
Mexico honeymoon ideas: 10 of the most romantic places to stay
It's hard to define exactly what's so seductive about Mexico. Is it the cowboys riding along the beach while whales breach on the horizon? The defiant cool of its contemporary creative scene contrasted with indigenous peoples proudly practising pre-Colombian crafts? Whether your post-wedding wish is sun worshipping or high-octane hiking, cultural kicks or historic immersion, Mexico offers it all — and at far more affordable prices than most top honeymoon destinations. I'd be very surprised if you didn't fall head over heels with it too.
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Vast, vibrant and very easy to fall for, the sprawling capital is the place to start any Mexican honeymoon. From classic cantinas to Enrique Olvera and Jorge Vallejo's Michelin-starred restaurants, each neighbourhood has its own culinary identity best discovered on a food tour. It may be tempting to spend the rest of the time browsing Roma Norte's concept stores for treasures for the house, but a balloon ride over the vestiges of Teotihuacan (once one of the largest ancient cities in the Americas) has to be among the most romantic history lessons you'll ever have.
Uma Casa's plant-strewn, limewashed rooms embody the most seductive aspects of contemporary Mexican design, while double-height indoor terraces offer plenty of privacy.
Viator has numerous options for a sunrise balloon ride over Teotihuacan. Most are similar in terms of the experience they offer — and the opportunities for envy-inducing honeymoon photos.
• Discover our full guide to Mexico
Given its location just four hours from Mexico City and its long affiliation with the arts — it was one of the favoured bolt holes of the Beat poets — it's unsurprising that this highland city's cobbled streets are lined with tempting galleries and candlelit bars. Seeing Diego Rivera's murals followed by a dance performance at the Bellas Artes is a low-key date, as is sitting in the Jardin de Allende listening to the mariachi musicians who perform under the spires of the great gothic cathedral that crouches at the heart of the Unesco-listed old town.
Casa No Name is an 18th-century mansion with a folkloric feel and rooftop hot tub, perfect for quaffing sunset cocktails à deux.
G Adventures' nine-day Essential Central Mexico trip includes two nights in San Miguel de Allende as well as the up-and-coming city of Guadalajara.
• Best places to visit in Mexico
The intimate Caribbean island of Cozumel comes into its own in the morning, when the glassy waters of the snorkelling spot known as El Cielo (the sky) are free from day trippers and the best loungers still available at the Cabana Beach club. The west side of the island is home to the lively (read: touristy) city of San Miguel and most of the island's hotels, while the lonely beaches and seafood shacks of the wild east coast are a mere 20 minutes away by car. Broody newlyweds, take note: the ruins of San Gervasio were once part of an important Maya pilgrimage site for women seeking fertility.
InterContinental Presidente Cozumel Resort Spa may not have the catchiest name, but you can't beat stilted cabanas with sunbathing nets over the ocean when it comes to spending quality time together.
Newmarket Holidays' Deep South Rhythms, New Orleans & Caribbean Cruise includes a stop in Cozumel, as well as the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
• More of the best hotels in Mexico
Tequila, mezcal, pulque… when you think of Mexican tipples, wine probably isn't high on the list. However, thanks to a Mediterranean microclimate due to its location in the mountains of the Northern Baja Peninsula, the Valle de Guadalupe enjoys perfect conditions for producing light, characterful reds. A stay here offers the opportunity to explore more than 150 independent wineries, many championing organic and biodynamic techniques, as well as feast at numerous farm-to-table restaurants such as Lunario and Fauna, which has long communal tables that spill out into a cactus-filled garden.
Banyan Tree Veya's 30 romantic villas appear to have sprung organically from the valley's boulders, each with a private plunge pool. You'll wake every morning to panoramic views of the vineyards and mountains beyond.
Baja Winery Tours offers private transportation and itinerary planning around the Valle de Guadalupe, including stops at fine-dining restaurants.bajawinerytours.com
Sandwiched between the skeleton of a Maya citadel and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve — the largest protected area on Mexico's Caribbean coast — Tulum's sublime shoreline contains six miles of beaches with sand the texture of talcum powder and bath-calm water. Throw in countless design-led resorts, spas hidden in the jungle and plenty of opportunities to sip mezcalitos in bars where everyone looks like off-duty models, and you'll begin to understand why Tulum is such a siren for those dreaming of tropical romance.
Papaya Playa Project is a cluster of thatched cabanas and whimsical tree houses with direct access to 900m of deserted Caribbean sands. There's a beach party every Saturday with renowned guest DJs –— a plus or minus depending on your post-wedding energy levels.
Kuoni's tailorable Las Vegas and Mexico trip offers a memorable contrast between the bright lights of Vegas and the Yucatan's most laid-back beaches. kuoni.co.uk
• More of the best hotels in Tulum
Once known for its 19th and 20th-century architecture and old-time feel, the capital of Yucatan is having a moment. Thanks in part to gentrification in Mexico City, a host of cool creatives have relocated here and are now embracing the city's history by converting mansions into boutique hotels and opening shops that act as galleries for indigenous artisans (try Taller Maya). The dense jungle that surrounds the city is scattered with Maya archeological sites including Uxmal (a Unesco world heritage site) and Ake, which lays bare the story of the Spanish conquest.
Casa Olivia is romance embodied thanks to antique loveseats, spiral staircases and bathrooms like indoor jungles lit by chandeliers. Two of the four rooms are honeymoon-worthy suites, but Olivia gets our vote for its direct pool access and very private terrace.
Sunvil's 11-night Yucatan Natural Wonders itinerary includes several nights in Merida, as well as time at Uxmal and Chichen Itza.sunvil.co.uk
• Best all-inclusive hotels in Mexico
A host of ritzy resorts makes this glamorous peninsula an ideal basecamp for exploring the Riviera Nayarit, 200 miles of pristine Pacific coastline and arguably Mexico's most up-and-coming beach destination. Between December and March amorous humpback whales migrate to the waters of the Bahia de Banderas (Mexico's largest bay) to breed, while the gentle waves of Playa Punta Mita are ideal for fledgling surfers. If you can peel yourself off your lounger, a boat trip to the Islas Marietas Unesco biosphere reserve and golden sand of the appropriately named Playa del Amor — which can only be reached by swimming — are well worth the effort.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is a collection of breezy houses and intimate casitas overlooking a private swathe of sand. The spa offers numerous couples treatments, including a signature tequila stone massage.
Cox and Kings offers tailor-made tours to the Pacific coast, including the Riviera Nayarit.coxandkings.co.uk
• Best hotels with swim-up rooms in Mexico
This 31-mile-long Caribbean lagoon is Mexico's answer to the Maldives. Its Mayan name, Siyan Ka'an Bak'halal, translates to 'place surrounded by reeds where the sky is born' and as the sun progresses over the water you'll see it glow numerous shades of blue, from inky indigo to violet and turquoise. Wandering along Chetumal's malecon (pier) and climbing the Coba pyramid to watch the jungle claim the sun are worthwhile outings, but Bacalar is fundamentally a place to indulge in stillness, nature and stylish hotels with a sustainable bent.
Akalki Hotel y Centro Holistico is a collection of Gaudí-esque structures on the water's edge, including a floating yoga pavilion, juice bar and holistic healing centre ideal for those craving a post-wedding health reset.
Today Voyages' ten-day Yucatan Honeymoon combines plenty of beach time with nature excursions and visits to interesting rural villages.
• Best time to visit Mexico: when to go and what to do
Flying under the radar of most international tourists, this rural region in the northern state of San Luis Potosi combines the chance to hike to dozens of gorgeous waterfalls with cultural quirks such as Huapango music and behemothic tamales designed to feed up to 50 people. A stroll around Las Pozas — the whimsical sculpture garden dreamed up over decades by surrealist artist and patron Edward James — is captivating, as is swimming in the crystalline canals that feed the Media Luna Lagoon, a half-moon-shaped lake you can go scuba diving in. The area is popular with day-trippers from Monterrey, so it's best to avoid visiting at weekends if you can. Accommodation tends to be in private cabin rentals or small boutique hotels, bringing a sense of charm to celebratory nature-first getaways.
Hotel Boutique Santa Lucia is typical of the region's hotels: a cosy, colourful nest in which to relax after a day spent in nature. It's also within easy striking distance of the Las Pozas garden and Tamul waterfalls.
Get Your Guide offers a day trip to the Tamul waterfall — the highest in the region — with a boat ride, underground cenote visit and meal at a local restaurant.
This ultra-exclusive enclave's name translates to 'village of water' and it does indeed have a series of cerulean lagoons, as well as Caribbean beaches and deep, mysterious cenotes (sinkholes) where you can float and observe the burning blue of the sky. The most exclusive spot on the Riviera Maya, Mayakoba is essentially a gated community that's home to just a handful of high-end resorts as well as some private properties. It may not be the most culturally stimulating destination but it's hard to beat for a blissful post-wedding slump.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba has an excellent spa, as well as a boat that can be booked for couples dining among the mangroves.
Abercrombie & Kent offers bespoke trips to the Riviera Maya that can include a stay at the magnificent Rosewood property.abercrombiekent.com
• Cancun v Tulum: which is better?• Best hotels in Cancun
Do you have a favourite romantic destination in Mexico? Let us know in the comments

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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Travelling to Trump's US is a low-level trauma – here's what Africans can do about it
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. This week, I reflect on the increasing difficulty of travel and immigration for many from the African continent, and how one country is plotting a smoother path. I have just come back from holiday, and I'm still not used to how different travel is when not using an African passport. My British citizenship, which I acquired about five years ago, has transformed not only my ability to travel at short notice but it has eliminated overnight the intense stress and bureaucratic hurdles involved in applying for visas on my Sudanese passport. It is difficult to explain just how different the lives of those with 'powerful' passports are to those without. It is an entirely parallel existence. Gaining permission to travel to many destinations is often a lengthy, expensive and sickeningly uncertain process. A tourist visa to the UK can cost up to £1,000, in addition to the fee for private processing centres that handle much of Europe's visa applications abroad. And then there is the paperwork: bank statements, employment letters, academic records, certified proof of ownership of assets, and birth and marriage certificates if one is travelling to visit family. This is a non-exhaustive list. For a recent visa application for a family member, I submitted 32 documents. It may sound dramatic but such processes instil a sort of low-level trauma, after submitting to the violation of what feels like a bureaucratic cavity search. And all fees, whatever the decision, are non-refundable. Processing times are in the hands of the visa gods – it once took more than six months for me to receive a US visa. By the time it arrived, the meeting I needed to attend for work had passed by a comically long time. Separation and severed relationships It's not only travel for work or holiday that is hindered by such high barriers to entry. Relationships suffer. It is simply a feature of the world now that many families in the Black diaspora sprawl across continents. 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I broke down when I saw her face at arrivals, realising how hard it had been for both of us; the fact that she had not seen the life I had built as an adult. Compare this draconian measure to some countries in the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia, that have an actual visa category, low-cost and swiftly processed, for parental visits and residency. A new African model But as some countries shut down, others are opening up. This month, Kenya removed visa requirements for almost all African citizens wanting to visit. Here, finally, there is the sort of regional solidarity that mirrors that of the EU and other western countries. Since it boosts African tourism and makes Kenya an inviting destination for people to gather at short notice for professional or festive reasons, it's a smart move. But it also sends an important signal to a continent embattled by visa restrictions and divided across borders set by colonial rule. We are not just liabilities, people to be judged on how many resources they might take from a country once allowed in. We are also tourists, friends, relatives, entrepreneurs and, above all, Africans who have the right to meet and mingle without the terror, and yes, contempt, of a suspicious visa process. If the African diaspora is being separated abroad, there is at least now a path to the option that some of us may reunite at home. To receive the complete version of The Long Wave in your inbox every Wednesday, please subscribe here.


Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
The idiot's guide to campervanning
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Bertha slumbered peacefully on our driveway for months, until spring came calling and we decided it was time to take a 10-day road trip to Île de Ré via Le Shuttle. We foolishly believed that a full week of preparation time would be more than enough. Initially, it was. The cleaning and trip-organising ticked along nicely – until we attempted to turn on the taps. Not a drop emerged. Our hearts sank as we opened The Manual (capitalisation deserved) and began the frustrating hunt for the elusive water pump. Convinced it lay beneath the rear passenger seat, we spent 30 bewildering minutes flicking switches and peering into compartments. Nothing. Fortunately, salvation was just up the road at the Warminster Motorhome Showroom, from where we had purchased Bertha; the ever-patient staff suggested a fuse might be to blame. I dutifully trotted off to buy a pack of five-amp fuses and we spent the next hour slotting them in with the blind optimism of people who have no idea what they're doing. Still no joy. Another phone call, and a new theory emerged – perhaps the pump itself was faulty. Pete, ever the Googler, discovered that the pump was located inside the water tank. Even better, its connecting lead had mysteriously severed during its winter nap. A small miracle: when I bought Bertha just under a year ago, I had the foresight to extend the warranty. One free replacement pump from the showroom and a YouTube tutorial later, Pete installed it with surgical precision. At last, water flowed. What we learnt Lesson 1 Start your preparation for any trip a full month ahead, do a dry run, and – for the love of all things plumbing and electrical – stock up on fuses. Bertha's Apple CarPlay system had always been temperamental, losing connection at critical moments like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Determined to solve it once and for all, Pete installed a wireless adapter, digging into the dashboard to fit a new USB-C to USB-A cable linked to a tiny Wi-Fi hub. It was as fiddly as it sounds, but it worked – a stable connection at last, with no satnav dropouts to test our already-fragile nerves. Feeling confident, we set off with Maya the Boxer in tow, trundling towards France. Twelve hours in, as we rolled along the French péage, a warning light blinked and a chime pinged: low AdBlue. That's the additive used in diesel vehicles to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Cue an emergency detour to a service station that had all the charm of a Soviet bus stop and none of the useful motoring supplies – bar one last dusty five-litre can of AdBlue. It came with a bendy tube, which, naturally, didn't fit the AdBlue intake of our van. Pete attempted to pour it in, only to coat his hands in the pungent clear liquid. Ingeniously, he inserted a large screwdriver into the tube to create enough rigidity for insertion – a solution more Blue Peter than Bosch, but effective nonetheless. While we were at it, we then checked the oil and resolved to carry both on all future trips. Always carry AdBlue, oil, gloves and the knowledge that all service stations are not created equal. Lesson 2 On the topic of vehicle health, we were fortunate enough not to break down – but we've since realised that good fortune is not a strategy. If you're planning a campervan adventure, a basic mechanical check before departure is essential: inspect tyre treads and pressures, check oil and coolant levels, and make sure your windscreen washer fluid is topped up. It's also worth carrying jump leads, a tyre inflator and a high-vis vest – particularly if you're heading abroad. And perhaps most importantly: invest in decent breakdown cover that includes Europe. While adventure is wonderful, being stranded on a hard shoulder in rural Brittany is not. One of the most crucial, yet tragically underestimated, components of any road trip is snacks. I had lovingly stocked Bertha's overhead compartments with our preferred treats. However, I slightly overestimated their capacity. The first pothole we hit caused an open (but barely touched) bag of dry roasted peanuts to rain on my head like nutty shrapnel. It was as if the heavens had opened and declared war, one salty missile at a time. Slimline, sealed snacks only up top. Heavy artillery goes below. Lesson 3 Campervan cupboards present another conundrum. If not tightly packed, they rattle, clatter and fling themselves open during high-speed cornering. Pete, who occasionally drives Bertha like she's qualifying for the British Grand Prix, prompted a cupboard door to fly open mid-swerve. We solved the problem with a bulk pack of cheap childproof locks from Amazon. Classy? No. Effective? Absolutely. The bathroom, Bertha's smallest and most treacherous chamber, is a wonder of spatial engineering. I'd managed to pack it with just the right number of lotions, potions and roll-on deodorants. Unfortunately, during one fuel stop, I opened the cupboard to grab some face cream, forgetting two important things: the toilet seat was up, and the hole cover was open. Pete's roll-on leapt from its snug cubby like a startled gymnast, bounced once, then spiralled into the bowl like a roulette ball, before disappearing into the sewage tank beneath. Pete's sausage fingers were no match for the retrieval mission, so my more-delicate digits were reluctantly drafted. With the precision of an arcade claw machine, I reached in and retrieved it. Subsequently, drenching both my hand and the roll-on in water and disinfectant. Suffice to say, more vigilance above the brink of the abyss is now always applied. Seat down, lid on, cover closed. Always. Even if you're in a rush. Lesson 4: Packing up a campsite sounds like a simple reversal of the setting-up process – it's not. The devil is in the details, particularly in flaps. The protective flap that covers Bertha's mains electric hookup seemed determined to remain open, visibly flapping in the door mirror like a forgotten tea towel. We've now added 'check and secure all flaps' to our departure checklist. Other learnings included the need for a reliable tyre inflator (you never know), heavy-duty pegs and ratchet straps for awning security, as well as an understanding that inflatable tents have a personality of their own – and that personality is often difficult. Campervanning, it turns out, is not for the faint-hearted, but for the well prepared, well stocked and well humoured. It's gloriously imperfect. Owning your own van allows you to keep it loaded with the essentials. And even if that means enduring the odd airborne peanut or blue-handed AdBlue debacle, it's all part of the experience. In the end, it's less about the perfect trip and more about the perfectly laughable moments you'll never forget.


Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Listed barn-turned Powys holiday cottage among Wales' best
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