Mexico The Cave of the Crystals, an extension of the famous Naica Mine, is one of the most unique places on Earth. It is home to a veritable forest of immense cave crystals, some of the largest ever discovered. Only known since the year 2000, this magnificent cave is unfortunately not open to the general public, though scientific exploration is ongoing. The Naica Mine is an … [Read more...]
COPPER CANYON
Mexico Copper Canyon is Mexico’s answer to the Grand Canyon, and in some ways rivals its more famous American cousin. Carved out by six rivers, it is actually longer and in some places deeper. The canyon gets its name from the coppery hue of its walls. The Copper Canyon is famous for its ecosystem, which ranges from temperate cold to subtropical areas, and which boasts a … [Read more...]
PICO DE ORIZABA
Mexico (5,636 m) – Sacred Mountain of the Aztecs and Other Local Tribes Pico de Orizaba, a dormant volcano, is the highest mountain in Mexico. It last erupted in the 1800s. A religiously and culturally important peak to pre-Columbian civilizations, the mountain was a site of worship and pilgrimage to various groups including the Totanacs, Olmecs, Aztecs and Mayans. Pico de … [Read more...]
MOUNT TAJUMULCO & MOUNT TACANA
Guatemala/Mexico (4,220 m, 4,067 m) – Tallest Mountains in Central America Mount Tajumulco and Mount Tacana are the tallest mountains in Central America, and the largest semi-active volcanoes in the same region. Tajumulco, entirely within Guatemala, is the tallest, though Tacana on the border with Mexico is arguably the more spectacular. Both volcanoes are currently, though … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF CHAPULTEPEC (CHAPULTEPEC BATTLEFIELD)
Mexico City, Mexico (1847 AD) The Battle of Chapultepec was the last major engagement of the American campaign to capture Mexico City during the Mexican-American War. It was followed by the storming of the city, which crippled the Mexican war effort and effectively ended the imperial government of Santa Ana. Although an American victory, the battle is commemorated for the … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF MONTE DE LAS CRUCES (MONTE DE LAS CRUCES BATTLEFIELD)
Ocoyoacac, Mexico (1810 AD) The Battle of Monte de Las Cruces was one of the decisive battles of the Mexican War of Independence, and arguably the greatest rebel victory of the war. Like the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution, it showed that the local populace could muster an army and defeat a major European power in open battle. Although the victory at Las … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Mexico City, Mexico The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most important and popular Marian Shrines in the Americas, second only to the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparaceda in Brazil. But it does not stand in the shadow of its rival, and is probably the most visited church in Spanish speaking countries. It is claimed that in December of 2009, the Basilica of Our … [Read more...]
FORT SAN JUAN DE ULUA
Veracruz, Mexico While the fortifications of Campeche are collectively more impressive, the Fort San Juan de Ulua in Veracruz is singly the best fortress complex in Mexico and one of the finest in the Gulf of Mexico. Seemingly rising up out of the harbor, Fort San Juan de Ulua was one of the most impregnable fortifications in the New World. As evidence of this, the fort … [Read more...]
CAMPECHE FORTIFICATIONS
Campeche, Mexico Campeche was the most important Spanish colonial port in Mexico, and one of the most important colonial cities in the Caribbean. Because of the wealth that passed through here on its way to Europe, it was also one of the most attractive and luratice targets for pirates in the New World. To protect it the Spanish turned Campeche into one of the most heavily … [Read more...]
POINSETTIA FARMS OF TAXCO
Taxco de Alarcon, Mexico Many plants have come to be identified with the Christmas season. Holly, ivy, and of course mistletoe all evolved from the pagan traditions of Northern Europe to earn a beloved place in the holidays. But it was Southern Mexico that yielded the most colorful and popular Christmas plant of all: the spectacular Poinsettia. Discovered by Spanish … [Read more...]
