Cruising Mexico

Mexico is not just sunny beaches and great water sports. Mexico's Spanish colonial roots fused with her turbulent Indian ancestry have engendered a rich cultural history. Fascinating archaeological ruins, extraordinary works of art, colonial architecture, native handicrafts and wonderful folklore will capture your imagination. Combine all this with fiery sunsets, lots of fun and romantic evenings, and you have the makings of a spectacular cruise vacation.

There are three types of cruise to Mexico, each offering a different cruise experience.

Mexico Baja : These are short 3 and 4 day cruises departing year-round from Los Angeles, California to Ensenada, Mexico and Catalina. Very popular with the West Coast crowd as fun, quick and relaxing getaway.

Mexico Round-Trip (Mexican Riviera) : These are typically 7-night cruises departing year-round from Los Angeles, and seasonally from San Diego and San Francisco; however, they travel further South than the shorter Mexican Baja Cruises. A Mexico Round-Trip cruise often includes, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta before returning to Los Angeles.

Some 8, 10 and 11 night cruises to the Mexico Round-Trip are also offered seasonally. Panama Canal -Full Transit cruises often offer stops in Mexico such as Huatulco, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas. Acapulco is famous for the cliff divers, while Cabo San Lucas is famous for Land's End (pictured above). The scnery is some of the best in the world.

In April, many cruise lines offer a one time one-way repositioning Mexico Round-Trip Cruise from Acapulco to Los Angeles or San Francisco as their travel enroute to Vancouver for the Alaska season. They do this again in the reverse at the end of the Alaska Season.

Caribbean - Western : Many 4, 5 and 7 night Caribbean cruises make stops in Cancun and Cozumel, Mexico, which is on the opposite side of the country when compared to the Mexican Riviera. Click here to learn more about the Western Caribbean.

In Mexico you'll find world-glass golfing, horseback riding, bounteous sport fishing, and sensational diving spots. Dramatic scenery abounds. Shopping is blissful. The American dollar goes a long way, and everything, from regional leather goods and handcrafted silver to designer imports is a bargain.

From the ancient ruins to modern day cities, there is something for everyone in Mexico. I'll take a closer look at some of our Mexican cruises in future articles.