Whether rain or shine — and Tulum will offer you both — this is a place that earns its place on any serious traveler's list. Not because it is perfect. Because it is specific, and alive, and unlike anywhere else on the Caribbean coast. Tulum was named for the wall the Maya built around it to protect it. Whatever walls exist between you and going, I suggest finding a way around them.

People often ask whether I have a favorite destination. The honest answer is that I don't. But there are a handful of cities that linger in a different way — places where I can imagine building a life rather than simply spending a vacation. Mexico City is one of those places. CDMX is simultaneously one of the oldest and most modern cities in the Western Hemisphere. It was built atop the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, on a lake that no longer exists, and it has spen

For many travelers, securing a reservation at Pujol is one of the primary motivations for visiting Mexico City. It certainly was for me. Long before I booked flights or finalized hotel reservations, I was stalking Pujol's reservation calendar. Despite planning months in advance, I found only a single opening during my entire eight-day visit to Mexico City—a 9:30 p.m. seating. I took it immediately. After all, opportunities to dine at one of the most celebrated restaurants in

Mexico City rewards curiosity. Beyond its museums, architecture, markets, and extraordinary food scene, it offers experiences that reveal entirely different sides of Mexican culture. Some take place thousands of feet above ancient pyramids. Others unfold on centuries-old canals crowded with music and celebration. Still others happen beneath arena lights in front of roaring crowds. Of all the activities I experienced during my time in CDMX, these three left the strongest impre

The neighborhoods of Mexico City each possess their own personality, but few are as charming as Coyoacán. Coyoacán San Juan Bautista Church Located south of the historic center, Coyoacán feels worlds away from the frenetic pace of downtown CDMX. Cobblestone streets wind past colorful buildings, leafy plazas fill with families and musicians, and centuries-old churches stand alongside cafés, galleries, and bookstores. It is easy to understand why generations of artists, writers

After a city reveals itself through its streets, museums, and neighborhoods, it eventually reveals itself through its food. In Mexico City, that process happens quickly. CDMX has one of the most exciting dining scenes in the world, where century-old institutions coexist with Michelin-recognized restaurants, natural wine bars, neighborhood bistros, and ambitious kitchens that reinterpret Mexican cuisine through a contemporary lens. In my previous post, I shared my three favori

One of the reasons Mexico City has become one of the world's great food destinations is that it excels at every level. You can eat spectacular tacos from a street cart, sip coffee in a neighborhood café, or settle into a Michelin-recommended dining room and experience cuisine that rivals anything in New York, Paris, London, or Tokyo. During my visit, food dictated almost every decision I made. Museums, sightseeing, and even sleep occasionally took a back seat to restaurant re

San Juan after dark in Mexico City is its own education. The same streets that carried you past Aztec ruins and Art Deco palaces during the day transform at night — animated by music drifting from open doorways, mezcal poured by people who traveled rural Mexico to find it, and cocktail programs that have put this city on the global map in a way that Paris and London are still catching up to. During my visit, I found three bars that together tell you everything you need to kno

People often ask me what destination has impressed me most as a food lover. Mexico City is always near the top of the list. The Mexican capital is one of the world's great culinary cities, a place where centuries of history, migration, and tradition converge on nearly every street corner. Fine dining restaurants here regularly appear on international rankings, but some of the city's most memorable meals cost only a few dollars. The food scene in Mexico City is remarkably demo

Discover the history, architecture, and culture of Mexico City. Explore Aztec ruins, colonial landmarks, vibrant markets, and the unique character that makes CDMX unforgettable.

A Final Breakfast at Piedra Escondida Enchiladas Mexicanas Con Salsa Rojo y Verde The last breakfast at Molcajete — chicken enchiladas in red and green salsa, fresh-squeezed orange-pineapple juice, and the particular morning light that the Caribbean produces when it is not raining — arrived as a reminder of what the hotel had provided every morning: not a continental breakfast but an actual meal, made from actual ingredients, served with a view that a different kind of hotel

Explore Chichén Itzá, swim in Cenote Calavera, and finish the day with one of the best steaks in Tulum at El Asadero.

*Tulum (Taqueria Honorio, Antojitos La Chiapaneca, Art Exhibit, La Onda, Mateos) The Caribbean storm arrived sometime before dawn and was still going when I opened the curtains. The beach — which had been the organizing principle of the previous two days — was invisible behind sheets of warm tropical rain. This was not the elegant misty rain of temperate climates. This was rain that had a point of view. I abandoned the beach plan and drove to Tulum Centro instead. This turned

*Tulum (Sea Turtles, Jungle Gym, Mi Amor, Tulum Ruins, Arca) I woke up to this beautiful sunrise, the moment I stepped out of my hotel room. Breakfast in Tulum I walked downstairs to Piedra Escondida's restaurant, Molcajete. The hotel offered a free, daily breakfast which I assumed would consist of cereal, muffins, runny scrambled eggs, soggy oatmeal and juice from concentrate. I guess I have grown accustomed to the free, continental breakfasts served at most American hote

*Puerto Morelos (El Merkadito), Tulum (Piedra Escondida, Gitano) The charming village of Tulum lies on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo. Tulum is a colonial name meaning "wall" in Mayan. The city was so named because of the limestone wall surrounding it, built to protect its citizens. The city's original name is Zama, meaning "dawn" in Mayan. The name is thought to refer to the stunning high cliffs and seaside location of t