Terra Nova Collective
Holbox island life
An island with golf carts instead of cars, a bohemian lifestyle with bars and restaurants spilling onto roads and beaches, calm turquoise seas and the opportunity to go swimming with whale sharks.
Mexico
Colours, Coastlines & Canyon Roads
- Duration
- 34 days
- Trip style
- Cultural
- Effort
- Moderate effort
- Region
- Americas
Four weeks through Mexico’s changing worlds from murals and markets to mountain passes and Caribbean calm
A four-week journey from the highland heart of Mexico City to the mezcal valleys of Oaxaca, across jungle ruins, colonial towns and canyon rivers, to the beaches and islands of the Caribbean coast
This route begins in Mexico City, where Aztec foundations meet modern murals and food stalls hum beneath baroque cathedrals. From there, travellers move through Puebla and into Oaxaca, the culinary and artistic capital of southern Mexico, surrounded by ancient Zapotec ruins and mezcal distilleries. In the Sierra Madre, cloud forests cool the pace before dropping to the Pacific surf of Puerto Escondido. Then come the highlands of Chiapas, where rituals mix Catholic saints with Mayan tradition and rivers cut through canyons. Finally, the Yucatán offers beaches, ruins in the jungle, cenotes beneath limestone, and the island stillness of Holbox.
Highlights
San Cristobal de las Casas
A vibrant, and culturally rich town, blending cool mountain air with slow-paced colonial charm, colourful cobblestone streets, strong indigenous traditions, a Zapatista independence movement, and a thriving arts scene.
Mexico City: The Soul of Modern Mexico
A capital of history: from Aztec ruins and Rivera murals to street tacos and mariachi nights in Garibaldi Square, Mexico City enables you to understand all the various elements that make up Mexico through a proper cultural immersion.
The route
Day 1: Arrive in Mexico City / historic centre, Zócalo and first look at CDMX
Day 2: Mexico City / Bellas Artes, Alameda Central and Chapultepec museums
Day 3: Mexico City / Roma, Condesa, Coyoacán and neighbourhood wandering
Day 4: Mexico City / Teotihuacan day trip / pyramids and the Avenue of the Dead
Day 5: Mexico City / Xochimilco, tacos, bars and a final full city day
Day 6: Puebla / colonial centre, tiled facades and local food stopover
Day 7: Puebla → Oaxaca / travel south and settle into Oaxaca
Day 8: Oaxaca / walking tour, markets and old town
Day 9: Oaxaca / Monte Albán / Zapotec ruins above the valley
Day 10: Oaxaca / Hierve el Agua or mezcal / cooking day
Day 11: Oaxaca / cafés, mezcalerías and a final city day
Day 12: Oaxaca → San José del Pacífico / mountain road into the cloud forest
Day 13: San José del Pacífico / viewpoints, forest air and a slow day in the sierra
Day 14: San José del Pacífico → Puerto Escondido / descent from mountains to coast
Day 15: Puerto Escondido / La Punta, surfing and beach time
Day 16: Puerto Escondido / beach-hopping, seafood and sunset
Day 17: Puerto Escondido / bioluminescence or another relaxed Pacific day
Day 18: Overnight bus to San Cristóbal de las Casas
Day 19: San Cristóbal de las Casas / walking tour, markets and highland town atmosphere
Day 20: San Cristóbal / Chamula or Sumidero Canyon day trip
Day 21: Palenque / jungle ruins, waterfalls, then overnight bus onward to Tulum
Day 22: Tulum / coastal ruins and first cenotes
Day 23: Tulum / cenote day and beach time
Day 24: Tulum / cycling between town, coast and quieter corners
Day 25: Tulum → Bacalar / bus south to the lagoon of seven colours
Day 26: Bacalar / jetty swims, kayaks and CATCH by day
Day 27: Bacalar / Los Rapidos and a slow lagoon day
Day 28: Bacalar → Holbox / long travel day back north, ferry to the island
Day 29: Holbox / sandbars, beach time and laid-back island evening
Day 30: Holbox → Valladolid / bus south, settle into the colonial centre
Day 31: Valladolid / Chichén Itzá at sunrise
Day 32: Valladolid / cenote day, Calzada de los Frailes in the evening
Day 33: Valladolid → Mérida / colonial centre, Yucatán food and final night
Day 34: Fly out from Mérida or Cancún
Start the journey
The first part of the day-by-day route, free to read.
Days 1–5: Mexico City, Capital of Culture
The journey begins in Mexico City (CDMX), a metropolis layered with centuries of history. The Zócalo, one of the world’s largest plazas, sits above the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor, symbolising how the city’s old and new coexist. Start with a free walking tour to understand the layout and stories behind the Catedral Metropolitana and Palacio Nacional, where Diego Rivera’s murals depict Mexico’s political and social struggles.
Wander the Alameda Central and step inside the Palacio de Bellas Artes, its walls lined with Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco, the artists who redefined national identity through paint. Spend an afternoon in Chapultepec Park, visiting the National Museum of Anthropology, the country’s most important museum and an essential introduction to Mexico’s pre-Columbian cultures.
Beyond the city’s grandeur are its neighbourhoods: Roma and Condesa for cafés and tree-lined walks; Coyoacán for Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, León Trotsky’s house, and colourful plazas. Sundays bring boats and music to Xochimilco, where locals rent trajineras (flat-bottomed punts) to float through canals lined with floating gardens and mariachis. End evenings with tacos from Los Cocuyos, cocktails at Xaman, or music in Garibaldi Square, lively and best visited with friends.
A great day trip takes you to Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological complex featuring the massive Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, built around 100-200 AD. The site is famous for its "Avenue of the Dead" axis and towering, stepped structures, offering insights into a Pre-Columbian city that was once one of the largest in the world.
Get the full Mexico itinerary
- The rest of the day-by-day route, 13 more detailed entries
- Where to stay, by budget
- Where to eat and drink
- Practical reminders and cautions
- Ways to shorten or extend the trip
- 21 photos from the trip
- A direct line to the traveller who led it
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Open the full itineraryFrom travellers on this trip
“Holbox was the perfect ending to this trip. No cars, just beach, music and great seafood. Everything is walking distance and the vibe is very laid back. The water is crystal clear and the sunsets are insane. I would recommend going before it becomes commercial like the rest of Yucatan. For now, it is a bohemian paradise.”
“I loved the anthropology museum of CDMX. Every room was so well curated and rich in history. I learnt a lot. Coupled with the nearby Chapultepec Park and a tacos stand dinner, this day gave me a true immersion into Mexico's past and present.”
“San Cristobal de las Casas was the most interesting place for me. You could feel the separatist culture all around, as well as the different traditions, such as churches firing fireworks from their backyards at all times, chicken sacrifices, that made this a very unique town with little tourists”
