Mexico

Mexico

The altitude hits first — 2,240 metres — then the smell of corn tortillas on a comal somewhere just around the corner. Mexico City is a capital that operates at full intensity from 7am until 3am: baroque churches sinking into soft lakebed, street tacos that cost less than a newspaper, a metro system carrying five million people daily, and contemporary art museums that would embarrass most European cities.

Mexico

The cenotes smell like cold stone and jungle. You lower yourself into water so clear you can see your feet twenty metres down, surrounded by tree roots and stalactites. Above ground, Tulum splits into two places: a genuine Maya cliff-top ruin with Caribbean views that earns every visitor, and a tourist strip that has turned a fishing village into a wellness brand selling $18 cocktails and mediocre vegan bowls.