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Izamal in the state of Yucatán

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Millions of visitors flock to coastal Mexico each year, but those beautiful beaches, sprawling resorts and secret surf spots are at the end of roads that start inland. They begin at 400-year-old Spanish colonial plazas and cross over ancient paths that connected Mesoamerican pyramids built by great civilizations dating back much further. 

People halfway around the world know about Mexico even if they’ve never visited: They have probably tried the distinctive food or the equally famous spirit, tequila. While the menus may be similar abroad, a trip through the country can turn up very different meals from one region to another. Some of those dishes date back to the time of the Aztecs and Maya people, who were cultivating corn and cacao thousands of years before the first conquistadors set foot on the land.

What makes Mexico such a great food destination is its top-to-bottom tastiness on the price scale. It’s not unusual to see chefs from some of the world’s most award-winning restaurants sharing a stand-up street taco meal with a few friends who could afford to eat anywhere. On a weekend night, both upscale lounges and simple cantinas will have tables full of patrons sipping tequila or mezcal with some bar snacks.

The Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City

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I started exploring Mexico as a visitor nearly 20 years ago. On a family vacation to the Riviera Maya with my toddler daughter, we added Mérida and Yucatán state to the beach getaway. As has happened for so many, Cancún was just an appetizer. That trip started a long series of visits fueled by a strong desire to explore this vast country and its depth of history, culture and food. I kept returning — either on family vacations or on travel-writing assignments — and filed articles from the coasts of Jalisco, Guerrero and Nayarit and also inland from tequila country, Chiapas, Oaxaca and Mexico City.

Eventually, the lure got too strong for short bursts and my family spent a year in the UNESCO World Heritage historic city of Guanajuato. The Spanish-language phrase for real estate is bienes raíces — good roots — and a year later we put down our own roots to buy a house there. Our base is smack in the center of the country at about 6,700 feet (about 2,000 meters) above sea level, an altitude that surprises many visitors with nights cool enough to require a jacket.

In a country with 32 states and dozens of cities that are older than Boston, how do you narrow it all down? Favorites are subjective, of course, but with this newsletter series CNN Travel has curated the choices to give you a taste of the superlatives. Over the next four weeks, we’ll send you expert newsletter guides to some special cities and regions that are highlights for many Mexico lovers, including Eva Longoria, host of CNN Original Series “Searching for Mexico."

Even if you’ve been to all four spots, you’ll hopefully learn about something new that inspires a return trip. If you haven’t, you’ll find a new destination or two to put onto your short list for future plans. Each emailed edition will tell you where to go, stay and eat in the destination of the week, while a featured local insider will provide top tips, exclusively for CNN readers. To provide more depth, we have movie and TV recommendations, and Longoria has shared a favorite recipe that will give you a taste of each region.

The first package from Mexico will be hitting your inbox soon. If you have any suggestions on how this newsletter series could be better, please email us at unlockingmexico@cnn.com.

Otherwise, hasta luego for now and see you soon!