There are many Mexican vacation package options available today, all of which offer world-class vacations to some of Mexico’s natural and historical wonders. From Cabo to Oaxaca, what you choose to do in Mexico depends on your personal preferences, and that’s why MexResorts put together this list of some of the BEST Mexican destinations for vacation packages.

Los Cabos

When Los Cabos was merely two fishing villages on the southernmost tip of Baja California, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, few could have guessed the Mexican resort epicenter it would become. Today, Cabo is known as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico, enjoying its own international airport. Both San Jose de Cabo and Cabo San Lucas have seen major infrastructure development, including luxurious villas and luxury hotels in Los Cabos, where the rich and famous come to escape from the hectic city life and elements of winter elsewhere. Hotels in the area are surrounded by gorgeous beaches for swimming, diving, snorkeling, surfing or kayaking. Beyond the coast line, The Arch of Cabo (called the World’s End) is a popular diving and snorkeling spot.

Acapulco

Acapulco first made a name in the twentieth century as a celebrity hotspot. From the Acapulco Bay classic hotels in La Quebrada to luxury hotels in Punta Diamante, the city has long been a resort hotspot. On three sides of Acapulco bay the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains reach to the shoreline, creating untold beauty. The Acapulco Cathedral is well worth a visit for its byzantine influence.  Other architectural jewels in Acapulco are the Fort of San Diego, a Spanish fortress turned into the Acapulco Historical Museum, as well Peace Chapel, with its 130-foot tall cross above the ocean, 1200 feet above the sea. The clavadistas, by the Bay, offer individuals a place to jump from a hundred meter cliff into the Pacific Ocean, and many take advantage of this thrill.

Acapulco’s importance declined in the wake of Mexican War of Independence, which remained isolated from the rest of the world after having been home to a considerable trade route.  A paved road linking it to Mexico City in 1927 changed the town’s destiny, as well-to-do Mexicans began vacationing in Acapulco. Hollywood started knocking in the 1950s, and by the 1970s overdevelopment and overpopulation had taken its toll and the bay became polluted. Foreign tourists took their cash to the newer resorts of Cancun and Ixtapa. The 1990s saw the launch of an ambitious revitalization program in Acapulco, with millions going into cleaning up the bay. In 2002, a big break, as college students started traveling to Acapulco for a Spring Break to remember. Investments in luxury resorts, condos, spas, boutique hotels and restaurants catering to upscale clientele and Acapulco  has been resurrected as the “Pearl Of The Pacific.”

Cancun

In 1967, a computer search chose Cancun as the ideal spot for a Mexican beach resort, with the Mexican government deciding to transform a strip of sand inhabited by hundreds of birds, iguanas and few Mayan fishermen into a worldwide tourist resort. Cancun, in the center of the Mayan Riviera in the Yucatan peninsula, has been transformed into a household name around the world. A peaceful, isolated paradise, construction on Cancun started in 1974. The current city of Cancun rose out of the sand and jungle by the mid-1980s, as Cancun had become one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet.

Isla Mujeres

Popular legend claims the name “Isla Mujeres”, which is an island near Cancun in the Caribbean, came from Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, when he landed on the island in 1517 and saw nothing but women while the men were all out fishing. Another cites his find of hundreds of female clay figurines scattered on the beaches, which were dedicated to Ixchel, the Maya goddess of childbirth, fertility, rainbows, bodies of water and wife to the god Itxamná. Isla, like many places in Mexico, was once a small fishing village, with few families. In the 1950s, it became a vacation spot for rich Mexicans. American hippies and backpackers discovered it during the late 1960s and early 70s. Cancun developed into a beach resort, and tourists began visiting. Isla is today a favorite spot for day-trippers from the mainland.

Holbox Island

Holbox Island is a true paradise on earth, and you can easily reach it from Cancun International Airport in about forty-five minutes. 1500 residents living in a small village at a slow pace.

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is the second biggest resort in the Mayan Riviera in the Yucatan Peninsula, one hour drive away from Cancun International Airport. Playa del Carmen is close to one of the most beautiful parks in Mexico and all its tropical creatures, Xcaret, situated at the leaving dock for the boats that travel to nearby Cozumel.  The biggest natural aquarium in the world, Xel-Ha, is close by too and can make a great day trip with the kids. The Playacar area south of downtown Playa del Carmen, Playa del Carmen is the perfect beach retreat in the Caribbean for those searching for a true holiday, away from the student and party crowds of bigger resorts in the Mayan Riviera.

Cozumel

The Maya first started to build up the island of Cozumel in the Late Classic period (600 to 900 AD) and Cozumel became an important trade center along the coast, exporting salt and honey, after the Spanish arrived. It was also an important ceremonial center for worshipping the goddess of fertility and childbirth. By the 20th century Cozumel was turning into an important commercial port.  The deep harbor made it a perfect spot for large ships to dock. Cozumel in the 1950s was the first fishing and summer resort for wealthy Yucatecans.

Huatulco

Huatulco has at its center the town of La Crucecita, a tourist development in Mexico, located on the Pacific Coast in the state of Oaxaca. Huatulco’s tourism features, at its heart, nine beautiful bays. The population is 50,000, and inhabitants enjoy 330 days of sunshine a year, with an average temperature of 28 °C (82.4 °F). The Festival Música por la Tierra (Music Festival for the Earth) brings music and culture together to Huatulco in an event designed to raise awareness about the environment. The event features a number of rock and popular music groups. Huatulco is located in the State of Oaxaca in the southern Pacific coast of Mexico. Framed by the Sierra Madre Mountains, and next to the Pacific Ocean, Huatulco is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

Ixtapa

Ixtapa is located in the State of Guerrero on the Pacific coast in the area known as the Mexican Riviera, about hundred and fifty miles northwest of the well-known destination of Acapulco. A government planned tourist resort, Ixtapa was begun in the early 1970s and constructed on what was once upon a time a coconut plantation and mangrove estuary. In 1968, the Bank of Mexico had created a fund for new tourist destinations on the country’s coastlines.  The development of Ixtapa was supported by a loan from the World Bank.

Mazatlan

Mazatlan is a destination on the Pacific coast of the Mexican Riviera and is generally considered a newer place in Mexico, despite the ancient origins of the city built by the natives who were there even before the Spanish arrived. Scientists have found petroglyphs on the offshore islands that they believe date back as far as 10,000 years. Many people have inhabited Mazatlan, including French, German, Chinese, Italian, Spanish and American settlers, which all have had an effect on the culture. Several events are hosted annually in Mazatlan, including the Carnival of Mazatlan, which is over 115 years old. Baseball is also very popular in Mazatlan.

Mexico City

Mexico City is home to some architectonic jewels that date from pre-Columbian times to recent decades. Here we’ll give you a few pointers but it’s always exciting to walk off the beaten path and venture into the unknown. Chapultepec Forest is the biggest park in Mexico City, and many people visit it everyday for its unbridled beauty. The park contains the presidential residence, the former presidential palace, several museums, several large lakes and a zoo. Beautiful big buildings can be found in the Museo Templo Mayor and the Templo Mayor archaeological site which showcases the famous Pyramid of Huitzilopochtli, which was unearthed in 1976. Teotihuacan lies a day trip’s distance away from Mexico City, and is one of UNESCO’s Heritage Sites, and home to some of the world’s biggest pyramids.

Puerto Vallarta

Sitting on the Pacific Ocean,  Puerto Vallarta hosts beaches along a twenty-two mile long bay, with a coastal town know for gourmet, with many fine restaurants offering local and international cuisines to the visitors in restaurants and hotels alike.  A gastronomy festival in November cements Puerto Vallarta’s destination as a foodies ideal vacation spot. In the Romantic Zone, foreign art and wine is offered during Artwalk’s which take place once or twice a week. It’s no wonder why Puerto Vallarta is called the San Francisco of South America.