MEXICO
Mexico is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, where tropical rainforests, deserts, mountain ranges, cloud forests, mangroves and two vast coastlines support an extraordinary variety of wildlife. Situated at the crossroads of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, the country is home to an exceptional mix of North and Central American species, making it one of the world’s premier wildlife destinations.
Mexico’s rich ecosystems shelter some of the continent’s most iconic mammals, including Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, Baird’s Tapirs and Mexican Wolves. The tropical forests of the Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas are among the best places to search for elusive rainforest wildlife, while Baja California offers world-class opportunities to observe Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Whale Sharks and California Sea Lions.
Birdwatching in Mexico is equally outstanding. With more than 1,100 recorded bird species and over one hundred endemics, the country ranks among the world’s top birding destinations. Colourful trogons, motmots, hummingbirds, parrots and toucans inhabit the southern forests, while impressive raptors, owls and endemic jays can be found throughout the country’s mountains and deserts.
Mexico’s marine ecosystems are equally spectacular. The Sea of Cortez, famously described by Jacques Cousteau as “the world’s aquarium”, hosts an incredible diversity of marine mammals, sharks, rays and seabirds, while the Caribbean reefs of the Yucatán support sea turtles, coral reefs and countless tropical fish.
Whether tracking Jaguars in the Yucatán, photographing endemic birds in the Sierra Madre, witnessing the Gray Whale migration in Baja California or diving with Whale Sharks in the Caribbean, Mexico offers one of the richest and most diverse wildlife experiences in the Americas.
Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico
+134 birds+21 mammals
Crystalline waters lap against the world’s second-longest coral barrier reef, where vibrant walls of living limestone plunge into the abyss. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDzibilchantún National Park
Barcelona, Mexico
+97 birds+5 mammals
Cenotes puncture the limestone plateau of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula like sapphire eyes, and this compact 8-square-kilometre park shelters some of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEl Vizcaíno
Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico
+101 birds+15 mammals
Where the Baja California peninsula thins into a tapestry of salt lagoons and coastal desert, one of Mexico’s most biodiverse […]
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVELagunas de Montebello National Park
Laguna de Montebello, Mexico
+126 birds+3 mammals
Crystalline waters pierce through limestone plateaus in the borderlands of Chiapas, where over fifty interconnected lakes create a landscape of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMontes Azules
Candelaria, Mexico
+42 birds+3 mammals
Where jungle-clad limestone plateaus plunge into canyon systems carved by the Usumacinta River, Mexico’s most pristine rainforest reserve unfolds across […]
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVEParque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes
Chicxulub, Mexico
+37 birds+2 mammals
Coral pinnacles rise from the Gulf of Mexico’s turquoise shallows like submerged cathedrals, their bleached limestone summits barely breaking the […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Benito Juárez
San Andrés Huayápam, Mexico
+129 birds+30 mammals
Towering pine and fir forests blanket the high plateaus of Oaxaca’s Sierra Madre Oriental, where elevation exceeds 3,600 meters and […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella
Mexico
+123 birds+30 mammals
Volcanic ridges rise abruptly from the valley floor south of Mexico City, their slopes clothed in a mosaic of pine-oak […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Grutas de Cacahuamilpa
Pilcaya, Mexico
+141 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge into shadowed canyons, the Río Río Grande carves its ancient passage through one of Mexico’s most […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Isla Isabel
Santiago Ixcuintla, Mexico
+49 birds+4 mammals
Where the Pacific swells meet volcanic stone, three dormant cinder cones rise from the Sea of Cortez like sentinels guarding […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSian Ka’an
Chunyaxché, Mexico
+115 birds
Where mangrove labyrinths dissolve into turquoise shallows and jungle canopy meets pristine Caribbean shoreline, one of Mexico’s most biodiverse reserves […]
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVESierra de Tamaulipas
El Porvenir, Mexico
+91 birds+20 mammals
Where limestone peaks thrust skyward through dense subtropical forest, Mexico’s northeastern frontier reveals one of the continent’s most biodiverse mountain […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVETutuaca
Tosanachi, Mexico
+122 birds+22 mammals
Where copper canyons plunge deeper than the Grand Canyon itself, Mexico’s remote Sierra Madre Occidental unfolds in dramatic vertical relief. […]
VIEW PROTECTED LANDSCAPENo community observations in this country yet — visit a hotspot and start an observation list.