I haven’t been to Guanajuato but I’ve travelled to all the others. I love São Paulo, but I think you’d prefer Rio de Janeiro + Paraty for your trip. You’ll still get the big city vibe but with much better views and more hiking. Rio isn’t the biggest food capital (Sao Paulo by far has all the best restaurants) but for 12 days you’ll find some good spots. Definitely plenty of places with great beer and views. Paraty is also a wonderful counterbalance to the hustle and bustle of RJ (or SP if you decide) and has lots of outdoor activities. The town is small though, and you’ll be able to walk around the entire town in one day.

If you prefer to see a LOT of beautiful colonial architecture, museum after museum, and want to eat the best food of your life, go to CDMX and Oaxaca. There’s some cool hiking around Oaxaca too. Oaxaca is bigger than Oaxaca and you’ll have more city to walk around. Oaxaca is still quite busy, so if you want a real beach getaway, Puerto Escondido in the south is more akin to Paraty