Where to stay in Mexico: the best destinations and hotels

Cancun is Mexico's best-known beach resort, and for good reason. The Hotel Zone is a long sandbar between the Caribbean and a mangrove lagoon, lined with resorts of every kind, from adults-only hideaways to big family all-inclusives, with the Party Center's clubs at Punta Cancún for those who came to dance.

North of the city, Playa Mujeres is newer and quieter, with spacious resorts on a calm beach, and Isla Mujeres is a short ferry ride away. Cancun's airport has the most direct flights from the UK, and Chichén Itzá and the cenotes of the Yucatán are within reach for a day trip.

South of Cancun, the Riviera Maya runs for miles down the Caribbean coast through Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Tulum, its beaches backed by jungle that hides cenotes, the clear limestone swimming holes the Maya considered sacred. Playa del Carmen is the lively centre, with a long pedestrian street of shops and bars; Tulum is the boho one, with a clifftop Mayan ruin above the sea.

Resorts here are on a grand scale, from family all-inclusives with some of the biggest pools on the coast to the eco-park at Xcaret, which has its own resort, and the canals and lagoons of Mayakoba's luxury enclave. Wellness retreats with natural cenotes suit couples who want to switch off.

At the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, cactus-studded desert runs straight into the ocean. Cabo San Lucas is the party town, with a busy marina, beach clubs on Medano Beach and the famous rock arch at Land's End. San José del Cabo, 30 or so kilometres east, is its calmer, older sibling, with an art district and a pretty colonial square.

Between them runs the Tourist Corridor, home to some of the most glamorous resorts in the Americas, many of them adults-only, plus championship golf courses. Be aware that many beaches on this coast are too rough for swimming, so pick a resort on a swimmable bay or with great pools. In winter, gray whales arrive to breed offshore.

Puerto Vallarta is the Pacific resort with soul. The old town is a jumble of cobbled streets and whitewashed houses with terracotta roofs, the Malecón seafront promenade is dotted with bronze sculptures, and the jungle-covered Sierra Madre rises straight up behind the vast Bay of Banderas. The Zona Romántica, south of the river, is the liveliest neighbourhood for bars and restaurants.

North of the city, Riviera Nayarit has the big family resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the surf village of Sayulita and the luxury hideaways of Punta de Mita. South of town, hotels cling to the cliffs along the coast road with views back across the bay. Whales visit the bay in winter.

Mexico City is big, high and thrilling. At its heart, the Zócalo is one of the largest squares in the world, flanked by the cathedral, the Aztec ruins of the Templo Mayor and Diego Rivera's murals in the National Palace. To the west, Chapultepec Park holds a castle and the National Museum of Anthropology, while the leafy, café-lined streets of Roma and Condesa are where the city eats and drinks.

Most visitors stay in Polanco, an upmarket district of designer shops and top restaurants beside Chapultepec, or along the grand Paseo de la Reforma. The pyramids of Teotihuacán and Frida Kahlo's blue house in Coyoacán make easy outings. The city sits at more than 2,000 metres, so take it slowly on day one.

Mérida is the cultured capital of the Yucatán: a colonial grid of pastel houses, shady plazas and free evening concerts, with the grand mansions of Paseo de Montejo, built on fortunes from sisal rope, lining its widest boulevard. The food is distinctive and delicious, from slow-roasted cochinita pibil to lime soup.

Stay in a boutique hotel in a restored townhouse, or in a sisal hacienda on the edge of the city. It is a superb base for the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, the yellow town of Izamal and countless cenotes, and a great way to add culture to a beach holiday in Cancun.

Oaxaca is where food lovers lose their hearts. The colonial centre is a grid of jewel-coloured houses around the golden church of Santo Domingo, the markets are a riot of chillies, chocolate and grasshoppers, and the moles and mezcals are the best in the country. Above the city, the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán sit on a flattened mountaintop with views across three valleys.

Hotels are small and full of character, including a 16th-century convent where guests sleep in the former nuns' cells. The city is at its most magical around the Day of the Dead. For beach time, the Oaxaca coast has laid-back surf villages and eco-hideaways such as Mazunte.

Puebla is a handsome colonial city of tiled façades, baroque churches and arcaded plazas, about two hours' drive from Mexico City, with snow-capped volcanoes on the horizon. It claims to have invented mole poblano and is famous for its blue-and-white Talavera pottery.

Stay in the historic centre to walk to the cathedral, the Zócalo and the market streets; one of the loveliest hotels occupies a 16th-century convent. Nearby Cholula has a giant pyramid with a church perched on top, and the city makes an easy two or three nights on a route between Mexico City and Oaxaca.