As popular every year, world-renowned publication Travel + Leisure has actually revealed their Favorite Cities worldwide list, as voted by hundreds of countless their own readers, and you understand how the Ancient Latin saying goes, Vox Populi, Vox Dei:
This time, 4 Mexican destinations have actually cracked the top 25, with one Mexican city in particular claiming the leading area, and before you attempt and second-guess it, the typical tourist hotspots of Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta are no place to be seen.
It appears the Cancun tiredness is actually hitting in 2025, as tourists are drawn instead to authenticity, less expensive costs, and more significant experiences:
Merida
Coming in at number 25 on the list, with a reader score of 88.15, Merida has been referred to as Mexico’s’ vibiest ‘city, with a lovely historic center dotted with colonial
estates and leafy parks, and lots of food courts and public markets where you can gorge on Mexican street food for under $5. The primary landmark in the area, the Catedral de San Ildefonso is among the oldest churches in the Americas, built as early as the 16th century, while the dynamic Mercado Lucas de Gálvez boasts over 2,000 food stalls– and the best $2 chocininita tortas you’ll try throughout Mexico!
Besides its apparent cultural and gastronomic appeal, Merida is one of the best cities south of the border, having regularly been ranked by the U.S. Department of State as a low-risk destination. To sum it up, we guess it’s safe to say it does pass the ‘vibe’ check.
Oaxaca
The next Mexican city to feature on T+L’s highly competitive list is Oaxaca, just losing out on the leading 20: with a rating of 88.42, it’s referred to as among the most’in-demand’ locations at the moment, mostly due to its incredible cuisine. It’s the land of the Seven Moles– chocolate-dark, spicy-red, tangy-yellow, you call it, they’ll have it– and tlayudas, a crispy tortilla in pizza form typically topped with beans, quesillo, avocado and chorizo. For the best takeouts in town, make sure you have a look at Mercado de 20 de Noviembre.
On top of being a first-rate food lover hotspot, Oaxaca is home to an undamaged colonial center, a stunning Baroque cathedral, and Monte Albán, a pre-Columbian historical zone featuring ancient pyramids and grand plazas, a brief 20-minute drive out of town.
Mexico City
That a person city you can’t assist however keep going back to, as one single go to merely won’t do it justice, CDMX is the 2nd highest-charting Mexican location on T+L’s list, with an amazing score of 90.86. In other words, it got seriously close to achieving universal acclaim!
The vast national capital of Mexico has a variety of vibrant, artistic districts to check out, from Roma’s growing cafe scene and art galleries, to Colonia San Rafael’s kerbside markets and small-town feel, to Polanco’s fine-dining scene and cosmopolitan vibe.
The possibilities are endless, however if you’re asking us about the unmissable spots in Mexico City, they ‘d definitely include the Zócalo and its surrounding Metropolitan Cathedral, Chapultepec Castle (the just royal castle in The United States and Canada), and the maze-like, colossal Mercado de la Merced.
San Miguel de Allende
The crown gem of Mexico, San Miguel is your picture-perfect historic town that looks like it might belong in a whimsical storybook for kids: image picturesque cobble-paved streets, ocher-colored heritage homes that have actually been there for centuries, and a huge pink-washed church.
From the charming cafe-bordered plazas to the easygoing, lived-in feel of the old center, it’s not surprising that it’s been voted the top city break for tourists not only in Mexico but the whole world, with a reader score of 93.33.
Beyond the surface-level appeal, it’s fully walkable, with many landmarks a brief 5-10 minutes on foot from each other, and packed loaded with spa hotels, frequently housed in repurposed colonial buildings, like the 17th-century, store Mesón Hidalgo, where overnight rates begin with just $219.
< img alt=""src ="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/670a9f78091c16bd874672b1cb939f4e22e64fe6c391eb68b0f897b10dbfd49e?s=96&d=mm&r=g"height ="96" width="96"/ > Vinicius Costa Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has more than 60+ countries under his belt (and presently weaving tales from Paris!), and a propensity for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into helpful stories that will have you loading your bags.
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