Blue Guide Mexico (Blue Guides)

Rating:
Summary: Necessary for historical and cultural appreciation of Mexico
Review: I just used this book for a 10-day trip to Mexico (Acapulco, Oaxaca, Mexico City). I was deeply impressed, not only by the depth of historical, artistic, and cultural information, but by how clearly the information was laid out. (Sometimes Blue Guide walks can be downright confusing, and once you lose your way, alas, it's hopeless.) This guide is useless for hotels and places to eat. In fact, it's so old that even if this information were there, it would still be useless. But if you compare it side by side with any other guide (e.g. Fodor's, Frommers) you will see why it is important to carry along.

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic companion for the historical traveler
Review: The Blue Guide is not meant to be practical - the entry for Mexico City says "there are many hotels in Mexico City." However, the depth and amount of information about history, art, architecture, and culture are astounding. We used this book on a driving trip through Mexico City - Queretaro - Guanajuato - Taxco - Acapulco - Cuernavaca, plus a side trip to Merida - Chichen Itza - Uxmal. The guide pointed us to numerous fascinating sites that were not mentioned in our other guidebooks. Some examples: An 80+ page section on the National Museum in Mexico City takes you through piece-by-piece, adding much to the placards in the museum and also pointing out exhibits that are not to be missed. The sections on Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Xochicalco were all fantastic. My personal favorites were the guides to the work of the Mexican muralists Rivera/Orozco/Siqueiros. Want to know where all their works are and what was significant about each one? it's all in this book. If you're the kind of traveler who wants to know everything about the places you visit, this book is a must-have companion. And the best part about having a guide book that doesn't preoccupy itself with hotels and restaurants is that this book will never go out of date...

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic companion for the historical traveler
Review: The Blue Guide is not meant to be practical - the entry for Mexico City says "there are many hotels in Mexico City." However, the depth and amount of information about history, art, architecture, and culture are astounding. We used this book on a driving trip through Mexico City - Queretaro - Guanajuato - Taxco - Acapulco - Cuernavaca, plus a side trip to Merida - Chichen Itza - Uxmal. The guide pointed us to numerous fascinating sites that were not mentioned in our other guidebooks. Some examples: An 80+ page section on the National Museum in Mexico City takes you through piece-by-piece, adding much to the placards in the museum and also pointing out exhibits that are not to be missed. The sections on Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Xochicalco were all fantastic. My personal favorites were the guides to the work of the Mexican muralists Rivera/Orozco/Siqueiros. Want to know where all their works are and what was significant about each one? it's all in this book. If you're the kind of traveler who wants to know everything about the places you visit, this book is a must-have companion. And the best part about having a guide book that doesn't preoccupy itself with hotels and restaurants is that this book will never go out of date...

Rating:
Summary: excellent reference for archaeological and historical sites
Review: Unlike most travel guides, this does not tell you where to eat or stay. Instead, it offers detailed information on the archaeology and hostory of numerous archaeological sites, colonial architecture and more. It includes site plans for many sites and step-by-step information on museum exhibits. It also explains the archaeological excavations that have been done at various sites. I recommend it highly to anyone traveling to Mexico to view archaeologial and historical sites.