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There are infinite adventures to have within the Yucatan. Right here’s a take a look at the perfect issues to do within the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.
Few locations supply as a lot selection as Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. An enormous expanse of jungle, bordered by pristine white seashores, grows out of a novel and sophisticated ecosystem.
All the peninsula is porous limestone with caverns of contemporary water. Numerous sinkholes (referred to as cenotes) break the floor, offering vacationers with alternatives for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
And that’s simply nature. The Yucatan incorporates a mixture of three necessary cultures: Mayan, Spanish colonial, and fashionable Mexican.
You possibly can immerse your self in all three in locations like Valladolid, close to Chichen Itza, with a go to to the well-known ruins within the morning, a cease at a Sixteenth-century convent within the afternoon, and a dinner of Yucatan specialties at a trendy gastropub within the night.
There are such a lot of issues to do within the Yucatan that many vacationers return many times. I’m certainly one of them. Throughout my 10 years living in Mexico, I visited the world about every year, generally extra.
With so many locations to go to within the Yucatan, you’re certain to have a fantastic expertise it doesn’t matter what you’re in search of!
Listed here are the highest 15 issues to do within the Yucatan, plus sensible tips about the right way to profit from your journey.
1. Go to Playa del Carmen
Though Cancun is the first destination that will come to thoughts, I like to recommend Playa del Carmen as a primary cease within the Mayan Riviera.
Cancun is okay if you wish to confine your journey to a giant beachside resort (or if you wish to tough it in low cost resorts in Cancun’s considerably rundown downtown space).
However if you wish to stroll barefoot out of your family-run lodge to the seashore for an early morning swim, Playa del Carmen is the place.
Though the seashore has suffered erosion and algae invasions in recent times, and there are bigger seashores in Tulum, Puerto Morelos, and Akumal, what offers Playa the sting over these different seashore cities is Quinta Avenida (fifth Avenue).
Conveniently beginning on the fundamental bus station and working parallel to the seashore, Quinta Avenida is pedestrian-only for almost 2 kilometers.
It’s lined with small resorts, memento outlets, and a variety of Mexican and overseas eating places. Exploring this bustling avenue is definitely one of many high issues to do within the Yucatan.
Probably the most genuine native meals, together with the largest nightclubs, are a block or two away, and also you’re in all probability higher off in search of a lodge elsewhere (due to noise). However there’s nothing fairly like wandering down Quinta Avenida, day or evening, taking in all of the sights, sounds, and smells.
Be sure that to take a look at Calle 38 (simply off of fifth Ave.) and proceed taking fifth avenue north all the best way into Colosio.
2. Hit the Seashore Beneath the Ruins of Tulum
There are tons of of archeological websites within the Yucatan, starting from tiny (however fascinating) iguana-filled San Miguelito in Cancun’s lodge zone to large, world-famous Chichen Itza.
Tulum might have misplaced most of its attraction over the previous few years, however I like to recommend Tulum for a first-timer’s must-see within the Yucatan. The ruins and seashore listed here are fairly unimaginable.
About an hour south of Playa del Carmen, it’s straightforward to visit Tulum on a day journey even from Cancun (about two hours away). It has spectacular constructions and a great mixture of open grassy areas and paths by bushes.
The principle enchantment of Tulum, nevertheless, is its location above the turquoise Caribbean.
It’s one of many high locations to go to within the Yucatan for images. Better of all, a wood staircase results in a small seashore beneath, the place you may swim out within the water for a special view of the Tulum ruins.
A highway from the south exit of the park goes to the principle seashore in Tulum, which is lengthy, large, and overflowing with powdery white sand. This mix of ruins and seashore makes a visit to Tulum one other top-of-the-line issues to do within the Yucatan.
Learn the way to go to the Tulum Ruins in our article, here.
3. Mountain Bike within the Jungle at Punta Venado
Talking of nice beaches in Mexico, there’s a beautiful and secluded one at Punta Venado (Deer Level) about fifteen minutes south of Playa del Carmen.
The Punta Venado Beach Club has good meals and cheap costs, and the quiet seashore is without doubt one of the greatest locations to go to within the Yucatan for some privateness.
As good because the seashore is, the true draw to Punta Venado is its mountain bike park. A big community of trails has been constructed by the rainforest, and one sandy path runs proper alongside the coast.
You’ll see many wild animals on the paths, together with iguanas, monkeys, and the raccoon-like tree mammal coati.
The paths have three ranges of problem. The intermediate and knowledgeable trails are lengthy, bumpy, and certain to fulfill knowledgeable cyclists used to huge mountains. The newbie trails are a lot much less daunting, however anybody driving them needs to be absolutely snug on a mountain bike.
You possibly can lease good high quality, well-maintained mountain bikes on the store or convey your personal. And naturally, after your trip, you may spend the remainder of the day swimming within the sea or sipping margaritas on the seashore membership’s poolside bar.
4. Discover Isla Mujeres by Bicycle
If you wish to expertise the Yucatan on two wheels however aren’t up for warm and arduous mountain biking within the jungle, you continue to have loads of choices.
You possibly can lease bicycles at almost each vacationer vacation spot within the Yucatan, equivalent to Tulum, Merida, and Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida…and Isla Mujeres.
Among the best Yucatan actions is to cruise throughout Isla Mujeres by bicycle. The lengthy, slim island is positioned simply north of Cancun, and you’ll attain it by ferry from Cancun’s lodge zone or Puerto Juarez.
The ferries drop you off on the north finish of the island, the place the little village and the most important seashores are. Most guests by no means go away this space, and certainly may not even know the way way more to the island there’s.
And truly, the best a part of the Yucatan is Punta Sur, a rocky lookout on the southern tip of Isla Mujeres. It’s a fantastic spot, and strolling out to it is without doubt one of the high issues to do within the Yucatan, and best places to visit in Isla Mujeres.
Renting a cruiser bike within the village is a good choice for attending to Punta Sur, and you may make stops at different Yucatan sights on Isla Mujeres throughout your trip, equivalent to Garrafón Pure Reef Park.
Take a look at this fun cycling experience across the island, which takes in lots of the sights and could be very inexpensive.
5. Swim or Scuba Dive in a Cenote
The Yucatan has many dive sites, particularly the Mayan Riviera, the stretch of the Caribbean shoreline from Cancun to Tulum. Moreover reefs, there’s additionally an underwater museum, which is a collection of submerged statues within the sea between Isla Mujeres and mainland Cancun.
This may sound unusual to scuba divers, however for me, the perfect diving is reached by van, not by boat, and never within the deep open sea, however in slim caverns in just a few meters of contemporary water.
I’m speaking about cenotes, the freshwater sinkholes that result in in depth networks of caves. Scuba diving in cenotes is certainly one of my favourite adventures within the Yucatan, and every time I’m going, I go to a number of new ones.
Two fashionable cenotes are Dos Ojos and El Pit. They’re proper subsequent to one another, sharing an entrance and customer heart, they usually’re conveniently positioned off the freeway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
They make for a wonderful introduction to cenote diving each due to their location and in addition as a result of they’re very totally different.
Dos Ojos is a cavern dive with two routes that take you thru slim passages stuffed with stalagmites, stalactites, and tree roots dangling within the water.
El Pit, because the title suggests, is a large, deep chamber, the place vivid beams of sunshine slant by the blue-tinted water.
If you wish to go cenote diving, go to a dive store in Playa del Carmen or Tulum. They’ll focus on the choices with you, lease gear, and supply transportation.
When you’re not a scuba diver, Dos Ojos remains to be a sensible choice for swimming in a cenote.
If you end up in a special a part of the Yucatan, equivalent to Merida, don’t fear, as a result of cenotes are in every single place, and every one gives one thing distinctive and fascinating. Swimming of their cool contemporary water is without doubt one of the important issues to do within the Yucatan Peninsula.
6. Swing in a Hammock over Kaan Luum’s Sapphire Water
About quarter-hour south of Tulum city by automotive or public transportation is a complete different type of cenote. Kaan Luum is a big, roughly round lagoon of contemporary water surrounded by dense jungle.
It’s fairly shallow, about chest-high, till the middle of the lagoon, which incorporates a deep cenote. Right here the sky-blue hues of the clear water instantly go darkish. It’s roped off, so you may’t swim into it, however you may swim alongside and ponder its murky depths.
Kaan Luum is without doubt one of the greatest locations to go to within the Yucatan to loosen up. Convey chilly drinks and snacks, and hang around on one of many lengthy piers all day.
It’s also possible to climb into one of many hammocks strung up over the water and swing the day away. Discover Kaan Luum on the map, here.
7. Take a Boat Journey in Bacalar
For a multi-colored lake on a a lot grander scale than Kaan Luum, head south to Bacalar, the lake of seven colours, one of the crucial stunning locations to go to within the Yucatan.
For the total Bacalar expertise, take a ship journey across the lake. As quickly as you method the principle dock, folks will instantly method providing boat journeys. You possibly can convey no matter you need on the boat, equivalent to a cooler stuffed with beer, and are available ready to swim.
The boat journey will take you throughout the lake, making stops at submerged cenotes and a shallow sandy space close to a canal as soon as utilized by pirates, the place you may bounce in and funky off.
The information may also level out stromatolites, coral-like limestone rocks which are fashioned by an historical algae that’s one of many oldest types of life on Earth.
For a bit more cash, however a way more peaceable journey, head out on a sailboat instead!
8. Escape the Crowds at Holbox
The 2 massive islands off of the Yucatan’s Caribbean coast, Isla Mujeres and Cozumel, are inside straightforward attain by comparatively quick ferry journeys from Cancun and Playa del Carmen.
They’re glorious locations to go to within the Yucatan, with heaps to do, particularly biking on Isla Mujeres, scuba diving off Cozumel, and hitting the seashore at each.
Considerably overshadowed by these two luminaries is the Yucatan Peninsula’s third main island, Holbox, positioned between the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s considerably farther away, requiring a protracted (however simple) drive or bus journey from Cancun or Merida earlier than you get on the ferry to the island.
It’s definitely worth the journey, and top-of-the-line locations to go to within the Yucatan to get away from all of it. Holbox has a cool village with pleasant, inexpensive resorts and a variety of eating places.
The seashores are astounding, and one part typically lights up with bioluminescence at evening. And in the event you’re there between June and September, you may participate in one of many very best Yucatan adventures — swimming with whale sharks.
9. Stroll the Tranquil Streets of Valladolid
Valladolid’s largest declare to fame could also be its proximity to Chichen Itza, one of many New Seven Wonders of the World. However the fairly small city is totally price a go to for its personal sake, and I recommend staying for a number of days if doable.
Colourful, well-restored colonial buildings line cobblestone streets in a neatly deliberate grid, making for nice strolling and images.
Scattered amongst them are Yucatan sights like leafy parks, museums in colonial mansions, a 500-year-old convent, a cenote, and an genuine market with native specialties on the market.
There are numerous things to see and do in Valladolid to maintain you busy. Plus, there are some glorious eating places right here as effectively.
Staying in Valladolid is smart earlier than or after a visit to Chichen Itza because you’ll be capable of go to the ruins proper once they open, earlier than the tour buses arrive.
10. Step Again in Time at Mayan Ruins
With quite a few archeological websites on the Yucatan Peninsula, you can spend a lifetime pursuing an adventurous Indiana Jones expertise, particularly in distant areas overgrown with vegetation like Calakmul, Coba, and Uxmal.
With its iconic pyramid, Chichen Itza attracts the crowds, and for good cause. The big website has an interesting number of constructions, detailed carvings, and distinctive sections.
It’s massive sufficient to spend the entire day in and be frequently shocked by one thing new — platforms stuffed with columns, paths by the jungle, and two cenotes.
It may not really feel as distant or mysterious as another Mayan ruins, however visiting Chichen Itza remains to be top-of-the-line issues to do within the Yucatan, regardless of all of the hype and vacationers. Then, in your subsequent journey, you may (and may) go to different historical Mayan cities.
11. Pattern Native Delicacies in Merida’s Public Market
Merida is the most important metropolis within the Yucatan and the capital of Yucatan state. The peninsula includes three states, with Yucatan within the north and heart, Quintana Roo on the east aspect, and Campeche on the west aspect.
It doesn’t really feel like a metropolis, nevertheless, however extra like a dwelling museum of Spanish colonial structure. It’s top-of-the-line locations to go to within the Yucatan to wander round and absorb some tradition.
And there’s no higher place to leap proper into the tradition than Merida’s sprawling market. A go to right here is without doubt one of the top things to do in Merida.
Positioned a number of blocks from the zocalo (heart sq.) in the course of city, the market has a number of sections the place you could find produce, flowers, drugs, souvenirs, and every kind of family items.
The meals part is my favourite half. You possibly can strive the various dishes of the Yucatan Peninsula’s distinctive delicacies at all kinds of small eating places and meals stalls, and you’ll’t beat the low costs.
Some tried-and-true favorites are cochinita pibil, shredded pork marinated in spicy ashiote sauce, which is commonly served in tacos or typical Yucatan finger meals equivalent to panuchos and salbutes.
Relleno negro, a black turkey soup, tastes nothing like the way it appears to be like. Additionally, head to a juice stand to strive genuine chaya, a local leaf floor up and served as a refreshing drink.
12. Take the Horse-Drawn Practice to the Cuzuma Cenotes
Spending a day attending to the Cuzuma cenotes is without doubt one of the adventures within the Yucatan you’ll always remember.
Three cenotes are positioned in a former sugarcane plantation, and a small railroad passes by the location. It was previously used to move crops, and now it’s used to move guests to the cenotes.
Horses pull the prepare automobiles surprisingly shortly from cenote to cenote. The cenotes themselves are unbelievable, with massive chambers and loads of room for swimming.
The doorway to at least one is only a shoulder-width gap within the floor with a wood staircase main down into the darkness.
From the city of Cuzuma, it’s straightforward to get details about discovering the prepare. To get to Cuzuma in public transportation, search for colectivos (passenger vans) leaving from close to Merida’s public market.
13. Marvel on the Pink Water of Las Coloradas
The pink lagoons of Las Coloradas, close to the small city of Rio Largartos, are a photographer’s dream. The world is used for salt manufacturing, which turns the water shades of pink and pink each six months.
You’re not allowed to get within the water anymore, however you may nonetheless stroll round their shores, testing the colours and establishing nice photographs. Be sure that to return in March or in July and August to see the colours at their brightest.
Rio Lagartos is positioned on the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on the finish of a freeway coming from Valladolid. Moreover Las Coloradas, the world additionally has gorgeous seashores and a big protected space stuffed with crocodiles and flamingos.
14. See the Flamingos on the Celestún Biosphere Reserve
When you didn’t get sufficient flamingos in Rio Lagartos, then head west from Merida to the Celestún Biosphere Reserve, which has an unlimited flamingo colony.
This big nature reserve takes up almost the whole west coast of the peninsula north of Campeche, and top-of-the-line entry factors is the sleepy fishing village of Celestún. It’s also possible to take a look at the deserted and overgrown ruins of an outdated hacienda close by.
You possibly can see the flamingos proper on the seashore close to a city, or you may organize a ship journey by the mangroves, the place you’ll see a lot of different tropical birds and crocodiles.
You will get to Celestún by automotive or public transportation from Merida in about an hour and a half, and there’s no query {that a} day journey to this pristine space is without doubt one of the greatest issues to do within the Yucatan Peninsula to understand nature.
15. Study Some Historical past within the Colonial Gem of Campeche
Based in 1540, Campeche was an important Spanish outpost in colonial occasions, and the town in the present day is a must-see within the Yucatan for historical past lovers.
The pastel-painted buildings of the historic district are nonetheless enclosed by the outdated metropolis wall, making for a enjoyable day of sightseeing. And no journey to Campeche is full with no go to to Fort San Miguel, now an archeological museum.
Additionally, due to its location within the west of the peninsula, Campeche can also be a logical cease for folks on bigger journeys to Mexico. By automotive or bus, you will get to Ciudad del Carmen in three hours and Palenque in 5.
FAQ’s In regards to the Yucatan Peninsula
Listed here are some solutions to generally requested questions on this area of Mexico.
Is the Yucatan Protected?
Sure, the Yucatan is usually secure.
As with wherever you journey, particularly in Mexico, all the time take primary precautions. Don’t drink an excessive amount of, don’t settle for drinks from strangers, don’t go away your purse or backpack unattended on the seashore or on a restaurant chair, and don’t stroll down unfamiliar streets at evening.
In recent times there have been disturbing incidences of drug-related violence in seashore cities within the Mayan Riviera, equivalent to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and even usually peaceable Puerto Morelos.
They’re nonetheless comparatively uncommon however are occurring extra incessantly.
When you’re involved, look into staying in quieter locations that don’t have a lot of a celebration environment, equivalent to Akumal or Holbox, or focus your journey on inland areas, equivalent to Merida, which is without doubt one of the most secure locations to go to within the Yucatan and all of Mexico.
Be sure that to have journey insurance coverage in your journey to the Yucatan Peninsula. SafetyWing is an efficient choice for travellers and digital nomads.
When Is the Greatest Time to Go to the Yucatan?
Coastal areas within the Yucatan are usually heat and breezy all yr, whereas inland locations (Merida, Valladolid, and many others.) get a lot hotter in the summertime months.
Rain is feasible at any time, though it normally solely comes down exhausting for about half an hour. Then the solar shines down exhausting once more, drying off your garments.
Hurricane season is from June to October, so throughout these occasions, the likelihood exists for harmful multi-day storms.
There’s not a lot you are able to do in regards to the climate, however you may make your time within the Yucatan a lot nicer by avoiding busy travel times. Extra worldwide vacationers go to in December and January, particularly between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve.
Home vacationers additionally go to in massive numbers then, together with late July to early August (when many Mexicans have time without work work) and Semana Santa (Holy Week), the week earlier than Easter, when everybody has time without work work.
Keep away from Semana Santa in any respect prices. Lodges and flights can be booked up, and seashores and vacationer locations can be packed.
Methods to Get Across the Yucatan
Automotive leases are low cost within the Yucatan. All the standard firms have workplaces on the Cancun and Merida airports, the 2 fundamental airports within the area.
When you’ll solely be staying in a single spot, you don’t have to lease a automotive. Peninsula-wide, a number of varieties of public transportation run repeatedly all day lengthy. Getting from Cancun to a different place on the coast, equivalent to Tulum, is fast and simple.
When you plan to go to Isla Mujeres or Cozumel, merely stroll onto the ferry. Each are shut sufficient for day journeys, however you may see much more in the event you keep a number of days.
For longer journeys, equivalent to from Cancun to Merida, you’ll take a bus. ADO is a first-class bus firm with stations all around the peninsula. Take a look at their website for choices, costs, and journey occasions.
Second-class buses additionally go away from ADO stations, however they make a lot of stops and take oblique routes, and you’ll normally solely get details about them and buy tickets on the station, not on-line.
Now You Know What to Do in The Yucatan
Penning this publish actually makes me wish to return to get pleasure from all the fantastic locations to go to within the Yucatan.
I’ve had a good time through the years experiencing all of those greatest issues to do within the Yucatan, and compiling them right here has me excited about my next trip to this unimaginable area of Mexico.
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