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Mexico is easy to love, but it is not a country to plan casually. A first trip works best when you choose one region carefully, understand travel times, and leave enough space for neighborhoods, food, day trips, beaches, ruins, and slower afternoons.
This guide is not a generic list of pretty places. It is a decision guide. Use it to choose where to go first, which places combine well, and which famous names are better saved for a longer or second Mexico trip.
Quick Answer: Where Should You Go in Mexico First?
Start with one strong region, not a countrywide checklist.
For most first-time visitors, the best places to start in Mexico are Mexico City, Oaxaca, and the Yucatán Peninsula. Mexico City is best for food, museums, neighborhoods, and day trips. Oaxaca is best for food, markets, culture, and a slower city pace. Yucatán is best for ruins, cenotes, colonial towns, and an easier first-time route.
If you mainly want beaches, look at the Riviera Maya, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, or Los Cabos, but plan around season, crowds, cost, and transport. With 5 to 7 days, choose one region. With 10 to 14 days, combine two places that connect logically.
Best Places to Visit in Mexico at a Glance
These cards are meant to help you sort the options quickly. The “best” choice depends on your time, travel style, comfort with big cities, appetite for beaches, and how much transport planning you want to handle.
Mexico City
Best for: food, museums, neighborhoods, architecture, and day trips.
Main caution: size, altitude, traffic, and normal big-city safety habits.
Oaxaca City
Best for: food, markets, culture, artisan villages, and Monte Albán.
Main caution: do not rush Oaxaca city and the coast in a short trip.
Yucatán Peninsula
Best for: ruins, cenotes, colonial towns, and practical route planning.
Main caution: heat, driving choices, and busy site timing.
Mérida
Best for: food, culture, day trips, and a calmer Yucatán city base.
Main caution: heat can shape your daily rhythm.
Valladolid
Best for: Chichén Itzá, cenotes, and a smoother Yucatán route.
Main caution: not usually a long standalone destination.
Cancún
Best for: flights, resorts, easy beach logistics, and simple arrivals.
Main caution: resort-zone pricing and a less local-feeling trip.
Playa del Carmen
Best for: walkability, restaurants, tours, and a central Riviera Maya base.
Main caution: crowds, costs, beach conditions, and taxis.
Tulum
Best for: a specific beach-club, boutique, and design-heavy travel style.
Main caution: it is not the lowest-stress or lowest-cost choice.
Isla Mujeres
Best for: calmer island time after Cancún or a Yucatán route.
Main caution: ferry logistics and peak-season crowding.
Puerto Vallarta
Best for: Pacific beaches, town life, restaurants, and a relaxed base.
Main caution: rainy-season timing and wider state advisory complexity.
San Miguel de Allende
Best for: slower travel, architecture, boutique stays, and food.
Main caution: better as a focused add-on than a rushed detour.
Guadalajara
Best for: food, Jalisco context, and a second major city.
Main caution: keep safety and route checks current by area.
Baja California Sur
Best for: desert coast, beaches, marine life, and road-trip-style travel.
Main caution: distance from central and southern Mexico.
Puebla
Best for: food, colonial streets, and a logical CDMX to Oaxaca route.
Main caution: it works best when it fits the route, not as a random detour.
Chiapas
Best for: travelers with more time and comfort with longer routes.
Main caution: transport and safety context require careful current checks.
How to Choose Where to Go in Mexico
The easiest way to choose is to start with the experience you want, then match it to a region. Do not begin by collecting every famous place you have heard of. That is how a one-week trip becomes a tiring airport-and-bus-station tour.
Food, museums, neighborhoods, city energy
Choose Mexico City. It gives you the strongest first orientation to the country, especially if you enjoy walking, eating, museums, architecture, and layered neighborhoods.
Food, markets, and a slower cultural trip
Choose Oaxaca City. It is smaller than Mexico City but still rich enough for several days of markets, meals, nearby villages, and archaeological context.
Ruins, cenotes, and easier logistics
Choose Yucatán. Mérida and Valladolid make route planning feel manageable, especially if you want Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, cenotes, and a beach finish.
Beaches and resort convenience
Choose Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, or Los Cabos. Just be honest about costs, crowds, taxis, transfers, and seasonal conditions.
Low-stress first trip
Choose Mérida + Valladolid + a beach finish, or Puerto Vallarta. These routes are easier than trying to combine central Mexico, Yucatán, and Baja in one first trip.
Only 5 to 7 days
Choose one region only. Mexico City, Oaxaca, Yucatán, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún + Isla Mujeres, or Los Cabos can all work as focused first trips.
Mexico’s Main Travel Regions Explained
Mexico rewards regional planning. A place may look close on a map and still be a poor fit for your route once you factor in airports, transfers, traffic, bus times, ferry links, heat, and how much energy you want to spend moving.
Map of Mexico: image from Vecteezy.
Mexico City and Central Mexico
Best for: cities, museums, food, architecture, and day trips. Drawback: big-city pace, altitude, and traffic. Pairs with: Puebla, Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende.
Oaxaca
Best for: food, markets, artisan villages, mezcal, and Monte Albán. Drawback: the coast takes time. Pairs with: Mexico City by flight or longer overland planning.
Yucatán Peninsula
Best for: ruins, cenotes, colonial towns, and practical first-trip routes. Drawback: heat and busy sites. Pairs with: Riviera Maya beach time.
Riviera Maya / Mexican Caribbean
Best for: beaches, resorts, tours, and international access. Drawback: crowds, seasonal beach conditions, costs, and taxi/transfer planning.
Pacific Coast
Best for: beaches with more town life, seafood, sunsets, and a different feel from the Caribbean. Drawback: rainy season and route choices matter.
Baja California Sur
Best for: desert-meets-sea landscapes, Los Cabos, La Paz, Todos Santos, and a standalone nature/beach trip. Drawback: distance from the rest of Mexico.
Colonial cities
Best for: slower travel, architecture, food, boutique stays, and couples. Drawback: can feel like extra detours if your first trip is short.
Chiapas and southern Mexico
Best for: longer, more adventurous trips. Drawback: transport, safety context, and route complexity need more current planning.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the strongest first stop if you want food, museums, neighborhoods, architecture, and a wide view of Mexican history without changing hotels every night. It can feel huge at first, but it rewards travelers who slow down and choose neighborhoods carefully.
Give it 4 to 5 nights if you can. That gives you time for the Historic Center, Roma or Condesa, Coyoacán, museums, markets, and at least one day trip. Trying to “do” Mexico City in 1 or 2 rushed days usually leaves people tired rather than oriented.
Do not rent a car for Mexico City itself. Use the metro where it makes sense, ride apps or registered taxis where available, and hotel transfers for simple airport logistics if you prefer less friction. Safety comfort depends on neighborhood, time of day, transport choice, and the specific activity, so check current advice before you go.
If you already know you want one deeper Mexico City stop, the Palacio de Bellas Artes guide is a practical first cultural add-on.
Oaxaca City
Oaxaca City is one of the best places in Mexico for first-time visitors who care about food, markets, mezcal, artisan villages, and a slower pace than the capital. It is compact enough to feel manageable, but layered enough that 3 or 4 nights still pass quickly.
Choose Oaxaca if you want meals to shape the trip as much as sightseeing. Markets, mole, tlayudas, chocolate, mezcal, and neighborhood wandering are part of the reason people go. Nearby, Monte Albán and surrounding villages add context without turning the city into a rushed checklist.
The common mistake is trying to combine Oaxaca City and the Oaxaca coast in a very short trip. The coast is worthwhile for the right traveler, but transfers can take real time. If you only have a week, Oaxaca City pairs more cleanly with Mexico City than with a rushed beach detour.
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula is the best all-rounder for many first-time visitors because it combines ruins, cenotes, colonial towns, food, and an easier route structure. It is not the same thing as the Riviera Maya. Think of Yucatán as the region for Mérida, Valladolid, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, cenotes, and inland culture, while the Riviera Maya is the Caribbean beach corridor.
Mérida and Valladolid are the easiest planning bases. Mérida is better for a city base, food, and Uxmal-style day trips. Valladolid is better for Chichén Itzá, nearby cenotes, and a smoother route between Mérida and the Caribbean side.
Heat matters here. Plan ruins and cenotes with timing in mind, check current access details before travel, and avoid assuming every cenote or site has the same rules, prices, opening hours, or crowd levels.
Riviera Maya and the Mexican Caribbean
The Riviera Maya and Mexican Caribbean are convenient for beaches, flights, tours, and resort-style travel. They are also easy to misunderstand. This area can be a great first trip, but it does not automatically give you the full picture of Mexico.
Cancún is easiest for flights and resorts. Playa del Carmen works better if you want restaurants, walkability, and tour access from a central base. Tulum suits a specific beach-club and boutique-hotel style, but it is not always low-stress or budget-friendly. Isla Mujeres is useful if you want calmer island time after Cancún or a Yucatán route.
Seasonal beach conditions can change, including sargassum on parts of the Caribbean coast. Do not book a beach trip based only on old photos. Check current conditions, hotel location, transfer costs, and cancellation terms before committing.
Mérida
Mérida is the calmer Yucatán city base many first-time visitors underestimate. It works well if you want food, culture, plazas, museums, day trips, and a place that feels less resort-focused than the Caribbean coast.
Plan 3 to 4 nights if Mérida is a main base. It pairs naturally with Uxmal, nearby cenotes, Valladolid, and sometimes the coast depending on your route. The main caution is heat. Build days around mornings, shade, long meals, and realistic energy rather than trying to sightsee at full speed all afternoon.
Valladolid
Valladolid is a small-city base that makes parts of Yucatán easier. It is especially useful for Chichén Itzá, cenotes, and a route that moves between Mérida and the Caribbean coast.
Most first-time visitors only need 1 or 2 nights unless they are using Valladolid as a slow base. It is not usually the main reason for a full Mexico trip, but it can make the Yucatán portion feel much cleaner.
Puerto Vallarta and the Pacific Coast
Puerto Vallarta is a strong beach alternative if you want more town life and less Caribbean resort-strip planning. It has beaches, restaurants, a walkable center, nearby coastal towns, and a different atmosphere from Cancún or Tulum.
Plan 4 to 6 nights if this is your beach base. It can pair with Guadalajara if the route makes sense, but do not add it to a central or southern Mexico itinerary just because it looks tempting. Check current travel advice for the wider state and your exact route, not only the tourist zone.
San Miguel de Allende and Colonial Cities
San Miguel de Allende is best for slower travel, architecture, food, boutique stays, and couples who want a polished colonial-city experience. Puebla, Guanajuato, and Querétaro can also fit into colonial-city planning, but they should not all be squeezed into a short first trip.
This style of route pairs best with Mexico City. If you are already planning Mexico City and want a slower contrast, San Miguel de Allende or Puebla can make sense. If you only have one week and beaches or Oaxaca are higher priorities, save the colonial loop for another trip.
Guadalajara and Jalisco
Guadalajara is a strong second major city if you care about food, mariachi context, architecture, and tequila-region trips. It is usually better for travelers who want a deeper Mexico route, repeat visitors, or people pairing it with Puerto Vallarta.
Plan 3 to 4 nights if you include it. For a first trip, it is not as obvious as Mexico City, Oaxaca, or Yucatán, but it can work well if western Mexico is your focus. As always, check current advice by city, neighborhood, and route before booking.
Baja California Sur and Los Cabos
Baja California Sur is best treated as its own trip, not a quick add-on to central or southern Mexico. Los Cabos, La Paz, Todos Santos, desert landscapes, beaches, boat trips, and seasonal wildlife experiences can create a strong 5 to 8 day route.
The main caution is distance. Baja is not a simple beach finish after Oaxaca or Yucatán unless you are flying and have enough days. Costs can also feel higher in popular resort zones, especially around Los Cabos.
Chiapas and San Cristóbal de las Casas
Chiapas can be rewarding for travelers who want mountains, Indigenous culture, archaeological sites, waterfalls, and a more adventurous southern Mexico route. It is not the easiest first Mexico trip for most people.
The reason is not that Chiapas is unworthy. It simply asks for more route planning, current safety checks, and comfort with longer travel days. If this is your first trip and you have limited time, start with Mexico City, Oaxaca, or Yucatán first, then consider Chiapas when you can give it proper attention.
Best Places in Mexico by Travel Style
Best for food
Mexico City, Oaxaca, Mérida, Guadalajara, and Puebla.
Best for beaches
Isla Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen, Cancún, and Los Cabos.
Best for ruins
Yucatán, Valladolid, Mexico City day trips, and Oaxaca for Monte Albán.
Best for couples
San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca, Isla Mujeres, Mérida, and Puerto Vallarta.
Best for families
Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Mérida, Puerto Vallarta, and Mexico City with careful pacing.
Best for solo travelers
Mexico City, Oaxaca, Mérida, and Playa del Carmen.
Best for low-stress logistics
Mérida + Valladolid, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún + Isla Mujeres, and Mexico City without a car.
Best for budget-conscious travelers
Oaxaca, Puebla, Valladolid, parts of Mexico City, and Mérida often offer better value than resort-heavy zones.
Best Places in Mexico by Trip Length
If You Have 5 to 7 Days
Choose one region only. Good options include Mexico City only, Oaxaca only, Mérida + Valladolid, Cancún + Isla Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, or Los Cabos / La Paz.
Avoid Mexico City + Yucatán + beach in one week unless you are comfortable with a rushed trip. Also avoid adding Baja to central or southern Mexico, and be cautious about combining Oaxaca city and the coast if transfer time will eat into the trip.
If You Have 10 Days
Choose two logical regions. Mexico City + Oaxaca is the classic city-and-food route. Mexico City + Puebla + Oaxaca can work if you like cities and overland pacing. Mérida + Valladolid + Riviera Maya works well for ruins, cenotes, towns, and beaches. Puerto Vallarta + Guadalajara is a good western Mexico route.
If You Have 2 Weeks
You can go deeper, but still do not try to see everything. Consider Mexico City + Puebla + Oaxaca, Yucatán + Riviera Maya, or Mexico City + Oaxaca + Yucatán by flight if you pace carefully. Baja California Sur also works well as a more complete standalone route.
If You Have 3 Weeks
Three weeks gives you room for Mexico City + Oaxaca + Yucatán + Riviera Maya, or a central Mexico + Pacific Coast route. Yucatán + Chiapas can also be considered with updated route and safety checks. This is when Mexico starts to feel less like a checklist and more like a regional journey.
Suggested First-Time Mexico Route Combinations
Mexico City + Oaxaca
Best for: food, museums, markets, culture, and cities. Suggested days: 8 to 10. Transport logic: fly or use a carefully planned overland route. Avoid: adding a beach just to tick a box.
Mexico City + Puebla + Oaxaca
Best for: food, architecture, and a more layered central/southern route. Suggested days: 10 to 14. Avoid: too many one-night stays.
Mérida + Valladolid + Riviera Maya
Best for: ruins, cenotes, colonial towns, food, and a beach finish. Suggested days: 8 to 12. Avoid: visiting ruins and cenotes only at peak heat and crowds.
Cancún + Isla Mujeres + Valladolid
Best for: an easier beach-and-ruins route. Suggested days: 6 to 9. Avoid: assuming Cancún alone equals the whole region.
Mexico City + San Miguel de Allende
Best for: city culture plus a slower colonial stay. Suggested days: 7 to 10. Avoid: adding it if Oaxaca or Yucatán is already the main priority.
Puerto Vallarta + Guadalajara
Best for: Pacific coast plus a major western city. Suggested days: 8 to 10. Avoid: treating it as a quick add-on to Mexico City + Oaxaca.
Baja California Sur
Best for: desert, beaches, boat trips, and standalone nature travel. Suggested days: 5 to 10. Avoid: combining it with faraway regions unless you have enough flights and time.
Mexico City + Yucatán by Flight
Best for: travelers with 10 to 14 days who want city culture and ruins/beaches. Avoid: trying to add Oaxaca too unless the trip is long and carefully paced.
Places to Save for a Second Trip
These places are not bad first-trip choices. They simply ask for more time, more route planning, or more comfort with Mexico’s regional differences.
Save Chiapas if you do not have enough days for longer overland planning. Save Copper Canyon unless it is the whole reason for your trip. Save deep Baja road trips for when you can treat Baja as a standalone route. Save remote Oaxaca coast plans if your main goal is Oaxaca City, food, and culture. Save multi-coast routes, remote archaeological sites, and long colonial loops for a trip where moving around is part of the plan.
Safety Notes for Choosing Where to Go
Safety in Mexico varies by state, city, neighborhood, road, time of day, and activity. Broad claims like “Mexico is safe” or “Mexico is dangerous” are not useful for planning.
Tourist areas can still require caution. Use official travel advisories, choose reputable transport, avoid isolated areas when local advice suggests it, be careful with ATMs and nightlife, and pay attention to route-specific guidance. If you are visiting places such as Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Chiapas, or Baja California Sur, check current state-level advice rather than relying on old general impressions.
Best Time to Visit Mexico Depends on the Region
Mexico’s seasons are regional. Inland cities are often easier in milder, drier periods, but afternoons, altitude, and rain patterns still matter. Yucatán can feel hot, so timing and pacing shape the trip. The Caribbean coast requires current checks for hurricane season, rain, and sargassum. The Pacific coast has its own rainy-season rhythm. Baja has seasonal wildlife experiences, but timing should be verified before you plan around them.
This is why a future full best-time guide deserves its own article. For this page, the main rule is simple: choose the region first, then check the season for that region.
Travel Costs: Which Places Feel Cheapest or Most Expensive?
Use these as broad planning signals, not fixed budget promises.
Usually better value
Oaxaca, Puebla, Valladolid, parts of Mexico City, and Mérida can offer strong value, especially if you avoid peak dates and boutique-heavy areas.
Mid-range
Mexico City, Mérida, Puerto Vallarta, and Guadalajara can swing from budget-friendly to expensive depending on neighborhood, hotel style, and season.
Often pricier
Tulum beach zone, Cancún hotel zone, Los Cabos, and some boutique colonial stays often cost more than first-time visitors expect.
Highly variable
The Riviera Maya depends heavily on town, hotel zone, beach access, taxis, tours, and how far you are from the places you want to visit.
Common First-Time Mexico Planning Mistakes
1. Trying to see too much
Mexico rewards focused planning. One strong region is better than four exhausted half-visits.
2. Treating Mexico as one easy loop
The country is large. Airports, transfers, mountains, coasts, and regional safety context matter.
3. Ignoring beach conditions
For Caribbean beaches, check current sargassum and weather patterns before booking around old photos.
4. Confusing Caribbean towns
Cancún, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Isla Mujeres are different bases, but they are still part of one broader region.
5. Adding Baja too casually
Baja California Sur is far from central and southern Mexico. Treat it as its own trip unless you have enough time.
6. Ignoring altitude in Mexico City
Give yourself a softer first day if you are arriving from sea level or a long flight.
7. Rushing Oaxaca city and coast
Both can be excellent, but combining them quickly creates long transfers and thin time.
8. Renting a car where it adds stress
A car can help in Yucatán or Baja, but it is usually unnecessary in Mexico City and can complicate beach zones.
9. Only choosing Instagram places
Build a route around logistics and comfort, not just famous photos.
10. Skipping official checks
Review entry rules, advisories, route conditions, and site access before booking fixed plans.
11. Booking too many hotel changes
Every move costs time. First trips usually feel better with fewer bases.
12. Visiting ruins at peak heat
For ruins and cenotes, timing can affect comfort as much as the site itself.
Useful Official Links
Use these as starting points for current details before booking. Official wording can change, and advisories should be read by state and route rather than skimmed as a single countrywide headline.
U.S. State Department Mexico advisory
Useful for state-level travel-advisory wording and restricted-area cautions.
Open advisoryUK FCDO Mexico travel advice
Useful for safety, entry, regional, and transport guidance from a second official source.
Open UK adviceGovernment of Canada Mexico advice
Another official source for entry, safety, regional cautions, and practical travel guidance.
Open Canada adviceINAH
Use official archaeological-site sources for current access, closures, prices, and rules.
Open INAHMexico City tourism
Official city tourism context for planning neighborhoods, cultural stops, and events.
Open Mexico City tourismYucatán tourism
Useful for official destination context around Mérida, Valladolid, ruins, cenotes, and routes.
Open Yucatán tourismHelpful Booking Tools
These tools are near the bottom on purpose. Use them only if they help your route, and always check current prices, pickup details, cancellation terms, luggage rules, and policy wording before booking.
Mobile data for maps and ride apps
Helpful for maps, messaging hotels, checking route updates, and using ride apps where available.
Check Saily eSIMCompare coverage before you go
Useful for medical, cancellation, delay, luggage, and activity coverage. Read policy wording before buying.
View travel insuranceRelated Mexico Travel Guides
Only published pages are linked here. The rest are future cluster ideas to keep the Mexico planning path clean.
FAQ
FAQs About Visiting Mexico for the First Time
What is the best place to visit in Mexico for first-time visitors?
For most first-time visitors, Mexico City, Oaxaca, and the Yucatán Peninsula are the strongest starting points. Choose Mexico City for food and culture, Oaxaca for markets and slower city travel, or Yucatán for ruins, cenotes, colonial towns, and easier route planning.
Is Mexico City a good first stop in Mexico?
Yes. Mexico City is one of the best first stops if you like food, museums, neighborhoods, architecture, and day trips. Give it several nights instead of rushing through in one or two days.
Is Oaxaca good for a first trip to Mexico?
Yes. Oaxaca is excellent for food, markets, culture, mezcal, nearby villages, and Monte Albán. It works especially well paired with Mexico City.
Is Yucatán good for first-time visitors?
Yes. Yucatán is one of the easiest regions for first-time visitors because Mérida, Valladolid, ruins, cenotes, and a beach finish can fit into a logical route.
Should I choose Cancún, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, or Isla Mujeres?
Choose Cancún for flights and resorts, Playa del Carmen for walkability and tours, Tulum for a specific boutique beach style, and Isla Mujeres for calmer island time. Check current beach conditions and transport costs before booking.
How many days do you need in Mexico for a first trip?
With 5 to 7 days, choose one region. With 10 days, choose two logical places such as Mexico City and Oaxaca or Mérida, Valladolid, and the Riviera Maya. With two weeks, you can add more variety without rushing as much.
What is the easiest region of Mexico to visit first?
Yucatán is often one of the easiest regions because Mérida, Valladolid, ruins, cenotes, and the Caribbean side connect in a relatively clear route. Mexico City is also easy if you are comfortable with big cities.
What is the best Mexico itinerary for 10 days?
Good 10-day choices include Mexico City plus Oaxaca, Mexico City plus Puebla and Oaxaca, or Mérida plus Valladolid and the Riviera Maya. Pick one route style instead of trying to see the whole country.
Is Mexico safe for first-time visitors?
Safety varies by state, city, neighborhood, route, and activity. Do not rely on broad claims. Check current official advisories, use reputable transport, and plan with local context.
What is the best time to visit Mexico?
The best time depends on the region. Inland cities, Yucatán, the Caribbean coast, the Pacific coast, and Baja all have different weather patterns and seasonal considerations.
Can you visit Mexico without renting a car?
Yes. Many first-time routes work without a rental car, especially Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, and resort areas. A car can help in parts of Yucatán or Baja, but it is not required for every trip.
What places in Mexico should first-time visitors avoid rushing?
Avoid rushing Chiapas, Baja California Sur, Copper Canyon, the Oaxaca coast, and multi-region routes that require too many flights or hotel changes.
Is Mexico better for beaches, cities, food, or ruins?
Mexico can be excellent for all four, but not always in one short trip. Choose Mexico City or Oaxaca for food and cities, Yucatán for ruins and cenotes, and the Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, or Baja California Sur for beaches.
Which places in Mexico are better for a second trip?
Chiapas, Copper Canyon, deep Baja road trips, remote archaeological sites, long colonial loops, and complicated multi-coast routes are often better once you have more time and comfort with Mexico planning.
Final Thoughts
Mexico rewards focused planning. The best first trip is not the one with the most famous names; it is the one that fits your time, comfort level, travel style, and route logic.
For many travelers, Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Yucatán are the strongest first-trip anchors. The Riviera Maya is convenient for beaches, but it needs realistic expectations around season, cost, transport, and crowds. Baja, Chiapas, Copper Canyon, and remote routes can be excellent later, when you can give them enough time.
Choose the route that makes sense for the trip you actually have. Mexico will still have plenty left for the next one.
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