Sports Tourism Brings Fans to Mexico

Mexico plays host to the most ideal destinations for sports tourism. Whether you are an athlete or an avid follower, there is a place in Mexico that is perfect for you. Between its prime locations for water skiing, mountain biking, gravel driving races and sailing, any sports fan would feel at home vacationing in Mexico.

Guadalajara and the state of Jalisco hosted the 2011 Pan American Games. The event is the world's second largest athletic competition, ranking behind the Summer Olympics, and had a significant economic impact on the state of Jalisco. 6,000 athletes competed in a variety of sports. Water skiers from across the Americas came to the beautiful lakeside town of Ajijic, with sport fans from across the globe gathering in the charming town to watch. Ajijic is perfect for water skiing. The venue for the games was Boca Laguna, an artificial lake adjoining Lake Chapala in this central Jalisco town. Ajijic’s draw to the adventurous has created a town perfect for an exhilarating vacation.

The Pan American Games’ sailing competition took place at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Nuevo Vallarta. Fans of windsurfing, laser radial, laser standard, J-24, hobit cat, snipe, lightning and sunfish gathered to watch the 140 athletes compete. Nuevo Vallarta is no stranger to tourism, with many Americans and Canadians choosing its white, sandy beaches as a vacation destination.

Tapalpa, a municipality within Jalisco, was the perfect location for a mountain biking venue in Mexico. As part of the Sierra de Tapalpa, it has an extremely mountainous terrain – 74 percent of Tapalpa is considered “hilly!” In addition to being a haven for mountain bikers and mountain hikers, this environment has made Tapalpa a home for hang-gliding and paragliding.

In March, Mexico hosted the third round of the World Rally Competition as the first gravel event. Mexico spread 23 stages across 397 kilometers. It took place in the mountains surrounding the towns of Leon, Silao, Irapuato and Guanajuato. The Rally Guanajuato Mexico was the longest at 54.9 kilometers. While the dust may have settled from the action-packed event, the excitement over it has not. The event has become increasingly popular, for both competitors and spectators, and is expected to only gather more and more followers every year.

Whether it’s the sport itself that calls to you or the excitement of watching, Mexico provides many unparalleled destinations for the avid sports fan. Come play in Mexico, and have the most exhilarating vacation of your lifetime! 

Posted in: 2011 Pan American Games,Ajijic,Boca Laguna,guadalajara,Leon,Mexico,Nuevo Vallarta,Silao,sports tourism,Tapalpa,vacationing in Mexico,World Rally Competition