The Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula is a tropical destination that exudes all around vacation vibes with white sand beaches, warm turquoise water, beachfront hotels & resorts. At the same time, it’s an adventurous destination with jungleous terrain, marine reserves, cenotes and historic sights including Mayan pyramids, temple complexes and colonial old towns.
Cancún
Cancún is popular tourist town with resorts, cruise docks, late night clubs, white sand beaches and warm turquoise waters. It’s the entry point to the Yucatán Peninsula with many access to sights and cities along the Mexican Riviera. We’ve visited here a few times over the years for weekend getaways and a wedding.
Cancun Centro. A safe and central neighborhood near the ADO bus station, close to the beach and the ferries to Isla Mujeres. It has less touristy atmosphere than the hotel zone with boutique hotels, high end hostels, Mexican restaurants, tequila bars, cute cafes, small plazas and tropical parks.
Hotel Zone. The hotel zone of Cancun is the most touristy neighborhood of the city with white sand beaches hugging the turquoise sea, craft and souvenir markets, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. As its name implies, its where many large hotels, resorts and condo buildings are located. Many have access to the beach, offering public access with chair and umbrella rentals.
Things to Do
Visit The Beach. All along the coast of Cancún, powdery white sand shores hug the warm turquoise water. Many hotels, resorts and apartment buildings in the hotel zone have access to the beach front. Most have public access with chair and umbrella rentals. The most accessible beach in the Hotel Zone is Playa Chacmool.
Shop for Handicrafts. Colorful and traditional Mexican handicrafts make for an amazing keepsake. Shop the stalls at Flea Market Cancun in the Hotel Zone for items like alebrijes, luchador masks, maracas, ceramics, beach towels and clothes.
Places to Eat & Drink
El Socio Naiz Taquería. A cocktail bar and taqueria with elevated tacos served on blue, yellow or pink corn tortillas with a variety of traditional and exotic toppings. We ordered vegan tacos, the Bob Marley and El Remiks. The first came with sautéed hibiscus flowers mixed with onion and carrot, topped with dollops of chipotle aioli and guac. The second was made with two types of spiced vegan meats topped with an onion jam. We paired these with tequila and mezcal cocktails!
Taqueria El Mexicano. A basic and inexpensive taqueria with Mexican staples like tacos, chips and salsa, guacamole and margaritas.
Lorenzillo’s. A high end restaurant with a beautiful wooden interior and deck overlooking the lagoon. We came here for a lobster dinner.
Restaurante Natura. A vegan breakfast cafe with a lush patio and furniture carved out of tree stumps. Order the huevos rancheros and chilaquiles.
Ah Barbaro. A restaurant specializing in inexpensive tacos. We tried the fish tacos and grilled raja tacos with a Corona and lime.
Chichén Itzá
Chichén Itzá is large Mayan archeological complex with a steeped pyramid, the ruins of temples, a massive ball court, an astronomical observatory and well preserved hieroglyphs.
El Castillo. The massive and well preserved stepped pyramid at the center of Chichén Itzá. We circled all 4 sides of it, taking in its grandeur and marveling at its intricate designs.
Gran Juego de Pelota. The largest Mayan ball court ever discovered. It’s flanked by two temples and “bleachers” decorated in carvings depicting how the game was played.
Tzompantli. A stone platform designed with walls covered in carvings of human skulls.
Warriors' Temple. The ruins of a large temple with stacked stone columns, overgrown platforms and Mayan hieroglyphs.
Cenote Ik Kil. A cenote nearby Chichén Itzá with swimmable blue waters. We came here to cool off in the refreshing oasis. Little fish swam around us as we floated in the water listening to the echo of other swimmers bounce off the vine covered stone walls around us.
Tips for Visiting Chichén Itzá
Getting to Chichén Itzá. The ADO Bus is the best way to get to Chichén Itzá. Buses leave from Cancun most mornings, returning in the mid afternoon. The bus takes between 3-4 hours allows about 4 hours to explore the ruins and nearby denotes.
Wear Sun Protection. Wear sunscreen or bring and an umbrella to protect from the sun.
Stay Hydrated. Bring water to stay hydrated. It gets very hot!
Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres is a sleepy island off the coast of Cancun with a small town, hotels, beaches and tour companies offering snorkeling tours. It’s accessible by ferry or boat.
Punta Sur
Punta Sur is the southern point of Isla Mujeres and most eastern point of Mexico. The tip of the island is lined with nature trails, cliffside caves, jagged rock formations and many free roaming iguanas.
Punta Norte
Punta Norte is a tourist town with restaurants, bars, hotels, souvenir shops, tour companies, street vendors and white sand beaches on the north side of the island.
Miguel Hidalgo. A pedestrian street with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and tour agencies in Punta Norte.
Playa El Cocal. A sand beach with shallow turquoise water and sand bars stretching hundreds of feet into the water. Come here for snorkeling, swimming and sun bathing. The best snorkeling is beneath the wooden bridge leading to the MIA Reef Hotel.
Playa Centro. A white sand beach in Punta Norte near the ferry terminal with restaurants, hotels, beach rentals and tour companies.
Snorkeling & Island Tour
We booked a snorkeling tour to explore Isla Mujeres and the crystal clear waters surrounding the island. Our first stop brought us to Barquito Hundido, a snorkeling point with many tropical fish and underwater sculpture garden.
From here, we moored offshore near Playa El Cocal on Island Mujeres where we swam, snorkeled and ventured onto shore. We were given a couple hours for beach time, shopping and exploring the island.
Afterwards, we boated to Playa Tiburon, a beach and restaurant named for the shark that is kept in a fenced area off shore. We ate lunch grilled barracuda and drank margaritas for lunch. Back on the boat, we continued to boat around the island’s vibrant blue waters while jamming out to Bachata music and drinking tequila.
We booked with Isla Mujeres Tours.
Places to Eat & Drink
Coconut Vendors. Having a craving for coconuts, we stopped by a street vendor selling coconut paletas (popsicles) and another selling fresh coconuts. We drank the coconut water then had it husked open and the “meat” prepared with hot sauce and lime juice.
Green Demon. A beach front restaurant with umbrellas, light bites and cocktails.
Lancheros Mexican Seafood. A seafood restaurant in the pier near the ferry terminal. We came here for dinner before catching the last ferry back to Cancun.
Acantilado. A small outdoor restaurant at Punta Sur. We came here for ceviche and cerveza.
Getting Around
By Ferry. Take the ferry from the Puerto Juarez Terminal in Cancun. We booked roundtrip tickets with Ultramar for around $25.
By Golf Cart. The easiest way to get around the island is by golf cart. Rent one from Coco Cart Rental near the ferry terminal. Prices are negotiable. A half day rental can cost anywhere from $50 to $100.
Fishing in Puerto Natales
Visit the seaside village of Puerto Natales and hire a local fisherman to arrange a fishing tour. Our group boarded a fishing boat for a half day tour and caught several fish including red snapper, bonito, porgie, sea bass and a 44 inch barracuda. The captain filleted the barracuda and mixed it with lime juice, habanero, tomato and cilantro to create one of the freshest ceviches we’ve ever had. Of course, there were Mexican beers and tequila on board.
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen is a very touristy beach town along the Rivera Maya with large resorts, adventure parks, beach clubs and ferries to the island of Cozumel. We took a day trip here to meet family, eating and drinking our way across the city center.
Quinta Avenida. A very touristy pedestrian street in the center of town with tequila shops, t-shirt vendors, silver jewelry stores, souvenir malls with aisles of colorful trinkets, the expected tourist traps, tour operators and chain restaurants. The lengthy street is a hub for activity with thousands of vacationers, live performers, shop owners calling out “hola amigo” and colorful Mexican banderas draped overhead.
Fundadores Beach. A large white sand beach in the city center with restaurants, hotels and beach bars. It’s a popular spot for tourists and locals to enjoy the Caribbean sun and bright blue water.
Parque Los Fundadores. A treelined park between the Fundadores Beach and Quinta Avenida with singing musicians, dancing performers, mariachi bands and Mayan rope swingers.
Places to Eat & Drink
Other than visiting the beach and shops, Playa del Carmen has a decent food scene with restaurants, cafes and bars all around town.
Mexico Loco. An authentic and energetic Mexican restaurant in the center of town with dishes like table-side guacamole, mixed seafood ceviche, cheese quesadillas and nachos covered in mole. They serve the largest margaritas we have ever drank, local beers and overflowing shots of tequila. While dining, dancing performers and guitar strumming musicians serenaded us with song.
La Bodeguita del Medio. A restaurant and bar that feels more like Cuba than Mexico. Bottles of Cuban rums line the bar adjacent to a humidor with boxes of Cuban cigars. The walls and warmly lit lights are covered in hand written notes and signatures from years of previous guests. We sat at the long wooden bar sipping on Havana Club while a Cuban brass band performed on stage and couples danced salsa behind us.
El Gober Marisqueria. A seafood restaurant with freshly caught fish, live lobsters and Caribbean dishes. We ordered the patacones and a seafood tower, a poke style dish layered with tuna, shrimp, octopus, white fish, tomato, avocado, cucumber and avocado surrounded by a pool of spicy sauce.
The Lost Tiki. A tiki bar in a thatched restaurant with colorful tiki mugs. To be honest, the drinks weren’t the greatest but the pan fried edamame served in a bowl of umami sauce helped make up for it.
ARCANA. A vibey outdoor cafe surrounded by tropical plants and decorated with pink and green accents. We tried the coconut tahini latte and the rose pedal tea.
Places to Stay in Cancun
Having visited multiple times, we’ve stayed in a beach front apartment, millennial style hostel and resort.
Enigmatic Hotel Experience Cancun. A high end hostel with spacious and comfy private rooms. The hotel has its own restaurant, rooftop bar, co-working space, tattoo parlor, outdoor lounge and pool. They host daily events and activities and have a sister hotel down the street, Nomads Hotel & Rooftop Pool Cancun.
Carisa y Palma Apartments. An apartment complex in the Hotel Zone with vacation rentals. Our room had a balcony overlooking the Caribbean and city. It’s located on Playa Chacmool with beach access. Book here!
Dreams Riviera. An all inclusive resort just outside of the fishing village of Puerto Morales. We’re not usually the resort type but came here for a wedding. The restaurants, facilities and activities made it the perfect place to celebrate and relax. Book here!
Getting Around
Airport Bus. From the Cancun Airport, take an ADO bus to the Cancun Bus Terminal for 140 pesos per person. It drops off 10 minutes on foot from the city center. Take a taxi from here to elsewhere in the city.
ADO Bus. The ADO bus is the best way to get around the Yucatan Peninsula with terminals in most cities and towns with buses departing regularly. They’re safe, affordable and reliable!
Good to Know: Ubers cannot pick up from the airport. Taxis cost an exorbitant amount.
Elsewhere in the Yucatán
Explore our guides on the coastal city of Tulum, Mexico and The Bacalar Lagoon for nearby destinations and additional travel inspiration around the Yucatán.
For Next Time…
Having visited pockets of the Yucatán, primarily centered around the Rivera Maya, we plan to venture westwards to the colonial cities of Merida, Valladolid and Campeche as well as Isla Holbox on the Gulf of Mexico.
