Combining the magic of Mexico City with the charm of Oaxaca

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. To walk around is to have a street art show, even the greengrocer shops seem to arrange the fruits like a still life in the city’s marketplaces. open image in gallery The Teotihuacan pyramids are a striking example of ancient Mexico Surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains, Mexico City has a teeming population of 20 million people but somehow this does not feel overwhelming; there are so many local districts with their own flavour such as Zocalo, the main square with its dramatic cathedral. open image in gallery The beach town of Zihuatanejo on the Pacific coast is the perfect respite following a city break There are great artefacts to buy to pop into your luggage to take home as well as visiting the Zapotec and Mixtec people’s ancient sites at Monte Alban, Yagul and Mitla, truly as intoxicating as the Mayan ruins in the south and east. A 12-day private journey to Mexico, staying at the Geneve in Mexico City, Quinta Real in Oaxaca and Las Brisas Ixtapa in Zihuatanejo, starts from £3,880pp based on two sharing a room.