El Corazon de Mexico

Mexico's classic honeymoon destinations have a timeless appeal, with names that evoke paradisaical imagery in a single word: Cabo, Baja, Cozumel, Cancun. But another Mexico also awaits couples with a sense of adventure and a taste for culture and history, beckoning visitors to discover the high-energy charms of Mexico City, as well as quiet colonial towns like Cuernavaca and Taxco.

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, thrust into the warm center of the Caribbean Sea, is also the heartland of the nation's ancient Mayan culture, home to the great ruins at Chichen Itza and Tulum. Along the Riviera Maya are the famous resort towns of Cancun and Cozumel, known for their gorgeous white-sand beaches, nonstop nightlife and beautiful oceanfront resorts.

The Ritz-Carlton Cancun is one of just six AAA Five-Diamond resorts in Mexico and boasts a refined shore front location with ocean-view suites for discriminating honeymooners. The Ritz provides both access to and an oasis from lively Cancun, with a pair of outdoor pools, an oceanfront whirlpool, luxury Kayanta Spa, and a Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center. The resort is an epicureans dream, with a pair of renowned restaurants (The Club Grill and Fantino) that can host intimate dinners for two, and The Culinary Center where newlyweds can learn the art of cooking for each other alongside world-class chefs.

Cozumel is literally a Caribbean island unto itself, sitting just off the Yucatan coast, south of Cancun. Like the Ritz-Carlton, the Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa is a five-star resort recently reopened after a multimillion-dollar upgrade; the resort sits alongside one of the Caribbean's best marine parks, with great reef diving and snorkeling expeditions organized by the hotel's PADI-certified Five Palm water sports center. Honeymooners can luxuriate in oceanfront suites with private butler service, enjoy a day on the links at the Cozumel Country Club, or swim with the dolphins and explore the gardens at nearby Chankanaab National Park.

Hollywood stars made the Baja California resort towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo the "in" place to see and be seen in the 1950s. The region's reputation for exclusive luxury remains intact at resorts like the One&Only Palmilla, where past guests have included such luminaries as author/adventurer Ernest Hemingway and silver-screen legend Jean Harlow. Honeymooners are whisked away from the airport in the resort's Mercedes-Benz GL450 and swiftly introduced to a private "casa" with sliding doors leading to a beachfront patio, 24-hour butler service, and a telescope for whale-watching or stargazing. Couples are pampered with intimate dinners on the beach and at the resort's Charlie Trotter restaurant, "C," and they can also entertain themselves with outings to a secluded cove and spa treatments including a flower bath in a private villa.

Mexico City, the country's sprawling capital, is rich in history and culture, from the canals of Xochimilco to the Basilica de Guadalupe. Close to the museums and greenways of Chapultepec Park, the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico D.F. is ideally located for explorations of the Distrito Federal, with the hotel's impeccable service complimented by an outdoor pool and adjoining fitness center.

Honeymooners can easily combine a fascinating day or two in the Mexican capital with a visit to such colonial gems as Cuernavaca and Taxco, as well as the ancient ruins of Teotihuacn. The sedate mountain town of Taxco is located at the heart of Mexico's silver country, and the jewelry produced by local craftspeople is world famous. Cuernavaca, known as the "land of eternal spring" for its predictably pleasant year-round climate, is full of authentic colonial homes, fabulous restaurants and health spas. The only Relais & Chateaux hotel in Mexico, Las Mananitas in Cuernavaca, is treasured both for its finely appointed rooms and its traditional restaurant. The grand Mananitas Suite features a covered private terrace overlooking the main garden, full of towering palms and ponds and is beautifully illuminated at night.

Couples have been drawn to Cuernavaca ever since the Emperor Maximilian built a home in the town for his lover, Carlota. But whether you choose to honeymoon among Mexico's colonial treasures or in a beachfront paradise, the romantic "El Corazon de Mexico" will remain in your heart forever.

Written by Bob Curley