This land of extraordinary contrasts is brimming with adventure and passion. Its legacy of past cultures - the ancient sun-baked temples, the ornate carvings, the palatial architecture of the colonial age and the tiny undisturbed pueblos - mixes with the bustling modern-day lifestyle that embraces the traditional and the contemporary.

Mexico offers 6,000 miles of coastline where immense stretches of golden sands are framed by clear-blue waters. The marine life is exotic and plentiful, making diving and snorkelling a feast of colours and surprises. Shopping is a blend of local markets and handicraft centres selling everything from silver jewellery to embroidery and painted masks, to American-style malls selling good value designer wares.

Once one of Mexico’s well-kept secrets, Cabo San Lucas is a perfect location for the adventurer or the more humble sun-seeker. Here you can enjoy a round of golf on a choice of six championship courses, a spot of whale watching or sport fishing, and still have time to wander beyond the town and watch the workers from the local haciendas lead their donkeys slowly home.

Essential Escapes resorts in Mexico:

Las Ventanas Al Paraiso >>go

Rosewood Mayakoba >>go