Mexico: Mayan Pyramids and the Day of the Dead

Mexico is the homeland of magical realism. Seven days and six nights, between the Mayan pyramids, ancient cities, and the Day of the Dead, encounter the vibrant colors of Latin America.

The Kukulkan Pyramid in Chichen Itza, with its light and shadow flowing like a feathered snake at the spring and autumn equinoxes, represents the pinnacle of Maya astronomy. Climbing the stone steps, the entire site unfolds beneath your feet into a green square courtyard.

Mexico City's Zócalo Square, where the ruins of the Great Temple and the Catholic Cathedral overlap, intersecting colonialism and indigenous peoples. On Friday's Day of the Dead, marigolds and skull makeup fill the city as the most brilliant celebration of death.

Cancun and Tulum—the Caribbean Sea is unbelievably blue. Tulum's Mayan ruins are built on cliffs, with sea breezes and ancient walls framed together—the most photogenic ruins in all of Mexico.

Guanajuato, a colorful mountain town built in a valley, features a maze-like tunnel street underground. From the hilltop of Pibura Hill, you can overlook the entire city; at dusk, the entire house looks like spilled paint.

Mexico's glamour is about turning life and death into a festival. When you see a smiling skull face among the crowds on the Day of the Dead, you'll understand the deepest open-mindedness of this people.