Mountains and Lakes
Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltepetl). Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Mexico is a mountain country: two volcanic ranges cross the center, the Sierra Madre runs both coasts, and the northern deserts hide canyon systems bigger than anything in the US. The highland lakes of Michoacan and the waterfalls of the Huasteca round out the water side.
Altitude matters: the big volcanoes top 5,000 metres, and even the lakes sit above 2,000. Acclimatize before strenuous hikes.
