Culture and History Travel Tour to New Zealand

New Zealand offers a rare seismic beauty: glacial mountains, fast flowing rivers, deep crystal clear lakes, geysers and mud whistling that boil. Home to many forest reserves and long beaches and deserts, also enjoys a very varied fauna, which is the kiwi, endemic to these shores.
Travelers looking for adventure can enjoy a large number of vigorous outdoor activities like hiking, skiing and falling fast, while the favorite sport of many, the bungee jumping. It is also possible to swim with dolphins, play with newborn lambs, whale watching or fishing for trout barley in many of the existing rivers. The people, steeped in a culture that combines the European Maori ancestral customs, noted for his wit and hospitality. It requires some practice to deliver the extraordinary and resounding names of some of the corners behind New Zealand, as Te Awamutu, Whangamomona and Paekakariki.
As a compact, travel through it (by plane, bus, train, car or caravan) it is expensive and not very effective. There are varied and economical accommodations, exquisite cuisine and includes venison, fresh seafood, fantastic ice cream and award-winning wines.

General Information about New Zealand

Official name	New Zealand
Area	268,680 km ²
Capital	Wellington (345,000.)
languages	English and Maori
Religion	Anglican 24%, 18% Presbyterian, Roman Catholic 15%, 5% Methodist, Baptist 2%, 3% other Protestant, 33% unspecified
Local Time	GMT +12

Best Time To Travel New Zealand

Throughout the year there are places to discover and perform activities. The more temperate months (November to April) are the most active, especially during school holidays, commencing on December 20 and last until the end of January. But ski resorts have increased activity in winter. If you travel during high season (especially Christmas), should be reserved in advance, as it may be difficult to find accommodation or means of transport. Might be more pleasant to visit the country before or after periods of more intense tourism, when the weather is still warm and visitors will not proliferate.

New Zealand Mean festivals and Holidays

Among the most significant cultural events include the Summer Program from Wellington (January-February), composed of various festivals that take place throughout the city, the Festival of Food & Drink Marlborough, at Blenheim is happening during the second week February, the International Arts Festival, which runs throughout the month of February in even-numbered years, which can be seen the vestiges of national cultures and international competition of the shearing of the Golden Scissors, that no lover livestock and effort to be missed, and which is held in March in the town of Masterton, and, finally, the spectacles of Canterbury Week, celebrated during November in Christchurch, with agricultural exhibits

Most Attraction Places to Travel in New Zealand

Wellington

The New Zealand capital, Wellington (population 345,000 inhabitants) is located in an excellent port at the southern tip of North Island. Often criticized for its northern counterparts for its bad weather, and winter wind can reach gale force, Wellington is a dynamic city concerned about the culture and art festivals celebrated almost every month and provides excellent ethnic restaurants and cafes. It is also the seat of government and national treasures.
Among the buildings of interest are the Beehive, in the modernist style, the headquarters of the executive of the parliament, the former government building, one of the largest in the world made entirely of wood, the National Library, which houses the largest collection of books the country, and the memorial to Katherine Mansfield, located on the property where the famous writer born in 1888. They can visit museums (including the excellent new museum Te Papa), a zoo and enjoy fantastic views of the city from the top of Mount Victoria. The shopping area is focused on Cuba Street the street in the district of Thorndon there are important historical sites in Lambton Quay is the main business center of the city and Mount Victoria is the ideal place to stay and eat for little money. Also worth visiting the Museum of native plants.

Auckland

Auckland is the country's largest city with a population of 1,002,000 inhabitants. Is almost entirely surrounded by water and covered with volcanic hills. Like Sydney, Auckland has a spectacular harbor and bridge, besides an incredible number of enthusiasts of yachts, which has earned him the title of City of Sails. The city attracts people especially from the South Pacific islands, and currently has the largest concentration of Polynesian people in the world. Among the most remarkable include the Auckland Museum, which hosts a memorable displays of artefacts and Maori culture, and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World & Antarctic Encounter, a unique simulation of ocean exploration activities.
Areas of Parnell and Newmarket, a suburb of the city are ideal places to shop. Can be well preserved Victorian buildings in Devonport and Ponsonby polynesia crafts can be purchased as well, many cafes, restaurants and markets. Since the extinct volcano One Tree Hill is enjoying beautiful views of the metropolis. For swimming are recommended beaches Kohimarama and Mission Bay. Auckland Hauraki Gulf is dotted with islands such as Rangitoto, Great Barrier and Waiheke, where housing is affordable and there are many opportunities for walking and scuba diving. Waiheke Island is home to great art galleries. Auckland is listed as a starting point to visit the fascinating areas of the Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Plains, southeast.

Otago and Southland

In Otago and Southland are three places to occupy the southern South Island: Queenstown, with its many activities, the ways of the Fiordland National Park and the Otago Peninsula, the first foray into New Zealand ecotourism. Queenstown, situated in a glacial valley on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, is a city full of adventures: paravela, water skiing on ice by fast jet boats, rafting and bungee jumping in the Canyon Bridge. The latest fashion is based on a helicopter launched from 300 m.
Fiordland National Park, which takes its name from its coastline carved by the glacier is located in a wilderness area of mountains and forests of beech and ice. At its peak, the area of Milford Sound, cruise ships sway as if they were toys under the shadows of high mountains and waterfalls. Among the classic alpine routes is the Routeburn Track (in Mt Aspiring National Park), the Hollyford Valley and the Milford Track road (known as the most beautiful in the world).
Otago Peninsula appears to be an important area of wildlife and forests that have

colonies of albatross, penguins and seals, plus aquariums, museums and historic sites. In it, lies the campus of Dunedin, home of famous art and entertainment have led to an eclectic generation of bands success. The city of Scottish influences, has a rich architectural heritage with many museums, galleries and castles.
In the area there are many huge lakes, including Lake Hawe, and not far away, in Otago, Lake Wanaka. Lake Te Anau, Southland, New Zealand's second largest, is the result of the action of a large glacier. It can be visited caves larvae bright waterfalls and whirlpools. Indigenous forests of the Catlins, the largest on the east coast of South Island, are located between Dunedin and Invercargill. Have stocks of rare plants and trees, as well as animal species, including seals, sea lions, penguins and ducks.

Northland

Northland is the cradle of civilization both Maori and the Pakeha, as it was here that the latter had their first contact with Maori, which established the first settlement to whaling, and which signed the treaty of Waitangi. Often known as the north due to the less mild cold temperatures which have over the years, Northland has a number of interesting museums including the Museum Otamatea Kauri & Pioneer; of beautiful white sand beaches, such as Ninety Mile Beach, places to go diving, as the Book of the Poor Knights Islands, considered by Jacques Cousteau as one of the ten best places in the world for this sport, from historic cities (Pahia and Waitangi), in areas designated for sport fishing (Bay of Islands) and flora and fauna reserves (Waipoua Kauri Forest).

Whangaparaoa

A series of attractive bays leads to Whangaparaoa (Cape Runaway), at the extreme eastern end of North Island. The beaches are quite neglected and floating timber, but it's worth visiting the old Anglican church, surrounded by Norfolk pine trees and situated in a lonely promontory. After Runaway can only be reached on foot, but it is advisable to ask permission before entering, because they are privately owned.

Great Barrier Island

This island, situated at the entrance to the Hauraki Gulf, is characterized by miles of white sand beaches on its east coast, protected by deep-water coves of the west coast and a rugged mountain range that runs at its center. The reserve of 80,000 has many trails available that combine old logging roads and rails of the tramway. The hot springs, high kauris forests and serene aura that you breathe make this island the ideal place to escape. From Auckland, 88 km to the south, departing flights and ferries to Great Barrier.

Harihari

Harihari, a small town on the west coast of the South, rose to worldwide fame when, in 1931, Guy Menzies completed the first solo flight across the Tasman Sea from Australia. The trip took place without problems, but the landing was disastrous, because the plane crashed in a swamp, and Menzies, releasing the seat belt, was head of the mud. Currently the city is renowned for its coastline, ideal for walking, to bird watching and fishing salmon and trout.

Mount Cook National Park

The grueling trek of four days by the Copland Pass Mount Cook National Park in South Island, can be considered a unique adventure, but can only be made if weather conditions permit and if carried out with well-trained and experienced or, failing that, in the company of professional guides. The terrain goes from glaciers and snow-covered fields for tropical pools and spas. The road to 2150 m above sea level, is surrounded by peaks of 3,000 meters. There is no indication for a light walk and is only recommended for experienced professionals in the use of ice axes, hooks and equipment targeting high mountains. Who gets to cross this step, they say, joins an elite club made up of amateurs to high altitude.

Stewart Island

The third largest island of New Zealand, Stewart, is internationally renowned for the richness and variety of birds, houses tuis, parakeets, kakas and korimakos. The kiwi, a rare species in the North Island in the South can be seen quite frequently in Stewart, especially its beaches. In the northern part of the island there is a great network of trails and huts, while the south suffers from a relative neglect and isolation, and is sparsely developed. Its population (less than four hundred in all) are hardy, taciturn and generally suspicious of people from the main islands.
The climate is highly variable and range of accommodation, very basic, but there is the possibility of staying in the homes of the villagers at low cost.

Activities in New Zealand

New Zealand is the target for anyone looking for exciting experiences for those interested in the wide open spaces and physical activities. Among the sports that can be practiced in the air include bungee jumping, skydiving, free fall, abseiling and flying. On land, it is feasible to undertake trekking, mountain biking, skiing, horseback riding, rock climbing and practice Zorbing. You can visit underground caves, caverns and down in quick practice hidro sliding; on water is possible to go on bikes and sledges water sports, rafting, boogey boarding, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, rapid decline in surfboard and diving with Bell. If there are difficulties in moving from one place to another, and this is a challenge, New Zealand is the place to try it.
Despite the number of eccentric activities that can be made, maintaining the tramping as the most popular. There are thousands of miles of marked trails and a popular network of shelters that make walking a viable activity for both individuals and for experienced walkers. Many of the most popular trails, such as the Great Walks, is quite traveled, especially during the summer, so if you prefer more solitary paths, it is recommended to contact the Conservation Department to learn about the area.
New Zealand has become one of the most visited in the southern hemisphere for skiing, and other winter sports, due to its abundant and reliable snowfall, which usually occur between June and October. There are many vacation packages for a skiing and a variety of stations scattered throughout the North Island and South.

New Zealand History

In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman made a brief trip through the west coast New Zealand. His attempts to stay in the country longer were frustrated because some of its crew was killed and eaten. In 1769, Captain James Cook circumnavigated the two main islands aboard the Endeavor. His first contact with civilization Maori were not cordial, but Cook, impressed by the spirit and courage of the Aborigines, ensured the incorporation of this land with potential to the British Crown before leaving for Australia.
When the British began their colonization of the antipodes, New Zealand was considered a branch of the Australian company of whales and seals, in fact, the country remained under the jurisdiction of New South Wales between 1839 and 1841. However, European settlement in the area led to several problems at once, and it was necessary to urgently establish a policy of land distribution among the settlers (Pakeha) and Maori. In 1840 signed the Treaty of Waitangi, by which the Maori ceded sovereignty to Britain in exchange for their protection and the guarantee of the possession of their lands. But the relationship between Maori and Pakeha have deteriorated since the former were very alarmed by the fact that the latter exerted on society and the latter did not respect the rights of Maori that were outlined in a treaty. In 1860 a war was declared between them, which stretched over much of this decade to the defeat of the Maori people.
In the late nineteenth century, has a relative peace. The discovery of gold had engendered prosperity and, together with the development of large-scale sheep ranching, generated security in the country. His reputation as a nation committed to the reforms was consolidated with egalitarian social change, such as the enfranchisement of women, social security, the promotion of trade unions and the creation of services for children.
In 1907 New Zealand was granted the status of dominance within the British empire and in 1931 its independence was recognized, although not formally proclaimed until 1947. The economy remained strong until the world recession of the eighties, when unemployment increased significantly. At present, the economic situation has stabilized, largely due to the recovery of exports. In the mid 1980s, New Zealand was internationally acclaimed for its anti-nuclear, despite involving a disagreement with the United States, and its opposition to French nuclear testing in the Pacific, France countered that tearing the ship Rainbow Warrior of the environmental organization Greenpeace when it reached the port of Auckland.
Today, the Maori population is growing faster than the Pakeha and a resurgence of Maoritanga has impacted on New Zealand society. The cultural aspect is based on encouraging the improvement of relations between Maori and Pakeha in 1985 was the revision of the Treaty of Waitangi, which includes a series of financial compensation to the Maori tribes whose land had been unjustly confiscated. However, the latest proposal by the New Zealand government led to several demonstrations by the Maori, who came to disrupt celebrations and events, occupied the land claimed, blocked roads with barricades and even brought a sledgehammer into the Copa America and threatened to erupt the national parliament. This social unrest shocked New Zealanders and placed national reconciliation as a priority on the political agenda. Although race relations have been restored, the question remains of vital importance.

New Zealand Culture & People

The Pakeha and Maori are the dominant civilizations. Among the other population groups, smaller listed citizens Dalmatian Yugoslavs, Polynesians, Indians and Chinese. The passion for sport unites all people, especially the rugby (the game nationally), and outdoor hobbies, such as sailing, swimming, cycling, hiking and camping. Leaving aside the secular, the Christian religion prevails; faiths are practiced more Anglicanism, Presbyterianism and Catholicism the. The synthesis between faith and faith Maori Ratana ringatu with Christianity has become an alternative religion.
New Zealand has two official languages: English and Maori, although the first is higher. After a long period of decline, today the Maori is resurgent, thanks to the rebirth of Maoritanga (Maori civilization). The Maori, a language sweet and poetic, it is easy to pronounce if spoken phonetically and separates each word into syllables.
New Zealand's diverse art values innovation, integrity and craftsmanship that reflect the heritage Pakeha, Maori and Melanesian. Abundant carvings in wood, stone, shell and bone, while major works such as tukutuku (wood panels), are prepared in most of the maraes (houses reunion). The design of jewelry is inspired by the landscape, therefore, are used Paua shells and pebbles of diorite and grauvaca. You can find earrings with leaf-shaped gingko tree, sunglasses to follow the model of the native fern tendrils and necklaces with designs of flowers franchipaniero. There is a great offer theater throughout the country, especially in Wellington, plus a good number of galleries, including the Public Gallery of Art in Dunedin, the oldest in New Zealand and one of the most remarkable. Similarly, the stage musical incorporates many talented artists, from Split Enz and Crowded House to play the guitar pyrotechnics of Dunedin's 3Ds and Straitjacket Fits, cheered at the national and international levels.

New Zealand Map

Culture and History Travel Tour to Mexico

Mexico Overview

Mexico is a very diverse land, their live ostentatious resorts with magnificent ancient cities, volcanoes and snow-covered ground give way to pine forests, deserts and beaches, tropical paradise. The buzz of the industrial megalopolis of Mexico City is an hour by plane from Chiapas, a state rich in natural resources on which indigenous people are faced with the paramilitary forces of the government . On the northern border, the Mexican heritage cultures converge with California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
The landscape and people of Mexico reflect the country's extraordinary history, in part Indian and part Spanish. The traveler will just take a quick look at this nation to remember that the so-called New World was not anything new. Despite the considerable colonial legacy and rampant modernization, some fifty lives of indigenous people who still retain their own language and some vestiges of their traditional way of life.

General Information about Mexico

Full name	Mexico
Area	1,972,000 km ²
Population	101,000,000
Capital	Mexico City (22,000,000)
Language	Spanish and more than 50 indigenous languages
Religion	Catholic 90%, 6% Protestant
government	presidential republic in federal court
Tourism	6.5 million visitors a year

Best Time to travel Mexico

The best time to visit the country is between October and May because the weather is predominantly dry, with pleasant temperatures. Usually, the period between December and February is the coldest, when the northern winds may cause very low temperatures, almost glacial in the northern lands. The dates with the highest number of domestic trips are Easter and Christmas, times when the hotels are usually full.
Mexico's climate varies with the topography. In the plains on both coasts, the prevailing hot and humerus, but inland, at higher elevations such as Guadalajara or Mexico City, is much drier and more temperate. The warm and wet runs between May and October, but almost everywhere in the country this band is reduced from June to September. Coastal areas receive higher rainfall regions of high interior. In general, the coldest period is between December and February, in recent months, the northern winds can cause the lands to the north is very cold, reaching temperatures almost glacial.

Mean festivals and Holidays in Mexico

The festivals celebrated in Mexico are very lively and generally last several days. Each month is usually the case of a major national event, which must be added the local festivities in honor of saints. Carnival in late February or early March, a week before Ash Wednesday, is presented as the great Jolgorio before the 40 days of Lent. The Day of the Dead on November 2 (when it says that the souls of the dead returned to earth) is perhaps the most characteristic celebration of the country. Families build altars in their homes and visit cemeteries with flowers and garlands. In almost all markets are sold candy shaped skeleton.
Holidays:
January 1 - New Year
February 5 - Constitution Day
February 24 - Flag Day
March 21 - Anniversary of the birth of Benito Juarez
March / April - Good Friday-Easter Sunday
May 1 - Labor Day
May 5 - celebration of victory of 1862
September 16 - Independence Day
October 12 - Day of Race
November 20 - Day of Revolution
December 25 - Christmas Day

Most Attraction Places to Travel in Mexico

Mexico City

This huge city Mexico City It has everything you would expect from the biggest metropolis in the world. The best and the worst in the country are concentrated in the highlands where it extends from Mexico City. The result is a noisy and polluted cities, where a mix of music and noise, foul air and green parks, colonial palaces, museums of international renown and the endless suburban slums.
The historic center of Mexico City, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1987, is the Plaza de la Constitution, commonly known as the Zocalo. Was paved for the first time in 1520, by order of Hernán Cortés, with stones from the ruins of the temples and palaces of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which was built in Mexico City. Tenochtitlan was built in the middle of a lagoon, so that most of the old buildings and churches of the city are sinking into the marshy ground on which they were raised. The National Palace occupies the entire eastern side of the Zocalo, was built on the former site of an Aztec palace and formerly was the residence of the viceroys of New Spain. Today houses the presidential offices, a museum and dramatic murals painted by Diego Rivera that narrate the history of the country.
The Metropolitan Cathedral, on the north side of the Zocalo, was built around 1520 by the Spaniards in the place where they erected the Tzompantli of the Aztecs, or wall of Calaveras (a kind of altar was placed where the skulls of people killed) . Just east of the cathedral are the ruins of the Temple Mayor, the Aztec main sanctuary and a museum with objects discovered at the site.
Alameda, once an Aztec market, is now a pleasant park. The streets around it, incorporating a mix of colonial mansions, skyscrapers, bustling cafes and restaurants, shops and markets. Other highlights include the Chapultepec Park, the largest park in Mexico City, which houses several museums, amusement parks and the presidential residence, "the Basilica of Guadalupe, the church built right on the spot where tradition has it appeared the pattern of Mexico, the colonial houses of San Angel, the pyramid Cuicuilco and canals of Xochimilco.
Garibaldi Square is the place where mariachi bands gather in the evenings, and the Zona Rosa, the neighborhood where the supply of nightlife. The best moderately priced hotels are located west of the Zócalo and south of Alameda. Practically the whole city can enjoy delicious food at very inexpensive prices.
Outskirts of Mexico City
Only 50 km northeast of downtown Mexico City, lies the ancient city's most remarkable country, Teotihuacan. It is believed that during the sixth century, at the time of its heyday, came to house two hundred thousand inhabitants. Teotihuacán was the capital of the Mexican first great civilization, and its ruins are testimony to its enormous importance. Travelers can visit the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun (70 meters), the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. This sacred city was the designation of World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1987.

Tula

probably the ancient capital of the Toltec civilization, lies 65 km north of Mexico City. The place is famous for its imposing stone warriors, 4 meters high.
About 85 km south of the capital is Cuernavaca, a city whose mild climate has attracted, from the colonial era, the wealthy people in Mexico City in search of tranquility. Much of the beauty of the city are hidden behind high walls and patios, but several of the residences have been transformed into galleries, hotels and restaurants. A metropolis is not recommended for those travelers who have a limited budget, and its attractions have become the favorite spot for foreigners who wish to receive Spanish courses.

ancient city of Taxco

located 180 km southwest of Mexico City and whose mines were mined silver is a beautiful town of colonial architecture and one of the most picturesque and pleasant country. Perched on a hillside, is a maze of cobbled streets, old buildings and delightful places. The city has been declared a historic monument.

Baja California
Despite its attractive coastline with beaches of fine white sand, calm bays and imposing cliffs, the interior of Baja California is isolated and underdeveloped, it has always been a good place to hide. The Peninsula has served as a refuge for revolutionaries Magona, mercenaries and even those who drink during the era of Prohibition in the United States. At present, there are tourists who go to Baja. Among the highlights include San Borja, a remote town founded by Jesuit missionaries, the Sierra de San Francisco, near San Ignacio, a volcanic plateau that is home to extraordinary rock formations and in 1993 was declared World Heritage by UNESCO, and the Sierra de la Laguna, a botanical paradise at the southern tip of the peninsula, where aspen grow, cactus, palms and oaks, and where the mountain streams flowing between canyons of granite, a perfect place for walkers.

Ferrocarril Chihuahua

Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico (Chihuahua-Pacific Railway)

The journey between Los Mochis and Chihuahua is one of the most spectacular in Mexico. The train crosses 88 bridges and 38 tunnels through the narrow canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara and perched on the side of imposing cliffs. This is a remarkable piece of engineering, not surprising that 90 years were needed for its construction. The trip consists of landscapes, the most prominent is the Copper Canyon, more and deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The more intrepid hikers can descend the 2,300 m with guides or Creel Divisadero.

Puerto Vallarta

Caula along the river, rocked the mountains covered with palm trees and emerald green waters of the Bay of Banderas, lies the picturesque town of Puerto Vallarta, with its cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses, is one of the favorite places for both the Budget travelers with comfortable and for the more independent. The city boasts white sand beaches and palm trees, bustling bars and restaurants, as well as a large number of galleries and craft shops. The city has gone so quickly from being a quiet seaside village into an international tourist center that is easy to criticize those who have suffered damage, but it is almost impossible not to enjoy the beaches of the south, the vast bay and its marine life. Throughout the year there are dolphins in the bay as well, between February and April could be whales. The locals insist that in April you can see streaks coming to the surface during their processions.

Guadalajara

Many of the traditions and characteristics considered typical of the Mexican from Guadalajara, the second largest city in the country. Among these traditions include mariachis, dancing hat, tequila, wide-brimmed hats and the Mexican rodeo. Part of the appeal lies in Guadalajara, which has many of the virtues of Mexico City-a vibrant culture, beautiful museums and galleries, exciting nightlife and good places to eat and sleep, but few of the flaws of the capital. Guadalajara is a modern, well organized and less polluted, holds many attractions and activities that visitors can not get bored. Among the main attractions include its massive cathedral, with its twin towers and beautiful places nearby, the Instituto Cultural Cabañas, the square of the Mariachis, where groups play at all hours of day and night, and the Sauza bottling plant, which offers tequila tastings to visitors.

Acapulco

In the past, the first and most famous resort on the Pacific Coast was one of the doors of the New World to the East, but today is a city with rapid growth, over a million inhabitants and with a crazy mix skyscrapers, designer shops and restaurants that protect a trilingual city hidden parking lots, polluted rivers and large apartment buildings. Acapulco is not consistent with the idea of fun that many people, but most of those who visit enjoy resting on its many beaches, with facilities for almost any sport that can be carried in the water.
Since the thirties, the celebrated jumping from the cliff of La Quebrada, known as divers, visitors have marveled at the grace with which they dive into water from a height of 45 m suicidal, by a narrow crack that appears to contain only enough water to cover feet. Not surprisingly, before moving to pray in a small empty house. From the El Mirador hotel, you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the divers. Who seek less crowded beaches, you can go to Pie de la Cuesta (8 miles northwest of downtown), a good alternative to the apparatus of the city. The road to Puerto Marqués (18 km southeast) offers stunning views of Acapulco Bay. Just south of the Peninsula de las Playas, is called the sunken temple, a bronze statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe under water.

Oaxaca

Oaxaca was built by the Spaniards, is a town of narrow streets where there is a special atmosphere, both relaxing and dynamics, remote and cosmopolitan. Located in the rugged southern state of the same name, the city has a large indigenous population, Indian markets are based in the beautiful colonial architecture. Among the attractions of Oaxaca, also contains plenty of local craft shops and good atmosphere of its cafes. Town received the nomination of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. From there, you can be a large number of day trips to the ruins of Monte Alban (also declared a World Heritage in the same year), Mitla, and Yagul Cuilapa, and markets and handicraft centers.

Yucatan

After crossing the river Usumacinta into Yucatán, the traveler enters Mayan territory. Heirs to a glorious past and often violent, the Maya live today in the same place where they did their ancestors a thousand years ago. Yucatán has surprising diversity: rich archaeological sites, colonial cities, coastal resorts and quiet villages, mostly by tropical birds. It also houses the impressive

ruins of Uxmal (World Heritage Site since 1996) and Chichén Itzá (1988), near Merida. The coastal state of Quintana Roo, with its islands and white sandy beaches, attracts tourists who are looking for sun.

Yucatan Coast

The beaches of the Yucatan coast between Cancun and Tulum, are among the finest in the world. Xcaret has some Mayan ruins and an attractive bay which houses a fascinating marine life. It is worth carrying some diving goggles. Some meters inland, is the cenote, a pool of clean water in a limestone cave, the perfect place to swim. The Yal-Ku Lagoon, once a paradise unknown, has recently become an area exploited. Nevertheless, it remains an excellent place to make snorkelling

Santa Rosalia

The industrial archeology buffs will enjoy visiting Santa Rosalia, the old town of a French company located in the central desert of Baja California, about 50 miles east of San Ignacio. Highlights, in particular, the ruins of the large complex of copper smelter. It also has amazing homes and a church designed by the famous architect Eiffel. In principle, the church was prefabricated to West Africa but ended up being transported by boat to Mexico. The French left as a legacy baguettes largest Baja California.

Creel Jump Basaseachic

With its 298 m tall, is the highest waterfall in Mexico. Located 140 km northwest of , jump Basaseachic well worth the three hour drive and almost three hours on foot to admire. Creel is also a good reference point from which to move to another smaller waterfall, waterfall Cusárare, located 22 km south.

Palenque

Surrounded by a forest of emerald tones, the location of the Palenque ruins, World Heritage listed in 1987, is magnificent, its Mayan architecture and decoration are exquisite. Some fragments of pottery have revealed that the site was inhabited for more than fifteen hundred years and lived its heyday between 600 and 800 BC, when they were constructed many buildings and plazas, including the elaborate Temple of Inscriptions pyramid crypt and . The best time to visit this complex and avoid the sweltering heat is early morning when a mist rises caused by moisture, which joins the ancient temples in a mysterious atmosphere. Only 34 of the nearly five hundred buildings have been excavated, all of which were built without metal tools or draft animals, when not yet invented the wheel.

The new city, where are located most of the hotels and restaurants, is about 7 km from the ruins, and there are buses that travel the route every 15 minutes. Palenque can be reached by bus, depending on the military situation in Chiapas. Also bus and ferry from Tikal (in Guatemala), via the border town of La Palma, passing for two of the most impressive Mayan sites in Central America.

Activities in Mexico

The tours of the Copper Canyon and Baja California are among the most popular routes where you can go mountain hiking. Sport fishing is plentiful along the Pacific coast and the Gulf of California. You can go snorkelling and diving in the Yucatan Peninsula in Baja California and in some tourist resorts on the Pacific coast. Inland, many spas, usually located next to hot springs are located in a picturesque landscape. Surfing is popular on the Pacific coast. Some of the best places to practice this sport are Mesquite and Punta Santa Rosalia (Baja California); Matanchén Bay near San Blas (where they say that there is world's longest wave), Ixtapa, and Puerto Escondido (with the pipeline Mexican). Several companies based in Mexico City and climbing trips to Mexican volcanos, Popocatepetl and the Iztaccihuatl, Pico de Orizaba, Nevado de Toluca and La Malinche

Mexico History

It is estimated that the first settlers arrived from Mexico about twenty thousand years before Columbus. Their descendants, including the Mayans and Aztecs built highly developed civilizations that flourished between the years 1200 BC and 1521 A.D.

Hernán Cortés landed near the city of Veracruz on April 21 1519. It is said that the Aztecs received it with open arms because, according to its timetable, the same year the god Quetzalcoatl had to reach the East. The Spaniards found their first allies in towns that Indians were under the Aztec yoke. Accompanied by six thousand Indians, came to the Aztec capital, a city bigger than any of those existing in Spain, which was located on an island. King Moctezuma II invited the palace and the Spaniards took it hostage. On August 13 of 1521 Aztec resistance was suppressed. The status of the conquered peoples deteriorated rapidly, not only because of the cruel treatment inflicted by the colonizers, but also to diseases introduced. The indigenous population declined from about twenty-five million by the time of conquest to one million in 1605.
Between the XVI and XIX, Mexico experienced a kind of segregation. The colonists born in Spain represented a tiny fraction of the population but were considered nobility in New Spain (as Mexico was then called), however humble his condition had been earlier in the motherland. By the eighteenth century, the Creoles (born in New Spain of Spanish parents), have amassed huge fortunes through mining, commerce, ranching and agriculture, and holds political power. Below the criollos were the mestizos (born of mixed Spanish and Indian descendants of African slaves), the lowest level, Indians and Africans. The trigger for the revolution came in 1808, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied most of Spain: all of a sudden, direct control over New Spain ceased and rivalry between Spaniards and criollos intensified. On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest Creole launched his call to rebellion, the Grito de Dolores. In 1821, Spain granted independence to Mexico.
The independence was followed by 22 years of chronic instability, the presidency changed hands 36 times. In 1845, the U.S. Congress approved the annexation of Texas, and sparked a war between two countries during which U.S. troops occupied Mexico City. With the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), Mexico lost the current states of Texas, California, Utah, Colorado and much of New Mexico and Arizona. In 1862, Mexico was indebted to Great Britain, France and Spain. They sent a joint force to collect. France decided to go further and colonize the country, which led to a new war. In 1864, this country gave the Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg to become emperor of Mexico, but his administration was short.
Under the motto "order and progress', dictator Porfirio Díaz (1878-1911) kept the nation away from war that had consumed more than sixty years. But peace has a price: the political opposition, free elections and free press were banned, and a relentless army controlled the country. Growing discontent with the government of Díaz led to strikes that preceded the Mexican Revolution.
The Revolution was not a struggle between freedom and oppression, but a period of ten years during which numerous changes of alliances between a galaxy of leaders, during this time, successive attempts to create stable governments collapsed due to renewed fighting . Broadly speaking, the country was divided between liberal reformers and radical leaders such as Emiliano Zapata, who fought for the land of wealth distribution among farmers. It is estimated that ten years of violent civil war led to between one million and a half and two million deaths, approximately one eighth of the population. After the Revolution, the efforts of politicians focused on rebuilding the country's infrastructure. The Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) took power in 1934 and introduced a program of reform and land distribution.
Social unrest reappeared in 1966, when university students in Mexico City expressed their outrage against the conservative government of Diaz Ordaz. Discontent against the single party system, the restriction of freedom of speech and excessive government spending peaked in 1968 (just before the holding of the Olympic Games in Mexico City), and demonstrators were killed by the army.
At the end of the seventies oil boom increased the revenues of the country and allowed for investment in industry and agriculture, but in the mid-eighties, the excess caused the price drop and Mexico entered into the worst recession in recent decades. Economic decline led to an increase in protests on the country's political organization, both on the left and the right. In September 1985, an earthquake of 8 degrees on the Richter scale caused damage worth over four billion dollars. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed in Mexico City, thousands of people left homeless, and at least eight thousand died.
The president Carlos Salinas de Gortari took office in 1988 after winning a very controversial elections. Gained popular support in renegotiating the crippling national debt and controlling inflation. A major program of privatization and expansion of international financial markets contributed to Mexico and was introduced by the international press as a paradigm of the free market. The highlight of Salinas's economic reform was the creation of the Free Trade Area of the North Atlantic (NAFTA) which entered into force on January 1, 1994.
The fear that NAFTA would seriously marginalization of indigenous Mexicans led to the Zapatista uprising in the southern state of Chiapas. The day that NAFTA came into force, an army of unarmed peasants surprised the country by taking San Cristóbal de las Casas, the capital of that state. Demanding greater economic and social justice. The uprising led to a great upheaval in society throughout the country, hundreds of peasants occupied ranches, farms and ranches. At present, the Zapatista movement (as well as low-intensity warfare launched by the U.S. government) is still active, the rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos is.
In March 1994, Luis Donaldo Colosio, Salinas's successor named, was killed. His replacement, Ernesto Zedillo, 43, was elected with 49 percent of the vote. Within days of assuming office, the value of the peso plummeted so suddenly, causing a rapid and deep economic recession. Among other consequences, this led to an increase in crime, a deep dissatisfaction toward the PRI and a large flow of Mexican immigration to the United States. Policy measures Zedillo recession eased gradually. Despite the difficulties caused by the boom in 1998, at the end of his mandate in 2000, the purchasing power of Mexicans is closer to 1994.
In the general elections in 2000, Vicente Fox, presidential candidate of the National Action Party (PAN), managed to outperform the successor Zedillo, the PRI candidate Francisco Labastida. On July 2, 2000 ended 71 years of the reign of the PRI. The question of Chiapas, crime and economic problems are worrisome, and the naked eye, without easy solution. President Fox has tried to enhance the role of Mexico in the world and has given its unconditional support to the United States from September 11, security measures at the border with China have intensified. While increasing the rumors of corruption in government, the activities of the major cartels still best known in the press and crime rates are tarnishing the image of the country as a holiday destination.

Mexico people and Culture

the Mexicans have shown a great talent for art and feel a preference for the colors. In Mexico there are many murals and art galleries, antique and contemporary, for many visitors, this is one of the main attractions of the country. Creativity is expressed through vibrant Mexican folk tradition. The art is mainly represented by prehistoric stone sculptures, frescoes, murals and ceramics.
After the revolution, art was considered an important part of the National Renaissance, the main Mexican artists like Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco, were commissioned to decorate public buildings with important and huge colorful murals of historical and social themes. The works of Frida Kahlo, wife of Diego Rivera, is characterized by self-reflecting an enormous anguish, as well as images that blend the surreal and the grotesque, his creations gained tremendous popularity in the eighties, decades after its death. Among the highlights include Mexican writers Carlos Fuentes, Jorge Ibargüengoitia and Octavio Paz, Nobel Prize winner in 1990. In Mexico, Juan Rulfo is considered the most important writer in the country. His novel Pedro Páramo has been described as a "Wuthering Heights (Cumbres storms) that takes place in Mexico" and written by Kafka.

Spanish is the language most widely used, but differs from that spoken in Spain in two aspects: the Castilian Cece has practically disappeared and have taken many Indian words. Some five million people are reported in about fifty languages, and 15 percent of indigenous people known in Spanish.
Although since the revolution, successive governments have become separated from religion, more than 95 percent of the population is Catholic. The majority of Indians are Christians, but religion often host syncretic elements. At times, many pagan gods live with the Holy Trinity and the Christian saints. Since 1531, the unifying symbol of the Church is the Virgin of Guadalupe (dark-skinned) that is considered the bridge between the old Catholic and indigenous traditions.
Mexican cuisine is based on three dishes: tortillas, beans and chili. Tortillas are a thin round masses kneaded wheat or corn that are cooked in an iron. The beans are prepared in soup, boiled or fried, with tortillas or anything else. Apart from its incredible variety of fruit juice (juice) which are sold in stalls, Mexico is also famous for its spirits, especially tequila and mezcal. Pulque is a slightly alcoholic drink derived from the agave juice.

Mexico Map

Click to inlarge

map of mexico