Mexican big cities off the beaten path.
Less-touristed cities in Mexico, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Victoria de Durango
Founded in 1563 by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Ibarra, Victoria de Durango is the highland capital of Mexico's Durango state, set in the Valley of Guad…
Cholula
Cholula's Great Pyramid — the largest pyramid by volume in the world, with the colonial Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios built on its summit — ancho…
Toluca de Lerdo
The highest capital city in Mexico and North America, Toluca de Lerdo sits well above sea level in the State of Mexico, giving it a temperate climate year-ro…
Xalapa
A mountain capital in central Veracruz state with one of Mexico's densest café and restaurant scenes and the oldest symphony orchestra in the country, Xalapa…
Villahermosa
Founded on 24 June 1564 by the Spanish colonist Diego de Quijada, Villahermosa is the capital of Mexico's Tabasco state and one of the country's older cities…
Guadalupe
Founded on 4 January 1716 and formally named in 1756 as the Pueblo de la Nueva Tlaxcala de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Horcasitas, this large city in Nuev…
Pachuca
Credited as the birthplace of Mexican football — the sport introduced by Cornish miners who arrived in the 19th century — Pachuca is the highland capital of…
Aguascalientes City
Founded on October 22, 1575, near thermal springs that gave it its name — "hot waters" — Aguascalientes is a large city in north-central Mexico whose histori…
Celaya
Founded in 1570 as Villa de la Purísima Concepción de Zalaya — a Basque word meaning "flat land" — Celaya is a city in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, with…
Tepic
Founded in 1531 by Nuño de Guzmán, Tepic is the capital of Mexico's Pacific-coast state of Nayarit, set in a valley with the Sierra Occidental in the surroun…
Tlaquepaque
Lively Mexican plaza anchors this Jalisco city, where a terracotta-domed bandstand, tree-lined walkways, and a red-tiled church tower set the scene for explo…
Irapuato
Irapuato, a city in Mexico's Guanajuato state, claims the title of world capital of strawberries and ranks among the country's leading strawberry producers.
Veracruz
Mexico's oldest and historically most significant port, Veracruz was founded by Hernán Cortés on 22 April 1519 as Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz — the first Span…
León de Los Aldama
León de los Aldama is one of Mexico's largest cities and the undisputed economic capital of Guanajuato state, built around a leather industry that has shaped…
San Luis Potosí
A large city in central Mexico whose historic centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 as part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, San Lui…
Coatzacoalcos
Port city on the Gulf of Mexico coast in southern Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos sits at the mouth of the river that shares its name — a Nahuatl word meaning "refug…
Tampico
During Mexico's first oil boom in the early 20th century, Tampico was the leading oil-exporting port of the Americas and second-busiest in the world, and the…
Morelia
Morelia's historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, recognised for its well-preserved colonial architecture in pink quarry stone — i…
Saltillo
Saltillo, the capital of Mexico's northeastern Coahuila state, is known across the design world for its thick, lightly glazed earthen ceramic floor tiles and…
Torreón
One of Mexico's youngest cities, Torreón celebrated its centenary only in 2007, yet it carries a substantial revolutionary history — taken four times by rebe…
Santiago de Querétaro
A large Mexican city whose historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, Querétaro is dense with colonial churches and a well-developed…
Santa Catarina
A sprawling industrial city on Monterrey's western edge, Santa Catarina sits against dramatic mountain ridgelines and features bold public art — including la…