ADVENTURE - MagicofMexico

ADVENTURE
THE PLACE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW
THE PLACE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW
VERTIGO VIEWS
T H E N D E E P I N TO
T H E CA N YO N
CHIHUAHUA’S BARRANCAS DEL COBRE
Thrill to vertiginous scenery—on Mexico’s last passenger train—along the
rim of a grand canyon deeper than
Arizona’s. Then it’s everybody off for
hiking, horseback riding and biking
down the mad inclines. An Edenic dip
beneath Baseachi and Cusárare Falls
before camping on Lake Arereko.
Ready to drop 4921 ft (and come back
up)? Try the Rarámuri’s ultra-marathon, a 66-mile trek through La Sinforosa, the region’s awe-inspiring “queen
of the cliffs.”
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LAKESIDE
WITH
M AG N I F I C E N T
MONARCHS
MICHOACÁN
You don’t know Mother Earth till you’ve
communed with the monarch butterflies at Ocampo and Angangueo —a
sea of black and orange which many
find life-transforming. Saddle up and
follow Don Vasco de Quiroga’s sixteenth-century mission trail to remote
lakes and cascades. Once you reach
Zirahuén, switch to kayaks, rafts or
bikes for unforgettable lakeside and
sylvan adventure.
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MILLENNIAL
JUNGLE
LIFE AND
A DV E N T U R E
CHIAPAS
At the Arco del Tiempo ecotourism
area (a unesco World Heritage Site)
you explore 164-foot-deep canyons
or raft down the La Venta River to a
wilderness campsite. Visit Lacandon
indigenous settlements to learn a
thing or two about life amid gorgeous
nature. And scanning the heavens for
brilliant feathered flyers like the guacamaya roja or scarlet macaw is definitely not simple bird watching.
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OCEAN
J O U R N E YS
FROM SUBLIME
TO X T R E M E
THE SEA OF CORTÉS
Remote, eternal and breathtaking
—where land, sea and heaven meet. On
the water, up close and personal with
magnificent whales. Beneath the waves
amid millions of tropical life forms.
Or ocean kayaking and all the other
xtremes—for the adrenaline you’ve got
to feel. Plus authentic, family-friendly
adventure for even the littlest explorers.
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T H E DAW N
O F A N E W A G E,
IN A WORLD AS
ANCIENT AS
ETERNITY
YUCATÁN
Your 2012 date with destiny: make
the pilgrimage to Chichén Itzá
and bear witness to the dawning of
a whole new age. Flamingo hordes at
Celestún or Ría Lagartos tickle you
pink. Then sink into a thousand magnificent cenotes: crystal-clear limestone grottoes —perfect for swimming, snorkeling or hard-core diving.
The portals to a rarely seen, spectacular underworld.
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THE HIGHEST PEAK
— A N D S P E C TA C U L A R
W H I T E W AT E R
If you’ve got what it takes, you can’t
ascend any further than Orizaba Peak,
Mexico’s highest—a volcano second
only to Kilimanjaro in its striking relief.
Down below you kayak rapids beneath
Tomata falls—or even go over the falls
for a rush like no other. Once your
pulse stops racing you look to the sky
and see a whole zoology of whistling,
chirping, squawking birds. So much
better than just Tweeting through life.
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www.lucasgilman.com
VERACRUZ
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S P E LU N K I N G
LIKE
N OT H I N G E L S E
ON EARTH
SAN LUIS POTOSÍ
High adventure in the High Sierra.
Rappel 1234 feet into one-of-a-kind
spelunking at fantastic, parrot-filled
Sótano de las Golondrinas—many say
it’s the most beautiful single-chamber
cavern in the world. At the surface
there’s rafting beneath 344-foot Tamul Falls, the region’s most dramatic,
at the center of dozens more. There’s
even urban adventure—mountain biking near the quaint colonial mining
town of Real de Catorce.
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SO MUCH MORE
T H A N PA R T Y A N I M A L S
QUINTANA ROO WILDLIFE
The state’s magnificent coasts and
mangrove forests hold much more than
party animals. Swim with gentle whale
sharks at Holbox, in supreme meditation, or frolic with thousands of other
playful species as you kayak, snorkel
or scuba. After all the fun, give back to
Mother Nature at a daybreak flamingochick study on Isla Pájaros.
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A L L- I N - O N E
FUN
MEXICO STATE’S VALLE DE BRAVO
Just a quick, easy hop from Mexico
City, Valle de Bravo offers something
for everyone: adventurers, foodies,
even those who love doing nothing.
Hike, paraglide, ride horseback or go
bird watching; then hit Valle’s magnificent lake for water sports, sailing
and relaxation. Back in town—that
retains a gracious old-Mexico air—
you’ve got it all, from five-star restaurants, organic greenmarkets and
great shopping, to cozy B&Bs and
chic design hotels.
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S U P E R L AT I V E
PEAKS
A N D VA L L E Y S
OAXACA’S SIERRA NORTE
Ancient, untouched and remote, playground of the Mixtec and Zapotec
gods. Hike an afternoon or a week
amid soaring, sun-drenched peaks
and cool, shady valleys. Mountain biking for everyone from beginners to
hard cores. Feed body and soul in one
of Mexico’s truly superlative regions.
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NO FEAR
O F H E I G H TS
NUEVO LEÓN
Ascend as high as 2000 ft along the
grey limestone faces of Potrero Chico,
one of the world’s top rock-climbing
destinations and a guaranteed personal
best. Matacanes Canyon keeps it wet
and wonderful on an adventure that
has you rappelling 88 feet—or can
even feature a heart-stopping, 43-foot,
freefall splash. Exhaustion was never
so satisfying.
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W I L D, W I L D
WILDLIFE
SONORA’S BAHÍA DE KINO AND SAN CARLOS
Where the snorkel and scuba are not
for humans only—make room for flippant sea lions who want in on the fun.
On land you meet bighorn sheep and
giant bura deer or scan the treetops
for world-class bird watching. Trails
lead halfway to paradise, for views
both of heaven and earth. Then set out
on Mar de Cortés sport-fishing expeditions for once-in-a-lifetime fun, amid
glistening maritime scenery.
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ANCIENT
M AYA A D V E N T U R E
TULUM, PUNTA ALLEN AND SIAN KA’AN, QUINTANA ROO
Ancient cosmic mysteries hidden between the stones of magnificent ruined Maya cities are the backdrop to
a thousand other expeditions. Go on
“safari” for a transcendent encounter
with gentle manatees, feisty tapirs or
even the region’s most sublime jungle-dweller: the sacred jaguar. Sport
fishing plus scuba and snorkel, along
the Maya reefs, round out an expedition for the whole family.
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BAJÍO HEIGHTS
—BY BIKE, CLIMB
OR RAPPEL
QUERÉTARO’S SIERRA GORDA
Ramble ancient trails leading to missions and pre-Hispanic ruins, in one of
Mexico’s most spectacularly beautiful
corners. Bike mountain trails to panoramas where heaven and earth are
one. Then move on to Peña de Bernal—
a monolith as impressive as Gibraltar
or Sugarloaf—and rappel, or ascend,
its sheer 944-foot, 10 million-year-old
faces. The rugged Mexico only intrepid
adventurers know.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
protected areas
Aguascalientes www.vivaaguascalientes.com
Baja California www.descubrebajacalifornia.com
Baja California Sur www.turismobcs.com
Campeche www.campeche.travel
Chiapas www.turismochiapas.gob.mx
Chihuahua www.ah-chihuahua.com
Coahuila www.secturcoahuila.gob.mx
Colima www.visitacolima.com.mx, www.vivemanzanillo.com
Durango www.visitadurango.com.mx
Guanajuato www.guanajuatoexperience.mx
Guerrero www.guerrero.gob.mx/descubre-guerrero
Hidalgo www.hidalgo.travel
Jalisco www.visita.jalisco.gob.mx/wps/portal/portalturistico
Mexico City www.mexicocity.gob.mx
Mexico State www.edomexico.gob.mx/turismo
Michoacán www.turismomichoacan.gob.mx
Morelos www.morelostravel.com
Nayarit www.rivieranayarit.com
Nuevo León www.nuevoleon.travel
Oaxaca www.oaxaca.travel
Puebla www.puebla.travel
Querétaro www.queretaro.travel
Quintana Roo www.caribemexicano.travel,
www.cancun.travel, www.cozumel.travel
San Luis Potosí www.visitasanluispotosi.com
Sinaloa www.vivesinaloa.com
Sonora www.vivesonora.com
Tabasco www.visitetabasco.com
Tamaulipas www.turismotamaulipas.com
Tlaxcala www.turismotlaxcala.com
Veracruz www.veracruz.mx
Yucatán www.yucatan.travel, www.mundomaya2012.travel
Zacatecas www.zacatecastravel.com
Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero, Chiapas
Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna
Cascadas de Agua Azul, Chiapas
Parque Nacional Palenque, Chiapas
Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka’an, Quintana Roo
Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal
Veracruzano, Veracruz
Reserva de la Biosfera El Vizcaíno,
Baja California Sur
Parque Nacional Loreto, Baja California Sur
Parque Nacional Huatulco, Oaxaca
Parque Nacional Nevado de Colima, Colima
Reserva de la Biosfera Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz
Reserva de la Biosfera Alto Golfo de
California y Delta del Río Colorado, Sonora
Parque Nacional Grutas de Cacahuamilpa,
Guerrero
Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote, Veracruz
www.conanp. gob.mx
adventure
destinations
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5
the
sea
of
cortés
caribbean
Gulf of
Mexico
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7
8
Pacific
Ocean
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3
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6
1
2
3
4
5
6
Chiapas
Chihuahua
Mexico State
Michoacán
Nuevo León
Oaxaca
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7 Querétaro
8 Quintana Roo
9 San Luis Potosí
10 Sonora
11 Veracruz
12 Yucatán
w w w.v i s i t m e x i c o . c o m /a d v e n t u r e
THE PLACE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW
www.visitmexico.com/adventure
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THE PLACE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW