The Atlas Obscura Guide To Mexico

572 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Mexico

Updated October 23, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Mexico

Looking up from the entrance to the Hidden Beach.

Islas Marietas, Mexico

Hidden Beach

A lovers' beach, tucked below the surface of the island, provides a safe haven for romance.

La Isla de las Muñecas

Mexico City, Mexico

La Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls)

An island filled with hundreds of hanging, decomposing, decapitated dolls.

Cafebrería El Péndulo Second Floor.

Mexico City, Mexico

Cafebrería El Péndulo

Part bookstore, part café, and part forest.

Mexico City, Mexico

La Casa Azul

Frida Kahlo's childhood home, now a museum of her life and works.

Quetzalcoatl’s Nest

Naucalpan, Mexico

El Nido de Quetzalcóatl

An Aztec snake god has taken the material form of an apartment complex.

Mexico City, Mexico

Mercado de Sonora

Superstitious? Discover the witchy side of Mexico through its largest esoteric market.

The shelves are the structure.

Mexico City, Mexico

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

A jaw-dropping "megalibrary" that turns book-browsing into a geometric adventure.

Dzitnup, Mexico

Cenote Xkeken

These azure waters were thought to lead to the Mayan Underworld.

See All 572 Things To Do in Mexico

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Mexico

Cafebrería El Péndulo Second Floor.

Mexico City, Mexico

Cafebrería El Péndulo

Part bookstore, part café, and part forest.

The front of Minichelista.

Mexico City, Mexico

Minichelista Restaurant

A quirky and charming restaurant founded by artists.

Mexico City, Mexico

The Sweets Section at Mercado de la Merced

Mexico City's largest market contains a Willy Wonka-esque wonderland.

Mexico City, Mexico

Café La Habana

This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

See all 35 Places to Eat in Mexico

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Mexico City's Centro Histórico

Anchored by the Zócalo plaza and the architectural splendor of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City's historic center rightfully draws scores of visitors from around the world. If you look, smell, and taste carefully, you’ll also find a universe of culinary offerings that tells stories of immigration, adaptation, and imagination. With the help of Culinary Backstreets, we assembled a primer on eating and drinking your way through the district.

Plenty of sweet treats are on offer at Pastelería Ideal

Explore Mexico

Museums 101

Architecture 74

Art 69

Archaeology 66

Ruins 55

Murals 46

Aztec 46

Sacred Spaces 45

History 45

History & Culture 42

Churches 42

Colonialism 30

Places To Stay 11

Unique Restaurants & Bars 9

Mexico Leaderboard

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Recent Mexico Activity

rahmounafarez

wants to go to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo House Studio Museum
rahmounafarez

wants to go to Joe Gelato
rahmounafarez

wants to go to Minichelista Restaurant
rahmounafarez

wants to go to Museo del Juguete Antiguo México
rahmounafarez

wants to go to Mariposario Chapultepec (Chapultepec Butterfly Garden)

Stories About Mexico

In Mexico, today's teyollohcuani is a terrifying, shape-shifting, vampire-like witch, but the figure has deep precolonial roots and a complex evolution.

Mexico's Vampire Witch Has a Twisted Origin Story

The terrifying teyollohcuani is a shape-shifter of ancient indigenous lore, dark colonial history, and pop culture.

by Roxanne Hoorn

October 23, 2024

For the Ancient Maya, Cracked Mirrors Were a Portal to the World Beyond

Nobles of the powerful Mesoamerican civilization conjured gods and ancestors in rituals centered around the objects.

by James L. Fitzsimmons

Oaxaca is famous for its crafts, including alebrijes, colorful wood-carved animals.

Six Wondrous Reasons to Explore Oaxaca Right Now

Advice from an expert on what to see, drink, and eat in one of Mexico’s most exciting states.

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Macchu Piccu, Peru

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Podcast: Toy Story

Check out a crazed collection of vintage playthings in Mexico City's vibrant museum scene.

by The Podcast Team

February 13, 2024

When fermented tuba gets distilled, just one fifth of the volume becomes vino de cocos.

Is This Mexico's Oldest Spirit?

In the state of Colima, one man is reviving vino de cocos, a distillate that disappeared in the 1700s.

by N.C. Stevens

January 16, 2024

Honeypot ants feed on sweet nectar and death.

All Winter, These Ants Make the Ultimate Sweet Sacrifice to Their Colony

Their syrupy death is medicinal for humans, too.

by Shoshi Parks

December 5, 2023

A 500-Year-Old Record of the Aztec Empire Comes to Life

The Digital Florentine Codex’s three languages and thousands of hand-painted illustrations provide a window into culture, war, and daily life.

by Roxanne Hoorn

November 8, 2023

Lists Featuring Mexico

Beside the auto shop's signage.

11 Marvelous Mexican Restaurants Hiding in Plain Sight

Sometimes, the best tacos are served inside an auto shop.

Including El Vilsito , Zaragoza Mexican Deli and Grocery, and La Morada

Red Seabeach

The otherworldly landscape of Padar Island.

Black Sand Beach

10 Unique Beaches From Around the World

From bright red grass to stranded shipwrecks, these beaches are anything but ordinary.

Including Driftwood Beach, Red Beach , and Padar Island

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