Mexican Destinations - Rated by National Geogrpahic Traveler

The November/December 2009 edition of National Geographic Traveler magazine gives their sixth iteration of the top 133 Travel Destinations Rated. It's fascinating reading and their selections and reasons are sometimes intriguing but most all distilled down to two or three sentences in the print version of the magazine, hardly enough to get an understanding for their reasoning(s). You need go to the online version to get the full story.

They state that their survey isn’t a "popularity contest" but an "an assessment of authenticity and stewardship, evaluating the qualities that make a destination unique and measuring its integrity of place". You can gain a better insight into their standards and thinking here: About the Survey.

That said, only two places in Mexico make the list, and only one gets a none negative rating and that with caveats (it's lumped in the "Places with Troubles" section):

Mexico: Riviera Maya Caribbean Coast, Quintana Roo and comes in with a score of 44 (1 being the best. here's the magazine's summary:

"Beautiful beaches obscured by miles of hotels," which threaten freshwater resources, coral reefs, mangroves, and the relaxed atmosphere. It's still possible to find "authentic natural and cultural tourism."

The other location mentioned falls in the middle of the seven rated worst - Cabo San Lucas Region, Mexico. Again the quote in the magazine is short and dismissive: "Sleepy fishing villages have been transformed into places "where drinking tequila shots upside down is the number one tourist attraction and gated communities are the main economic activity."

While this sweeping statement is essentially true, the region still has lots going for it. Cabo San Lucas twenty years ago didn't have much to offer. Next post, some contrasting views (mainly my own ;-) about southern BCS.