Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico

8-day itinerary of Yucatán Peninsula.

Last week we finally took a trip to parts of Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico – Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Chichen-Itza, Coba, Tulum & Playa del Carmen. I am amazed by the history, culture and beauty of this magical place. This was a special trip since we were celebrating our second wedding anniversary. We hoped for personal time but also wanted to get on the road and explore what this great region has to offer. So we spent most part of the trip traveling around, hopping from one place to another and then spent the last two days chilling at an exotic resort.

This region of Mexico has lots to offer. As far as we have seen most people just fly to Cancun to enjoy pleasant time in resorts. I am not criticizing! Resorts here are an exuberant world within themselves where time runs on a different pace and there are so many exciting things to do that you don’t feel like going anywhere else. However, for us things outside are far more exciting than just enjoying amenities in resorts. If you are one to have similar thinking then this itinerary will be great for you. So here it goes:

Day 1: Fly to Cancun International Airport.

We flew in the day before Thanksgiving, in the evening after office. It was pretty late when we reached Cancun. We had already made car reservations with Easy Way Cancun Car Rental. Almost all rental companies you find in US are available in Cancun. But there are a lot of hidden fees in terms of insurance with most rental companies so please inquire before booking. From research, Athreya found that Easy Way and Enterprise had the best ratings in terms of customer experience and price transparency. The process of picking us up from airport to the car rental office and getting our car was a smooth process. TPL (Third Party Liability insurance) is mandatory for anyone not from Mexico but anything other than that is not. Other rental companies may deny credit card auto insurance and force customers to purchase their expensive Auto insurance. If you plan to use your credit card auto insurance or personal insurance, the rental companies can keep a hefty amount (3000 USD) as deposit on hold on your credit card.

We then checked into our hotel (Ramada by Wyndham) – why this hotel? – We had some Free Wyndham points (Enough for 2 nights) with us that we wanted to use someplace available; this just happened to be that place 🙂 Most tourists stay in the resorts at Hotel Zone. We were not interested in that area since our plans were to explore outside Cancun.

If you are in this area (this is the city center), do have dinner at La Parrilla Cancún.

Day 2: Isla Mujeres

We started the day little later than planned since we got in late previous night. We took the ferry from Ultramar Puerto Juárez to Isla Mujeres. The ferry costs about 16$ USD for roundtrip which is pretty reasonable. They have a good frequency (every 30mins) and play live music while cruising along the turquoise Caribbean sea which makes the whole journey even more beautiful. I highly recommend this port over others since it is cheaper and experience was very pleasant.

Isla Mujeres is a Caribbean sea island about 13KM from Cancun coast. It is a pretty small island (about 10KM long) but has so much to offer. We first went for lunch at La Lomita – since this is a resort island, there are many restaurants to choose from. But we wanted to get more authentic experience , so we looked for places that are more local and family owned. Food was great. Try one of their Ceviche!

Isla Mujeres can be explored by bikes or golf carts. We rented a golf cart for 700 pesos (35 USD) until 6PM and started towards southern tip of the island – Punta Sur. It took us about 30 mins to reach the place (made some stops in between to take pictures of-course). I cant describe how beautiful this place is. The waves crashing on the rocks below, the ruins, the pathways, everything seemed so beautiful.

After spending good amount of time here we headed back to the northern point of the island –Playa Norte. This is the commercial area of the island with resorts, shops and beach side restaurants. Nevertheless the beach still is very beautiful. We rented some beach umbrellas-chairs and relaxed until the sun started setting around 5:30PM. On our way back to the ferry terminal did some trinket shopping and got back on the 6PM ferry right on time to see the setting sun over Cancun.

We then headed for dinner at The Surfin Burrito – great vibes , awesome burritos/tacos and amazing cocktails. Parking here is a bit tricky as it is in the beginning of Hotel Zone. We found parking near the flea market couple of blocks back and walked down to the restaurant.

I have heard that there are great places to party in Cancun. If you still have energy you could explore more on the crazy night life of Cancun. It was not part of our itinerary so we just went to our hotel and had a good night sleep 🙂

Day 3: Playa Delfines & Chichen-Itza

We spent the morning at Playa Delfines beach – the most famous beach in Cancun. Turquoise waters, rising sun, soothing wind – what else do you want! There is also a Cancun sign at the entrance of the beach which is another very touristy thing in Cancun. There is free parking in front of the beach but might get filled up soon. After that we checked out from our hotel and drove to Chichen-Itza.

The drive is about 2.5hours by car without stops with toll. We made a detour to Valladolid to our airbnb – we wanted to drop off our luggage before exploring Chichen-Itza since we were not sure how safe the area is. Although the area turned out to be quiet safe for our surprise. If you just search for Chichen-Itza on google maps it takes you to a private parking spot very close to the structures but with a higher parking fee (6$ vs 4$). I would recommend taking the main entrance to the park where you can get good maps of the area and tour guides. The entrance fee is 480 pesos (about 25$) and can be purchased at both entrances. We didn’t have time for a guided tour but if you do I would highly recommend taking one. The official guides are usually inside the park. Be-aware: there are many scammers – We heard varying tour guide costs from around 500 pesos to 1300 pesos. Bring sunscreen, umbrellas (if midday) and water – It gets very hot around these regions. We hung out till the park closed (Park timings – 8AM – 4:30PM) – one advantage- you can bargain with the shopkeepers. The prices almost drop 50% during closing time since they just want to make as much money before closing. They have wonderful Mayan artifacts.

After that we went to Ik Kil Cenote for some fun in the underground well. This place is very close to the ruins. The entry fees is 80 pesos (about 4$) and additional for life vests. This place might get very crowded during mid day (also the most beautiful since you can see the blue color of the water). We went there almost at closing time (timings: 8AM – 5PM ; they let you stay till 5:30PM though) so found it nicer, more calmer yet beautiful. I would recommend taking a swim in this Cenote. We didn’t expect it to be this great so had left swim clothes in Airbnb. 😦

After coming back to Valladolid we relaxed at our airbnb before heading to the best dinner I had on our trip at Restaurante El Atrio del Mayab.

Day 4: Coba & Tulum

If you are in Valladolid, you cannot miss Cenote Zaci. We misjudged few things on this road trip and were already behind on schedule so could not make it although we were staying 300m away. This is one of the most popular Cenotes in the region and a must do. The entry fees is just 30 pesos and I have heard great reviews. If you are tight on time like we were, I would suggest missing the following places we went to in Vallodolid and enjoy cenote instead. Before we left Valladolid in the morning, we took a stroll at popular instagram spots – Calzada de los Frailes and Letras VALLADOLID infront of the famous Convent of San Bernardino of Siena.

On the way out of Valladolid, you will pass Cenote Chichén Suytun – The most instagrammable Cenote. The entry fee is 120 pesos (6-7 USD) + life jacket will be additional. We did not go here – the reviews are mixed – it is said most photos are edited extensively to add color and light. But if you have time you can explore this trending spot.

We drove to Coba – another Mayan city with great structures, which is about an hour away from Valladolid. The entrance fee was 75 pesos + parking 50 pesos. I liked this area more than Chichen-Itza. The structures are surrounded by lush green forest and the weather seemed pleasant (until we started climbing the pyramid). There are 4 groups of structures here. To understand completely what these structures are it would be good to take guides. The groups are spread around lake Coba and walking although is a choice I would recommend either bikes or tricycle rides to go around the sites. The main spot is the Pirámide Nohoch Mul – one of the only climbable Mayan Temples left. About 130 steep and uneven steps to the top but they are worth the view. The tricycle ride feels better after the climb 😀 The rides are about 200 pesos for 2 hours and 75 pesos for one way. Before hitting the road we had lunch at El Faisán just beside entrance.

We then drove to Tulum, checked into our wonderful airbnb and then headed to Grand Cenote for a swim/snorkel. Fees: entrance =200 pesos+ locker =30 pesos + life jacket =50 pesos + snorkeling kit= 80 pesos. This one closes at 5PM but only lets you swim until 4:30 PM. It has great underground caves , blue crystal clear waters, little fishes and tortoises.

After the park closed we went to Tulum Beach for sunset. This is also where you would park to get to the Mayan ruins. The roads to the beach are narrow and you will find multiple interesting restaurants to enjoy the night. We again wanted to avoid these fancy areas and see more real side of Tulum. We went to locals’ favorite Antojitos La Chiapaneca – place was crowded with both locals and tourists. Their El Pastor was amazing. Definitely must try. All items were so cheap (10-15 pesos), we ordered almost everything on the menu 😀

Day 5: Scuba Diving

There are many places to scuba dive. Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen are some of the famous ones. I (Akshata) am not scuba certified (yet) so we had to find places and companies offering Discover Scuba. The options got limited and finally we went with Tank ha dive shop in Playa Del Carman. Phantom Divers are also one of the best in the area but our schedules were not matching. I hear Cozumel is the Mecca for scuba diving but most of the tours are for certified divers + they need more dives done. We have decided we will do another trip to just Cozumel to explore the wonderful coral world there. My diving experience before this was spoiled by the KeyWest Try Scuba I did 3 years back. But after understanding better on how to equalize under water this scuba dive has given me the confidence to get the certification ! My instructor also commended by buoyancy skills and said I should get certified 😀 big boost for me. The dives involve visiting the second largest barrier reef in the world – the experience was very fulfilling.

After two dives and spending whole afternoon in water we headed back to our airbnb to relax in our airbnb Jacuzzi.

Day 6: Archeological Zone of Tulum & Dos Ojos Cenote

In the morning we checked out of airbnb and headed to visit the Archeological Zone of Tulum. There are two ways to go to the ruins. One is to park near Tulum Beach and walk – parking would be free but might be limited since it is roadside. The second is to reach the main entrance where parking ranges from 50 pesos to 100 pesos and then walk. There is almost no difference in the amount of walking between these two spots. It all depends on your starting location. We parked at the main entrance just before the chain of shops at this location where parking was 50 pesos. You will have to walk about 500m from parking area to reach the ticket counter. Entry fees is 75 pesos; if opting guide its about 600 pesos (30 USD). There will be a bit of walking involved if you want to explore the whole site. This ancient Mayan port city was once a commercial gateway for local and foreign products , some of which came as far away as Central America. Tip: Go in the mornings when it is least crowded and pleasant (Timimgs: 8AM to 4:30PM).

After visiting the ruins that took about 2 hours we drove to Cenote Dos Ojos (which means two eyes in Mayan) for another snorkeling excursion! This place contains so many centoes but the main ones are the two eyes and bat cave. You can either get general entrance which is about 350 pesos including life jacket (lets you swim in open section of two cenotes only. No cave snorkeling allowed) or you can go on a guided snorkeling tour which costs 600 pesos including wet suit, flashlight, lifejacket and snorkeling kit ( This tour takes you from one eye to another eye from underground routes and also lets you see the bat cave from within! ) . I highly recommend taking the snorkeling tour. Worth every penny. The guides were not very informative but there is no way to explore this place without them. There is also scuba diving available at these cenotes but you need to book with third party dive shops (I hear Tank-Ha has these tours).

We were awed by the grandeur of these underground caves & tunnels – a world within itself with pillars and structures several feet below us. The bat cave housed millions of bats and it felt so extraordinary to be swimming in their adobe! After a wonderful snorkeling session we spent some more time hanging out at the two cenote areas open for public. Later headed to Playa del Carmen to finally relax and enjoy each others company for the rest of the trip.

Day 7: Resort and Chill

We checked into our wonderful resort – Ocean Riviera Paradise previous evening. This was our anniversary day so we spent the whole day swimming in pool, enjoying pool foam party, relaxing on the beach, eating some great, delicious food and savoring a pleasant evening from our Jacuzzi on our private terrace.

My review on Ocean Riviera Paradise: We did a lot of research on the kind of resort we wanted to go to in Riviera Maya. Some of the criteria included – all inclusive, room amenities (Jacuzzi, ocean view, privacy) , good restaurants with multiple cuisines, number of pools and vicinity to the beach. We also had a particular budget in mind for two days we were spending. We circled down to two resorts after a lot of elimination – Ocean Riviera Paradise and Panama Jack Resorts. Since the former was 5-star rated and had higher customer reviews we went with it. Our overall experience was very pleasant. Almost everything in every restaurant was included with our stay. We had a blast at the foam party and really enjoyed the continental buffet at the Amaranto restaurant and the cooking dinner show at Sakura. Only thing this resort misses is an infinity pool. The staff is friendly and ambiance is aesthetically pleasing. They also provide shuttles to and from Cancun airport which is about an hour away. I would recommend it.

Day 8: Drive to Cancun and Fly out

We still had few more places on our check list which we could not cover given the time we had. If you don’t have resort plans I recommend adding these following spots to your itinerary if time permits:

1. Cenote Zaci: As I mentioned earlier this is a must do if you are staying in Valladolid.
2. Ek Balam : If you were impressed with the Mayan structures of Chicken-Itza and Coba, this one will also join your likes. Ek Balam is about an hour drive from Chicken-Itza and half an hour from Valladolid.
3. Akumal Beach: Beautiful beach with turtles right at the bay. You can snorkel by your self or take a snorkeling tour. Entrance to the beach is 100 pesos (5$).
4. Los Fundadores Park : This is right beside Tank-Ha dive shop. I am not sure why we missed it! We wanted to reach Akumal for sunset after scuba but couldn’t make it on time. This one is a very famous beach park in Playa del Carman.
5. Point Esmeralda: Another beautiful beach in Playa del Carman.

Cancun and neighboring regions also have many amusement parks. We were looking for more local experience of the Yucatan peninsula, so did not go to any of them. But you cannot ignore the number of ads you will see right when you land in Cancun! Almost all resorts offer packages to visit atleast few of these parks. Mentioning some of the most famous ones here if you want to go for it!

1. Dolphin Discovery Isla Mujeres – almost booked it but felt overrated and expensive so decided against it.
2. Xcaret Park : This is the most highly rated park in this peninsula. I here great reviews about the park. They have a resort by the same name and provide many water activities at additional cost. They also feature Mayan cultural show for dinner. There are many sister parks too – Xel-ha, Xplor, Xsenses.

Is it safe to take road-trips in this region:

We were a little nervous when we decided to rent a car for the trip since we heard from a lot of people that it is not that safe in Mexico. May be it is true, but we did not experience even slightest trouble. It might be because we were exploring some of the most famous places of the Yucatan Peninsula. We found that most of these places were heavily guarded with armed soldier and huge bunker tanks. We tried to travel with least luggage, tried to load off luggage at BNBs before exploring the place whenever possible and parking in known spots where there are more people or in a secured parking lot. Avoid leaving behind any belongings inside the car that might attract someone. Keep everything in the trunk.

Overall we had a very pleasant experience in Mexico.

Cannot wait to be back to Cozumel for some adventurous scuba experience.