Mexico offers an almost overwhelming breadth of experience. The Yucatan Peninsula and Riviera Maya are the most popular entry point for many visitors — Cancún’s legendary beaches and resort infrastructure giving way to the quieter, more boutique experience of Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the Holbox island. The Caribbean coast here is genuinely beautiful: turquoise, warm and sheltered by the world’s second-largest coral reef.

But the Yucatan’s appeal goes far beyond the beach. The Mayan ruins of Chichen Itzá — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World — are among the most impressive ancient sites in the Americas. Tulum’s clifftop ruins overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the massive walled city of Uxmal and the cenotes — magical underground freshwater sinkholes used by the Maya for centuries — all make the interior of the peninsula endlessly rewarding to explore.

Mexico City is one of the Western Hemisphere’s great capitals — a city of 21 million people and a cultural richness that surprises almost everyone who visits. The historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is anchored by the enormous Zócalo square and the extraordinary National Museum of Anthropology. The Frida Kahlo Museum, the Roma and Condesa neighbourhoods and a restaurant scene widely considered among the best in the world make CDMX a city for the genuinely curious.

Oaxaca in the south combines indigenous Zapotec culture with the finest artisanal food and craft scene in Mexico. The Pacific coast resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco offer a more relaxed alternative to the Caribbean. Mexico is a versatile, warm and endlessly fascinating destination best visited October to April.