Part 2 of five installments

With its beautiful beaches, breathtakingly diverse landscapes, wildlife, 4,000 years of history, rich traditions and friendly people, Mexico is a country you soon fall in love with. Each place you visit casts its spell and listing 100 reasons to love this huge country isn’t as hard as it might appear at first, there is so much to admire and reflect upon.

So in the wake of Mexico’s Independence celebrations, here is our list and we are still counting! They aren’t in any particular order and were listed as the inspiration took us. All those who live or travel here regularly have their own favorites and we are constantly adding to our list as we discover new places.

So, here goes, this is our second installment:

21. For the Sea of Cortés, turquoise waters teeming with marine life, home to one third of the world’s marine mammals.

22. For the sea turtles that nest on the nation’s beaches during the summer nights, seven of the world’s eight species find sanctuary in Mexico.

23. For Orizaba, the highest volcano in North America, its ancient name means “star mountain,” and it has been a beacon for seafarers bound for the coast of Veracruz since time immemorial.

24. For literary giants such as Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes and Juan Rulfo, among others.

25. For the country’s 70 indigenous groups, proud guardians of ancient languages, beliefs and traditions.

26. For the Mayan textiles of Chiapas, colorful and exquisite symbols of ancient beliefs. You can see them and weavers at work in the beautiful colonial city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and villagesin the surrounding mountains.

27. For Xel-Ha, a chain of turquoise lagoons and cenotes in the Mexican Caribbean that is a vast natural aquarium, full of colorful reef fish.

28. For the cenotes of the Yucatán, still, mirror-like pools that pepper the limestone landscape and are portals to the Mayan underworld.

29. For the underground rivers of the Riviera Maya, the longest found anywhere in the world to date.

30. For the mighty Usumacinta, one of the longest rivers in the Americas.

31. For Agua Azul, a chain of turquoise waterfalls in the mountains of northern Chiapas.

32. Raise your glass and toast tequila: a drink that has crossed frontiers and is now for connoisseurs with over 600 brands.

33. For the Maya, one of the world’s most gifted ancient civilizations for their knowledge of mathematics and the 0, their calendar, hieroglyphic writing system, astronomy, medicine and healing herbs.

34. Tulum, the cliff top citadel on the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula that heralds the rising sun, its ancient Mayan name is Zama or dawn.

35. Uxmal, the ancient Mayan city that American architect Frank Lloyd Wright considered a jewel of world architecture. It and the chain of smaller archaeological sites known as the Puuc Route are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

36. Enigmatic Chichen Itza, ancient city of the Maya, one of the state’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, also voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

37. Mexico City, one of the world’s largest and greatest cities, a treasure trove of monuments and museums, bustling markets and glitzy malls, with some of the finest restaurants in the Americas.

38. El Zocalo or main square in Mexico City, site of the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, this is one of the largest squares in the world.

39. The Day of the Dead tradition on November 1 and 2, a vibrant and moving tribute to the souls of the departed.

40. The Mexican flag, red, white and green with the eagle perched on a cactus devouring a snake, it is the powerful symbol of a nation and in 2010 it was voted the most beautiful flag in the world in an Internet poll.

We are sure that you also have your own Mexico favorites, please let us know what it is you love so much about this wonderful country.

Would you like to read our previous installment? Click here: 100 reasons to Love Mexico, part 1

Want more reasons to Love Mexico? Click here: 100 reasons to Love Mexico, part 3

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