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Best up-and-coming destinations in North America

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Oaxaca
Colonial Charm and Rich Traditions
7.5
Oaxaca has built a growing reputation around its mezcal distilleries and complex mole sauces. Day of the Dead celebrations here draw larger crowds every year from around the world. Visitors can tour small palenques where mezcal is still distilled by hand. Ancient ruins at Monte Alban sit on a hilltop just outside town.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Relax in the colorful Oaxaca Botanical Garden
  • ⛪ Marvel at the Baroque Templo de Santo Domingo
  • 🏛️ Explore the ancient Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán
Mérida
Colonial charm and Yucatán culture
7.1
Merida has drawn a growing wave of remote workers thanks to low crime rates and colonial architecture. The city serves as a base for day trips to nearby cenotes and Chichen Itza. Visitors can stroll the pastel coloured mansions lining Paseo de Montejo. A weekly street festival closes the main avenue to traffic each Sunday.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Visit the interactive Gran Museo del Mundo Maya
  • ⛪ Explore the impressive Mérida Cathedral in Plaza Grande
  • 🌳 Stroll along historic Paseo de Montejo boulevard
San Miguel de Allende
Colonial Charm with Artistic Soul
7.1
Travel and Leisure readers have repeatedly voted San Miguel de Allende among the world's best cities. Its baroque pink church, La Parroquia, anchors a town centre filled with art galleries. Visitors can wander cobbled streets lined with converted colonial mansions. A growing community of expat retirees has reshaped the local economy.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Explore vibrant art galleries at Fabrica La Aurora
  • 🌳 Stroll through the colorful Jardín Allende plaza
  • ⛪ Admire the iconic Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
Panama City
Where History Meets Modern Skylines
7.0
Casco Viejo's crumbling colonial buildings have been steadily restored into boutique hotels and rooftop bars. The neighbourhood sits within view of Panama City's fast growing skyline of glass towers. Visitors can wander cobbled streets before crossing to see ships pass through the nearby canal. A wave of new investment has followed the canal's continued expansion.
Highlights:
  • 🦜 Take a rainforest boat tour on Gatun Lake and spot wildlife
  • 🏘️ Stroll through Casco Viejo’s colorful colonial streets and plazas
  • 🚢 Watch massive ships pass through the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal
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