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The Yucatán peninsula is home of some of Mexico’s most spectacular archeological sites, including Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Tulum. In addition to those World Heritage Sites, Cancún also offers several good museums.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History, located in the Cancún Convention Center, is relatively small but offers a solid collection of Maya artifacts dating back several thousand years.

By contrast, the Museo de Arte Popular is very large, so you might want to spend a few hours here during the hottest part of the day. The museum houses an excellent collection of folk art by some of the country’s finest artists.

-- By Dagmar Jenner

The splendid Teatro Degollado is Guadalajara’s main cultural center, as it houses both the state’s philharmonic and the ballet folklórico. The theater’s dome is intricately adorned with a rendering of Dante’s Divine Comedy. There’s no entrance fee, so stop by and admire the theater’s well-restored interior.

Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, both located in Guadalajara’s metropolitan area, are the undisputed capitals of pottery and ceramics in the country. Eleven kinds of pottery and ceramics, including talavera (tile-decorated), policromado (the most popular technique to make figurines) and petatillo (a labor-intensive process) are being made by local artists. You can purchase these works at hundreds of stores and market stalls in Tonalá and Tlaquepaque. See some of the highly skilled artisans at work by asking your hotel concierge to arrange a studio tour through the Municipal Tourist Offices. Stop by the Museo del Premio Nacional de la Cerámica Pantaleón Panduro to see one of the premier collections of contemporary Mexican pottery.

The Palacio de Gobierno, located on the zócalo, has fantastic murals by legendary painter José Clemente Orozco. This 18th century structure is also home to many government offices. The city’s cathedral, which houses a collection of beautiful altar pieces, is also worth a visit.

-- By Dagmar Jenner

The area, comprised of San José del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas and the corridor that connects them, is home to a growing artist community. While there are no museums here, you can see works by local artists at a number of shops and galleries.

In San José del Cabo, visit Galería Wentworth Porter, which has a good selection of works by both local and national artists as well as by the gallery’s eponymous artist. Galería Gattamelata focuses on attractive colonial-style furniture. The shop offers many unique items, including jewelry boxes, candelabras and intricately-decorated chairs and tables. San José del Cabo is generally known to be a good place to purchase folk art, so don’t miss it.

-- By Dagmar Jenner

Do not miss one of the leading anthropological museums in the world, the Museo Nacional de Antropología, located on Reforma Avenue in Chapultepec. The museum’s pièce de résistance is the ancient stone sculpture of the sun, known as the Aztec Calendar. The museum has an open and expansive floor plan (100,000 square feet), and there are fantastic murals on the second floor. On the ground floor, pre-Hispanic cultures are grouped by region and housed in large rooms centered around an open courtyard with a turtle pond. The invaluable collection, one of the world’s finest, includes an original atlante from Tula, large Olmec stone heads, folk art, religious articles from several centuries, pottery, intricate maps, and much more. You should try to spend at least a half day here (even a full day isn’t enough) to develop a basic understanding of Mexico’s rich cultural heritage. English-language audioguides are available.

The floating gardens of Xochimilco are another essential element in Mexico’s history. Mexico City was originally built on a lake (hence the capital’s inability to withstand earthquakes) by the Aztecs, who named it Tenochtitlan. The remains of this vast lake are worth a visit. Located in the southern part of the city, Xochimilco’s floating gardens can be explored aboard small boats that have their name spelled out in flowers on large decorative arches. As you float through the area’s canals and pass by small islands, boats with mariachis, flower sellers and food vendors will pull up to get your business. Weekends get crowded, but it’s the best time to go, as the market stalls will be in full swing. Don’t forget your camera – there are plenty of fantastic picture opportunities here.

The best mariachi music in the capital can be found on Plaza Garibaldi. Be sure to take a sitio taxi to and from the plaza, as the area, despite improvements, is a bit seedy. The mariachi bands, all beautifully dressed in charro outfits, roam the plaza, and you can stop them to request your favorite song in exchange for a small fee. If you don’t know any Mexican songs, they’ll have plenty of suggestions. You can also sit in one of the cantinas surrounding the plaza, as mariachis also play there. Our favorite is Salón Tenampa, where you can sing along with the locals.

Head to Chapultepec Park – the largest city park in the world – to see Chapultepec Castle, which has witnessed much of Mexican history. Former home to the disgraced Austrian monarch Maximilian, Chapultepec was also a palace in Aztec times. The Museo Nacional de Historia houses works by muralists Orozco and Siqueiros and is located on the ground floor of the castle. Since you are in Chapultepec, wander around this enormous park, past lakes and picnicking families and enjoy a leisurely afternoon.

The capital’s Zócalo, surrounded by the cathedral and the Palacio Nacional, is the second-largest public space in the world. It’s an impressive sight, with a lot of concrete and an enormous Mexican flag post in the middle. It’s difficult to believe, but the entire plaza fills up during the Independence Day celebrations in September. Don’t miss the cathedral and the remains of the Aztec temple, the Templo Mayor, located right behind the cathedral.

To see one of muralist Diego Rivera’s most epic works, visit Palacio Nacional. There is no entrance fee, but you will have to show an I.D. to the uniformed guards (a formality). Rivera’s murals are on the second floor, and you don’t have to be an art history enthusiast to want to spend hours deciphering their meaning. Rivera’s unparalleled masterpieces describe several thousand years of Mexican history. Knowledgeable art historians and guides are on hand to help you get a basic understanding.

The controversial and tragic Frida Kahlo, who was twice married to Diego Riviera, is an icon of Latin American art. Her home La Casa Azul (the Blue House), located in Coyoacán in the southern part of the city, is now the Museo de Frida Kahlo. For the largest private collection of Kahlo’s and Riviera’s work, check out the Museo Dolores Olmedo Patiño in nearby Xochimilco.

-- By Dagmar Jenner

Acapulco

Acapulco is located only a few hours’ drive from one of the country’s stunning colonial cities – Taxco. Widely regarded as one of the premier destinations for silver jewelry, Taxco sits on a hill surrounded by mountains. Cobblestone streets, tiny plazas, and hidden churches define the charming town.

The Silver City’s largest and most important cultural event, the Jornadas Alarconianas, take place in May. It’s a weeklong festival of theater, music, and dance. The Santa Prisca church, easily recognizable because of its unique construction style and light-pink exterior, was built by a French businessman in gratitude for having found silver in one of Taxco’s mines. Stop by the hilltop Monte Taxco hotel for a drink and splendid views of the city.

In downtown Acapulco, a few cultural treasures await visitors. The Casa de Máscaras is a former private residence that has been converted into a museum that houses a large collection of colorful ceremonial masks. The Museo Histórico de Acapulco is located inside the city’s 16th century fort. This is an excellent place to learn about the city’s millennia-old history before you head back to the beach.

Puerto Vallarta

Both beach resort and growing arts community, Vallarta (as it’s called by the locals) is somewhat of a tourism anomaly, and it’s fantastic. The town is a cultural jewel in itself with its cobblestone streets, white houses and charming churches, all framed by the Pacific Ocean.

This coastal town welcomes the well-known Puerto Vallarta Film Festival of the Americas every November. Sergio Bustamante, the Mexican sculptor and jewelry designer known for his colorful, mythical creations in papier mâché, wood, and bronze, has a flagship studio and shop in downtown Vallarta. Galería Dante and Galería Uno both show and sell works of dozens of Latin American artists, including many local painters.

The Centro Cultural Cuale offers free cultural events and sells local artists’ works. Vallarta’s archeological museum is located downtown and has exhibits in both Spanish and English. On the second floor of the Palacio Municipal is one of muralist Manuel Lepe’s most significant works. Take a stroll down Vallarta’s iconic boardwalk, the malecón. Art in both its natural and man-made form surrounds you here, as the boardwalk is sprinkled with large bronze sculptures, among them the much-photographed boy on a seahorse, which is a Vallarta landmark. Since you are here, take a picture.

Mazatlán

The majority of visitors to this sports fishing capital never leave Mazatlan’s main hotel zone, the Golden Zone. However, there are a few good reasons to put down the drink-filled coconuts to get some culture to go with the beach.

Head to the zócalo area to explore Mazatlan’s main sites. The city’s theater, Teatro Ángela Peralta, is a historic monument that was built in the late 1800s and has been painstakingly restored. It’s one of the cornerstones of the Centro Histórico, where you will also find the small art museum Museo de Arte de Mazatlán. The art museum features permanent and rotating exhibits of mainly Mexican artists, including works by young local painters.

Acuario Mazatlán, the town’s well-known aquarium, is a nice way to spend an hour or two, especially if you are traveling with the little ones. It’s not very large, but houses a good collection of interesting species.

-- By Dagmar Jenner