Best World Heritage Sites in Mexico Review

I'm an egghead and I admit it. I love visiting places that tell a great story or that are so spectacularly scenic that I know I'm witnessing one of the wonders of the world. I'm talking about places so significant that they should be right at the top of any list of "places to see before I die." One of the best lists of truly stupendous sites is the UNESCO World Heritage list. I love UNESCO's list because it's so international in scope and because its focus is on the shared heritage of all humanity. Countries can nominate sites to the United Nations committee that maintains the list, but that's no guarantee they'll be included --- the sites are evaluated academically by an international panel to ensure that they really do reflect almost impossibly high standards of significance to all humanity. The list, available on the web at whc.unesco.org/en/list, is simply one of the BEST "MUST SEE" destination lists in the world.

Italy has more sites than any other country in the world, but Mexico does pretty well with 29 listings of its own. Every single one of these can justly be regarded as a "5-star" site, though a few are more scenic or more tourist-friendly than others. I've gone through UNESCO's list, grouping the sites according to whether it's an ancient archaeological site, a colonial history site, an arts and cultures site, or a natural eco-traveler kind of site. I've also added my opinion as to which are the "best of the best" among a list that's already the cream of the crop.

Mexico is a country of enormous cultural riches, and I hope that using UNESCO's World Heritage list can help you pick out the places that need to go on YOUR "must see before I die" list.

Buen viaje!

Archaeological Sites:

These were all cities built by Mesoamerican civilizations, like the Maya or Aztecs, between about 3000 B.C. and 1500 A.D., with the exception of Xochimilco, which is a series of ancient canals and floating gardesn in Mexico City, originally built by the Aztecs. Of these, the most impressive and the easiest to access for most casual tourists are Chichen-Itza (which is easy to reach via tour buses from Cancun), and Teotihuacan (which is just outside Mexico City).

• Calakmul

• Chichen-Itza

• Monte Alban

• Palenque

• El Tajin

• Paquime

• Teotihuacan

• Uxmal

• Xochimilco

Colonial Sites:

These are mostly historic city centers from the Spanish colonial period of the 16th through 18th centuries, with the exception of significant groups of monasteries built by Catholic missionaries. Campeche includes spectacular waterfront forts. The easiest for most casual tourists to handle is the Mexico City Centro Historico, and if you go there, you can easily get to some of the others by comfortable first-class bus. Colonial cities relatively close to Mexico City include Guanajuato (arguably the most beautiful of the colonial cities), Puebla, and Queretaro.

• Campeche

• Franciscan Monasteries of Sierra Gorda

• Guanajuato

• Mexico City Historic Center

• Morelia

• Oaxaca

• Popocatepetl Monasteries

• Puebla

• Queretaro

• San Miguel and Sanctuary of Jesus de Nazareno de Atotonilco

• Tlacotalpan

• Xochicalco

• Zacatecas

Cultural Sites (Arts):

These are sites that may be historical as well, but that emphasise the arts or unusual and distinctively Mexican contributions to the body of human culture. I would not make a special trip to any of these sites, but if you are already near one, it would be a serious mistake to miss it. The Hospicio Cabañas and a visit to Tequila are both classic stops on any Guadalajara adventure!

• Hospicio Cabañas in Guadalajara

• Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco

• Luis Barragan Studio

• Tequila and its Agave Fields

• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM)

Natural Wonders:

These are significant nature preserves that contribute in unique ways to the earth's biosphere and ecological balance. Sian Ka'an is an enormous Yucatan wetland and jungle preserve and is the easiest of these to visit since it is near Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the popular Riviera Maya (and there's even a new visitor center to welcome guests).

• Sian Ka'an

• El Vizcaino Whale Sanctuary

• Islands of Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez)

• Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve of Michoacan