Top 10 Places from our 2022 Mexican Van Travels

Everyone likes a top 10 list so I thought I'd write a blog post on the top ten places from our Mexican van travels this winter. This list should not be confused as the top ten places in Mexico as we only visited a small fraction of Mexican cities on our travels. I've intentionally used places rather than cities as the list includes a mix of pueblos, cities, regions and even one national park. In terms of selecting the top ten list, it's of course all very subjective reflecting my personal preferences. However, in compiling the list, the following factors were considered: street life and overall vibe, local cuisine, cultural opportunities, weather, scenery/outdoor opportunities and safe/secure place to park our van. 

10. San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende (SMA) is located in the eastern part of Guanajuato in the central highlands of Mexico. The gringo effect in SMA is really noticeable and goes well beyond just seeing foreigners walking throughout the city - businesses cater extensively to foreigners, there are fancy houses and hotels throughout the city and the cost of many things are considerably higher than less touristic nearby cities. In fact, I almost excluded it from this list for this reason but the historic district was just too beautiful and the food was some of the best that we had in all of Mexico. SMA´s historic core is a UNESCO site and the gothic church (La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel) is truly a site to see - I thought it looked like a giant pink wedding cake! Some of our favorite eating spots in SMA were Mamá Mela (easily the best burritos that we had in all of Mexico!), Lavanda Cafe (see huevos rancheros above) and Don Taco Tequila (vegan tacos that even have carnivores won over). Not only did Mamá Mela have some of the tastiest burritos that I have ever had but the chef (Humberto) was incredibly friendly and gave us a whole list of places that we should visit on our van travels. One of my burritos (yes, I had two!) was with huitlacoche which is a fungus that grows on corn and is considered a superfood in Mexico. It's jet black and a little slimy but I thought it was delicious!

9. Parque Nacional Iztaccíhuetl-Popocatépetl 

During our van travels, we found that going to national parks or beautiful regions such as the Huasteca Potosina (see #3 below) was a great way to provide variety and separation from visiting one city after the next. The Parque Nacional Iztaccíhuetl-Popocatépetl (Izta-Popo for short) borders the states of Puebla, Morelos and CDMX. The main attractions in the Parque Nacional Izta-Popo are the two volcanoes of Izta-Popo which are the 2nd and 3rd highest mountains in all of Mexico. Izta is 17,160 feet above sea level and Popo is 17,802 feet above sea level (Pico de Orizaba is the tallest mountain in the country at 18,491 feet above sea level). Izta is a dormant volcano but Popo is still active and considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world. We parked our van for a couple nights near the visitor center and set out bright and early for a hike up towards the summit of Izta. We started at 12,000 feet above sea level and could definitely feel the elevation but the scenery was stunning and we forged ahead along an excellent trail that had very few people on it. We made it to about 15,000 feet before turning around and retracing our steps back to the visitor center. It is possible to drive a dirt road up to the La Joyita parking lot (where the ascent of the Izta volcano begins) but we really enjoyed the trail through beautiful grasslands and sweeping views of both volcanoes. If you are planning to summit Izta, it makes sense to drive up La Joyita parking lot to cut out a bunch of mileage but otherwise I highly recommend hiking the trail. If you visit the park, make sure to stop into the visitor center to pay the daily use fee for the national park.       

8. Tequisquipan

Tequisquipan (Tequis for short!) is a pueblo mágico surrounded by some great vineyards and is also close to the Pena de Bernal monolith which makes for a great hike - a guide is needed to make it to the very top but you can hike nearly to the top on your own (there is a 30 mxn fee to do the hike). Although we just stumbled upon the town, Tequis turned out to be one of our favorite places as it has a low key vibe, some great stores and restaurants and was just a lot of fun to be in. We really enjoyed the tour of the nearby La Redonda winery despite it being all in Spanish. Tequis also took the cake for having the most hotels for a fairly small town, many of which had thermal pools which occur naturally in the area. 

7. San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potisí (SLP) is the largest city and capital of the state of San Luis Potisí.  SLP has a population of 1.2 million in the metropolitan region and the city used to be a major gold and silver mining hub in past centuries. After being in La Huasteca Potosina  (see #3 below) the previous week, it was great to be in a larger city with different food options and some excellent museums. We ate at a Japanese restaurant which was surprisingly decent although they put cream cheese in the sushi rolls which is actually fairly common in Mexico. We also visited the National Mask Museum and the Center for the Arts which were both spectacular museums. The National Mask Museum had some really outrageous masks that you need to see to believe. The Center for the Arts was probably even more impressive as it's an old federal prison that's been converted into a major arts center in the city. It houses many sculptures and other pieces of art from the surrealist Leonora Carrington which are also quite remarkable. San Luis Potosi also has this huge, amazing park that we visited both days that we were in the city called Parque Tangamanga that is great for biking, running and every other activity imaginable - they even have a Labyrinth Museum that is highly acclaimed!

6.  Puebla

Puebla is the 4th largest city (3.25 million) in Mexico and was founded by the Spanish in 1531. The city has a long and storied history of battles with many different countries including the Spanish, French and Americans. Cinco de Mayo is a big holiday here to commemorate May 5, 1862 when Mexico was victorious over the French in the Battle of Puebla. In this battle, the French were much better armed than the Mexican army but many of them had contracted cholera and were severely dehydrated so the Mexicans were able to defeat them despite their smaller, poorly equipped forces. Puebla is a very vibrant, bustling city that is well-known for its universities, industry and excellent local cuisine. Puebla has the world's largest Volkswagen plant outside of Germany in addition to an Audi plant. 

During our visit, we sampled three unique food items in Puebla - cemitas poblanas, dulces (sweets) and obscure liquors. Cemitas are these huge sandwiches with lots of cheese, avocado, a meat of your choice (can be vege too), chipotle peppers and a strange herb called papalo. I must admit that I was not the biggest fan of papalo as it's very bitter - kind of a cross between arugula and cilantro and tastes like dish soap. Some of the candies were very good though such as this coconut ball wrapped in candied lime rinds. We also liked this liquor called a pasita which is made from raisins. The bar we went to offers a cash prize and covers your bar tab if you can drink 100 pasitas in one sitting - apparently only one person has completed it and legend has it that he died afterwards - from alcohol poisoning, of course!     

Another thing that Puebla is well known for is Talavera ceramics and tiles. The approach was brought over from Spain but they've made it their own style here using many of the minerals available from the city's proximity to the Izta-Popo volcanoes. All of the Talavera ceramics are hand painted and they are quite beautiful. 

The final thing of note during our Puebla visit is that we parked our van right outside of a police station which was a first for us. We had read about this station being particularly welcoming and friendly to tourists and this advice was spot on. There were always cops around the station so we felt fine leaving our van for extended periods while we explored the city. They also let us come into the station to use the bathroom and even let us take a few hot showers as well! See photo above of me with a few of the Puebla police officers (no, we did not rehearse that pose - weird, eh?).  If you visit Puebla, I also highly recommend day trips to the nearby pueblo mágicos of Cholula and Atlixco - they´re great little cities in their own right and well worth the trips!

5.  Querétaro

Querétaro is the capital and largest city in the state of Querétaro, located in central Mexico. Querétaro is a city of nearly one million and is home to a number of universities so the city has a real youthful spirit to it. We visited three different museums (Museo Regional, Museo de Arte Contemporánio y Museo de Arte Querétaro) during our visit and not a single one of them charged admission. We also discovered a new Mexican specialty while strolling the streets which is called a gordita (yes, little fatty in English). It's a corn pancake that is fried on the griddle and then stuffed with fillings of your choice - delicious! We also discovered another local specialty which is a torta de chilaquile which is the popular chilaquile dish put into a sandwich and voila - it's a torta de chilaquile! All in all, we were really impressed with the cuisine in Querétaro, especially the unlimited number of great cafés located throughout the historic district. Querétaro also has an amazing 18th century aquaduct (see photo above) that is nearly a mile long and has arches that are nearly 100 feet tall. Lastly, if you are looking for a good park to go running or walking, I recommend Parque Querétaro 2000 which has all kinds of sports facilities including a trail around a lake with a great view of the city. 

4. Oaxaca

Unlike Puebla and Querétaro where we did not notice many foreign tourists, Oaxaca is swarming with tourists - it is hard to walk down a street in central Oaxaca without seeing foreign tourists! Despite all of the tourists, Oaxaca is still a very magical place worthy of a visit. There are 16 different groups of indigenous people each of which have their own language: Amuzgo, Cuicateco, Chinanteco, Chocho, Chontal, Huave, Ixcateco, Mazateco, Mixe, Mixteco, Nahuatl, Popolaca, Trique, Zapoteco y Zoque. The strong presence of indigenous people creates a vibrant and dynamic vibe to this city. There are tons of local artisans, street vendors and musicians on almost every street and the markets are some of the best in the country. I'm also told that Oaxaca, more than any other state in Mexico, is quick to protest anything that they're not happy with which I think is a great indicator of a free and strong culture. While we were visiting in March, there were protesters camping out near the zócalo for better pay and benefits for teachers. 

One of the things that I love about Mexico is how each region has its own distinct cuisine and local specialties which are revered 'como la comida de los dios!' Oaxaca has reinvented the quesadilla with dishes known as tlayudas y memelas. A tlayuda (see photo below) is a thin handmade tortilla covered with refried beans, lettuce/cabbage, avocado, Oaxacan cheese, salsa and meat, if you want it. You could call it a Mexican pizza and you wouldn't be wrong. A memela is a smaller, thicker tortilla that is toasted on a hot comal and then topped with refried beans, crumbly cheese and whatever else they have kicking around the place. Both are delicious and definitely worth trying if you make your way to Oaxaca. Mole is probably what Oaxaca is most famous for and I like it but I must admit that it's not really my favorite dish. I think it may be one of those things that is best enjoyed when you eat meat so it's lost on me. There are also a number of drinks that are local specialties in Oaxaca. Mezcal is Mexico's second most famous liquor (after tequila, of course) and is also made from agave or maguey. It's less processed than tequila and has a more oily, smoky flavor. Oaxaca makes the majority of Mexico's mezcal so you can find it all over the place here. There is a local saying that goes like this: "Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, también; y si no hay remedio litro y medio" ("For all bad, mezcal, and for all good, as well; and if there is no remedy, liter and a half". Pulque and tejate are other drinks that are less alcoholic than Mezcal but also very delicious. Pulque is the fermented sap of agave that is about as alcoholic as beer and is a very refreshing and slightly fizzy beverage. Tejate is a non-alcoholic beverage and is a mix of corn and cacao originating from pre-Hispanic times - it's a great way to cool down from a hot day in Oaxaca! 

                                                        

3. Huasteca Potosina

If you're a fan of swimming in turquoise rivers and ogling at one spectacular waterfall after another, then you should definitely visit the Huasteca Potosina as it is chock full of these water wonderlands. The Huasteca is in the state of San Luis Potosí and while Mexican tourists love to come here on vacation, foreign tourists are few and far between. Our favorite spot was the Puente de Dios which is a semi-cenote in which you can swim through a cave with bats overhead, marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites and jump off cliffs into the sparkling turquoise waters below (see photo below). It's truly a magical spot aptly named as the Bridge of God. There was a heat wave when we visited and we were very grateful to always be near a swimming hole to cool off from the triple digit temperature.  

2. Xalapa

One of our favorite stops on our van tour was Xalapa which is the capital city in the state of Veracruz and also a vibrant university town. Xalapa is less than two hours from the City of Veracruz and is in the foothills of the Sierra Madres so it's a bit cooler and very hilly. There were some amazing parks in the city including one park that I ran at every day (Macuiltepec Ecological Reserve) that had great views of the surrounding mountains and is a cloud forest surrounding a dormant volcano. Xalapa is also known for having a huge number of cafes partly due to the region's coffee growing prowess. 

The real crown jewel in Xalapa is the Museum of Anthropology which we had read has the second best collection of Mexican artifacts in the country (Mexico City's Anthropology Museum is the best). We spent the better part of an afternoon wandering the museum and it was truly amazing. Most of the artifacts are from the Olmecs who ruled this region of Mexico for hundreds of years and left some truly incredible sculptures, paintings and most impressively, the monster heads - see photos above and below!  

1. Guanajuato

The City of Guanajuato is the capital city of the state of Guanajuato. We had heard great things about the city and it lived up to the hype! It's an old mining city with many silver mines up in the mountains outside of town (some of the mines are still in operation). The city has a very European old world charm with narrow cobblestone streets winding from one historic church to the next. Perhaps the most beautiful thing about the city though is the vibrant colors of many of the houses which are truly built into the cliffs and steep mountains which surround the city. Guanajuato is the birthplace of Diego Rivera and we visited the Casa de Diego Rivera which is where he grew up in the late 1800s. It wasn't as impressive as the Casa de Frida Kahlo in CDMX but they did have a great exhibit of the artist Gerardo Cantu which we really liked. See photo of one of his paintings below.       

                                                  

As a former transportation planner, the thing that struck me immediately about Guanajuato is just how walkable it is. It is a real joy to walk around this city and appears to be how most people get around. There are of course many factors that contribute to its walkability from relatively dense development, narrow streets with lots of services and a great climate. The city center is also largely void of auto traffic which contributes to the vibrancy and great walkability of the city. Guanajuato achieves this by diverting much of its traffic into a maze of tunnels that were originally built under the city to prevent flooding of the Rio Guanajuato during the rainy season. Most of the tunnels even have sidewalks although I'm not sure why you'd walk through the tunnels with all of the noxious fumes especially when you're in one of the most walkable cities in the world!

One of the things I loved most about Guanajuato was running in the highlands above the city. It was really some of the most beautiful country that I've ever run through. It's got this wild west Mexican silver mining vibe mixed with the quaint cobblestone European charm of the City of Guanajuato. This place is a runner's paradise as long as you don't mind running hills and are comfortable with a base elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level. 

                                                     

Ok, that is my top ten list. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know if you have any questions. I will close with a couple honorable mentions which almost made their way onto the top ten list. Alamos, a pueblo mágico in Sonora with really interesting architecture and some great hiking trails in the Parque La Colorada. Guadalajara, the 2nd largest city in Mexico, has a ton to offer and was narrowly squeezed off of the list. Ajijic, is a very peaceful pueblo mágico on the shores of Lake Chapala about an hour south of Guadalajara. Papantla is also a vibrant pueblo mágico near the ruins of El Tajin which were the most impressive ruins that we saw on our trip.  Papantla and El Tajin is the place of origin of the Danza de los Voladores which consists of four colorfully dressed guys diving head first off an incredibly tall pole (about 100 ft to be exact) with ropes tied around their wastes. They then spin in circles around the pole as the rope lets out and they eventually descend to the ground. There's a fifth guy on top who functions as the master of ceremonies and plays the flute and bangs a drum the whole time. He's the lucky guy who doesn't have to dive off the top! It's an ancient Mesoamerican ritual performed to ask the gods for rain to end the drought. See photo below of the Danza de los Valadores.