What is Mexico famous for?

On number one of our “What is Mexico Known for?” list, we had to talk about the tacos, not only because they are one of the most popular Mexican things, but also because they are delicious

A taco is a small/medium size corn/ wheat tortilla filled with beans, vegetables, cheese, and anything else you want inside of it. Tacos are eaten in every single country, it´s true that their origin is from Mexico, but they have already converted into an international dish. Imagine how famous are the tacos that they are even more popular than French baguettes, Italian spaghetti, Chinese spring roll and many other international dishes.

Although you may have tried tacos in your country, we have to warn you that the ones in Mexico taste very different (way better). Also, you should know that Mexican tacos are different in each region.

In case you didn´t know, Mexico owns one of the 7 wonders of the world, and that is the Chichen Itza. It´s located in the eastern area of Yucatan State, and it´s for sure one of the most famous things about Mexico and a must visit if you travel to the country.

The Chichen Itza is an archeologic ruins of an ancient Maya city, it occupies around 10 square kilometres (4 square miles) and it is said that in the past around 35.000 people used to live there. Kukulkan Pyramid, located inside the Chichen Itza site, is the most popular pyramid and the one most tourist visit.

The name Chichen Itza comes from “Chi” which means mouth, “Chen” which means “wells” and Itza which is the name of the Maya tribe, and it refers to the two cenotes that were located nearby. The cenotes were the only water solution they had.

Most of you probably know that Mexican are famous for drinking a lot of alcohol and “dealing” very well with it, and being more concrete, we all know that the Tequila is their most popular drink.

Tequila is not only the national drink of Mexico, but also one of the biggest exportations in the country. The tequila industry produces more than a billion dollars and about 7 out of 10 litters produced are exported to other countries.

The tequila is named after the region where it´s produced, and it comes from the blue agave plant. If you ever find a tequila that has not been made in Mexico and that doesn´t come from this plant, then be careful as it´s not the original tequila and it can give you a really bad hangover.

The mariachis are for sure one of the things Mexico is known for, they are a band of music formed by four musicians playing violins, guitar, guitarron and a vihuela. They normally play their music with a charro suit costume and their most popular element is their hat.

Nowadays mariachis are known all over the world and you can see them playing in every single country (We have seen them playing in Plaza de Sol, in Madrid), but if you want to see the traditional ones, we recommend you visiting Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara.

They have been recognised by the UNESCO as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ and admiring them playing their music on a restaurant or at any popular square is a must do in Mexico.

El día de los Muertos, or also known as the day of the dead is probably one of the most famous and important traditions in Mexico. Although this tradition is celebrated in many countries all around the world, it is known that Mexico gives it a huge importance.

The day of the dead consists of dedicating time and love to the ones who have died. While in many countries the 31^st of October is an important day because it´s Halloween, in Mexico the important day is the 1^st and 2^nd of November. Every family shrine (ofrendas) is decorated with pictures, candles and flowers while the family enjoy together a dinner with food and drinks on its surroundings.

The day of the dead become one of the most popular things in Mexico after the Disney movie of Coco, which represented part of the traditions of this festive day. The best place to enjoy “El día de los Muertos” is Lake Pátzcuaro in Michoacán.

How many of you have watched at least once a Soap Opera? We needed to include them as one of those Mexican popular things, because Mexico is the country of Soap Operas, they produce them more than any other country, plus, they export them to every single continent.

Soap Operas are Tv series that are known for being long Tv shows (at least more than 60 episodes), with heroes and good endings and having in common that in each of these soap operas, the effort always pays off and the good always wins.

Although the main topics of all soap operas are love and betrayal, there has been shows that were better than others. It is said that since “Senda Prohibida”, which was the first soap opera in Mexico, some of the best shows were “Reach a Star” (1990) and “The rich also cry”.

Of course, something that is very famous in Mexico is its chocolate. If you are a cacao or chocolate lover, then you really need to travel to Mexico as they are one of the best chocolate producers in the world.

The truth is that Mexico is well known for its chocolate because they are the ones who discovered it around 4.000 years ago. An old Mexican tribe known as the Olmec Indians were the ones who cultivated the cacao for the first time and turned their beans into chocolate.

After so much time working on their cacao beans, they know the best techniques to get a perfect chocolate blend. One of the most touristic attractions in Mexico is going to a cacao plantation and admire the processof transforming the bean to a chocolate bar.

Mexico is known as the land of three lands, it has a huge diverse topography and there you will be able to go from a volcanic area to a paradise island or a forest in just a few hours, it´s amazing!

Of all those sceneries, the favourite for most tourists are their beaches, just so you can have an idea, they travel from all around the world to run away from their cold weather during Christmas time and enjoy the fantastic Mexican beaches. The beaches of Mexico are known for its white sand and their clear water.

The most famous beaches are in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, but these areas are normally very crowded, so if you are like us and you love empty paradise beaches, we truly recommend you going to Bucerias or Yelapa.  

Two of the greatest civilizations on the history of humanity are known for being from Mexico, these are the Mayan and the Aztec civilizations. With the Inca empire they were the three populations who dominated a great part of South and Central America between 2,800 and 500 years ago.

The first of the three civilizations were the Maya, its origin is from the Yucatan Peninsula and from there they started to build city states, temples, great pyramids and many structures and artifacts that are still useful nowadays. Later, the Maya civilization disappeared, and it´s still not known if the cause was a disease or something else.

In 1325 the Aztec civilization appeared, and they brought many agriculture systems, they were also good warriors which allowed them to spread its empire and travel to other territories of America.

The religion is another of those things that are very popular in Mexico. It happens in all South America, but Mexican people are one of the civilizations in the world who follow the most their religion.

Being more concrete, about 85% of Mexico´s population is catholic, and they actually rank in 2^nd position as the most catholic country in the world. Just so you can have an idea, the Pope John Paul II visited the country five times and in general, they have an incredible relationship with the Vatican.

Due to the fact that the majority of the country is catholic, they follow many religious traditions and customs such as The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe or the Day of the dead.