The year ahead in travel

“One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore.” -Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Looking back on 2011, I realize that I didn’t do nearly as much traveling outside of Mexico City as I would have liked. Aside from short trips to Acapulco, Veracruz, Huamantla, Oaxaca, Tula and the monarch butterfly reserve, most of my exploring took place within city limits. We spent Semana Santa in Iztapalapa and Día de Muertos in Xochimilco, we traveled north to Villa de Guadalupe to celebrate the festival of the Virgen and even further south to the mole festival in San Pedro Atocpan. We also spent a good amount of time exploring the downtown area, yet it still feels as if we’ve barely even begun to scratch the surface on all there is to see in the 16 delegations, or boroughs, and more than 300 colonias, or neighborhoods, that make up Mexico City.

There are still countless places that I’d like to visit in and around Mexico City in 2012, including visiting all of the city’s magic neighborhoods, however I’m also planning to spend several weeks on the road visiting cities and towns throughout central and southern Mexico — not all at once, but a week here and there. Since it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find cheap flights within Mexico, the current plan is that I’ll be doing all of my travel by bus and visiting more than one town or city on each trip.

Here’s how the itinerary for 2012 is shaping up so far.

Fisherman on Lake Pátzcuaro

Morelia – Pátzcuaro – Uruapan

First on my list of travel for 2012 is the state of Michoacán and more specifically, the colonial city of Morelia. Founded in 1541, Morelia was one of the first Spanish cities in Nueva España. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Lonely Planet calls it “Mexico’s best kept secret.” After a day or two in Morelia, I’ll travel another hour west to visit to the colonial highland town of Pátzcuaro, the Lago de Pátzcuaro and the surrounding lakefront villages. From there, it’s just one more hour west to the city of Uruapan, the Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park and the nearby Paracutín volcano. This first loop will take me just four to six hours outside the capital.

An afternoon siesta in Guanajuato

Guanajuato – San Miguel de Allende - Querétaro

Next on my itinerary is a visit to the central highland cities of Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and Querétaro, all just three to five hours driving time from Mexico City. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and former silver mining city, Guanajuato is best known for its annual international arts festival, the Festival Cervantino which takes place each October. After a few days in Guanajuato, I’ll travel an hour south to colonial San Miguel de Allende, a popular destination among North American retirees and foreign residents, before continuing another hour south to Querétaro. It’ll be my first visit to both Guanajuato and Querétaro, and my second time in San Miguel.

A ride along the malecón, or waterfront, in Chapala

Lake Chapala – Puerto Vallarta

Located roughly six hours northwest of Mexico City and just 45km (28 miles) south of Guadalajara, Lake Chapala is Mexico’s largest natural lake. I plan to spend a few day in the lakefront towns of Chapala and Ajijic, also popular among foreign residents, before continuing another seven hours by bus to the Pacific coast resort city of Puerto Vallarta for some much needed beach time. Stretching around the Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta first rose to international fame in the 1960′s with the filming of “The Night of the Iguana” in nearby Mismaloya. Today, it’s one of Mexico’s most popular beach resorts. Direct first class buses travel between Mexico City, Chapala and Puerto Vallarta, so despite the long distance it should be a fairly easy journey to make overland.

The world of the modern Maya in San Cristóbal de las Casas

San Cristóbal de las Casas – Palenque

Finally, the last trip I’m planning in 2012 will be to the southern state of Chiapas to celebrate all of the end of the world mania along La Ruta Maya. I plan to spend some time in the colonial city of San Cristóbal de las Casas, revisit the ruins at Palenque and stay in a cabaña in the nearby bohemian jungle compound of El Panchán. This is a trip that I’ve made before. In early 2009 we rented an apartment for a month in San Cristóbal and took day trips to Mayan ruins and small indigenous villages throughout the region. There’s five hours driving time separating San Cristóbal and Palenque, each of which are roughly 13 hours by bus from Mexico City, so it’ll be another long overland journey.

I’m also planning a flight home to Philadelphia in November to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends. If all goes as planned, it’ll be my first time back in over 16 months!

Where will your travels take you in 2012?

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Tagged as: year end planning