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NORTH PACIFIC COAST/BAJA
Baja's narrow peninsula features sheer cliffs,
desert sands, mission towns and fishing boats.
Wine Country / Guadalupe Valley
An hour's drive south of the California
border is Guadalupe Valley, Mexico's premier wine country.
Located near Ensenada, Guadalupe Valley is home to olive orchards,
simple farms and a dozen boutique wineries. The narrow arid
valley5 miles wide and 14 miles longis cooled
by ocean breezes filtering down over the hills. Caution: only
the main road is fully paved; a sturdy truck or SUV is advised
for navigating the bumpy riverbed side roads.
Adobe Guadalupe
Domicilio Conocido, Baja California,
Mexico
T: +52 646 155-2094. 6 rooms. US$ 150-
www.adobeguadalupe.com
This hacienda-style b&b, winery, restaurant and horse
stables is owned by a retired American couple.
La Villa del Valle
T: +52 646 177 1484. 6 rooms. US$ 175-
www.lavilladelvalle.com
Stylish inn with pool overlooking 70 acres of vineyard and
orchards.
Todos Santos
Avoid the hotel and condo time-share resorts on Baja's tip
and stay midway between Paz and Cabo San Lucas in Todos
Santos, one of the original locations of a Jesuit
monastery. An artist's colony since the late l980's,
it is quaint and tropical, with a considerable amount of colonial
architecture and lots of bougainvillea.Like the rest of Baja,
most of its beaches are more suitable for surfing than swimming
(undertow).
Todos Santos Inn
Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico
T: +52 114 5 0040. 8 rooms. US$ 115-
www.todossantosinn.com
An American has lovingly transformed this colonial building
into a beautifully furnished inn.
Posada La Poza
Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico
T: + 52 612 1450400. 7 rooms. US$ 150-
www.lapoza.com
Restful seaside retreat overlooking sand dunes and the Pacific
Ocean, located several miles outside of town.
CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST
The
Mexican Riviera.
Jalisco
Includes
its capital city, Guadalajara, and the resort town of Puerto
Vallarta.
Casa Las Brisas
Playa Careyero, Punta de Mita
T: +52 322 225-4364. 6 rooms. US$ 285-
www.casalasbrisas.com
Located north of Puerto Vallarta, this lovely beachside villa
is secluded away from the crowds. Newly built a few years ago,
it is owned and operated by an American
architect.
Verana
Yelapa, Jalisco, Mexico
Toll-free from US: 1.800.530.7176. 8 guesthouses. US$ 480+.
3 night min.
www.verana.com
Secluded romantic getaway overlooking Bay of Baderas. Created
by Hollywood production and set designing couple, it is a
small, personal hotel with a unique concept and feel. The
enchanting property includes its own indoor-outdoor spa. Near
pretty fishing village of Yelapa, 20 miles south of Puerto
Vallarta.
Majahuitas Resort
Nr. Puerto Vallarta
Bay of Banderas, Mexico
T: +52 322 15808. 8 rooms. US$ 236.
www.mexicanbeachresort.com
Arrive by boat to this secluded 18 acre hideaway on the beautiful
Bay of Banderas. The romantic getaway is mostly solar poweredno
t.v.'s or telephonesand dining is by candlelight.
Hotel Descondido
T: +52 322 222-2526. 30 rooms. US$ 240-.
www.hotelito.com
To really escape from civilization, journey 60 miles south
from Puerto Vallarta to this eco-luxurious hotel featuring
candlelit bungalows, gauze-draped beds and open-air showers.
Very limited electricity: dine by torchlight, get around by
rowboat. The 1997-era hotel was created by a former Italian
fashion designer.
Colima
The charm of old Mexican can be found in Colima's traditional
villages and its countryside of brooding volcanoes and pretty
Pacific Coast beaches.
Hacienda de San Antonio
Comala, Colima
T: +52 312 314-3143. US$ 650-, includes meals
www.haciendadesanantonio.com
A restored stately 1876-era hacienda set in 470 acres of landscaped
gardens and organic coffee plantation at the foot of a sometimes
smoking volcano.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC COAST
Luxury hotels and quaint seaside villages
Zihuatanejo, Guerrero
Idyllic beachside town on Mexico's Pacific coast, favored
by writers, artists and actors, away from the high rises of
Acapulco and Ixtapa.
La Casa Que Canta
Camino Escenico, Playa La Ropa
Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico
T: +52 755 47040. US$ 295-
www.lacasaquecanta.com
A terra cotta pleasure palace set on a hillside
overlooking the sea. Made its movie debut in the 1990's with 'When a Man
Loves a Woman'.
Oaxaca
A favorite destination of European travelers, magical Oaxaca
is Mexico at its most authentic and spontaneous.
Casa Oaxaca
407 Call Garcia Vigil
Oaxaca, Mexico
T: +52 951 44173. 6 rooms. US$ 124-
www.casaoaxaca.com
This small, yet exquisite 200 year old in-town villa provides
its guests with style and seclusion.
Camino Real Hotel
300 Calle Cinco de Mayo
T: +52 951 501-6100
www-camino-oxaca.com
One block off of Oxaca's famed zocalo (market square) lies
this 400 year old former Spanish Colonial nunnery.
CENTRAL INLAND MEXICO/DEL BAJIO
Colonial cities that reflect that soul of Mexico.
San Miguel de Allende,
Guanajuato
The crown jewel of Mexico's colonial cities. Enriched by Guanajuato's
silver mines in the 1700's, then preserved in benign neglect,
it is a vortex of physical beauty, grand architecture
and folk arts.
Casa Schuck
Garita 3
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
+52 415 20657. 6 suites. US$ 115-
www.casaschuck.com
Large colonial villa built with old-world style and sophistication
as a private family compound, now a luxurious b&b.
Casa de Liza
Bajada del Chorro 7
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
T: +52 415 27040.
10 colonial houses with 37 suites US$ 209-
www.casaliza.com
Owned by an American expatriate artist, this restored colonial
estate has elegant suites and antique-filled villas.
Hacienda Las Trancas
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
T: + 52 418 182 9500 Hacienda. 50 rooms. US$ 340-, all inclusive.
www.haciendalastrancas.com
450 year old Hacienda and ten walled acres of lush gardens
lovingly restored by an American artist and her husband. Located
in a safe, small village mid-way between San Miguel de Allende
and Guanajuato City, you can horse-ride, mountain bike and
swim here or just enjoy the friendly hospitality of the owners
and their staff. The Hacienda was once the center of a vast
million acre estate.
Guanajuato City
Strolling troubadors and mariachi bands, leafy romantic
plazas, narrow winding alleyways, museums and university students.
Set in the rolling highlands of central Mexico, Guanajuato
is the birthplace of painter Diego Rivera.
La Casa de Espíritus Alegres
Guanajuato, Mexico
T: +52 473 31013. 8 rooms. US$ 95-
www.casaspirit.com
Just outside town, the house is a nucleus of a complex rescued
from the ruins of Hacienda da Trinidad, an enormous silver
mining operations. Under the care of artists since the 1950's,
it has an extraordinary collection of folk art. The inn is
a perfect base for exploring the lively beauty of Guanajuato.
Querétaro
The Otomi, the Tarasco, the Chichimeca and the Spanish lived
peacefully together in the Querétaro's
capital city. A world heritage listed site, Querétaro
is notable for its many extravagantly adorned civil and religious
baroque monuments dating from its golden age in the 17th and
18th centuries.
Mesón de Santa Rosa
Querétaro
City
Querétaro,
Mexico
T: +52 442 224 2623. 24 rooms. US$ 113-
www.mesonsantarosa.com
300 year old colonial hotel centrally located on the Plaza
de Armas.
La Casa de la Marquesa
Madero #1
Querétaro
City, Querétaro,
Mexico
T: +52 42 12 00 92. 25 rooms. US$ 150-
www.lacasadelamarquesa.com
Built as a private residence in 1756, it is famous for its
carved stonework and moorish influences.
Pátzcuaro,
Michoacán
Lovely Michoacán's most picturesque
city and one of Mexico's most exquisite and soulful towns.
Posada La Basilica
Pátzcuaro
Michoacán, Mexico
T: +52 43 421108. US$ 125-
www.posadalabasilica.com
Rooftop views overlooking town square and Lake Janitzio
Mansión Iturbe
Portal Morelos # 59
Col. Centro C.P. 61600
Patzcuaro, Mich, Mexico
T: +51 434 3 42 03 68. 14 rooms. US$ 95-
www.mexonline.com/iturbe.htm
The inn dates back to the 17th century. Rooms are decorated
with antiques and Purepechan Art; the majority have a private
balcony overlooking Vasco de Quiroga Square
Morelia, Michoacán
The capital city of Michoacán, Morelia is a world heritage
site known for its pink quarry stone and historic structures,
including an 18th century cathedral, one of Mexico's
largest.
Villa Montana
Patzimba No. 201
Col. Vista Bella
Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
T: +52 443 314 02 31. 38 rooms. US$ 250-.
www.villamontana.com.mx
Country elegant hill-top villa set in four acres of gardens
five minutes outside of Morelia. Decorated with Spanish colonial
furniture, oil paintings and native folk art.
MEXICO CITY & ENVIRONS
History, archeology and Spanish colonial cities.
Morelos
Rich in archeological treasures, including the world heritage
site Xochicalco.
Hacienda San Gabriel de Las Palmas
Nr. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
T: +52 734 80636. 12 rooms. US$ 120-
www.hacienda-sangabriel.com.mx
Commissioned by Hernan Cortes as a monastery in the 16th century
and commandeered by Emiliano Zapata as his headquarters during
the war of independence, its balconies overlook hundreds of
royal palms, flame trees, and vast corn and sugarcane fields.
Has horses, tennis and a pool. Very romantic.
CARIBBEAN COAST/YUCATAN
Mayans ruins and white sand Caribbean beaches.
Riviera Maya,
Yucatan,
Mexico's Caribbean coast with beautiful beaches and Mayan
ruins. Ignore the disco driven tourist crowds and mega resorts
in and around Cancun and head south towards the small thatch-roofed
hotels and palapas, coral sand beaches and former coconut
plantations found near Tulum.
Maroma
Costa Maya, Mexico
T: +52 98 74 47 29. 36 rooms, US$ 410-
www.maromahotel.com
Situated on one of the last bits of wild coast between the
high rises of Cancun and the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Eco-sensitive
and low density, set on 540 acres of a former coconut plantation.
Esencia
Playa Xpu-Ha Beach, nr. Playa del Carmen
Yucatan, Mexico
T: +1 713 528-7865. 29 rooms. US$ 325-
www.hotelesencia.com
It has beachside views of the sunset and Cozumel Island. Esencia's
main building was originally an Italian countess' home.
Cabanas Ana y Jose
Nr. Tulum ruins, Yucatan, Mexico
T: +52 98 8 06022. 17 rooms. US$ 75-
www.anayjose.com
Secluded cabanas, half with a sea view. Helpful staff, pool,
masseuse and a pretty beach.
Yucatan Haciendas
These recently restored haciendas were part of working estates
that
included sisal factories, silver mines, workshops, chapels
and schools.
Hacienda Temozon
Nr. Celestun,
Yucatan Penisula, Mexico
T: +52 999 923 8089. 35 rooms. US$ 220-
www.starwood.com/luxury
Probably the most splendid of any hacienda in the Yucatan
Presidents Clinton and Zedillo met here in 1999. The rooms
come with ceiling fans, air conditioning and traditional Mayan
hammocks.
Hacienda Santa Rosa
Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
T: +52 999 910 4852. 11 rooms. US$ 220-
www.starwood.com/luxury
A beautiful oasis found at the end of a long dirt road. The
complex of buildings include a candlelit chapel and a well
stocked library.
Hacienda Katanchel
Nr. Merida
Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
T: +52 99 23-40-20. 33 rooms. US$ 200-
www.haciendakatanchel.com
A 17th century colonial hacienda, 15 miles from Meridathe
gateway to great Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá,
Uxmal and Cobáwith 33 separate "pavilions"
set in a staggeringly beautiful jungly garden. The 740 acre
property includes Mayan ruins, horses, tennis, a pool and
spa.
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