The valleys of El Tecuane and Santa Rosa in Jalisco are filled with fields of blue agaves (Tequilana weber azul), which appear as lakes from a distance. This portion of the Mexican countryside was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. © John Pint, 2010

Did tequila originate in the Mexican town of Amatitan, Jalisco?

All the world has been told that tequila, the drink was born in Tequila — the town located 45 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara — but is this really a fact? Curiously, the famed Tequila Express train has, for years, been carrying tourists straight to a small town called Amatitán, and not to Tequila at all. […]

Continue Reading
Hierve el Agua is stunning, one of Oaxaca's most impressive attractions

Hierve el Agua: Bubbling springs and petrified waterfalls in Oaxaca, Mexico

Hierve el Agua is stunning, one of Oaxaca’s most impressive attractions — and perhaps one of the most spectacular in the entire country. Yet, surprisingly, it is one of the least visited. With its bubbling springs and petrified waterfalls, Hierve el Agua should be considered a “must see” for naturalists, photographers, hikers and anyone else […]

Continue Reading
Playa Los Ayala is beach bliss, without the glitz or glamour! © Christina Stobbs, 2012

El Monteon, Punta Raza, Playa Los Ayala and Playa Friederas: Hidden gems on Mexico’s Nayarit Riviera

It’s all about being alone! The beaches of El Monteon and Punta Raza are two of my preferred Mexico beaches on the Riviera Nayarit because they are both well, off the beaten path, undeveloped and truly pristine. I love a hidden gem of a beach that I can call my own, at least for a […]

Continue Reading
John Pint with one of the smaller Piedras Bola. Megaspherulites have been found in a few other places in the world, but none are as large as those near Ahualulco, Mexico, some of which are nearly 10 meters in diameter. © John Pint, 2009

Las Piedras Bola: the great stone balls of Ahualulco

Approximately twenty-five years ago I heard rumors of some curious geological formations hidden high in the hills above the town of Ahualulco de Mercado, which is located about 58 kilometers west of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city. “There are giant stone balls up there,” I was told, “perfectly round and lying in a great bed of […]

Continue Reading
Templo de San Jose is a towered church some blocks northeast of the zocalo.

The beautiful colonial city of Morelia, Michoacan – a gallery

Morelia is the capital of Michoacan. The architecture is colonial style and the momentum of civic intent is to promote and preserve this inheritance. The city is organized around a large central square with fountains, trees, a bandstand, and a spectacularly maintained cathedral. There is also a large city park and a zoo. Published or […]

Continue Reading