Health and Safety in Mexico

Dazzling scenery, stirring history and its poignant remains make the Alto Mixteco and its various valleys a remarkable travel experience, either for a day trip or for more thorough perusal, making use of local "albergues."

The small town of Bernal manages to hide a very, very big secret. It is not until you are almost in the outskirts of the town that the massive Bernal rock can be seen jutting 2,000 feet above the gently rolling hills and scrub brush. Second only in mass to Ayers rock in Australia, this natural phenomenon has been impressing spectators throughout history; and so legends of treasure, mysteries, and supernatural energy almost as grand as the monument itself abound.

How can you go wrong in a city full of music, hammocks and jewel-encrusted bugs? Merida, the capital of Yucatan state, is the peninsula's center of commerce and a stopover for many travelers on their way to points such as Cancun, Chichen Itza and the Ruta Puuc. It is also a destination in its own right, packed with indigenous history and colonial architecture.

There is no doubt that visits to Mexico's spas are on the rise. Although hard figures are not available, Orlando Hidalgo of the Mexico Spa Association (MexSpa) estimates the number of spa visitors in Mexico is growing at the phenomenal rate of 50 percent per year.

There is nothing like the hands-on treatment of a professional masseur to make one feel defined, relaxed and pampered - a favorite spa promotion word. Especially when it is combined with something exotic: A body wrap in seaweed or mud, an exfoliation with a mysterious sweet-smelling natural concoction that may contain coffee grounds for example, followed by a warm hose-down.

For more than thirty years the Cervantino Festival has been enthralling visitors across the globe. Set in Guanajuato, one of Mexico's most beautifully preserved colonial cities, the festival is a melting pot of culture and artistic celebration.