Images of Mexico by John Mitchell

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico

2011-06-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Perched dramatically on cliffs overlooking the blue Caribbean Sea, Tulum is the most popular archaeolgical site on the Riviera Maya. This ancient Mayan port reached its peak around 1200 AD when it became an important trading center. The compact city is surrounded by a high stone wall and is dominated by El Castillo, an imposing structure fronted by steep steps and crowned by a handsome temple. Next to El Castillo stands the squat Temple of the Descending God, which is famous for the unusual stucco sculpture of a diving god above its entrance. Tulum can get crowded when the tour buses start arriving, so the best times to enjoy its splendor are early morning and late afternoon.

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Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Puebla: Mexico's City of Angels

2011-04-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Founded by the Spanish in 1531 as Ciudad de los Angeles (City of Angels), Puebla is one of Mexico's most historic cities. It is also one of the country's most photogenic. Blue, white, red, green, and yellow Talavera tiles that originated in Talavera, Spain, adorn the domes of Puebla's many handsome churches and the facades of its dignified colonial mansions and palaces. Over the centuries, indigenous craftsmen have added their own designs to Puebla's dazzling tiles and famous Talavera pottery. Also, the French occupied Puebla during part of the 19th century, leaving their indelible mark on the city's architecture and culture. The Historic Center of Puebla was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

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Puebla, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Paricutin Volcano, Michoacan, Mexico

2010-05-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Volcan Paricutin was born in 1943 with a series of explosions in the middle of a farmer's cornfield. The volcano continued to erupt for almost a decade, building a cone over 400 meters high and inundating two nearby towns with lava. Today, the lone steeple of the half-buried Church of San Juan Parangaricutiro rises above barren lava fields as an eerie monument to the village entombed below.

Travelers hike to this surreal landscape from the Tarascan community of Angahuan, which was spared by the volcano. The inhabitants of Angahuan still speak Purepecha, the ancient language of their ancestors, and many of the men work as guides. Angahuan is a rustic town with a 16th-century church known for the unusual Moorish designs surrounding its entrance.

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Paricutin Volcano, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Mazatlan, Concordia, and Copala, Mexico

2010-05-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

What's nice about Mazatlan is that besides being a major beach resort on Mexico's Pacific coast, it's an authentic Mexican port city with more on its mind than tourism. Mazatlan also has a rich history dating back to Spanish colonial times, and in recent years a lot of effort has been put into restoring its historic downtown, which has some fine 19th-century buildings, attractive plazas, plus a couple of good museums. Concordia and Copala are two photogenic mining towns in the nearby foothills of the Sierra Madre that date back to the late 1500's.

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Mazatlan, Concordia, and Copala in Sinaloa, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico's UNESCO World Heritage Sites

2010-05-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Mexico boasts 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (25 Cultural and four Natural), more than any other country in the Americas. I first started exploring and photographing these inspiring locales back in the 1980's. Since then I've managed to visit 25 of them, and I hope to be around long enough to see the rest. However, this may not be easy because Mexico has a lineup of places waiting to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, and so it promises to get even longer.

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Mexico's World Heritage Sites - Images by John Mitchell

Chiapas, Mexico

2010-04-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

Ancient Maya ruins sequestered in the jungle, atmospheric Spanish colonial towns, dranatic landscapes, and Maya villages that seem impervious to time make the southern state of Chiapas one of the most rewarding places to photograph in Mexico. Culturally similar to neighboring Guatemala, Chiapas is home to a colorful and thriving Maya culture that has managed to hold onto its age-old traditions.

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Chiapas, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

2010-02-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Acapulco is often referred to as the queen of Mexico's beach resorts. Her fame has faded somewhat over the decades, but Acapulco still conjures up images of celebrity, romance, and wild nightlife. What many visitors to Acapulco don't realize is that this hedonistic party town has a rich history that goes back thousands of years. Long before the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, Acapulco was inhabited by indigenous people who had sacred ceremonial centers in the hills above Acapulco. During colonial times, Acapulco became one of the most important ports in the New World and served as Spain's main gateway to the riches of the Orient.

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Acapulco - Images by John Mitchell

Las Pozas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

2010-02-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

Las Pozas is truly one of the hidden wonders of modern Mexico. Located in the lush rain forest of the isolated Huasteca Potosina region of San Luis Potosi state, this remarkable surrealistic sculpture garden was created by Edward James, an eccentric British poet, nature lover, and art patron. Between 1949 and 1984, James built 36 fantastical concrete sculptures in a patch of jungle near the mountain town of Xilitla.

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Las Pozas Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

2010-01-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed photographing decaying places like the old mining town of Real de Catorce in the state of San Luis Potosi. This once-bustling community is now often referred to as a "ghost town," and indeed the inhabitants of Real de Catorce began deserting their homes and businesses after nearby silver mines started drying up in the late 19th century. These days, however, many of the ghosts have been replaced by tourists and religious pilgrims who come to pay homage to a supposedly miraculous statue of Saint Francis de Assisi ensconced in the parish church. As a result of its new-found popularity, Real de Catorce boasts several comfortable hotels and what has to be the largest number of authentic Italian restaurants per capita of anywhere in Mexico.

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Real de Catorce, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Guanajuato, Mexico

2009-12-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Guanajuato is one of the most unusual places in Mexico. Packed into an old river valley, this maze-like Spanish colonial city is full of surprises for the wandering photographer. Jumbles of pastel-colored houses cascade down Guanajuato's steep hillsides, and its narrow streets lead to hidden plazas with splashing fountains, outdoor cafes. and open-air markets. Guanajuato is also a city of fine museums and opulent churches that hark back to when it was one of the richest silver-mining centers in the world.

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Guanajuato, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

2009-12-26T13:14:00.000-08:00

San Miguel de Allende has long been one of my favorite places to photograph in Mexico. This charming Spanish colonial town has grown considerably since I started visiting there during the mid 1980's. Fortunately, its historical center -- which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 -- has changed little in appearance. San Miguel is more crowded and touristy than it used to be, and consequently some of the original magic has gone. Nevertheless, for me it remains one of the most photogenic towns in Mexico.

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San Miguel de Allende - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico's Archaeological Sites

2009-12-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

I just can't seem to get enough of photographing Mexico's pre-Hispanic ruins. Their mystery and stark beauty have lured me back to Mexico with my camera again and again. Over the years, I have explored and photographed famous archaeological sites such as Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, Palenque, Chichen Itza, and Uxmal, as well as many others that are well off the trampled tourist paths.

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Ancient Cities of Mexico - Images by John Mitchell