Activities

The locals' general lack of interest in outdoor activities doesn't stop growing numbers of intrepid gringos from trekking off into what Mexicans probably consider absurdly rough country. Trails around the Copper Canyon and Baja California are among the most popular and developed. Sport fishing is especially popular off the Pacific coast and in the Gulf of California. Snorkeling and diving is wonderful in Mexico, particularly at Caribbean coast resorts like Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Punta Allen and Banco Chinchorro. On the Pacific coast, try Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco and Huatulco. Inland, there are many balnearios, bathing places with swimming pools, often centered on hot springs in picturesque surroundings. Surfing is popular on the Pacific coast. Some of the best surf spots are between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, Bahía de Matanchén, Ensenada, Mazatlán, Manzanillo and the 'Mexican Pipeline' at Puerto Escondido. Los Barriles is Baja California's windsurfing capital, and further south Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo can be good too. Veracruz state is the epicenter of the country's white-water rafting industry. A number of Mexico City-based organizations conduct hiking and mountain-climbing trips on Mexico's volcanoes, including Iztaccíhuatl, Pico de Orizaba, Nevado de Toluca and La Malinche.