Mexico offers a wealth of cultural treasures

Oaxaca: Cultural mecca

A half a day's drive from Mexico City, Oaxaca is a cultural and shopping mecca featuring artists from all over Mexico.

Another must-see museum is the Museo Textil de Oaxaca (http://www.museotextildeoaxaca.org.mx/), which features intricate handiwork from around the world.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/03/18/3944091/beyond-the-beaches-mexico-offers.html#storylink=cpy

Along these same lines, Geo-Mexico published an article yesterday titled: "Mexico has more World Heritage sites than any other country in the Americas": http://geo-mexico.com/?p=877

Mexico’s existing World Heritage sites

Date added to list – Name of site (state in brackets)

1987 Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve (Quintana Roo)
1987 Pre-Hispanic city and national Park of Palenque (Chiapas)
1987 Historic Center of Mexico City and Xochimilco (Mexico D.F.)
1987 Pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan (State of Mexico)
1987 Historic Centre of Oaxaca and archaeological site of Monte Alban(Oaxaca)
1987 Historic Centre of Puebla (Puebla)
1988 Historic town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines (Guanajuato)
1988 Pre-Hispanic city of Chichen-Itza (Yucatán)
1991 Historic Centre of Morelia (Michoacán)
1992 Pre-Hispanic city of El Tajin (Veracruz)
1993 Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino (Baja California)
1993 Historic Centre of Zacatecas (Zacatecas)
1993 Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco (Baja California)
1994 Earliest 16th-Century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatepetl (Morelos)
1996 Prehispanic town of Uxmal (Yucatán)
1996 Historic Monuments, Zone of Querétaro (Querétaro)
1997 Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara (Jalisco)
1998 Historic Monuments, Zone of Tlacotalpan (Veracruz)
1998 Archeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes (Chihuahua)
1999 Historic fortified town of Campeche (Campeche)
1999 Archaeological Monuments, Zone of Xochicalco (Morelos)
2002 Ancient Maya City and biosphere reserve of Calakmul (Campeche)
2003 Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda (Querétaro)
2004 House and Studio of Luis Barragán (in Mexico City)
2005 Islands and protected areas of the Gulf of California
2006 Agave landscape and old tequila-making facilities in Amatitlán, Arenal and Tequila (Jalisco)
2007 Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (Mexico City)
2008 Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Michoacán and State of México)
2008 San Miguel de Allende and the Sanctuary of Jesús de Nazareno de Atotonilco (Guanajuato)
2010 Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the 2,900 kilometer historic route linking Mexico City to Santa Fe in New Mexico
2010 Prehistoric caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca

Thanks for the post CheenaGringo - I would like to visit all of those places but have become very familiar with one of the places listed: 1998 Archeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes (Chihuahua) is a fascinating place.

Having had been a guest in the home of one of the Mata Ortiz potters, Gloria Hernandez, in the town of Mata Ortiz my husband and I would return routinely to buy their pots. Gloria's husband comes from a long line of Mata Ortiz potters. Gloria is now the premier potter as her husband tends to firing. Gloria's son recently won the best in show for white pottery.
Once the rival drug activity calms down Mata Ortiz is a must see. The potters of Mata Ortiz have suffered greatly as the drug clashes took over this northern state.

LaVida:

One of our real regrets is that in our early days of driving from New Mexico to Central Mexico, we never allocated the time to make a side trip to Casas Grandes to view this outstanding pottery at the point of origin. You are absolutely right about Casas Grandes being heavily impacted by the drug war along with virtually all of the State of Chihuahua.