Guides walk guests through the lush jungle to see fascinating flora and fauna, including 25 mammals, such as armadillos and lynx, 120 types of fruit trees, 120 bird species, 300 butterflies, fungi and orchids in every single colour imaginable. Pack your Indiana Jones hat (but leave the machete at home) for a guided tour at Lo de Perla Jungle Garden, a non‑profit reserve started 12 years ago by Alejandro de Perla, a.k.a.

Waves off San Pancho are fierce and fast (swimmers, beware!), but don’t let that deter you from enjoying the beach – a favourite pastime. There’s live music pretty much every night, and a string of festivals. Relaxed vibes rule here, with a wide, sandy playa that has barely any hotels (yet), artisan shops and a healthy food scene for a village so small – from organic bistros to fresh ceviche tostadas on the street.

Now, that definition belongs to San Francisco (known locally as San Pancho), a tight‑knit village of about 1,500 full‑time residents just 10 minutes up the road from Sayulita. Sound familiar? Twenty years ago, that’s how many described Sayulita, a surf town 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta on the Nayarit coastline. There’s a little hippie town on Mexico’s Pacific coast with cobblestone streets, constant surf swells and a pristine beach surrounded by tropical forest. There’s a belief that this Mayan drink, once prized for its medicinal and magical properties, reveals bonds between people – the customary toast is Lak’ech’ (“I’m another you”), to which the reply is Hala ken (“You are another me”).

Distilled from sugar cane, wheat and corn, it has a slightly sweet, soft, smoky flavour. Much like pulque, pox is poised to become the latest hipster brew. Wash it all down at this jack‑in‑the‑box‑size bar dedicated to the local corn‑based alcohol pox (pronounced “posh”). Don’t miss the chicken with mole coleto, a Chiapas specialty: The mole is made from three different chiles, locally grown cocoa and served with a plantain puree and chilli ashes. Save some room for dinner at Tierra y Cielo which, with a daring blend of local and contemporary flavours, has won the chef Marta Zepeda accolades nationwide. This is a walking town, and thimble‑size tiendas and taco stands line the pedestrian streets. Pedestrian San Cristóbal and Tierra y Cielo They succeeded in expanding Indigenous rights in Mexico, and now their peaceful, traditional rural life is what adds extra depth and magic to this beautiful city. This independent existence was hard won in the Zapatista uprising of the 1990s, which sought control over local resources and land. The Mayans are still here: Chiapas has the highest concentration of Indigenous people in Mexico (over 1 million), and the villages around San Cristóbal are self‑ruled municipalities with their own governments, economy and languages. Founded in 1528 as Villa Real, it’s considered the cultural capital of Chiapas, and is also the perfect jumping‑off point to some of Mexico’s most impressive Mayan sites. Unlike the neoclassical city of San Miguel de Allende, which, as charming as it is, can seem like Mexico made for tourists, San Cristóbal is where to go to discover authentic Mexico. Set high up in a verdant mountain chain, San Cristóbal de las Casas, with its pastel blue‑, yellow‑ and peach‑painted houses, is a jewel of a town. Just be sure to make it back to the pier to see the sunset, the only thing that anyone on the island rushes for. Take a paddleboard and cruise the sandbar‑dotted shores, or hire a boat to see the whale sharks that migrate off the coast in spring and summer. The water is shallow and calm it stretches out into the distance like anĮndless, tranquil swimming pool. Mornings are spent lingering over café con léche in the colourful main plaza, while afternoons are made for lazing on the powdery white‑sand beach. Here, days revolve around the position of the sun. Because getting away from it all in Holbox – which in Yucatec Maya means “black hole” – is the reason you come. But unlike Tulum, this tiny fishing village has yet to be overtaken by the hip crowd. Like Tulum, it’s just a two‑hour drive from the bustling resort town of Cancún.

Isla Holbox is a slender, 42‑kilometre‑long island just off the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Nativa surf shop