First visit to Mexico

I have not been to Oaxaca or Mexico City. Neither are on the cost so snorkeling would not work nor would I attempt to swim in any nearby lakes or rivers if there were any. I have traveled to the Yucatan a lot. I like the area of Tulum. The Tulum ruins are right there, so are many cenotes ( I do swim in them). About 25 to 30 minutes inland from Tulum are the ruins of Coba. My favorite ruin. It is in the jungle with a large area to explore. You can walk to the tallest pyramid or bike it, or have a guide bike you out for a fee. Since you are in the jungle, it is mostly all in the shade but can still be quite hot. Inland about 90 minutes or so from Coba is Chichen Itza. All three are well worth a visit. I've done all three in one day by driving myself, but would not recommend it. You would be too rushed. Also I don't like to drive in Mexico after dark unless I am very near my hotel and the area is busy.

Many hotels have tours to these sites as well, but I don't mind driving as the roads are nice and have done so for 20 + years. Along the road south of the airport going toward Tulum are many sites to visit but not easily found unless you know what there is to see. This area is filled with very large resorts. Most are all inclusive.

I am not fond of staying in all inclusive hotels, as I like to eat at local restaurants( never been sick by eating cooked foods, no salads and only bottled water). There are hotels that are not all inclusive but may be hard to find. VBRO worked for me the last time. We stayed in Akumal.

If you want more information, PM me and I will give you all that I know about the area.

I've been to Oaxaca and Mexico City several times. Oaxaca is a great introduction to Mexico, more laid-back and friendly than Mexico City. It was a center of the Zapotec civilization that built nearby Monte Alban, a hilltop city with impressive ruins and wide valley views. Other ruins nearby include Mitla, Yagul, and the more recent Cuilapan. The city has several beautiful colonial churches, an excellent archeological museum, and an interesting botanic garden that includes what may be the original strain of corn in the world -- a tiny version of what we now know and eat. The surrounding villages are known for folk art -- weaving, pottery, tin work, etc. A high percentage, maybe a majority, of the people are Indians (indigenos) rather than European-descent, friendly and warm. Food specialties include mole, a complex sauce that comes in multiple varieties, and chocolate. The easiest way to get there is a 2.5-hour flight from Houston on United, but there are also many flights from Mexico City. Oaxaca is inland at about 5000' elevation, with a nice climate year-round. Winters have warm dry days and cool nights. By May it can get unpleasantly hot and dry, then in June it starts to rain for an hour or so most afternoons, keeping it pleasant through the summer. South of the city of Oaxaca, on the Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca, are several beach towns, notably Puerto Escondido, with impressive seasonal surf. I don't know what the snorkeling is like.

Mexico City is one of the world's largest and most polluted -- best to go in a season when the air's relatively clean (probably winter, check a guidebook). It has amazing ruins like the Templo Mayor downtown and Teotihuacan further north. The National Anthropological Museum is world class, with exhibits about all the major Mexican cultures. There are numerous galleries and museums, historic buildings, public art -- it goes on and on. Many flights from various US cities. It can be an overwhelming place to visit if you haven't been to Mexico before, but well worth the effort. There are water gardens nearby in Xochimilco (sp?) but no other aquatic things to do.

The Mayans inhabited the Yucatan peninsula and parts of Central America south of Mexico. Merida would be a good base for exploring their part of Mexico, but alas I haven't been there. Major Yucatan ruins include Chichen Itza, Palenque, and Tulum on the coast (easily reached from the Cancun beach resort area). My experience in this part of Mexico is limited to a couple of cruise stops, but I'm sure the beaches and snorkeling are excellent.

Hope that helps some. Check out some guidebooks from your local library, see what interests you. The Wikitravel internet site has good info on a lot of places. You'll get more out of this site with more specific questions after you've narrowed down your choices. PM me if you want more on Oaxaca in particular.

I've been to the Yucatan a number of times and would highly recommend Merida and the smaller colonial city of Valladolid, which is lovely and much more laid back (and much smaller and less populated than Merida). Merida has a lot of interesting museums and weekly cultural programming and it's very walkable and compact. It is not over-touristed (like Cancun) and still retains a strong local feel. The only downside of the Yucatan region is it's very, very hot and humid and you want to avoid the rainy/hurricane season. There are several haciendas, Mayan ruins, churches, and cenotes/ swimming sinkholes around Merida, so it is a very good base for exploring attractions outside the city. You can drive yourself or book day tours (I recently went on one to see Uxmal and Kabah along the Ruta Puuc, for example). Check out Yucatan Today (see monthly magazine they publish online) for more info, as well as the Lonely Planet book. One place I have yet to visit in the Yucatan which peaked my interest is the walled city of Campeche (that will have to be my next trip). If you want to not deal with the heat/humidity of the Yucatan, then you can look into colonial towns that are at higher elevations and are much more temperate/ cooler: Oaxaca, Miguel de Allende, Taxco, Guanajuato, Puebla, Mexico City, etc. Feel free to PM me for more info if you decide on the Yucatan. One (perhaps surprising) fact is the bus system in Mexico, at least in the Yucatan, is amazing....totally modern, nice, buses and very inexpensive to get from place to place. All major and smaller cities are connected somehow because the locals, too, depend on the bus system. It does help to know a little Spanish (some basic phrases), but it's not a must. People are very friendly and helpful.

Absolutely loved visiting Chichen Itza and stayed at the adjoining property. I've heard many good comments as to other antiquities in the region. As for Cancun...ick.