Note: This is an excerpt from But For the Shadows, Mexico Is Color – 2,730,000 Steps in a Magical Country

From About 60,000 to 80,000 Steps

What we look for in a travel destination will vary from person to person - it’s for that reason that ranking the best vacation destinations is futile. However, Mexico arguably caters to just about anyone, no matter who they are or what they enjoy doing. It is for this reason why it’s perhaps the ultimate holiday destination.

Whether you’re looking for 5* hotels in Mexico or ancient ruins, Mexico has you covered.

At only 26 miles long, Mexico's Isla Holbox is a small treasure chest packed with goodness. This island is filled with special moments: colorful sunrises and sunsets, waves and calm waters, beaches and sandbars, and an abundance of wildlife.

In fact, Isla Holbox is part of the Yum Balan Nature Preserve, and is one of the very best places to bird watch in Mexico. 

Cancun is Mexico’s largest tourist destination. And yet, so much of the Cancun area is overlooked by most travelers in favor of those gorgeous Caribbean beaches. If you’re headed to the state of Quintana Roo, consider nature tourism (including beaches!). It's ecotourism Cancun at its finest. 

Hi, I'm Emily!  I'm currently a junior in college studying Spanish and Education.  In preparing to study abroad in Mexico last spring, I noticed there isn't a ton of information out there from people who have studied abroad in Latin America, so when I got back, I started my blog, Emily Abroad, to share my experience. I post practical tips and tricks, travel diaries highlighting our excursions to different parts of Mexico, and personal reflections on my experience.

Mexico’s famed Riviera Maya – a long stretch of land along Highway 307 in the state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula – is much more than tourism in Cancun. It’s a perfect place for adventurers, families, history buffs, divers, ecologists, foodies, and luxury travelers.

I recently read a novel that completely pulled me into the universe –and what a universe it is! Fling!, the new novel from writer and educator Lily Iona Mackenzie, is set in many countries. It’s at once a glimpse into new, interesting characters - and new, interesting worlds. It’s a saga that spans time, all at once. It’s color, and cold; light, and dark; memory, and forgetfulness; mothers, daughters, granddaughters; culture, and chaos. I love it.