Mexico is a large country, covering nearly 2 million square kms from the more traditional Tijuana in the northwest (near the border crossing with California) to the Florida-style tourist resort of Cancun in the southeast. Physically, Mexico looks like a boot, with its toe end curling upwards towards the Yucatan and the Caribbean, its heel pointing towards the Pacific and its leg reaching into the States. The long boot spur is Baja California (the world's longest peninsula), trailing down in a thin strip from California towards some of the best whale watching areas in the world. The Sea of Cortez lies between Baja and the mainland.

Mexico is a land of enormous variety, with arid semi desert in the north, and tropical forest and some of the last remaining tracts of jungle in the south. The central mainland has volcanic mountains rising to an impressive 5700m, while the tropical low lying beaches of the Yucatan are famous for their white sand beaches, bathtub warm water and mesmerizing reef life.