t miss the ancient Zapotec capital, Monte Albán, nearby.

Head down to one of the relaxed beach spots on the Oaxaca coast, such as Puerto Escon-dido, Mazunte or Zipolite, for a few days’ sun, surf and sand, before continuing east to San Cristóbal de las Casas, a beautiful highland town surrounded by intriguing indigenous vil-lages. Move on to Palenque, perhaps the most stunning of all ancient Maya cities, with its backdrop of emerald-green jungle, and Yax-chilán, another marvelous Maya city, accessible only by river.

Head northeast to Campeche, an attractive mix of colonial city and bustling modern town, then move on to colonial Mérida, the Yucatán Peninsula’s lively cultural capital and the base for visiting the superb ruins of Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. Next stop: Chichén Itzá, the most celebrated of all the Yucatán’s Maya sites. From here, it’s on to Tulum on the Caribbean coast, another spectacular Maya site set beside a glori-ous beach. Finally make your way northward along the Riviera Maya to the hip beach town of Playa del Carmen, with a side trip to Isla Cozumel for world-class snorkeling and diving, to end at Mexico’s most popular and unabashed coastal resort, Cancún.

1 MONTH Beaches & Temples

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Top: Pirámide de la Luna (p148), Teotihuacán Bottom: Sea turtle and queen angelfish, Isla Cozumel (p280)

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The nation’s capital is ringed by colonial cities blessed with gorgeous architecture of carved stone and colorful tiles, broad plazas, splashing fountains and lively contemporary cultural scenes. Trying to visit them all runs the risk of monument fatigue, but you can do justice to the region on this eight-stop route.

Mexico City itself has much grand colonial architecture, starting with its central plaza, the Zócalo, and the cathedral and National Palace that flank it. The colonial center is interestingly spiced with plenty of more modern, and a bit of pre-Hispanic, architecture and art, and there are masses of great places to eat and go out at night after a day of culture.

Head east to Puebla, which has the coun-try’s densest concentration of restored colonial churches and mansions – many of the latter now housing interesting museums – and is still one of the most Spanish-influenced cities in Mexico. Over 1000 buildings are adorned with the colorful azulejos (painted ceramic tiles) for which the city is famed.

Go west to Michoacán’s lively capital More-lia, home to an inspiring cathedral, many other well-preserved colonial buildings and some great cafes and bars, but curiously ignored by most foreign tourists. Pátzcuaro is a handsome, low-rise, much smaller highland town where the indigenous Purépecha sell their wares around one of Mexico’s loveliest central plazas.

Move northward up to prosperous Zacate-cas, a stylish silver city with a stupendous ba-roque cathedral, fascinating art museums, and even a colonial silver- and gold-mine that you can tour. Heading back toward Mexico City you reach El Bajío, the region famed as the Cuna de la Independencia (Cradle of Independence) for its vital role in the 19th-century independence movement that put an end to Mexico’s colonial era. Here, lively Guanajuato awaits with quix-otic callejones (alleys), a vibrant student life and historical reminders galore, while the festive and charming expat capital San Miguel de Allende is full of beautifully restored colonial buildings, including many homes. Before you hit Mexico City again, don’t neglect handsome Querétaro, which has several fine museums and a very walkable historic center.

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Off the Beaten Track: Mexico

The journey to this idyllic Copper Canyon riverside village is one of the most dramatic in Mexico, descending via endless switchbacks down the side of a canyon. (p763)

URIQUE

Our favorite restaurant in the Puerto Vallarta area has no road access: the only way here is by trail or sea. And the seafood lunch is as exceptional as the cliff scenery. (p526)

OCEAN GRILL

Climb this volcano near Uruapan, which, exploding out of a farmer’s field back in the 1940s, buried villages under tons of volcanic rock, but left a church’s steeple unscathed. (p631)

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M e x i c o

G u l f o f

SURF CAMPCOCOLEOCO

MINERAL DEL CHICO

MIRAMARLAGUNA

PuertoFelipe Carrillo

PUUCRUTA

Belize City

GutiérrezTuxtla

MEXICO CITY

LaredoNuevo

Escárcega

LagartosRío

SIERRAGORDA

Villahermosa

Tallahassee

RougeBaton

Puebla

TEGUCIGALPA

Puerto Escondido

TizimínProgreso

Tehuantepec

Tuxpan

Tapachula

Córdoba

Juchitán

Montgomery

Chilpancingo

Chetumal

Campeche

Reynosa

Tampico

Cancún

Veracruz

Matamoros

Austin

Xalapa

Oaxaca

Mérida

VictoriaCiudad

Puerto Ángel

Santiago Tuxtla

CITYGUATEMALA

CarmenCiudad del

ruSlederdaM

O r i e n t a l

M a d r e

MujeresIsla

CozumelIsla

BELIZE

HONDURASGUATEMALA

300 miles0500 km0

This remote Querétaro biosphere reserve encompasses high-altitude cloud forests, semideserts, lowland tropical forests, historic Jesuit missions, isolated villages, waterfalls, caves and exotic wildlife. Explore with local guides from community-runecolodges. (p642)

SIERRA GORDA

You’ll hold your breath round many a steep curve on the road up, but this charming old mining village, with moody mountain views, tumbling mists and good hiking, is well worth the trip. (p153)

MINERAL DEL CHICO

While the tour groups are shuffling from one site to another further north, check out these fascinating Maya ruins south of Mérida: there’s a good chance you’ll have them all to yourself. (p316)

RUTA PUUC

Via pockmarked dirt road or river boat, a day-long journey through the Lacandón Jungle takes you to this perfect clear blue lake with ancient petroglyphs and the haunting roars of howler monkeys. (p396)

LAGUNA MIRAMARA short stroll from a 6km-long, empty Oaxacan beach, Cocoleoco’s rustic cabañas (cabins) are a marvelously relaxed stop. You can surf a dozen nearby breaks, take a horseback ride or kayak the lagoon. (p486)

COCOLEOCO SURF CAMP

41PLAN

YOUR TRIP O

FF tH

e Be

aten

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aC

K

Beth KohnChiapas & Tabasco Beth has been sojourning in Mexico for more than 30 years, and this was her fourth whirl through Chiapas and Tabasco for the Mexico guide. This time around, she waited patiently at highway mudslides, cavorted with fireflies in the Lacandón Jungle and absorbed untold miles of spine-adjusting terracería. A thankful resident of San Francisco, she’s also co-authored Lonely Planet’s California, South America and Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon Na-tional Parks guides. You can see more of her work at www.bethkohn.com.

Tom MastersVeracruz Tom is a travel writer based in Berlin. His first experience of Mexico was in the jungle of Chiapas filming at Palenque, which led to repeat visits and a stint of living in Mexico City. Having previously authored the Around Mexico City and Western Central Highlands chapters of this book, this time Tom covered the much overlooked state of Veracruz. He can be found online at www.tommasters.net.

Josephine Quintero Baja California Josephine was married for many years to a Mexican American with a large extended family, leading to a healthy exposure to mariachi music and margaritas. She made frequent trips over the border from her home in San Diego and continues to be enthralled by the heady mix of vibrant culture, won-derful people, fabulous food and all that history. Now living in Andalucía, Spain, Josephine was thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit Baja California, one of

her favorite regions in Mexico.

Adam SkolnickCentral Pacific Coast Adam has written about travel, culture, health, sports, human rights and the environment for Lonely Planet, the New York Times, Out-side, Men’s Health, Travel & Leisure, Salon.com, BBC.com and ESPN.com. He has authored or coauthored 25 Lonely Planet guidebooks. His debut novel, Middle of Somewhere, is set to publish in 2014. You can read more of his work at www.adamskolnick.com. Find him on Twitter and Instagram (@adamskolnick).

Iain StewartCopper Canyon & Northern Mexico Iain first travelled through Mexico in 1993, journeying between Nogales and Chetumal by road and rail. He’s returned regularly and authored several chapters for Lonely Planet guidebooks over the years. On this trip he was humbled by the majesty of the Copper Canyon and the silence of the desert, and impressed by some superb museums. Iain has written guidebooks for destinations as diverse as Ibiza and Indonesia. He lives close to the beach in Brighton, UK.

Phillip TangAround Mexico City Phillip first visited Mexico in 2002 and keeps being sum-moned back. He falls in love with the country again with every comida corrida, candy-coloured wall, and calavera. He is now accidentally living in Mexico City en route between his other homes of London and Sydney. On the road for this guide, he created animated gifs (tacotrauma.tumblr.com), Instagrammed (@mrtangtangtang) and tweeted (@philliptang). More of his travel writing can be found at philliptang.co.uk.

Lucas VidgenYucatán Peninsula Lucas first visited the Yucatán in 2002, breezing through long enough to be captivated by the lush scenery, irresistible beaches and delicious food. He now lives in Guatemala and makes it a point to pop over the border whenever he can to munch down on pibil and splash around in cenotes. Lucas has contributed to a variety of Lonely Planet’s Latin American titles. Back home he publishes – and occasionally works on – Quetzaltenango’s leading nightlife and culture magazine, XelaWho (www.xelawho.com).

Read more about Josephine at: lonelyplanet.com/members/josephinequintero

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John Noble Coordinating Author, Oaxaca John has been making extended trips to Mexico for over three decades and coordinated every edition of this guide since 1994, wandering from Tijuana to Chetumal and many, many places in between. He’s climbed volcanoes, boated down jungle rivers, explored the barrios of Mexico City and understood why Oaxacans revere mezcal. Mexico’s food, drinks, land-scapes, arts, history and, above all, the warmth of the Mexicans themselves

always have him looking forward to the next trip. Originally from England’s Ribble Valley, John has lived for 20 years in the land of Mexico’s old colonial masters, Spain.

Kate ArmstrongNorthern Central Highlands An Australian by birth but a Latina (she believes) in a former life, Kate visits Mexico regularly. This is the fourth time she’s covered the silver cities for Lonely Planet. On this trip she embraced the country’s pa-triotic Independence Day celebrations, partied at village festivals, ate her way through kilos of street foods (gorditas are her favorite), and danced her way through the magic of Mexico. Kate’s other freelance writing adventures appear

at www.katearmstrong.com.au and @nomaditis.

Stuart Butler Western Central Highlands Stuart first traveled to Mexico in the late 1990s as part of a longer trip through Latin America. Mexico stood out for him thanks to its heady mix of beaches, wildlife, surf, mountains and rich culture, and he has since made a number of repeat visits. Hailing from southwest England, Stuart now lives on the beautiful beaches of southwest France, close to the Spanish border, with his wife and young son and daughter. He is also the coauthor of

many Spain-based Lonely Planet books.

John HechtMexico City John has lived in Mexico for two decades now. He spent the early years in Guadalajara studying Spanish and practicing his new language skills in the neighborhood cantinas. Several years later he moved to Mexico City and turned freelance writer. Working on the Mexico City chapter reminded him of everything he loves about his adopted city, especially the mezcal and taco crawls. He’s worked on five Lonely Planet Mexico books.

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 98314th edition – Sep 2014ISBN 978 1 7422 0806 0© Lonely Planet 2014 Photographs © as indicated 201410 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in SingaporeAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Read more about John at: lonelyplanet.com/members/johnhecht

Read more about Kate at: lonelyplanet.com/members/kate_armstrong

Read more about John at: lonelyplanet.com/members/ewoodrover

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