The Best Nightlife

Polanco & Condesa, Mexico City: Mexico City, like any world capital, has sizzling nightlife. Latin, Cuban, and alternative music rock in the Polanco neighborhood; Condesa is nicknamed the SoHo of Mexico City, due to its architecture and galleries. Its trendy club scene evokes the culture's roots in Madrid and Barcelona. Arrive fashionably late -- the party doesn't start before midnight.

Guadalajara's Sophisticated Scene: Nightlife here extends to theater, classical music, jazz, and salsa, never forgetting mariachi music -- which, when done properly, requires vocalists to really flaunt their talent.

Puerto Vallarta: Of all the beach destinations, Puerto Vallarta enjoys the most sophisticated and varied nightlife. An excellent selection of small clubs features live jazz, blues, salsa, and good old rock 'n' roll. You'll also find mariachi, pre-Columbian, and traditional Mexican ballads. Heating up the scene are a new group of contemporary clubs and lounges with DJs spinning house, trance, and chill.

Acapulco Dance Clubs: Nightlife can't possibly get more lavish, extravagant, or flashy than it is in Acapulco, Mexico's hands-down diva. This city's main cultural attractions are the clubs that jam until sunrise, several of which have walls of windows overlooking the bay.

The Lively Offerings of San Cristóbal de las Casas: Small though it may be, this city has a live-music scene that can't be beat for fun and atmosphere. It's inexpensive, too. This is the perfect place to do some barhopping: It offers variety, convenience (everything is within walking distance), and few if any cover charges.

Cancún's Clubs in Malls: Cancún's wide-ranging hot spots include most of the name-brand nightlife destinations, concentrated in entertainment malls and festival shopping centers, as well as hotel-lobby bars with live music, and sophisticated dance clubs. Popular nightlife tours allow you to bypass lines and sample various clubs in a single night. The clubs here can accommodate up to 3,000, and there are plenty of options for staying out until the sun comes up.

Cabo San Lucas Beach Bars: In the nightlife capital of Baja California, after-dark fun centers on the casual bars and restaurants that line the main drag, as well as those on the town's public Medano Beach. The place retains a rowdy, outlaw feel, despite the influx of tony hotels nearby. A new lounge scene is, thankfully, updating this lively town's nightlife.

• Acapulco
• Cancun
• Cozumel
• Ixtapa
• Los Cabos
• Mazatlan
• Mexico City
• Playa Del Carmen
• Puerto Vallarta
• Riviera Maya