If you're living in the Americas and you want to want to have a great weekend vacation, then look no farther than your down south neighbor. Mexico is one of the greatest places to spend a weekend with your family. Mexico offers a unique mixture of culture, history, and marvelous beaches that most tourists love and come back for.

Here are some of the best things to do and best places to go when taking a vacation at Mexico:

Rich heritage. Mexico's rich Latin American history is imbued in its culture and its architecture. If you're in to dancing and revelry, you could always decide to join the town fiestas. If you want to get it going, be sure to attend the Mariachi and Charro festival held every September at Guadalajara. Here you get to waste the night away listening to mariachi bands or perhaps watch their rodeo shows. You could also go to Mexico City where there are also a lot of mariachis performing at Plaza Garibaldi.

Shopping. If you're into shopping, you can get the best woodworks in Mexico at Guadalajara, as well as ceramics and pottery from the Oazaca region. You could also go visit Bazar del S'bado in San Angel's Plaza Jacinto for high-quality handicrafts and woodworks. But if you want to shop only at one place, then go to Mexico City, the melting pot of all regional woodworks and handicrafts. You can get bargain prices La Ciudedala and Plaza del Buen Tono.

Food. After a long day of shopping, a wide variety of Mexican food are available at restaurants scattered all over Mexico City. You could try their popular dishes like toritillas, enchiladas, and frijoles. You should try out their special sauces like guacamole and mole verde and be on the watch for rare fruits like zapote and tuna (cactus fruit). If all these sound too alien for your taste,though, don't worry as Mexican traditional ingredients include chicken and corn, which would suit your taste.

Beaches. Mexico's beaches are of top calibre. The preferred tourist destination is Acapulco, where the clear-blue beaches and elegant coastlines would really make a lasting impression on the tourist. However, to truly enjoy this tropical paradise you have to shell out a few hundred dollars. But no worries Mexico offers a lot beaches where you can have a great time without worrying too much about your expenses, as well as reasonably priced hotels like those from Grupo Mayan.

If you want to get a good tan, you can go to Bahia de Mujeres, which is the best sunbathing area in the peninsula. If you just want to take a relaxing swim, you can have a pick of either at the Sea of Cort's or the waters at the Yucatan Coast.

Indeed, traveling to Mexico is like a journey of a lifetime, so make sure that you're ready and get yourself a place to stay, like in a Grupo Mayan Hotel, and yourself up on your feet. The great trip is just going to start.