While researching and conducting interviews for a special supplement about luxury travel in Mexico for Travel Weekly, I came across several exciting ways to experience this fascinating nation. From the biggest city to the most secluded beach, there are lots of options for exciting, exotic and offbeat travel. Here are five that stand out.
1. Zooming around Cancun: A company called Exotic Rides offers exactly what its name promises. Choose a Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini Gallardo or an Audi R8 and, after a bit of expert training, you’ll be racing along a 1.6-mile racetrack with the guidance of a professional driver. Road trips to Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Chichén Itzá are also available. (For something a bit different, check out the video of my experience renting a Smart Car at the Grand Oasis Palm Cancun hotel.)
2. Los Cabos by Camel: The Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort now offers a tour called the Outback & Camel Safari, through a tour operator called Cabo Adventures. This ecotourism tour includes a camel ride along a private beach on the Pacific Ocean, followed by lunch and a tequila tasting session at Rancho San Cristobal. (For more vacation ideas, check out the Los Cabos travel tips from the general manager of the Fairfield Inn Los Cabos.)
3. Dinner in the Sky in Mexico City: There’s nothing like dining with a view, and with Dinner in the Sky, an entire table — complete with 22 chairs — is hoisted 45 meters into the air near the Revolution Monument, for what is perhaps one of the most breathtaking meals in North America’s largest city. (Looking for more excitement in the capital? Check out my post, City of Surprises: 5 Unexpected Things to do in Mexico City.)
4. Zip-Bike in the Riviera Maya: A combination of bicycle and zip line, the Zip-Bike, offered by Experiencias Xcaret at the Xel-Há eco-park, is a 1,640-foot bike route suspended from a cable that runs above the jungle, cenotes (sinkholes) and mangroves at heights of up to 23 feet. Quite different from your average bike ride. (Traveling with the kids? Read my 5 Travel Tips for Choosing the Best All-Inclusive Family Resort.)
5. Jaguar spotting in the Yucatan: Xcanatun, a luxury boutique hotel set in a historic hacienda in the city of Mérida, offers excursions to the Kaxil Kluic Biocultural Reserve, a 4,400-acre private facility where local Maya communities and wildlife experts work together to protect the habitat of the jaguar. You can learn more about their efforts — and perhaps even see one of these beautiful endangered creatures, during your visit. (For more info about how luxurious a visit to Mérida can be, read my review of Xcanatun.)
MORE MEXICO TRAVEL TIPS & INSPIRATION:
• Ricky Martin, SNL Stars and Michael Bolton to Appear at Palace Resorts in Cancun
• My Quintana Roo: Mexico Travel Tips from Scuba Pro Gabriel López
• TRAVEL VIDEO: Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa