CENTRAL MEXICO
Central
Mexico is one of the country?s richest regions in culture
and natural beauty. Its territory extends from the outer limits of a high
plateau in the north to the edge of the Sierra Madre range in the south.
Temperatures are moderate throughout most of the year, ranging from ?3º C (26º
F) in the winter to 30º C (86º F) in the summer. The climate can vary
considerably depending on the geographic zone.
In this
region, you can visit Mexico
City, the nation?s capital. There you can
appreciate the fascinating architecture of the aging buildings in the city?s
Historic Center; or you can visit the Basilica of Guadalupe and such popular
neighborhoods as San Angel, Coyoacan and Xochimilco. The latter is known for its gondola rides and
colorful boats that take you through canals.
Nearby, you
can discover intriguing archeological zones: Teotihuacan
in the State of Mexico;
Xochicalco in Morelos; Cacaxtla in Tlaxcala; and Tula
in Hidalgo.
Each archeological site is uniquely different as there are the many natural
sites in the surrounding areas: volcanoes Iztaccihuatl
and Popocatepetl, which lay between the States of
Mexico and Puebla; el Nevado
de Toluca in the State of Mexico; el Cerro del Tepozteco in Morelos; the Lagoons
of Zempoala between the states of Mexico and Morelos; the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Michoacan; the Sierra Gorda and
la Pena de Bernal in Queretaro; and the Huasteca region in San Luis Potosi, where you can also
visit mysterious ghost town Real de Catorce.
The central
region offers the tranquility of its numerous forests, waterfalls, lakes,
rivers, springs and caverns, all of which provide ideal settings for rafting,
rappelling, cave exploring, scuba diving, camping, rock climbing and nature
observing.
In the
Mexican heartland, you can also visit picturesque towns known for their fairs,
convents and haciendas, such as Tlaxcala and Huamantla. Or you can experience the rush of the running of
the bulls in Aguascalientes, where you can also see
cockfights and visit the San Marcos Fair. Or you can visit colonial city Guanajuato, which hosts the famous Cervantino
Festival. And then there?s Puebla, the city of
angels, with more than 200 churches. Finally, be sure to check out Queretaro?s monumental aqueduct and Morelia?s
baroque cathedral, both declared UNESCO World Heritage sites.
