Through The Highlands To The Blue Pacific

Classic Journey Through Colonial Mexico

Colonial Mexico & the North, Mexico City & Around, Mexico's Pacific Coast

Duration: 11 nights

Price: From £5,700 per person in low season based on two adults travelling together and including all flights in economy class, accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, private transfers and taxes

Mexico’s Spanish colonial history continues to shape the country, and its influence is evident in several beautifully preserved towns and cities. This itinerary is perfect for history buffs who want to explore Mexico’s colonial past without any compromise on style; you’ll stay in the most beautiful and exclusive hotels, and enjoy private car travel between destinations. Beginning in Mexico City, you’ll spend a couple of nights in the high-end Polanco district at the stylish Alcobas hotel, exploring the seat of Spanish colonial power before visiting the pretty cobbled streets of picture-perfect San Miguel de Allende. You’ll then head to Guadalajara for mariachi and margaritas, before a couple of days sampling tequila in the Cuervo family’s palatial hotel, Solar de las Animas. Your journey ends on the Pacific coast at the beautiful Imanta Punta Minta, a secluded hideaway with the ocean on one side and thick jungle on the other.

Perfect forExploring colonial Mexico in the ultimate style.

In the knowConsider adding a couple of days in the beautiful city of Puebla, home to fantastic food and yet more colonial architecture.

Best for

First-timers
History & Heritage
Cultural Immersion
Beach

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Itinerary details

2 nightsMEXICO CITY

Your adventure begins in Mexico City, as you dive into the magic and madness of the country’s irresistible capital. Your home for the next two nights is Las Alcobas, a sleek boutique property in the high-end Polanco district. Here, you’ll have the city’s finest museums, bars and restaurants on your doorstep, in what’s known as the Manhattan of Mexico City. This is the place to kick off your exploration of Mexico’s colonial past: the Church of San Francisco dates way back to 1524, as does the House of the First Printing Press in the Americas, which as its name suggests offers a fascinating glimpse into another side of colonial culture.

2 nightsSAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

The next stop on your Mexican adventure is San Miguel de Allende, a beautiful colonial city in Mexico’s central highlands. San Miguel’s architecture is picture-book Spanish colonialism, with its cobbled streets lined with pretty, historic buildings. Highlights include the Botanical Gardens, where you’ll find tropical birds, spiky cacti and succulent plants, and the Instituto Allende, a historic former convent dating back to 1736. Your home for the next two nights is Hotel Matilda, a design hotel voted #1 in the country by Conde Nast Traveller in 2016; needless to say, it’s a beautiful property, and fantastic Mexican cuisine is served at the Moxi restaurant.

2 nightsGUADALAJARA

Next up you’ll be driven to the cultural hotspot of Guadalajara, a journey of around four hours. The home of mariachi, tequila and margaritas, it goes without saying that it’s not hard to have a good time here, and the city is the cultural heart of the Jalisco region. It’s also home to some stunning colonial architecture; the Gothic twin towers of the 16^th-century cathedral loom over the city, while the Basilica de Zapopan, dating from 1730, is more understated but almost as impressive. You’ll spend two nights at Hotel Demetria, a luxurious design hotel with an in-house boutique selling the works of local Jalisco artists.

2 nightsTEQUILA

No visit to the Jalisco region would be complete without a trip to Tequila, just an hour from Guadalajara, where you’ll spend a couple of days sampling the spirit to which the town lent its name. Your base, Hotel Solar de las Animas, is the perfect place to do just that: owned by the Cuervo family, purveyors of the world’s best-selling tequila, the property is home to a huge cellar containing a myriad different varieties of the drink. Don’t miss the opportunity while you’re here to learn more about where tequila comes from: the blue agave fields from which it is sourced are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in themselves, and make for a beautiful horseback ride.

3 nightsPUNTA MITA

The final stop on your adventure is Punta Mita, a fishing village and coastal resort around four hours’ drive from Tequila. This is the perfect place to unwind after your adventures inland, and your hotel, Imanta, is unrivalled when it comes to peaceful exclusivity. Set in 250 hectares of unspoilt jungle, the hotel opens onto two miles of beautiful Pacific coastline; no fewer than seven species of turtle come to lay their eggs at Banderas Bay throughout the year, and viewing this spectacle is a truly magical wildlife experience. You may want to do little more than laze on the beach or beside the pool, but should you be feeling a little more energetic, you can round off your Mexican adventure with a range of activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, and guided hikes through the jungle.