Mexico is a country of many different landscapes, from lush green jungle to arid, dusty desert and palm-lined paradise beaches to towering, snow-capped volcanoes. You'll find that it is literally bursting with vibrant colour and exotic flavours and you'll never visit anywhere else quite like it. The Mexican people are extremely friendly and full of the joy of life. They are eager to welcome visitors into the country they love so much, wanting to share with you the unique beauty of their homeland. A visit to one of the many markets will give you a glimpse into everyday life in Mexico. The brightly coloured, richly decorated clothes worn by the locals will make your head spin, as they whirl around you at a hectic pace, buying and selling there goods. As you wander around, the evocative scents of spices and foods being prepared in roadside stalls will fill your nostrils and make your mouth water.

The country's capital, Mexico City, is an interesting place to visit. This culturally rich city is home to many famous attractions such as the “Pyramid of the Moon” and the “Pyramid of the Sun”, as well as one of the greatest museums in the world, the National Museum of Anthropology and History, which alone is worth coming to Mexico for. There are the man-made tourist zones of La Zona Rosa, El Palenque and El Zócalo, which are grand squares set around intricate fountains. The city is also home to the Plaza de Toros México – the world's largest bullring – and to the Mexican National Palace, built on the site of Moctezuma's palace. The huge Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest in the western Hemisphere, was built over the even greater Teocalli Temple of the Aztecs.

The coastlines of Mexico harbour many stretches of beach that are frequented by sun-worshippers and surfers alike. Of course there are the large, built-up resorts such as Cancún and Acapulco, but there are also many untouched, mostly deserted beaches yet to be discovered. Being one of the more developed “undeveloped” countries you shouldn't have any trouble with transport or accommodation. There is so much to see and do in Mexico, and so much aimed at tourists, that nowadays it really is a very accessible place to visit. Mexico is situated in Central America, with the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Gulf of Mexico on the east. It shares borders with North America to the north and Guatemala and Belize to the south.

Official Tourism Body: Sectur (55-5250-0123/51 -- 800-903-92-00)

EXCHANGE_RATE: 1 Euro = 15.3 Pesos
1 USD = 9.93 Pesos

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The southern parts of both coastal plains, as well as the Yucatán Peninsula, have a yearly median temperature between 24°C and 28°C. Temperatures here remain high throughout the year, with only a 5°C difference between winter and summer temperatures. Although low-lying areas to the north are hot and humid during the summer, they generally have a lower yearly temperature average, from 20°C to 24°C, because of more moderate conditions during the winter. The hottest time of the year is from May to September (especially on the coasts), and it gets cooler from October to April. Many large cities in Mexico are located in the Valley of Mexico or in adjacent valleys with altitudes generally above 2,000m, this makes them warm year-round with cool night-time temperatures throughout. Many parts of Mexico, particularly the north, have a dry climate with sporadic rainfall while parts of the tropical lowlands in the south receive a lot more rain.

Each person can enter Mexico with up to 3L of alcohol, 400 cigarettes, 12 rolls of camera film or video tape, a personal stereo, a mobile phone, a laptop, $300 worth of goods( only $50 if you're arriving by land) and personal medicines. If you need a prescription to obtain these medicines you will need a copy of the prescription with you. You will be given a customs declaration form to fill out and then, if you have stated that you have nothing to declare, you will be asked to push a button. The button will trigger either a red or a green light. If the light is green then you are free to go. If it is red then you will be taken aside by an official and your belongings will be searched. The system is completely random so, unless you are hiding something, don't worry to much about it. If you are arriving by car then it's the same sort of system except this time it's done with traffic lights. If you are walking and the border crossing is very busy then they may only ask you to push the button if you are carrying a lot of packages.

Australia - 02-6273-3963
Canada - 613-233-8988
Colombia - 571-629-4989
El Salvador - 503-243-3458
France - 331-5370-2770
Germany - 030-269-3230
Italy - 06-441-151
Panama - 210-1523
Portugal - 351-21762-1290
Spain - 91-420-2717
UK - 44-207-499-8586
USA - 202-728-1600

Mexicans love a party and any excuse will do. Although most of their holidays have religious or historical connotations, some are just for the fun of it. Día de la Independencia is celebrated on the 16th September. It is the anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence against Spain in 1810. Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day), is when Mexicans honour their dead relatives and friends, who were less than 18 years of age and unmarried when they died, with candles, food and flower offerings, altars, and Pre-Hispanic and Christian rituals. It is not an official holiday, however, most people do celebrate it. The day after is All Souls' Day, also known as Day of the Dead, a huge celebration for the people who were over 18 and married when they died.

Revolution Day is on the 1st November and it celebrates the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. The 28th December is Día de Los Santos Inocentes, the day that people pull practical jokes on one another. It is equivalent to April Fools Day. People must not believe anything they are told, nor lend out any money. If any person has fallen victim of the joke, the person pulling the joke will say ¡Inocente palomita...! (the equivalent of saying April Fools!). International holidays such as Christmas and New Year are also celebrated.

The country code for Mexico is 52 and the long distance code is 01. To place international calls from within Mexico, dial 00, followed by the country code, the city code and then the phone number. In Mexico, you’ll find pay telephones in most cities; some are coin-operated phones and others require prepaid cards that cost 30, 50 or 100 pesos. There are also telephone offices where your call is connected for you by an operator. This is a fairly cheap option.

You can buy yourself a mobile phone in Mexico. They are fairly cheap, normally costing between US$30 - $60. You can recharge them with cards brought from news stands or supermarkets. It may also be possible to get a SIM card in Mexico that is compatible with your own mobile phone.

You can reverse the charges of a call but only do this if you absolutely have to as the rates for the other party can be extortionate. To reverse the charges call the operator from a card phone (you don't need a card), for international calls it's 090 and for domestic calls it's 020.

Emergency phone numbers: POLICE - 060 , FIRE & AMBULANCE SERVICES - 080, HIGHWAY EMERGENCY - 078, TOURIST SECURITY - (55) 5250-0123, LOCATEL INFO SERVICE - (55) 5658-1111.

Some minor medical treatment, as well as prescription drugs, may be cheaper in Mexico than elsewhere. However, travellers are advised to take out a private health insurance plan before they travel in case of emergencies. With most plans you will have to pay for the treatment upfront and then claim for it when you return. If this is the case then make sure you take care of all the appropriate documentation. There are some plans that will pay the hospitals directly so you don't have pay anything. It might be better trying to arrange a plan like this if you are travelling on a tight budget.

Also, check that the insurance covers emergency flights home, it's always good to have this option. There are no required vaccinations for entering Mexico, except yellow fever, and that's only if you are arriving from a yellow fever infected area such as Africa or South America. However, there are a number of recommended vaccinations that you should consider having, there include; hepatitis A & B and typhoid - for all travellers, rabies - for people that will be in close contact with animals during their visit, measles – for people that have only ever had one measles vaccination, and chickenpox – for those that have never had chickenpox. Tetanus and diphtheria boosters should also be up to date. Arrange any vaccinations at least two weeks before your departure date, and ask your doctor for the yellow booklet (the international certificate of vaccination).

There are at least forty official border crossings between Mexico and North America. If you want to cross between Guatemala and Mexico there are about ten border towns with cross-over points and there's also a couple more along the Belize border. There are twenty buses a day going from Belize City into Mexico. There are also frequent buses going from Guatemala into Mexico, departure points include the towns of Flores, La Mesilla, Guatemala City, Mazatenango and El Carmen. Most international flights arrive either in Mexico City or Cancún. Scheduled flights arrive there from Europe, Central and South America and Canada. It's normally cheaper to fly on a week day, rather than at the weekend, and flight fares go up over Christmas and New Year as well as during July and August.

If Mexico only makes up part of your journey then it may be cheaper to get a round the world ticket, or an “open-jaw” ticket, which means that you can fly into one city and leave via another. The only way to reach Mexico by sea is to join a cruise. Most cruises go around the Caribbean but there are some that sale along the Pacific Coast. Some companies that provide these trips are P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.

When leaving Mexico you must hand back your tourist card. If you have lost it you will have to pay a fine, which is normally around $45. Your card must have on it the stamp that proves you have paid the tourist fee (DNI). If you are leaving Mexico on an international flight then there is a departure charge of around $25. Usually this will be included in your airfare so check with your travel agent, if it isn't you will have to pay at the check-in desk.