The spirit of Mexico: Tastings spotlight complexity of tequila

Perhaps Mexico's most famous export, tequila has come a long way from its onetime frat-party niche where fortitude was measured by the number of shots, buffered by licks of salt and lime, you could down. Not so long ago, travelers were often surprised to encounter the wide variety and high quality of tequila they encountered in Mexico. In the right hands, the nectar of the blue agave actually is as refined and complex as any fine whiskey or wine.

Though Mexico strictly regulates tequila exports, more and more previously unknown brands have been making it north of the border — so many, in fact, that it's hard to know what to choose. There are a couple of constants: Always look for 100 percent blue agave (the name "tequila" can be applied to anything above 50 percent), and the older the spirit, the smoother and richer it will be. Beyond that, it's mostly personal preference.

Tasting festival

The Spirits of Mexico event, coming to San Diego Sept. 17-21, is one easy way to sample a wide variety of tequila brands, as well as a few mezcal and other spirits made in Mexico. Now celebrating its 10th year, the festival offers seminars led by professionals who cover the history and culture of each spirit, teach proper tasting techniques and impart wisdom about current trends. And of course, there are tastings. Lots of tastings.

The tasting competition (by invitation only) that precedes the festival determines the awards and trophies are announced during a dinner and live auction at Barra Barra Saloon in Old Town San Diego Friday night. Top winners in 2012 were Cava de Oro, best of show, and Jose Cuervo Platino/Pura Vida Silver (tie), Muerto Reposado, El Jimador Añejo and Scorpion Añejo Tobala varietal (mezcal), best in their respective categories.

The Spirits of Mexico is a touring event, starting in New York in May, moving to Chicago in June, and winding up in San Diego. The final San Diego leg, which draws about 2,500 aficionados, claims to be the oldest, largest and most comprehensive such event in North America. A panoply of master distillers, blenders, mixologists, distributors and retailers present both world-renowned and emerging brands, and visitors will be able to tap the knowledge of prominent historians and authors. This year's festival promises more "meet, greet and taste" opportunities than ever, and is adding events that spotlight the spirit, as well as the spirits, of Mexico's history and culture.

Tequila 101

The kickoff event is the brand-new "Contemporary Cocktails/Ancient Cuisine" Cocktail Challenge at the Blind Burro in Downtown San Diego. Chefs will re-create dishes that the ancient Aztecs ate, as well as each dish's contemporary version, offering insight into how the Spanish influenced Mexico's ancient cuisine. At the same time, guests will taste mixologists' best efforts to create the festival's Cocktail of the Year.

A free "Art of Tequila" exhibition opens Wednesday, detailing the artistic passion lavished upon the hand-crafted bottles that distinguish Mexico's spirits from any other in the world. The exhibition focuses on the distinctly Mexican cultural themes that inspire the innovative, often whimsical and sometimes outlandish designs.

Thursday brings the traditional Tequila Trail in Old Town San Diego, presenting signature dishes from local restaurants, along with selections of tequila, mezcal and other Mexican spirits.

The main tasting event on Saturday, at the Information Center Plaza in Old Town San Diego, puts hundreds of styles of agave and other spirits produced in Mexico at visitors' disposal, with food created especially for the event.

Extra credit

Though The Spirits of Mexico will have enough tequila to keep any sane person fully occupied, the festival also offers a rare opportunity to sample Mexican wine, as well as some of the other spirits produced in Mexico that are rarely found in the United States, including:

Bacanora — Distilled for 400 years from agaves that grow in Sonora's Sierra Madres, bacanora was inexplicably outlawed at the onset of the Mexican revolution in 1915. That law was only repealed in 1992, and the state established standards and regulations for its production. The agaves are slowly roasted in underground pits, imparting mineral nuances to the liquor.

Mezcal — Though a generic name for all spirits distilled from the agave, it's more often associated with the maguey agave spirit produced primarily in Oaxaca and to a lesser extent in the states of San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, Jalisco, Durango, Morelos, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. It is usually produced in smaller batches, and the agave heart, or piña, is cooked in an underground pit lined with volcanic rock. The smoky flavor that results does not lend itself to mixing, so it is usually drunk in straight shots.

Raicilla — A fermented pre-Hispanic drink that has been prepared by traditional methods for 500 years, raicilla is based on wild agave plants, though agave is now cultivated for the purpose in the state of Jalisco. Long regarded as "moonshine," it is now regulated and produced legally in Jalisco. 

Sotol — Produced in northern Mexico from the Desert Spoon cactus (sotol in Spanish), sotol is distilled in much the same way mezcal is. Though common in Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila, commercial versions are extremely rare.

The Spirits of Mexico, Sept. 17-21, downtown and Old Town San Diego. Events $35-$95; combo tickets $88-$265. www.thespiritsofmexico.com, (619) 709-0555.

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Good reasons to visit Mexico's less-traveled destinations

To anyone who was wondering whether President Enrique Peña Nieto would be as staunch an advocate of Mexico's tourism industry as his predecessor had been didn't have to wait long for an answer. Presenting his national tourism policy in February, he said he intended to turn Mexico into a world-class destination, and his new Secretary of Tourism, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, said tourism will be the "engine to drive development for all Mexicans."

Though the presentation was laced through with government-speak and obviously aimed less at tourists than at economic policy-makers concerned with an industry that generates nearly 9 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product, tourists could already see some of the results by the time Mexico's annual Tianguis Turistico, Latin America's biggest tourism trade event, took place in March. Mexico Mix previously covered some of the announcements  affecting visitors to some of the country's most popular destinations in March.

In some ways, Peña Nieto is simply furthering what the previous administration set in motion, including a focus on less visited destinations (basically, any destination that doesn't revolve around a beach). Ruiz Massieu said the plan is to highlight these repositories of culture, adventure, sustainable tourism and gastronomy with specific promotions rather than rely on one big umbrella for all of Mexico. Here are some of the changes coming to a few of these destinations.

Queretaro: High-speed rail link

Mexico's tourism ministry and the state of Queretaro have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a high-speed passenger train service between Mexico City and Queretaro, fulfilling one of Peña Nieto's campaign promises. Still at the technical and environmental study stage, the train will travel at 120 to 140 miles per hour, covering the 160 miles between the two cities in less than two hours. Mexico's old train network, which crisscrossed the country and was by far the cheapest way to travel, was shut down in the 1990s, leaving the country without passenger trains except for "El Chepe" in the Copper Canyon and the short-run Tequila Express in Jalisco state.

Queretaro is a handsome colonial city, surrounded by mountains, whose downtown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the state is home to a burgeoning wine and cheese region that has been largely overlooked by foreign visitors.

Also under consideration are rail passenger rail service between the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula and between Mexico City and Toluca. Urban rail projects in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Chalco (Mexico state) are also receiving government support.

Mahahual-Chetumal Bridge

The Caribbean coast south of Riviera Maya and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, christened the Costa Maya by the cruise industry, has grown steadily in the past 10 years as the cruise terminal in Mahahual has become increasingly popular and is only expected to become more so in the future. Cruise passengers—and independent travelers who like the small, minimally developed town as it is—must make a long jog inland and then south to reach shopping and services in Chetumal, the state capital.

The state government is planning to build a 20-mile bridge across Chetumal Bay, 13½ miles of which would be over water, to link the two destinations. The benefit would be even greater to residents and travelers in tiny Xcalak, Mexico's southernmost Caribbean outpost about 45 minutes from Mahahual.

Veracruz: Adventure travel

The under-the-radar state of Veracruz on the southern Gulf of Mexico coast, endowed with mountains, jungle, a major bird migratory route, rivers and offshore coral reefs, is carving out an adventure tourism niche for itself. Little developed outside of its few cities, the state's abundance of open space has given rise to diving and snorkeling, dune-boarding, whitewater rafting, ocean and whitewater kayaking, mountain biking and climbing, horseback riding, rappelling and zip lines.

After participating in the international World Travel Adventure Summit in Chiapas in 2011, when then-President Felipe Calderon outlined plans to develop adventure tourism in Mexico, Veracruz inaugurated ATMEX, Mexico's first adventure travel trade show, last September. This year's ATMEX will be in Boca del Rio, Aug. 14-17.

Zacatecas: Cultural destination

Known best as one of the cluster of old silver mining cities that includes San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Alamos, Zacatecas aims to become "the cultural destination of Mexico." It has plenty to build on, with its famous Holy Week Cultural Festival involving 25 of the state's 58 municipalities (analogous to our counties). More than 500 dancers and other performers participate, and upwards of 50,000 tourists stream in from all corners of the country and beyond. The state is also proud of its renowned poets and its cache of museums, the largest number of any Mexican City except the capital.

Note: The U.S. State Department travel warning for Mexico is currently warning against travel outside the city of Zacatecas, especially the regions bordering Durango and Coahuila states because of drug cartel violence.

Colima: Golf and nature

This Pacific Coast state's major tourist destination is the luxury resort city of Manzanillo, but its tourism ministry is trying to get the word out about its other attractions while still taking advantage of Manzanillo's popularity. The toll road from Guadalajara, the nearest international airport, to Manzanillo has cut the trip to 2½ hours and reduced the number of accidents. The government is beefing up wheelchair-accessible ramps, parking, shuttle vans, emergency communications and other services. Colima touts its unofficial title as the national marlin fishing capital—it even has a marlin tournament for children—and especially its golf courses, which are receiving the highest priority for tourism development. Covering all the bases, it boasts of its safe, well-maintained highway system, which makes it easy to visit the state's small towns and natural areas, particularly its spectacular volcanoes.

Note: The State Department travel warning advises avoiding areas of the state bordering Michoacan.

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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Cancun and the Riviera Maya in the fall

Cancun and the Riviera Maya account for the lion's share of U.S. tourism to Mexico, and most of those travelers set their compasses south in winter, beginning around the Christmas holidays. Most northerners don't think of the Caribbean coast as a fall destination, but that's when some of the region's best events — aimed primarily at locals, since that's who is around — take place.

This is also the time of year when prices are lowest – right up until the week before Christmas, when they soar to the highest levels of the year. Yes, it's humid early in the season, but November is comfortable and December weather often approaches perfection. If you haven't considered the Mexican Caribbean for a fall vacation before, here are some reasons to try it this year.

Day of the Dead

Roughly analogous to, yet profoundly different from, our Halloween, the annual Day of the Dead celebration (Nov. 1-2) produces some of Mexico's most joyous pageantry, and the Caribbean coast is no exception — the Maya version here is called Hanal Pixán. The Xcaret theme park extends the celebration to five days with its annual Festival of Life and Death Traditions, Oct. 30-Nov. 3. program. Music, dance, visual arts and a patchwork of traditions from cuisine to spiritual rituals to altars and offerings combine to provide the pageantry, and visitors can participate in children's activities and cemetery tours. The central theme for this year's Day of the Dead festival is Ix'tabay, a beautiful woman of Maya myth who appears to men and takes them with her as she walks through the night.

Playa del Carmen's Yaxche restaurant hosts a reservations-only fiesta with traditional Maya food on Nov. 2, attended by a local shaman and a dance troupe that performs a farewell to departed souls. Playa del Carmen hosts a parade down Fifth Avenue, with some altar displays and decorations on the pretty little side street called Calle Corazon. Alltournative, the local ecotourism company, offers a tour to the Tres Reyes Maya community for Day of the Dead observations, including a traditional meal and a ceremony led by a community shaman. 

Food, glorious food

With its famous whale sharks departed for the season, Isla Holbox's tourism slows to a trickle. But visitors savvy enough to visit this fall will reap the benefits when the tiny island shows off a culinary might wholly out of proportion to its size during the Second Annual Holbox Gastronomic Festival, Oct. 16-20. A pantheon of visiting chefs and local restaurants (CasaSandra, Paraiso, El Chapulin, Mandarina ...) will showcase Caribbean flavors, fresh seafood and international dishes prepared in unique island style. In honor of the occasion, the carless town's famous golf carts will stage a parade through the sandy streets.

Playa del Carmen started its annual Taste of Playa food festival five years ago to honor the creativity and diverse cultural influences of the Riviera Maya's cadre of chefs. This year's event, Nov. 24 in the Parque Fundadores, will have more than 30 participating restaurants, from traditional and contemporary Mexican to European meats and cheeses, French pastry, Mexican-Asian fusion, Cuban seafood, Thai, vegetarian, sushi and an array of cocktails and tequila. 

Cancun's Underwater Museum

Cancun's Underwater Museum (Spanish acronym MUSA), which sank its first set of sculptures to the bottom of a national marine park in the waters between Cancun and Isla Mujeres in 2010, has installed 11 new sculptures, designed to be altered by the fish, coral and other marine life that colonize them. Even bigger news is the opening of a visitor center in the Kukulcan Plaza luxury shopping center. Featuring 26 replicas of the most popular submerged sculptures, it also offers exhibits showing sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor's process, step-by-step, for creating internationally recognized art installations that become part of the marine environment. Another center, which will emphasize the Underwater Museum's role in marine conservation, is planned for Isla Mujeres.

See more photos on the Get Lost travel blog

We got culture

Cozumel's Fall Cultural Week, Oct. 19-27, takes place at venues all over the island. Culture meets ecology through various events such as a Mother Earth ceremony, a water drum/fire-dancing performance, an organic market, a puppet theater, films and videos, an organic agriculture conference, contemporary dance and ballet, an organic gardening workshop and concerts.

The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, Nov. 28-30 at the Mamitas Beach club (end of Av. 28 Norte), is ranked as one of the world's top 10 jazz festivals. Among the jazz legends and Grammy winners who have appeared in its 11 years are George Duke, Four Play, Sergio Mendes and Herbie Hancock. This year's festival will bring Grammy-winning guitarist Frank Gambale, pianist/composer Jim Beard and ground-breakers Earth, Wind & Fire to the Mamitas Beach club.

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Highways from Cabo expand tourists’ Baja horizons

Despite predating Los Cabos by about 400 years, and serving as Baja California Sur's capital for the past 183, La Paz has been overshadowed by the glitzy upstart to the south. Instead of the likes of John Wayne and Bing Crosby escaping the Hollywood hustle to trek dirt tracks to some of the world's best sport fishing, you have Jennifer Aniston and George Clooney jetting to Los Cabos for a weekend of golf or partying.

The bright side to Los Cabos' dominance of Baja (and Mexico) tourism is that the rest of the cape region has changed very little over the years. Cabo vacationers have tended not to venture far from their cocoons of all-inclusive resorts, pricey restaurants and nonstop nightclubs. A day trip to Todos Santos, maybe, but not much more. The rest of the cape remained remote, not in distance but in time and fortitude required to get there. And La Paz? Why make the more than three-hour trip when you've got all the comforts in Cabo?

With the completion last year of a fast, new four-lane stretch of Highway 1 north from Cabo, and a four-lane expansion of Highway 19 up the West Cape, drive times have been cut by more than half to La Paz (now 1.5 hours) and Todos Santos (45 minutes). More tourists are expanding their Baja horizons, but the cape beyond Los Cabos is still far from overrun. There is more development pressure, but so far it's been kept to a minimum, and local activists have so far managed to block a Cancun-sized resort with two golf courses from going up within the marine national park off Cabo Pulmo's pristine shores. Several luxury developments are breaking ground to take advantage of the increased tourism ... in Los Cabos.

It seems that tourists who choose Los Cabos for a vacation are still going to spend most of their time in Cabo even if they find it easier to venture farther out to explore more often. Which is kind of ideal, really; the rest of the cape should continue to offer a glimpse into the Baja of old, while locals who depend on tourism for a living enjoy a boost. Here are some of the places enjoying the benefits.

La Paz: The unassuming but lovely and very Mexican capital — one of Mexico's safest cities, with a homicide rate lower than San Francisco's and comparable to Tacoma, Wash. — is seeing the most benefit, as it becomes a reasonable alternative to Cabo for people coming to the area. Peaceful as its name, La Paz remains focused on day-to-day work rather than tourism yet provides everything a traveler needs: a beguiling malecon (seafront walk), pleasant and affordable lodging, seaside restaurants, movie theaters, abundant festivals and white-sand beaches with incomparable sunsets. While the abundance of marlin and sailfish in La Paz' waters are still a major draw, the city's offerings have morphed into ecotourism, much of it centered on uninhabited Isla Espiritu Santo, about 20 miles off the coast.

This doesn't mean there have been no changes. Golf, for one thing. La Paz' first remotely Cabo-class resort, CostaBaja is 5 minutes north of town and includes the city's largest public marina, an 18-hole golf course with panoramic sea views, a spa, three pools and three restaurants plus a pool bar. The resort includes residential condos and is about to announce a major addition to the property. Also removed from the core of the city is a residential golf resort, Paraiso del Mar, on the Peninsula El Mogote, which faces La Paz's malecon across a short stretch of water. All units are privately owned, but guests can rent condos and homes much as they would a hotel room.

Todos Santos: Los Cabos' sprawl abruptly gives way to rolling hills and a string of surfing beaches along Highway 19. The highway passes through tiny El Pescadero, home of a large organic farm that supplies local restaurants and more distant importers, before reaching Todos Santos. No, its legendary Hotel California was not the place in the Eagles' hit song (that wasn't a real place, folks). This 18th century mission town lies 2 miles from a string of beguiling beaches, in a fertile valley lush with farm fields, palm groves and mango and avocado orchards.

Changes here did not happen suddenly. The town's colonial buildings and ethereal light have beguiled artists and intellectuals since the 1980s, and artists drew other expatriates, and the art drew tourists. Restaurants, a bookstore and other niceties. Slowly, the graceful old buildings found guardian angels who renovated them, and new hotels opened, each a little more luxurious than the last (including the current incarnation of the Hotel California). One of the latest, Casa La Tota, is a new downtown building that blends seamlessly into the old colonial structures. Despite its rustic elegance, rooms start at $100 in high season.

Los Barriles and the East Cape: With about 5,000 locals and expats, Los Barriles, is the East Cape's metropolis by default. Despite a fringe of palatial homes, the town center is classic Baja, where chickens scratch in the streets and tortillas and cement blocks are both made by hand. The town is a sports fishing hub that has been adopted by windsurfers, hikers, divers, bikers and eco-tourists. No big new resorts on the horizon, but Los Barriles has accumulated a respectable collection of comfortable, reasonably priced lodging, restaurants and services. If you're looking for more of a resort, the Punta Pescadero Paradise Hotel, about 8.5 miles (but nearly an hour) north on a dirt road tracing the cliff's edge, is an old-time lodge for fly-in fishermen that has been renovated into a sleek, modern resort hotel.

About 25 miles south of Los Barriles on a mostly dirt road, Cabo Pulmo remains literally off the grid, running on solar power and the occasional generator. The town consists of roughly 100 residents around a few restaurants, a dive resort, a general store, and several dive shops that mine the riches of the only living coral reef on North America's west coast. You don't even have to snorkel, let alone dive, to view a kaleidoscope of tropical fish, rays and sometimes a nurse shark. All you have to do is wade into the crystal-clear water. The marine trove is protected as a national marine park, and you might be asked to pay a small use fee if you go into the water.

Following the rutted dirt road south will take you past the enclave of Los Frailes, especially good for fishing, and all the way back to Los Cabos. It's a beautiful drive, but it might shake your fillings loose.

Santiago and the Sierra de la Laguna: Drivers might pay no notice to the small mountain towns of Santiago and El Triunfo as they whiz along Highway 1, but they are worth a day of exploring. These neighboring towns were the heart of Baja California's gold- and silver-mining boom. Santiago was originally founded as a mission, but its mission today is agriculture; after you pull off the highway you enter town through fairytale vistas of colorful farm fields and orchards that scramble to keep up with the demand for organic produce from Los Cabos restaurants, hotels and markets.

Besides the well-maintained mission church and the traditional plaza with its produce market, the venerable Palomar restaurant, bar and hotel was a favorite of Hollywood elite. Santiago is also the gateway to the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere reserve, source of the Baja peninsula's water. About an hour's hike will take you to the Sol de Mayo waterfall.

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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Trouble in paradise: Small Riviera Maya hotel battles Expedia

Mexico's Riviera Maya has inspired many a thought, however fleeting, of picking up and moving to paradise. For most of us those thoughts remain firmly planted in the realm of fantasy, but Tony and Cheri Head made it their reality eight years ago.

The couple, a trial attorney and a business analyst who lived in San Francisco for 30 years, own the popular Luna Blue Hotel, with just 18 rooms and a bar standing a couple of blocks from the beach in the midst of Playa del Carmen's burgeoning resort zone. And life was just about as good as it plays out in a dreamy tourist's fantasy — until the little hotel tangled with Expedia, the world's largest online travel booker. For going on five months now, the couple has been subjected to unauthorized cancellations, demands for money, and false announcements that the hotel is sold out for all eternity or is going out of business.

In the beginning

After their son grew up and moved away. Tony and Cheri Head decided to shift gears. They camped their way down the Baja peninsula before they discovered what was then the small town of Playa del Carmen. While sipping margaritas on the beach, it came to them that this was where they were meant to live. They found a run-down backpacker hotel on the edge of town and prepared to launch their new life.

Despite an inauspicious beginning — they arrived just a few weeks ahead of Hurricane Wilma, the worst Atlantic tropical cyclone on record — their renovated hotel rose to the top of TripAdvisor's popularity index for hotels in Playa within six months of opening. As the city filled up with all-inclusive resorts and boutique hotels over the years, they held to their belief that travelers are still looking for small, traditional posada-style hotels with rooms around a central garden, a bar with a palapa roof and plump hotel cats alternately chasing lizards and dozing in the shade. Experience has proved them right — last month Luna Blue garnered a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice award as one of Mexico's best bargain hotels.

The triple whammy delivered by the swine flu scare, a worldwide recession and travelers' fears over drug violence in northern Mexico made the Heads receptive when local Expedia representative Javier Polanco approached them a little over a year ago about listing Luna Blue on the site. It would help them regain some of the business they had lost to the prolonged travel industry slump, Polanco said.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Trouble in paradise

As "partners" with Expedia, the Heads paid a commission of 25 percent of every booking made through the site. They reasoned that the additional business would be worth it.

But the problems began almost immediately, according to the couple. Despite sending the required details on rooms, amenities and property, the couple soon encountered guests dismayed to find that their rooms did not have the advertised number of beds, or that the hotel did not in fact have a spa on the property. While spending increasing amounts of time trying to smooth ruffled feathers, they also campaigned to get the listings corrected. Over a period of several months, their e-mails were mostly ignored; from time to time a part of their profile would be rewritten, often as not introducing more inaccuracies in the process.

At that point, the Expedia listing was producing the hoped-for increase in bookings. But last August, according to the couple, blank spaces suddenly appeared where photos and room descriptions had been on the Luna Blue page. They said they tried to cancel their contract then and were told it had been renewed automatically, so they were stuck for another year. Persistent calls and e-mails finally got a response in October from Pablo Castro, Expedia's director for Mexico, who said he was going to disable the Luna Blue page because of their "bad attitude," and offered to meet with them in Cancun. But he never responded to six weeks of attempts to set a date, and they finally gave up.

Then, as if by magic, Luna Blue's photos and descriptions showed up again, and reservations started pouring in. But the Heads' relief lasted only a few days. They started getting emails from people asking why Luna Blue had canceled their reservations. Not only had Expedia canceled all their reservations without warning — including those made before the trouble started — but it billed the Heads for "relocation fees," a euphemism for the penalty charged to hotels who overbook and can't accommodate an Expedia reservation. One customer called Expedia after receiving its cancellation notice and was told again that the hotel had no rooms available. The Expedia representative tried to steer her to another hotel, but she e-mailed Luna Blue instead and discovered that the hotel did indeed have a room for her.

Descent into the surreal

Frantic at discovering that their newly resurrected listing pronounced Luna Blue sold out no matter what the date, all the Heads wanted by now was to get every trace of their hotel removed from Expedia. Further investigation showed that it appeared not only on Expedia's booking site, but on its subsidiary sites, which include Hotels.com, Venere.com (Expedia's European branch), Egencia, eLong, Classic Vacations and others — effectively shutting them out of potential reservations from all over the world. And that's before you count TripAdvisor (spun off from Expedia in late 2011), which generates by far the greatest number of bookings for Luna Blue and most small hotels, as well as countless aggregators such as Yahoo Travel and many small Mexican booking sites, that either use Expedia's hotel database or link to Expedia for bookings.

It turns out that Luna Blue is not the only "partner" that Expedia has wiped off the travel map. All of Columbus, Ga. — the state's third-largest city — was shut out for more than five years after the city filed suit to force Expedia to pay taxes on the full value of its bookings. After six years of court battles, Expedia settled in November. In a suit eventually joined by the French government, hoteliers there won hefty fines against Expedia, TripAdvisor (then owned by Expedia) and Hotels.com for "misleading marketing practices" including redirecting traffic to Expedia-owned booking sites instead of the hotel's website, showing a hotel as sold out when in fact rooms were available, displaying incorrect hotel phone numbers so customers could not call directly and misrepresenting standard rates as special promotional offers.

After the Heads blogged about the situation on the Luna Blue website, The Verge, one of the largest technology/media websites, ran a story in December. A few days later, Expedia blocked the Luna Blue page — a small victory, as it still showed up with the "sold out" announcement in search engines and on sites such as TripAdvisor, Venere and small booking agencies that rely on Expedia's database.

Resolution at last?

SFGate contacted Expedia for comment while preparing this column and received a call back from Sarah Gavin, the company's public relations director, just before deadline. She said Luna Blue has been taken off the Venere site and now shows up only in TripAdvisor's link to Venere.

"That's a TripAdvisor engineering fix, and the word back from them is that it's in the engineering queue. As soon as they update, it will be removed," Gavin said, estimating that the Luna Blue site could come down by the end of the day.

"It's moving as fast as it possibly can on that side," she added. "Everybody there is well aware of the situation."

If she is right, a yearlong battle might be ending for one small hotel in the Riviera Maya. But the entire saga is ample reinforcement for one bit of advice you'll hear from many a veteran traveler: You're always better off booking directly with your chosen hotel, particularly if it's a small operation that doesn't warrant a mega-site's attention or regard. The information will be accurate, your reservations will be honored and you'll have your choice from all available rooms, not only those allocated to the booking site. And though the Expedias of the world would rather you not know this, you'll pay the same rate, if not a lower one, when booking directly with the hotel. The difference is that your money will go to the hotel instead of the intermediary.

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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Mexico Mix trivia quiz: Test your knowledge

My husband, a fellow journalist, has forged a second career as a writer for a company that supplies pub trivia "quiz packs" to bars all over the country. In the interest of family togetherness and harmony, I offered to provide some interesting and not so widely known facts about Mexico. When I started scouring my notes, my past stories and my overstuffed brain, fascinating factoids popped up like mushrooms after the first rain. And they didn't stop after his project was complete, so I thought it only right to share the wealth.

Regular readers of Mexico Mix should have an advantage here — a good percentage of the answers have appeared in columns over the past few years. Answers are in the link at the end. If your genius doesn't shine through on this quiz — or you found it laughably easy — don't worry, there's more. They will pop up when you least expect it.

1. Chichen Itza's El Castillo is Mexico's most famous Maya pyramid, but it's far from the tallest. In fact, one archaeological site has two pyramids that top El Castillo's 84 feet. Which one is it?

2. Though Cinco de Mayo is often mistakenly referred to as Mexico's Independence Day, by now most people have caught on that Independence Day is actually Sept. 16. But what does Cinco de Mayo commemorate?

3. Two movies due for release this year, Robert Redford's one-man show "All Is Lost," and the world War II-era "Little Boy," recently wrapped shooting at Baja Studios, which overlooks the Pacific in northern Baja California. What 1997 blockbuster was the occasion for building the studio?

4. Mexico City has more museums than any other city in the world except for one. Which city has more?

5. The Aztecs called this florid member of the spurge family — a shrub that grows more than 10 feet tall in its native soil — cuetlaxochitl. Today's Mexicans and Guatemalans call it "La Flor de la Nochebuena" (Flower of the Holy Night). What do we call it in the United States?

6. More than 200 years before the Spanish reached Napa Valley, they established the Western Hemisphere's first wine region in what Mexican state? (Hint: It's not Baja California.)

7. Twenty-five years after revolutionary hero Benito Juarez, the "George Washington of Mexico," became president of Mexico, a socialist blacksmith in Italy named his first-born son after Juarez. That boy grew up to become what major player during World War II?

8. A traditional mariachi band usually consists of two to four violins, two trumpets, a guitar, a guitarron (bass guitar) and a vihuela. What is a vihuela?

9. If you're driving on a two-lane highway behind a slow truck, and the driver blinks the left turn signal, it's probably not because he's planning to turn. What is he trying to tell you?

10. Scientists were able, for the first time, to observe the complete life cycle of a volcano from birth to extinction after Paricutin rose from a cornfield in 1943. Where will you find this volcano, which was active until 1952?

Click here to check your answers.

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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7 Mazatlan day trips

There's no shortage of great reasons to visit Mazatlan, which has plenty to slake a thirst for exploration for a week or more right in town. But after the first couple of trips there, you become increasingly susceptible to the lure of surrounding villages and other nearby sites. Start venturing out to these places, and you just discover more to add to the list for next time.

A couple of these towns are official Magic Pueblos; others are just magic, full of colonial atmosphere and indigenous customs. I've also discovered a tequila distillery, a fantastic zipline park and an even archaeological site, though it bears no resemblance to Chichen Itza and its kin. Here are the top spots that make a convincing case for a day trip or an overnight stay.

Concordia

On a road climbing past coconut, mango and banana plantations into the Sierra Madre foothills, a remarkably well-preserved collection of Colonial buildings lining narrow cobblestone streets makes this town of about 10,000 one of Mazatlan's most popular day trips. Founded by the Spanish in the 16th century to mine silver and gold, Concordia was settled primarily by indigenous people. Today's residents are primarily occupied with carpentry, pottery and agriculture as their ancestors practiced them. The magnificent, baroque San Sebastian church presides over a leafy town square, where an oversized wooden rocking chair testifies to the town's most famous product — heavy colonial-style furniture. A few miles south of town, a dirt road leads to a natural, tree-shaded hot spring where women wash clothes. You can swim with the locals in the far basin, which is the coolest.

Copala

Changed little since the 16th century, Copala was already settled by native people before the Spanish arrived in 1564 and turned it into a mining town. Its enduring beauty and transcendent mountain views have made it a longtime favorite with veteran visitors to Mazatlan seeking a taste of Old Mexico. Its baroque church, testament to the affluence of Colonial-era Copala, is set high on a hill in the center of town. Visitors can tour the old mine and the ruins of the church in the nearby Hacienda Guadalupe. The town has several good places to eat and some decent lodging.

Cosalá

A spectacular mountain setting, beautifully preserved colonial architecture and traditions dating to the 16th century — including mining, which has resumed in recent decades — earned this lovely town designation as one of Mexico's Magic Pueblos. It was the capital of the state that would eventually be divided into Sinaloa and Sonora states. More than anywhere else, time seems to have stopped here. Petroglyphs and rock paintings by the pre-Hispanic tribes that originally settled the area remain scattered about the town. In addition to numerous 17th- to 19th-century buildings (which many people believe to harbor ghosts) and an excellent Museum of Mineralogy, Cosalá is surrounded by natural attractions, including the lush Vado Hondo, marked by a waterfall, lakes and streams; the San Jose de Las Bocas hot springs; and the El Mineral de Nuestra Señora ecological reserve and bird sanctuary.

El Quelite

This is one of Mazatlan's most accessible day trips, just 25 miles away. Its biggest draw is the groaning-board meals at El Meson de Los Laureanos. Dr. Marcos Osuna, widely credited for launching rural tourism in Sinaloa, renovated his family home as a temple to traditional Sinaloa cuisine (think mountains of grilled meat with a blinding array of sauces and side dishes). A former trading post and horse-changing station for miners, the town's red-tile roofs and cascades of bougainvillea make a lovely venue for walking some of that meal off. A statue at the entrance to town depicts the ancient "Ulama" game, a modern version of the Aztec ball game played with a rubber ball, which residents still play in tournaments.

El Rosario 

It's hard to decide which of the two main attractions in this small southern Sinaloa city, another Magic Pueblo, is more famous: the blinding altar, totally gilded and incredibly ornate, in the baroque Nuestra Señora del Rosario temple, or its native daughter, the famous singer Lola Beltrán. The altar testifies to El Rosario's onetime status as the most important gold- and silver-mining center in the region and seat of power for California, Baja California and Sonora. Lola Beltrán, for her part, left to seek her fortune in Mexico City when she was 21, and never returned; nonetheless, El Rosario's citizens built a Lola Beltran Museum and erected a statue to her memory in the town square.

La Noria

Rural Mexico is at its most resplendent in this Colonial mountain village. Like many of Mazatlan's surrounding villages, residents embrace traditional crafts such as pottery, leather and machete production, and many of its workshops invite day-trippers in to witness the process. But its biggest draw surely is the Los Osuna distillery and estate, dating from 1864. Guests can tour both the ancient and the modern distillery, which produces the blue agave spirit that would be called tequila if it were made in Jalisco. Walking tours include agave fields, where guides explain the growing and harvesting process, and tastings of the tequila-by-any-other-name to cap their visit. About 5 minutes away is the Huana Coa Canopy Adventure, where you grind your way up the Sierra Slopes in a military-grade all-terrain vehicle to a dozen high-elevation zip lines. These become your transportation back down to earth, gliding over the treetops to incredible views.

Las Labradas

Knowing I was going to see rock petroglyphs, I was completely unprepared for the sight of Las Labradas. I followed my guide on a short walk from the entrance out to the ocean, seeing nothing but a black rock beach stretching as far as I could see in both directions. About one-third of the rocks had little stones on top of them; when I started clambering over the rocks, I found carvings, some in geometric forms that looked curiously like the engravings I've seen on Maya temples, others taking human forms, and still others shaped like marine and land animals, birds, reptiles, celestial figures. One looked suspiciously like an extraterrestrial figure. Scientists say these carvings, dating to 10,000 B.C., were left by the local Totorame Indians and are the precursor of symbols that led to writing. Little is known about these petroglyphs, but research continues at Las Labradas National park.

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Despite devastating storm Acapulco focuses on brighter future

Acapulco, whose fortunes have waxed and waned drastically since it became Mexico's first international beach resort, sustained another blow from disastrous September floods inflicted by what is being called the worst storm ever to hit Mexico. But the city has something to celebrate again this fall with the opening of the House of Winds Cultural Center.

Master muralist Diego Rivera, probably Mexico's most famous artist, spent his final years at the House of Winds, the Acapulco home of his longtime friend and reputed lover, Dolores Olmedo. Olmedo's hacienda in Mexico City's Xochimilco district is famous for its collection of nearly 150 works from throughout Rivera's career and an extensive collection of Frida Kahlo's art (not to mention its hairless Xoloitzcuintle dogs, descended from her own beloved pooches).

Last summer, Mexico's National Council of Culture and Arts and the Carlos Slim Foundation bought the mansion, which sits on a cliff overlooking La Quebrada of cliff-divers fame, to become a cultural center. Guerrero Gov. Angel Aguirre Rivero, announcing the acquisition, said it was "one of many efforts being made in Acapulco's Traditional Zone and aims to promote the destination's cultural offerings that will benefit both locals and travelers alike."

The House of Winds' most famous feature is its collection of Rivera's last six murals, all fully restored. His final work, created in 1956 while he was dying of cancer, is the facade's mosaic with the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Other figures around this central image include a frog, referencing Olmedo's pet name for him, and a hammer and sickle, expressing his belief in communism.

The House of Winds Cultural Center opened to the public in September and recently opened a special photography exhibit, "Francisco Tario's Nights," based on the late Mexican novelist's dark tales. It runs through early November. The center's official grand opening is scheduled for November, when it will feature a unique Frida Kahlo exhibit in conjunction with France's Georges Pompidou Center. The interactive exhibit is geared toward younger visitors, introducing children to Kahlo's life and work through various activities. In the future, it will host films, theater, dance, special art exhibits and other special events.

Acapulco is looking to the House of Winds to spark a turnaround on the city's long and bumpy road. The roller-coaster ride began when the future King Edward VIII visited in 1920, prompting a stream of vacationing Europeans. The hotels and businesses of today's Old Acapulco followed, and the first commercial wharf and warehouses were built in the 1940s, becoming a major port in the 1950s. America discovered Acapulco in the 1950s, when Liz and Dick adopted it as their favorite getaway, and it became the place to see and be seen.

The setting was a natural, with nearly 4 miles of sands fringing the wide blue crescent of Acapulco bay and mountains embracing the city — a perfect backdrop for candlelight dining. But the glitter dimmed as Cancun and Los Cabos were created in the 1970s, and Acapulco hosted primarily Mexican tourists. It managed to refurbish its image as a center of fashion, design and glamorous nightlife — only to be stricken in recent years by bouts of highly visible drug-cartel violence.

The emphasis on cultural offerings is just the latest in a concerted effort to turn Acapulco's image around on the strength of its history as Mexico's original beach resort. To ease visitors' wariness, the state launched the Guerrero Seguro program, which reduced crime by more than 50 percent in six months through tactical analysis, crisis management and negotiation in cooperation with federal police. The state also has invested in new police equipment and training in advanced security techniques.

Hotels such as the Boca Chica from the groundbreaking Habita group, the Grand Hotel and the Hotel Emporio have undergone major transformations, and the city is investing $200 million in refurbishing downtown Acapulco. That effort includes including renovating Escenica Avenue, a Macrotunnel connecting the Navy Base-Playa Icacos area to the Diamond Zone, improving the port's embarkation and debarkation walkways, widening downtown sidewalks and creating a new, modern transportation system called ACABus.

On the drawing boards are a Center for Biodiversity and an entertainment plaza for the Caleta and Caletilla beach areas that will have a movie theater, gourmet market, traditional zocalo and outdoor shopping plaza. Construction is nearing completion on EXPO Mundo Imperial, a resort complex with an 800-suite hotel, open-air promenade and spa. A concert hall, the Forum at Mundo Imperial, is already open, presenting weekly musical and theatrical shows.

Acapulco also joined with Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Taxco last year to market themselves to international tourists as the Sun Triangle, emphasizing both its cultural offerings and a "365 days of sun" guarantee.

Taxco is embarking on a "Taxco, City of Lights" project, installing illumination on temples, plazas, streets and alleyways to turn the hilltop silver city into a veritable Christmas tree. Landmark locations throughout Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo are being rehabilitated, and cruise passengers will have their choice of new ecological tours, from whale watching to sea turtle preservation to visiting a crocodile sanctuary.

These efforts may well come to fruition as Acapulco works through the aftermath of September's deadly storm, hastening its recovery as an appealing tourist destination.

Note: The State Department travel warning of July 12 advises caution in Acapulco, Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa but does not recommend against traveling there. Taxco is not included in the warning.

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9 must-visit cities in Mexico

Much as I love Mexico, I'm not a beach person. This actually serves me well, since the beaches draw the vast majority of foreign tourists. I always seem to gravitate to the country's mid-sized towns, large enough to have comfortable lodging and ATM machines but still concerned more with everyday life than luring tourists. But every time I find myself in one of its large cities, I'm bowled over by the magnitude of their history, their diversity and, often, their beauty.

For travelers who are ready to shower off the sand and delve into the cultural brew of Mexico's cities, here are my flat-out favorites.

Mexico City

The nation's sophisticated capital, third-largest metro area in the world, is a captivating fusion of the ancient and the modern. Yes, it can be overwhelming, but you can find a lifetime of places to explore just in the historic center and surrounding areas. Its onetime reputation for pollution and crime belongs to history; this is one of the most tourist-friendly cities in the world, even providing insurance for every visitor. Mexico City is home to well over 100 museums, second only to Paris, and innovative restaurants perfecting every cuisine known to Mexico. It also has at least a week's worth of diversions just for children. The city was built on top of the original Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, which has gradually been excavated right off the zocalo (central square); visitors can also sample the ancient Aztec city in the southern borough of Xochimilco, where open-air boats tour a remnant of the original builders' network of canals and gardens.

Puebla

Travelers who find Mexico City too big and intimidating might cut their teeth on Puebla. One of the country's oldest cities, with a strong local culture, this is a colonial showpiece with a large historic center full of imposing Baroque and Moorish cathedrals and an array of extraordinary museums. Its restaurants have made Puebla the mole poblano, chiles en nogada and chalupas capital of Mexico. You want more? The city center is resplendent with talavera pottery and tile, and it is ground zero for Cinco de Mayo, the holiday that celebrates Battle of Puebla. All against the dramatic backdrop of Mexico's famous twin volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl.

Merida

Merida has been the cultural and financial hub of the Yucatan Peninsula ever since the Spanish destroyed original Maya city and built their own walled city on top of it, using the limestone bricks of the old city. Several of the old Spanish gates remain in a historic district larger than any other in Mexico except for the capital. Ancient Maya history and contemporary Maya culture meld easily with iPad-toting young people in this hospitable city of narrow streets lined by ornate, European-designed buildings interrupted by mini plazas every few blocks. A flurry of renovation has restored much of colonial splendor, and the city provides free entertainment – both traditional and contemporary – every night of the week. Merida also holds one of Mexico's biggest Carnival celebrations.

Queretaro

This former mission headquarters and mining city boasts an immaculately preserved downtown adorned with 17th and 18th century buildings, quaint colonial-era plazas and lovely andadores, or pedestrian walkways, which are well used for evening promenades. The geometric street plan laid out by the Spanish exists side by side with the Indian quarters' sinuous alleys, reflecting the peaceful coexistence of the Otomi, Tarasco and Chichimeca Indians with the Spanish. History buffs have a field day here; while Queretaro takes particular pride in being the place where rebels secretly planned to overthrow Spanish rule in 1810, it is also the site of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the execution of Austrian Archduke Maximilian in 1867 and the signing of the Mexican Constitution in 1917. Its Historic Monuments Zone, full of ornate Baroque architecture, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.

Mazatlan

The "Pearl of the Pacific" is Mexico's only beach destination that remains just as much a traditional colonial city as it is a resort area. Despite its lust-worthy 16 miles of golden beaches, Mazatlan's primary occupation is its thriving fishing industry – it's one of the Pacific's largest shrimp producers – which makes it refreshingly Mexican. The center of its revitalized Centro Historico is the Plazuela Machado, the Spanish settlement's original zocalo, where cafes, nightclubs and crafts galleries have awakened slumbering 19th century buildings. The historic center and long, monument-studded malecon has hosted an arts renaissance in recent decades, and the city hosts the biggest Carnival celebration in Mexico.

Oaxaca

Home to some of Mexico's finest handicrafts, including the unique barro negro (black clay) pottery and alebrijes (intricate and brilliantly painted animal carvings), Oaxaca seamlessly melds its Zapotec and colonial past with its vibrant present-day culture. Everyday life is laced with fiestas, including the unique Guelaguetza celebration of traditional dance and Christmas-time Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes). Its long list of culinary specialties, including rich mole and chapulines (spicy fried grasshoppers) make it one of the country's best places to take a cooking class. While much of the city's beauty is the legacy of three centuries of colonial society, it is surrounded by intriguing archaeological sites such as Monte Alban, one of Mexico's most important ruins.

Campeche

Perfectly outlined by the remains of the old city wall built in the 17th century to combat decades of plunder by pirates and buccaneers, the meticulously restored historic center of Campeche is a colonial time warp. Most colonial centers are a work in progress, their refreshed facades alternating with crumbling ruins. In Campeche, every building in all 40 blocks, along with the malecon (seafront walkway) and an increasing number of blocks outside the old walls, has been restored. The baluartes (bastions) now house exhibitions and a botanical garden, and two old forts a short distance beyond the wall's footprint have become museums of anthropology and colonial history. It's an extremely affordable city whose tourist infrastructure has made great strides in recent years, all the while maintaining its focus on local life.

San Cristobal de las Casas

Lying in a valley high (6,890 feet) in the pine-covered mountains of Chiapas, San Cristobal is one of Mexico's best-preserved colonial towns, a vision of white stucco buildings crowned with red-tile roofs, narrow sidewalks lining cobbled streets and colorful markets in numerous open plazas. Its exceptional scenic beauty and cosmopolitan lodging, cafes and nightlife plays second fiddle only to the opportunity to mingle with the highland Maya, both in the city and in outlying villages. Visiting the villages with a local guide can often gain you entrance into homes where Indian women weave their textiles and straw hats or work at other crafts.

Guanajuato

Guanajuato is the prettiest of the old silver cities that grew from the mining camps northwest of Mexico City. Narrow, music-filled streets curl and climb up and down the hilly landscape, leading to flower-festooned pastel houses, museums, old fountains and tiny plazas in unlikely corners. The only way to appreciate it is to walk, which is easier since the city diverted the Centro's traffic underground through stone tunnels once used for mining. It's also a college town with a wide variety of cultural offerings, and the culture here is as quirky as its street plan. Don Quixote and independence hero Pipila, whose 30-foot statue rises from a hill towering above the city, are revered in equal measure, and the Museo de Las Momias (Mummy Museum) is one of its biggest tourist attractions.

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How to get lost in the Riviera Nayarit

In 2006, I got wind  of a new mega-development planned for the coast in Nayarit state, designed by the Mexico tourism development agency FONATUR, and pointed my compass south in a panic. Several years earlier, I had spent an idyllic five days in San Blas and always wanted to return to explore more of Nayarit's coastline. With nightmarish visions of Cancun dancing in my head, I figured it was time to get on my pony.

With my sister, on her first trip to Mexico, I basked in the peace and quiet of fishing villages towns notched into the edge of the jungle that creeps right up to the shoreline — places where cars respectfully shared the roads with horses and burros, and everyone we met was honored to help us exercise our Spanish skills. We also visited the FONATUR site, called Litibu, which was no more than a grand, block-long entrance gate, a golf course, several paved roads through the jungle and a sweep of profoundly beautiful beach. The uber-luxurious Punta Mita development just south of there was already in full regalia. It was a sometimes surreal juxtaposition of Nayarit's past and its future in one trip. Coming home brought the sadness that comes with knowing you've seen something wonderful for the last time — a feeling intensified by receiving a press release a few months later announcing a "new destination" called Riviera Nayarit.

But during a recent business trip to Puerto Vallarta, I couldn't resist the call of that coast and those villages, however they may have changed. What I found is that parts of the Nayarit coast have changed little, if at all. Yes, the planned residential-resort of Nuevo Vallarta squats between Puerto Vallarta and the village of Bucerias to the north, and Litibu is rapidly filling with hotels and vacation homes. The once-scruffy surfing haven of Sayulita has acquired condos, a large contingent of expats and abundant traffic that recently inspired a downtown makeover. All that was expected. The surprise was that much of the coast is still a trove of history, culture and tradition, where Margaritaville is alive and well.

Here are a few suggestions for getting lost in Margaritaville; the rest I leave for you to discover on your own. The local visitors bureau is chock-full of ideas. 

Bucerias: By some miracle, the closest village to all the new development has morphed from a tiny fishing community into a vacation spot of about 17,000. Despite an influx of expatriates, residents are mostly Spanish-speaking Mexicans, and it retains its slow pace and traditional ways, right down to the hand-made cobblestone streets brightly painted buildings and enormous wooden doors. Its 5-mile stretch of soft yellow sand, one of the cleanest in Mexico, accommodates sailboats, kayaks, jet skis and palapa restaurants without crowding, while the Main Plaza buzzes with locals going about their day-to-day business. Serenity reigns in an abundance of excellent restaurants and bars along the main streets. Art is important in Bucerias. An artisan market winds through its narrow streets six days a week, and a cultural center called Crearte was recently established to teach creative arts to all residents. For a closer look at what the town has to offer, take a look at the expat-run Best of Bucerias website.

San Pancho: About 10 miles north of Sayulita, this town (officially named San Francisco) remains a fishing village and mango processing town where fishermen still cast their lines from shore, competing with resident pelicans, and sea turtles come in rainy months to lay their eggs. But there is a whole other side to the seemingly sleepy town, whose residents' roots as a community go back hundreds of years. They have worked thoughtfully and tirelessly to improve and develop their town. Galleries, cultural centers, small restaurants and traditional bakeries line streets named after distant places such as Kenya, India and Egypt, and a modest number of fine hotels and B&Bs has taken hold, and the broad, mile-long beach is a recreational magnet, siphoning off some of Sayulita's surfers. The main street has been paved in recent years, a seafront malecon has sprung up, and San Pancho has acquired an honest-to-goodness polo club— none of which interfered with its the town's enduring tranquility.

Rincon de Guayabitos: This seaside town of 2,000, hidden between the Jaltemba Bay and the lush Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains, was named for the guava groves that once lined the shore. Its lone main street, Avenida del Sol Nuevo, runs parallel to the beach along the town's entire length, dividing the hotel/commercial zone from the residential zone. The commercial zone is a hive of markets, handicraft shops, clothing stores, discos, family-run restaurants and food stands, and the Town Plaza hosts a weekly artisans market every Monday during high season. This might be the last bastion of the cheap Mexican beach escape, with low-season rates at decent hotels dipping below $20 a night. And what a beach it is, nearly 1½ golden miles wide dotted by palapa restaurants and beach vendors selling coconut drinks and shrimp on a stick. Ocean waters are so calm here that it is known as "the largest swimming pool in the world," yet a short walk leads to an area suited to bodysurfing, boogie boarding, sailing and windsurfing. If the serenity leaves you craving some action, deep-sea fishing and whale-watching here are legendary. Baby turtle releases are a prime ticket during summer month, and the mountains offer stellar horseback riding. In fact, there's not much an adventure-prone traveler can't do in Guayabitos.

Other coastal towns: To a large degree, the farther north from Puerto Vallarta you venture, the deeper into Mexico you go. Lo de Marcos is a small, friendly, very Mexican beach town with great sand and a beachfront restaurant serving authentic local food. San Blas, a larger port city, has become more tourist-oriented since I first visited, but its many beaches, colonial history, Spanish fort and a wealth of migratory birds remain as compelling as ever. And nearby La Tovara National Park offers boat trips through a mangrove-shrouded estuary harboring birds, crocodiles and turtles. Mexcaltitan is a fascinating manmade island of floating mangroves and canals where legend has it that the Aztec civilization originated. The town is one of Mexico's Magic Pueblos, with narrow streets and an abundance of red tile roofs. During the rainy season, the streets flood and residents travel by boat — naturally, its nickname is "The Venice of Mexico."

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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Latest travel developments and new attractions in Mexico

Two things were abundantly clear from the day one of Mexico's Tianguis Turistico, the largest travel trade show and conference in Latin America, held in Puebla last week. First, the shift in emphasis from the sun-and-sand destinations that have lured the bulk of visitors to the country to the often overlooked interior repositories of history and culture continues apace under the new administration of Enrique Peña Nieto and his secretary of tourism, Claudia Ruiz Massieu.

Second, Mexico isn't sitting around waiting for U.S. tourists to overcome their fears that stepping foot in Mexico means instant death. The well-publicized drug cartel violence has declined in the past year but is still very much present in areas where trafficking corridors are in contention, and the new administration has already begun reforms aimed at combating the cartel violence. But the tourism department has moved on from damage control to elevating the country's tourist industry into the ranks of the world's top destinations. As its next-door neighbor, the United States is still very important, but Mexico has worked hard (and very successfully) to entice travelers from other countries. Thailand, Turkey, Slovenia and Lithuania were among the nations attending Tianguis for the first time this year.

Buying and selling tourism products is Tianguis' reason for existence, it's also where journalists learn of new developments throughout the country that will affect travelers' lives. News from some of the destinations most familiar to U.S. tourists follows. In coming months Mexico Mix (and Get Lost, SFGate's new travel blog) will take a look at what's going on in destinations that have been lower on the international tourist radar but are poised for a higher profile under the new administration.

Mazatlan: After a three-year slump following several incidents of crime in the port area that prompted several cruise lines to scratch the once-popular Pacific resort destination from their itineraries, "We can tell you that Mazatlan is back," said Sinaloa state Secretary of Tourism Frank Cordoba.

After instituting such safety measures as improved lighting and numerous cameras, Mazatlan's crime rate has plunged 85 percent in the past two years, which Cordoba said have not seen a single incident of crime against tourism. Holland America's Veendam, the Norwegian Star and the Azmara Quest are returning to Mazatlan, starting in October, for the 2013-14 cruise season, and Princess Cruises plans to resume calls in Mazatlan next year. Major airlines that already fly to Mazatlan are increasing their service.

The town of El Rosario, about 40 miles south of Mazatlan, became one of Mexico's Magic Pueblos last year. Once one of Mexico's richest mining towns, El Rosario is known for its baroque church with a magnificent gold altar. It was the home of famous ranchero singer Lola Beltran, who is buried in a tomb at the church.

Cordoba also said a new superhighway between Mazatlan and Durango that is about to open — which includes the highest bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the second-highest in the world — is "going to change the southern part of Sinaloa."

Mexico City: The nation's capital has reversed its fortunes in recent decades; once considered a crime-ridden, polluted and congested city that tourists loved to miss, it has become one of the country's safer and more tourist-friendly destinations. Reporting a 9 percent increase in North American tourists in 2012, Mexico City officials said increasing the number of visitors from the United States is a high priority.

Years of restoring public spaces and landmark buildings, creating pedestrianized streets, improving transportation options, and hosting public concerts and other events has paid off handsomely, both for the city and for tourists. It doesn't hurt that Mexico City has championed the environment and human rights—it was the first Latin American city to legalize gay marriage, in 2009—and boasts more than 170 museums and 100 galleries, second in the world only to Paris.

As the heart of Mexico's business and industry, the capital's hotels are nearly full Monday through Thursday, but occupation drops 50 percent on weekends. This year, the city is encouraging more weekend visits with a "Disfruta Ciudad de Mexico" (Enjoy Mexico City) promotion that offers flights, hotels and tour packages to weekend and holiday visitors. More than 60 packages take in some of the cities most popular sights. Example: a Historic Center package that includes two nights at the Holiday Inn, including airport transportation, breakfast, and guided trips to Xochilimilco, Coyoacán, the Frida Kahlo House museum, the National Anthropology Museum, and the pyramids of Teotihuacan, costing $525 for two people. Promotion in the United States is scheduled to begin next month, but the packages are already available at the Mexico City Tourism website.

And the capital's hugely popular Ecobici bike-sharing program, launched in 2010 for commuters who paid a nominal yearly fee, is being opened to the public, so tourists can now to take advantage of free short-term bicycle use. They will need to go to one of the five customer service centers and present a passport and a credit card to get an Ecobici card.

Baja California Wine Country: Eight valleys, stretching from Tecate in the north to Valle Llano Colorado in the south, account for 90 percent of the wine produced in Mexico. Building on the popularity of the new, modern, Museo del Vino, which opened last August on the wine route between the Valle San Antonio and Valle de Guadalupe, the wine industry is beginning a "Sabores, Musica y Viñedos" (Flavors, Music and Vineyards) program.

The heart of "Sabores, Musica y Viñedos" is a jam-packed lineup of concerts, fiestas and other events to take place at the museum and among the more than 60 wineries along the Ruta del Vino, beginning in April. Among them are the Fiestas del Mar food festival April 20, the Festival del Caballo, Arte y Vino (Horse, Art and Wine Festival) June 9, Mariachi Vargas at L.A. Cetto June 22 and the Fiestas de la Vendimia harvest festival Aug. 2.

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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Readers offer tips for Mexico travel

The world did not end in 2012, and neither did the comments on this column's coverage of Mexico travel and culture. Our annual review culls reader tips that offer new information, insights and recommendations for travelers; they have been edited for space, grammar and clarity. Keep them coming in 2013.

From "All-inclusive resorts make visiting Mexico easy"

"I'm surprised there was no mention of the handful of Club Med resorts in Mexico. Oh, I know it seems trite and dated, but they take kids and most have been renovated to rival these upscale boutique hotels." — by thewriteguysf

From "Married in Mexico: five-star accommodations, two-star prices"

"Get a couple of legal copies of your marriage certificate. It can be a huge pain to get copies later to prove legal marriage." — by eieio

From "San Miguel de Allende's colorful, low-key vibe charms visitors"

"We always choose a vacation rental via VRBO.com. (Never disappointed.) I encourage anyone to visit San Miguel (and its equally exciting neighbor of Guanajuato), but skip the hotel. The VRBOs are terrific, and they will treat you well." — by ollipopguild

"San Miguel de Allende is 45 minutes from Queretaro. If you enjoy cultural activities, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the variety of cultural events —theater, opera, art and music — for a town with a population of 150,000. ... If you'd like to learn more about what's happening in San Miguel, visit http://thisweekinsanmigueldeallende.com." — by thisweekinsma

"Queretaro is way nicer than SM, I think — the cleanest city in Mexico and also a very educated one." — by clarry

From "Maya traditions alive in Merida"

"Merida is a wonderful place; the square is just perfect. I would recommend taking an ADO bus from Cancun to Chichen Itza (about 2 hours, with a transfer in downtown Cancun), spend two hours or so walking around in Chichen Itza (you can listen in to one of the big tours easily for free), then getting another ADO bus ticket to Merida (2 hours). Flying into Merida is much more expensive and involves bizarre layovers." — by giant_in_frisco

"I strongly recommend Hotel Julamis. Reasonable, with the best hosts in the world. With the money you save staying there, have a meal at Rosas y Xocolate. See the pyramids and Valladolid. Stroll the main drag and enjoy the colonial mansions and sculptures. Lots to do and wonderful people. So safe I jogged at night by myself, and I'm a 59 year old woman. Don't forget to go to Costco, where they make some bangin' paella." — by djsarver

"Yucatan is so rich. You should read 'Xtabentum: A Novel of Yucatan' to learn about the modern Maya. It is set in Merida." — by MonicoNeck

From "Cabo Pulmo's fight to save 'the world's aquarium"

"The American Association for the Advancement of Science just called for putting all cetaceans (including dolphins) under the 'sentient beings' protection, meaning that they can not be hunted, imprisoned (for our merriment), tortured or subject to research. The battle is on." — by tirlem

From "7 reasons to visit Puebla right now" 

"I travel through Puebla once a year, and I love the city. They have a zoo called the African Safari where you can drive through the habitats. My kids loved it. It is something else to see a tiger right outside your car window. They also let you hold a baby lion for an extra fee. ... And don't miss Cholula. It has a church for every day of the year, many built atop old temples that are now excavated and can be explored. Really cool." — by smitz

"If you're into food, make sure you go to the sweets street, Calle de los Dulces (shops featuring candy and local liquor), and the market in Cholula — best in class, as exciting or more so than Merced in Mexico City or Rialto in Venice. Getting there: The Red Star bus from Mexico City is cheap and easy." — by kblood

"Another hidden gem is Guanajuato. ... The entire city is laid out in a valley with colorful buildings climbing up the ridge. Just an hour from Guanajuato is San Miguel de Allende, which gets much more tourism and attention, but honestly I think Guanajuato is much more fun." — by b_yang_honest

From "Boutique hotels at reasonable rates in Mexico"

"My favorite place to chill is the bungalows at El Delfin Blanco near San Jose del Cabo." — by mustcreate

"Add Aventura Mexicana in Playa del Carmen. A great buy in Mexico's best resort." — by dixiebelle

From "8 excursions just outside Mexico City "

"Have you heard of San Pablito, Puebla? It's the Indigenous Otomi artisan and coffee community where they make bark paper, beadwork, embroidery and have excellent Huapango music. Believe me, it's very removed from both urban craziness and drug-related violence. Go past the pyramids and through Tulancingo, then toward Pahuatlan del Valle (nice hotel) and finally over to the community. Do your gift shopping directly with the artisans as you get acquainted with the rich culture." — by kering

From "Mexico's offbeat fairs and festivals" 

"Mexican people really know how to create fun, good cheer, community, family and spiritual bonding — even after hundreds of years of oppression when many pre-hispanic traditions were altered or smothered. The exuberant celebrations really reflect the pre-hispanic side of Mexico, not the Euro, although there is a mix. — by zelda777

"Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican beer companies. What's not to like? Besides, we could be celebrating the War of 1812, when the U.S. Army invaded Canada and lost. Cinco de Mayo actually celebrates the Mexicans defeating the French invasion by Napoleon III. Unfortunately, the French came back a year later and imposed Emperor Maximilian, and it took a couple more years for the Mexicans to overthrow him (with some help from the U.S., after we were done with the Civil War)." — by billstewart2

From "Renting a car in Mexico: What you need to know"

"That check-out for damage is super important. Note every scratch, ding and dent, or you will be charged for them when you return the car. Also, check to make sure there's a gas cap, or you'll pay for one later. "Consider buying a cheap pay-as-you-go phone while you're in Mexico. Every convenience store (OXXO, Circle K, etc.) sells them, especially TelCel's Amigo phones. Typically as cheap as 300 to 400 pesos (US$23 to $30), and you can call all toll-free numbers." — by sc_charlie

"Be sure to check that the spare tire is there. [Some rental companies] rent cars without a spare, and then when the car is returned charge the customer for stealing it." — by Reedman

"[During the walk-around to note existing dents and scratches], with your camera phone, or camera, take pics of the damage. It's additional insurance so you can't be blamed and charged for it. Don't break laws down there — Napoleonic Law applies. Everyone is guilty until proven otherwise." — by bananarama

"[During the walk-around], do not let them tell you, "Oh well, that doesn't matter" because that person will not be the one checking you in when you return. Also, do the math. Don't just accept their total charge — check each line to see how they arrived at the total. You'll be surprised at how many times insurance you've declined has suddenly crept back into the charges (I'm not just talking about Mexico, either). And beware of the 'free upgrade.' If gas is expensive or the streets are crowded and parking is difficult, you may find that the land yacht you've been upgraded to is a huge minus. "If you're flying into a country and renting a car, ask the agency if there's a legal way to avoid the surcharge on rental cars picked up at the airport (which applies for the entire time you rent the car). In one city I go to, there's a major car rental company located five minutes from the airport. If they send their shuttle to pick you up at the airport, they have to charge you the airport surcharge. However, if you come to the office on your own (the taxi is $5), there's no surcharge — and their shuttle can still return you to the airport. Bottom line: do a little research." — by sookeguy

"Beware of the dreaded 'topes,' or speed bumps. ... They are everywhere and sometimes are not marked. Your car goes flying when you hit one without slowing down. The best thing to do is to watch the cars in front of you, and when they slow down, it's probably for a speed bump. Also, if you are on a 2 lane road and want to pass, sometimes the slow-moving truck or bus will turn on the left blinker. That is to let you know it's okay to pass. ... Don't assume any cell phone will get reception in non-populated areas. If you have AT&T, it will connect to the Telcel network. If your phone is unlocked, you can just buy a prepaid SIM card in Mexico. — by mlind

"I [rent cars in Mexico] all the time — it is a great experience. The highways are good. Be aware that there are military checkups, usually on small highways. Do not be concerned; just stop, let them check your car and keep driving. (By the way, this is not a new thing.) — by Rosy Hugener, author of 'Xtabentum: A Novel of Yucatan'

"Hire a car (not a taxi) — it will cost about the same [as renting a car] including the insurance." — by justme88

From "Puerto Vallarta encompasses Mexico's diverse attributes"

"I have been to the Puerto Vallarta area six times, for weeks at a time. What I am always amazed at is the bay. Bahia de Banderas is teeming with life — marine mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Any trip on the bay is beautiful." — by manohman

"My favorite PV restaurant, in fact one of my favorite restaurants anywhere, is Los Xitomates. Excellent." — by shake_and_bake "Learn about the hawkers if you haven't been there. They are after you almost from the moment you step off the plane. We stayed at Garza Blanca Resort this year ... [and it] was the only place we had sanctuary from hawkers. Fantastic hotel — loved the restaurants, pool, nice little beach, and a $10 cab ride or free shuttle to town. Great experience." — by TracyCAguy

"Taking the water taxi from Boca de Tomatlan to the outlying beaches – especially those without services – is wonderful, and a nice break from the more touristed areas in PV proper. Docks on these beaches are either rudimentary or nonexistent, requiring travelers to jump into the water and hike up, so these trips are probably not a good choice for people with mobility issues. Plan on spending the better part of the day, as water taxis don't visit the lesser-known beaches that frequently." — by getacluesf "There is a great tour of Patron that takes you through how they make their tequila. At the end of the tour they take you to a tasting room [where you] sample every flavor of tequila." — by missgarlic

"Take the bus or taxi to the zoo at Mismaloya. For 500 pesos you can tour the zoo, feed the animals, and interact with a baby tiger. Yes, I have a picture of myself holding a white baby tiger; it was an awesome experience. ... Bring bug spray; the zoo is in the jungle." — by slcuper

From "Beyond Chichen Itza: Less traveled Maya sites"

"Beautiful area. Take Deet. The mosquitoes are no joke." — by Lawngun

[Editor's note: Mosquitoes are prevalent (and voracious) during the Yucatan's rainy season, May to October; November to April are generally mosquito-free.]

"Calakmul was unforgettable. Its setting in a preserved rain forest showcases the Maya culture like no other site. And we had the entire place to ourselves." — by deepergreen

"I enjoyed Coba so much the first afternoon I visited that I [returned] the following morning. In addition to all the ruins you can freely walk through, the paths through the jungle were magical. The site is massive, but bicycles made getting around very easy. There were times I was the only person around in a sea of jungle. ... Then you get to the pyramid and climb to the top, right up to the sacrificial stone and the temple behind it. It doesn't get any more Indiana Jones than that. Don't miss the Mayan stelae, either." — by djensk44

From "Mexico's legend of La Llorona continues to terrify"

"Actually, the legend of La Llorona is based on the very real person of La Malinche, Dona Marina, the Mayan mistress of Hernan Cortes. Her skills as linguist were instrumental in the conquest of the Mexica, and she is looked on as a mother who betrays her children." — by vquack

"The legend of La Llorona can be traced further to Lilith, Adam's first wife. When she demanded to be treated as an equal, she was punished by banishment, and her children died in the great flood. She goes after children who are yet to be either baptized or consecrated." — by rhfarb

"The legend was appropriated to very good effect in an arc of the Heartbreak Soup stories by Gilbert Hernandez, collected under the title Duck Feet." — by CrankyMcFarlane

"There is a haunting Mexican ballad called "La Llorona." A beautiful arrangement was recorded by singer Tish Hinojosa (from Texas) a few years ago. It's one of my favorites." — by Artichokey

"Esteban Steve Jordan ? "La Llorona Loca": www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XVIjKw-Wzo." — by incompleteidiot

"Modern musical version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWeNmOrvQhY&feature=relmfu." — by nekoneko

From "Mundo Maya events reach fever pitch as calendar end looms"

"For people who are interested in finding out more ... here is a great web page explaining the Mayan Prophecy. It is written by a Guatemalan and is very interesting (and it's not the end of the world)— by SarahV

From "Latest Mexico safety alert green lights most tourist destinations"

"As an expat and full-time resident of San Carlos, Sonora, I can say it deserves better. Quiet, beautiful mountains backing pristine beaches, and just five hours south of Tucson by a four-lane divided highway. It's a gem." — by sc_charlie

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Inside Cholula’s labyrinth: Exploring Mexico’s largest pyramid

It's easy, especially after a year in which all eyes were on the Maya world, to get caught up in the history and artistry of its ancient cities, and the colossal heights attained by some of their pyramids. It's easy, in other words, to overlook the pyramids built by other pre-Columbian civilizations in Mexico.

Having spent one-third of my working life in the Yucatan for the past six years, I admit to some prejudice when it comes to Mexican pyramids. But I recently visited Cholula, on the outskirts of Puebla, and found myself wandering through a labyrinth deep in the bowels of the largest pyramid in Mexico, at 1,476 feet square and 217 feet high. By some accounts, it's the largest pyramid (by volume) in the world; different sources calculate the volume of a pyramid in different ways, but the lowest Cholula ranks is No 3. It's also one of the longest-inhabited sites in the Americas.

It's even easier to overlook the Cholula pyramid's greatness because it doesn't look like a pyramid. It just looks like a wide hill, crowned by a majestic church with gilded domes. The Great Pyramid of Tepanapa, informally known as the Cholula Pyramid, was built around 100 B.C. and was already covered by dirt by the time Cortez arrived in Cholula in 1519; this was one ancient temple he did not destroy in order to build his own monuments. In 1594, the Spanish simply built a church, La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, on top of what they thought was a natural hill.

Wandering through narrow, dimly lit subterranean passages and stairways leading from one side of the pyramid to the other provides a graphic understanding of the ancient Mexicans' propensity for building pyramids on top of pyramids. Cholula actually consists of seven overlaid pyramids built over six centuries. The first stage was built at about the same time as the pyramids of Teotihuacan, and it shared insect-like motifs and other characteristics similar to Teotihuacan. The second, superimposed on the first, departed from Teotihuacan's style, with stairs on all four sides. With the arrival of the Olmecs, the pyramid expanded once more.

By the time the Toltecs occupied Cholula, around 1100 or 1200 A.D., the great pyramid was largely submerged, and they focused on building new temples around the original. They dedicated one (under today's town square) to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, and the city became a mecca for pilgrims from throughout Mesoamerica. Eventually, the Aztecs took over Cholula and were there when the Spanish arrived. The Great Pyramid, disguised as nothing more than a grassy hill, escaped the frenzy of destruction Cortez unleashed on the temples around it.

The pyramid slumbered under dirt and trees until construction began in 1910 on an insane asylum at its base. The dig in order to study the pyramid in the 1930s created 5 miles of zigzagging passageways that now provide an opportunity to view the various levels of construction. On the considerably shorter route that is open to tourists, models showing the various stages of construction have been built into the walls. On the way, you can examine delineated layers of shell and stone, detour briefly down stairways to view chambers from another century and peer up along treacherous-looking stairs toward levels built centuries later. You'll also see the steps leading out of the eastern part of the Pyramid to connect with later structures.

At times the tunnel walk feels a bit like a Disneyland dark ride. It's markedly different from the experience of climbing over Maya pyramids, which usually don't allow visitors into the chambers deep inside. One antidote to the slight disorientation that can result is a visit to the small museum, included in the 46 peso ($3.75) admission to the pyramid. The first thing you see is a cutaway view of the pyramid, showing the various levels and the excavated portion far from the summit. (The rest of the pyramid will never be excavated, because the church on top is a protected colonial monument.)

The walk to the top of the pyramid, though steep, is easier than navigating the narrow, unrelenting steps on Maya pyramids — it's more akin to a hike on a sunny day. The views of the city and surrounding countryside are a welcome bonus, especially as they take in three of Mexico's most celebrated volcanoes: Popocatepetl, Iztaccíhuatl and La Malinche. If you're lucky, you might see one of the lesser volcanoes nearby blowing off some steam while you're admiring the three big guys, as I did when I was there.

Though the Cholula pyramid can get pretty busy on weekends, it never approaches the crowds that overrun Chichen Itza every day of the week. The area behind the pyramid takes on a festival atmosphere, with vendors setting up arts and crafts booths and selling homemade sweets from tables under the trees. A team of voladores regularly performs their flying ritual for delighted visitors.

The city of Cholula itself is worthy of further exploration, but even a day trip to the pyramid is a fascinating juxtaposition of past and present. On the way to its entrance, I watched a procession of men and women in white garb burning incense and blowing tones out of a conch shell — a pre-Columbian ritual appealing to ancient gods for purification. Later, when I started back down the hill after my climb to the top, I passed a sturdy young man in an "Original Powerhouse Gym" T-shirt bunny-hopping up the stairs. He passed me again on the way down before I reached the bottom, and while I sat at the bottom catching my breath, he started back up. As I stood to head back to catch my bus, he was back down again.

"Entrenamiento," he gasped when I asked him why he was putting himself through that torture. Training. The ancient pyramid might be submerged in dirt, but it's still contributing to the strength and resiliency of the Mexican people.

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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11 budget-friendly luxury hotels in Mexico

Over many years of travel in Mexico, I’ve almost always stayed in simple, inexpensive, hotels that define and are defined by their locations. I’m not anti-luxury; simple math says the more I pay for lodging, the fewer days I can afford to spend in Mexico.

When Grupo Habita opened its first hotel, Habita in Mexico City, in 2000, I mentally filed it with luxury hotels that were beyond my budget. Only after I’d stayed at Deseo in Playa del Carmen, attracted by its clean look, playful approach and thoroughly reasonable price for the Riviera Maya, did I learn it was a Habita property. I began paying attention when new hotels opened.

Groupo Habita consists of brothers Moisés, Rafael and Jaime Micha and Carlos Couturier. I'm quite taken by their designs, which are modern but usually surprising and always steeped in local tradition; I'm even more impressed by their keeping prices within a middle-class traveler's reach. They seem to define luxury purely as comfort and convenience, eschewing the frou-frou and attitude that somehow always equate to exorbitant rates.

Habita's latest effort, opening on the Oaxaca coast Dec. 1, would seem to complete its conquest of Mexico's "design hotel" territory, but I'm confidently looking forward to the next revelation. Though I've stayed in a couple and visited several others, what follows is more bucket list than review, arranged in chronological order. (Habita also opened Hotel Americano in New York City in 2011, but we'll stick to Mexico here.) Each hotel name is linked to its website, but they can also be booked through Design Hotels, which in some cases is easier to navigate than the hotel sites.

Habita

This makeover of a 1950s apartment building in the capital's posh Polanco district started it all in 2000. Its frosted-glass envelope is both a gleaming eye-catcher and a buffer from weather and street noise; the original building's balconies persevere in the space between new and old facades. Floor-to-ceiling windows and minimalist interiors — everything except the bed and a long glass shelf, serving as table and desk, hides behind a polished wall panel — visually expand the compact rooms. At night, the hotel becomes a light show twinkling on the tree-lined streets.

Av. Presidente Masaryk 201, Col. Polanco, Mexico City. 36 rooms. From $180.

Deseo

After seeing one hotel after another that reminded me of Deseo, opened in 2001, I realized just how much influence this hotel has exerted all along the Caribbean, and beyond. Its white geometric shape accented by horizontal wood slats, along with its breezy atmosphere and clean, casual interiors dominated by light linens, create a cool sensation in a hot and humid climate. The layout spotlights the pool and lounge area, a hot nightspot with its play of continually changing colors, while the imposing stone entrance stairway calls local Maya temples to mind.

Fifth Avenue and 12th Street, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. 15 rooms. From $135.

Condesa DF 

This 1928 French neoclassical building in the bohemian Condesa district has become a modern classic. While the old building's interior has been simplified, the 2005 redesign's abundant foliage, colorful walls, textiles and rich wood paneling defy minimalism. Native materials and locally crafted furnishings appear in the mix of European architecture with retro and contemporary accents and indigenous pieces such as hand-woven Oaxacan rugs. The hotel's centerpiece is a hacienda-style inner courtyard. Rather than a a mish-mash, it comes across as fluid and restful, while meeting spaces such as the basement bar, courtyard and rooftop terrace pulse with energy.

Avenida Veracruz 102, Mexico City. 40 rooms. From $180.

Azucar

This collection of whitewashed, palapa-roofed bungalows on the Gulf of Mexico coast, named for the state's sugar cane fields, made its less-ballyhooed debut the same month as Condesa DF. Set among archaeological ruins and fishing villages, the tropical retreat takes design cues from nature, set off by curved walls enveloping spare white interiors. Couturier, who aimed to recapture his grandparents' lifestyle, reproduced some of their furniture in the bungalows and collected driftwood for the red-cedar woodwork. The library, spa and other public spaces are open to the air.

Carratera Federal Nautla-Poza Rica Km 83.5, Monte Gordo, Veracruz. 20 bungalows. From $145.

La Purificadora

Downtown Puebla's 2007 conversion of an old water purifying and bottling plant was designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretto. He preserved the factory's angular form and stone exterior, filling it with spare, modern interiors accented with bold purple patio chairs, curtains and accent seating. Public spaces incorporate recycled wood and stone from the original building as well as bottles and other articles unearthed by an archaeologist. Rich wood furnishings warm guest rooms featuring stone and tile. Occasional crumbling walls and weathered wood allow the building's history to permeate the industrial public spaces.

Callejon de la 10 Norte 802, Paseo de San Francisco, Barrio el Alto, Puebla. 26 rooms. From $120.

Habita Monterrey

Habita's second namesake, opened in 2008, is a sleek, curving concrete tower with stark black, white and gray interiors filled with furnishings from a phalanx of avant-garde designers. It's probably my least favorite Habita hotels, but it blends perfectly into the urban landscape of Mexico's affluent, mountain-ringed "second city." And I'd give anything for a swim in one of the pools flanking the bar on the rooftop terrace, which offers gasp-inducing 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, canyons and forests.

Vasconcelos No. 150, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Monterrey. 39 rooms. From $165.

Maison Couturier

For its next act, Habita reclaimed a tropical agricultural estate built by French immigrants in 1833, integrating elements of both French and Mexican heritage. Unveiled in 2009, Maison Couturier's framework was preserved and outfitted with modern conveniences. Bright, airy guest rooms feature black tile bathrooms, polished antique lamps, refurbished period furniture and stone floors; each has a palm-shaded brick patio with a hammock. You might miss the rustic stone swimming pool on first pass — it looks more like a garden pond in the midst of the bungalows.

Apartado Postal 110, San Rafael, Veracruz. 9 rooms. From $95.

Hotel Boca Chica

In the 1950s, Acapulco was the reigning queen of Mexican resorts, and the Boca Chica, presiding over a picturesque beach cove, was the place to see and be seen. The long-neglected hotel was resurrected in 2010 with its vintage tropical ambience intact, ceiling fans and some original furniture included. Mosaic floors and celocia lattice brickwork were painstakingly restored, while the layout was reconfigured to provide private terraces and hammocks for each room. Beachy earth tones, cool whites and lime green rehabilitate mid-century notions of luxury while reviving the "Fun in Acapulco" as Elvis knew it in 1963 (the original hotel appeared in the movie's opening credits).

Punta Caletilla Fraccionamiento las Playas, Acapulco. 36 rooms. From $105.

Downtown Mexico

This 17th century brick "Palacio de los Condes de Miravelle" is one of the oldest residences in a block of viceregal colonial buildings on a cobblestone street two blocks from the capital's zócalo. The hotel, opened in June 2012, effortlessly mixes the architecture's grandeur, and original wood floors with stripped-down elegance in guestrooms featuring exposed concrete walls, lofty vaulted brick ceilings and light pine furnishings. The terrace lounge and lap pool taking up the entire rooftop instantly became a social hub. The redesign also created a boutique hostel, Downtown Beds, in the same majestic building at hardly majestic prices ($16-$45).

Isabella Católica 30, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. 17 rooms. From $195.

Endémico 

Habita pivoted 180 degrees when it unleashed Endémico on an unsuspecting world just a month after opening Downtown Mexico. The small but luxuriously modern cabins dot a hillside overlooking the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California's rustic wine region. The eco-friendly steel-and-wood cabins, surrounded by scrub and boulders, were built on stilts to minimize their impact and include decks with traditional clay fire pits. Designed to emphasize the isolation of the desert, they seem to become part of the landscape while presenting dramatic panoramic views of the fertile valley below.

Carratera Tecate-Ensenada km 75, Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada, Baja California. 20 cabins. From$185.

Hotel Escondido

Scheduled to open Dec. 1, Hotel Escondido hunkers down on an unspoiled stretch of the Oaxaca coast, on Puerto Escondido's Zicatela Beach. Its modern rendition of the traditional beach hut features locally sourced palapa roofs and wooden floorboards, with light streaming through wooden louvers and regional artifacts decorating each room. Each has a private plunge pool. Guests can take advantage of a pool, a spa, a bar, a sound-proof underground dance club and a restaurant whose menu is inspired by traditional Oaxacan cuisine. Surfing, boating and kayaking are available a few steps from the bungalows' doors.

Carratera Federal Salina Cruz-Santiago Pinotepa Nacional km 113, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. 16 bungalows. From $185.

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