Although it may not look it on standard maps, Mexico is actually the 14th largest county in the world, and it includes a great diversity of landscapes, from towering peaks to low, lush river valleys, striking canyons carved out of the rock over thousands of years, wide plains and dense jungles. Over 10% of the world's biodiversity can be found in this one country, and visitors enjoying long, slow drives through its remoter regions should look out for jaguars, black bears, crocodiles and bright-billed toucans flashing through the trees. Off the Pacific coast, you can see blue whales and many other species of aquatic mammals, and in some places it's possible to swim with dolphins.
There are also manmade wonders to explore in Mexico, including spectacular Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, Tulum and Uxmal on the Yucatan peninsula, where you can also travel through the great (though now almost invisible) crater from an asteroid collision around 65 million years ago.
