Mexico for families: the best places to visit

With a culture that puts great emphasis on the family and a society that dotes on children, Mexico is a top choice for a vacation with the kids in tow. Not only will you receive a warm welcome almost everywhere you go, but you will find there are plenty of family-friendly activities and attractions, too. If you’re thinking about traveling to Mexico with children, keep reading!

Traveling to Mexico with children: what to do?

Beaches

A bit of a no-brainer, but it’s easy to keep children entertained with sand and waves on tap, and beaches are a great way to mitigate the heat, too. Most beachside resort hotels in Mexico are very family oriented, with plenty of activities and facilities designed to keep kids happy and entertained. Buffet style meals are perfect for picky eaters and family rooms keep costs manageable. You may not want to spend all your time in Mexico at a beach resort, but we bet your kids probably will! Beaches are a must for family travel to Mexico!

When traveling to Mexico with children, you’ll want to know a few of the top beaches for families before setting out on your adventure.  One of the top rated beaches in Mexico is the Playa Akumal in Riviera Maya, situated about an hour south of Cancun International Airport. Akumal is a charming town with calm, swimmable waters and a natural habitat of green turtles. It’s a great place for snorkeling, kayaking, and marveling at rock formations.

Maya sites

Many of Mexico’s famous Maya sites can be comprehensively explored, with few limits on which areas are accessible to the public. Clambering up Maya pyramids or running freely through ancient jungle-clad ruins has a unique appeal, and is usually a hit with adults and kids alike. Even the more restricted sites such as Chichén Itzá, where many monuments are not to be climbed on, offer a child-friendly experience. Take a guided tour to discover the secrets of the ancient Maya civilization complete with gory and bloodthirsty details most kids will relish. Coba is one of the best sites for freestyle exploration and you can hire bikes cheaply at the site to explore the jungle-clad ruins by pedal power.

Mexico City

The capital is often overlooked by families as sprawling, busy cities are not always much fun with kids in tow, but actually Mexico City has a huge range of great attractions that will keep the whole family entertained for days. Kick off your city adventure with a trip to the amazing aquarium, a truly impressive example teeming with fish such as piranhas and rays, not to mention the odd crocodile.

There is a dedicated kids’ museum in Mexico City, too, the Museo del Niño, packed full of hands-on exhibits and perfect for primary age children to explore. The National Anthropology Museum is a great hit with young and old alike and contains plenty of interest for kids of all ages. Add parks, plazas and a boat trip on the waterways of Xochimilco Gardens and Mexico City is a sure fire family hit. If your kid is a budding artist, don’t miss a visit to the colorful and popular Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City. The museum is a small, cobalt blue house filled with artwork, photographs and memorabilia. 

Read more: 10 places you should visit when in Mexico

Cenotes

Cool, shady and idyllic, cenotes are freshwater sinkholes created by the collapse of limestone caverns. They are essentially exposed underground pools of clean, clear water, and were once revered by the Maya as sacred wells. Cenotes are found all over the Yucatán Peninsula and make the perfect places for splashing around on a hot day. In short, they’re beautiful swimming holes in the middle of the jungle, making them a safe option for kids. A popular cenote called Zacil-Ha is a family-friendly destination on the Yucatán Peninsula. The cenote even has a set of stairs into the waters, making it ideal for little ones. It’s quite a tourist hotspot, but worth a visit because it’s easily accessible, and has a great snack bar and gift shop. Some are more popular or more easily accessible than others – for quieter cenotes just ask our local experts who will point you in the right direction.

Mérida

This lively city is a great place to base yourself for a few days of child-friendly cultural immersion. It’s a city of one million so it’s quite a large urban area, but most of the interest for families lies within the relatively compact old town at its heart. As well as spacious plazas and parks, the real appeal of Mérida derives from the cultural entertainment the city lays on most evenings for free in the Plaza Grande with the intention of strengthening the Maya culture, reinforcing its importance and educating visitors about some of the ancient traditions. Aim to be here at the weekend for the impressive ball games on Saturday evening, followed by live music and pop-up food stands on Sundays when the central streets are closed to traffic and you can cycle the city centre safely with your kids.

Jungle adventures

Zip wires are a favorite, adrenaline-fuelled way to see the jungle at close quarters, and there are several options you could factor into your itinerary to keep thrill seeking kids happy. Dotted all over the country are adventure parks complete with exciting distractions such as canopy walkways, zipline trails, cable cars, adventure playgrounds and climbing walls. The jungle also offers some excellent wildlife spotting opportunities, with spider monkeys, iguanas, coatis, ocelots, and especially birds such as the beautiful quetzal to look out for.

Read more: Active adventures in Mexico you can’t miss

Foodie adventures

Mexico is a delightful destination for kiddies interested in becoming the world’s next best chef. Mexican food (provided it’s mild) is usually easygoing, palatable and tasty for kids to enjoy. Staple savory Mexican fare that’s ideal for kids includes tacos, cheesy nachos, quesadillas, burritos, and enchiladas. Sweet treats include doughy-chocolate churros, Mexican ice lollies called paletas, and fresh fruit like mango and pineapple lathered in Tajun and lime! And let’s not forget Mexico’s amazing velvety hot chocolate and traditional pan dulce, a variety of Mexican pastries.

Most of these food items are available at street markets in almost every inland and coastal city/town, making it an ideal sensory and tasty foodie adventure for kids. Based on their newfound tastes and interest, kids can sign up for a foodie course where they can enjoy hands-on experiences like making their own tacos or rolling out tortillas. Chocolate workshops, quite common in cities like Condesa and Puerto Vallarta, offer families the chance to explore ancient cacao traditions and the history of chocolate while also learning how to make churros. During these chocolate-making courses, kids can enjoy a variety of handmade toppings and create their own sweet masterpieces.

Make it happen

Mexico offers so much for families traveling together, including the warm enthusiasm locals have for your niños. If you’re traveling to Mexico with children, get in touch with our local experts to discover their top recommendations for an unforgettable family adventure.