Tour Overview
Enjoy a 10-day cultural tour featuring Mexico City, central Mexico and the Pacific Coast. One of the world's largest metropolis’ Mexico City is also the oldest urban center in the Western Hemisphere, when it was called Tenochtitlán… Querétaro, one of Mexico's colonial jewels, and picturesque town studded with charming and amazingly well-preserved baroque churches, temples and mansions boasting graceful balconies and ornate facades. San Miguel de Allende is so strikingly lovely in its architecture that it has been designated a national monument. Its many beautifully restored colonial mansions house delightful patio restaurants and fine shops. Students of all ages come to San Miguel de Allende to study art, painting, weaving, sculpting, photography and Spanish. Guanajuato, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988, is nestled in a narrow canyon between huge mountains, and a photographer's delight with its quaint plazas, colonial buildings, winding cobblestone streets, hidden alleyways and underground passageways. Morelia, considered the aristocrat of colonial cities features few modern buildings, and architecture kept in the traditions of Old Spain. Wide polished-stone streets and stately buildings give this city its special attraction. Guadalajara, one of the most serenely beautiful and stately cities in North America, is a city of parks and fountains, of monuments and rose-lined boulevards, a city alive with color. Its rich colonial heritage dates back to 1542 and is evident throughout the city. The Costalegre, a stretch of Pacific coastline that runs from Manzanillo in the South to Puerto Vallarta in the North, is an area of unspoiled tropical jungle, gorgeous beaches, bays and lagoons filled with exotic birds, tiniy fishing villages, and small hidden luxury hotels. With exclusive polo tournaments, impressive cliff side golf courses and many famous weddings going on around the area, the Costalegre is becoming a sought-after destination for the rich and famous.Day by Day Itinerary
Day 01: Mexico City, MexicoArrive Mexico City and transfer to your luxury hotel La Casona, a stately home with pink facades and period balconies, listed as an artistic monument by the National Institute of Fine Arts. Check-in and enjoy the day at leisure in Mexico City. Mexico City (formerly Tenochtitlan) is the oldest urban center in the Western Hemisphere. Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes and his men were awestruck by the sight of the imposing temples of the Aztecs. Reporting back to King Carlos V, Cortes was struggling to convey the majesty of what he saw. Imagine the King's surprise at learning that "one of the plazas is twice the size of that of Salamanca ", and "the principal pyramid is taller than the tower of the cathedral at Seville ", or that the stone and wood craftsmanship that adorned these monuments "could nowhere be bettered."
Hotel La Casona- Standard Room Day 02: Mexico City
In the morning, we will explore magnificent Mexico City, built on top of the ruins of the Aztec capital of Tenochititlan. Our first stop is the Zócalo (main square), one of the biggest public squares in the world. Nowhere is Mexico 's explosive past better depicted than at its central plaza, the Zócalo. Surrounded by some of the finest buildings of the colonial era, lay the remnants of one of the Aztecs' principal monuments, the Templo Mayor. Its mysterious shapes stand as a haunting tribute to the pre-Hispanic civilization that flourished here long ago. We will visit the Catedral Metropolitana- the largest church in Latin America, and the Palacio Nacional, which hosts Diego Rivera’s murals depicting the history of Mexico. We will then continue to a handicraft market, where we will have some time for browsing. We will then drive along the main boulevard Paseo de la Reforma, built during the short lived reign of Emperor Maximilian to connect the main square with his castle in Chapultepec We then continue to the archaeological site of Teotihuacán, located 50km northeast of Mexico City. Teotihuacán is one of the most impressive cities of the ancient world, held sacred by the Aztecs. We will explore its temples, palaces and pyramids, including the Quetzalpapalotl Palace Complex, the Temple of the Feathered Conches, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the immense Pyramid of the Sun, ranked among the biggest in the world. You will have time for lunch (not included) before returning to Mexico City.
Breakfast
Hotel La Casona- Standard Room Day 03: Mexico City - Queretaro
A 2-hour drive will take you to Querétaro, one of Mexico 's colonial jewels. This picturesque town is studded with charming and amazing well-preserved baroque churches, temples and mansions boasting graceful balconies and ornate facades. The name "Querétaro" is believed to be Purepecha for "site of the ballgame" or "place where there are rocks." If the second translation is true, perhaps the rocks the Indians were referring to, were opals, amethysts and other semiprecious stones found in rich supply throughout the mountainous region. In 1531, the city was taken over by the Spanish. It became a point of transit for anyone traveling between the nation's capital and the interior provinces, and its prominence was acknowledged with the designation "Third City of New Spain." It later played a leading role in both the struggle for independence and the revolution. It was here that Mexico 's Constitution was written and signed. The city's most prominent landmark is an 8-kilometer long 74-arch aqueduct built in the early 1700s to supply the city with water. The ancient structure runs through the center of one of the city's main thoroughfares, with intersections laced through its high arches. Appropriately, a fountain built in the city's main square pays tribute to the man who financed the 12-year project (1726-38), Don Juan Antonio Urrutia, the Marquis de la Villa del Villar del Aguila. Explore the city with your guide and overnight at luxurious Hotel Fiesta Americana Hacienda Galindo.
Breakfast
Hotel Fiesta Americana Hacienda Golindo- Superior Day 04: Queretaro - San Miguel de Allende - Guanajuato
After breakfast, head to the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, so strikingly lovely in its architecture that it has been designated a national monument. Its many beautifully restored colonial mansions house delightful patio restaurants and fine shops. Students of all ages come to San Miguel de Allende to study art, painting, weaving, sculpting, photography and Spanish. All this makes the city a fascinating place to spend a few hours! UNESCO declared Guanajuato a World Heritage Site in 1988. Nestled in a narrow canyon between huge mountains, the town is a photographers delight, with its quaint plazas, colonial buildings, winding cobblestone streets, hidden alleyways and underground passageways. Guanajuato played an important role in Mexico 's War of Independence. In 1810, it was invaded by Father Miguel Hidalgo [a rebel priest and leader of Mexico 's independence movement] and his ragtag army of farmers and mine workers. The wealthy mine owners fled to the town's granary, barricading themselves and their treasures behind its thick walls, until a brave young miner nicknamed El Pipila immortalized himself by breaking down the door and allowing the revolutionaries to defeat their enemies and seize the city. A hilltop monument honoring Pipila is also the site of a lookout that offers a magnificent view of the town and its mazelike layout. Explore the city with your guide and overnight at the hotel Quinta Las Acacias, an elegant summer residence from the 19th century.
Breakfast
Quinta Las Acacias- Classic Standard Room Day 05: Guanjuato - Morelia
Transfer to Morelia, considered the aristocrat of colonial cities. You will find a few modern buildings, but mostly the architecture has been kept in the traditions of Old Spain. Wide polished-stone streets and stately buildings give this city its special attraction. Mexico 's first viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza, founded the city in 1541 and named it Valladolid after his home in Spain. After Mexico 's War of Independence, the city was named Morelia in honor of a local hero, José María Morelos. In the center of town, the lovely Plaza de los Mártires is the focal point of town life. It is flanked on one side by the cathedral, constructed of pink stone, with twin towers 200 feet high. It took more than 200 years to build and is one of the most beautiful in the country. Visit Morelia´s highlights with your guide and overnight at the Hotel Los Juaninos, a former Episcopal palace ideally located in a privileged corner of historical downtown.
Breakfast
Hotel Los Juaninos- Superior Room Day 06: Morelia - Guadalajara
After breakfast, head for Guadalajara, the second largest metropolis in Mexico and one of the most serenely beautiful and stately cities in North America. It is a city of parks and fountains, of monuments and rose-lined boulevards, a city alive with color. Its rich colonial heritage dates back to 1542 and is evident throughout the city. Enjoy a guided visit to Tlaquepaque, a village outside of Guadalajara, with its famous mariachi bands and gorgeous handicrafts specializing in leather, glass and textiles. Overnight at the elegant Hotel Clarum 101.
Breakfast
Hotel Villa Clarum 101
Day 07: Guadalajara - Costalegre
Today you will head for the ocean! Make a quick detour to the village of Tequila en route.
In 1656 the village of Tequila (named for the local Ticuilas Indians) was granted a charter by the governor of New Galicia. Tax records of the time show that Mezcal was already being produced in the area. This Mezcal, made from the local blue Agave, established a reputation for having a superior taste, and barrels of the "Mezcal wine from Tequila" were soon being shipped to nearby Guadalajara. The oldest of the still-existing distilleries in Tequila dates back to 1795, when the Spanish Crown granted a distiller's license to a local by the name of José Cuervo. In 1805 a distillery was established that would ultimately come under the control of the Sauza family. By the mid 1800s there were dozens of distilleries and millions of Agave plants under cultivation around Tequila. Gradually, the locally produced Mezcal came to be known as Tequila (just as the grape brandy from the Cognac region in France came to be known simply as Cognac.) Here you will visit a distillery, and continue to the coast of Costa Careyes and your hotel, set in a palm grove on the edge of a pristine rocky cove with a golden sand beach.
Continue to Costalegre, a stretch of Pacific coastline that runs from Manzanillo in the South to Puerto Vallarta in the North, is an area of unspoiled tropical jungle, gorgeous beaches, bays and lagoons filled with exotic birds, tiny fishing villages, and small hidden luxury hotels.
With exclusive polo tournaments, impressive cliff side golf courses and many famous weddings going on around the area, the Costalegre is becoming a sought-after destination for the rich and famous. The architecture of the private homes and hotels on this coastline is spectacular, a rich expression of nature and color. Transfer to your hotel for check-in and overnight.
Breakfast
El Careyes Beach Resort- Resort View Room Day 08 & 09: Costalegre
The active can enjoy snorkeling, fishing, sailing, kayaking and tennis. A full spa caters to those seeking relaxation. Watch the sun go down as you enjoy a fine dinner, the perfect ending to the day.
Breakfast
El Careyes Beach Resort- Resort View Room Day 10: Costalegre - Depart
Transfer to Puerto Vallarta airport to board your homebound flight.
Breakfast
