Unforgettable Yucatan

We left from Manchester and landed in Cancun after a 10-hour flight. Outside the airport you will find every means of transport to Cancun or Playa del Carmen (the 2 best-known seaside towns). Luckily I chose Playa del Carmen, a small town but with everything you need, with beautiful beaches and streets (Fifth Avenue in particular) that can be described in just one word, stunning!! In Cancun, on the other hand, the beaches are beautiful but it really does not feel like Mexico. From Playa del Carmen you can organise your excursions; agencies are not in short supply, indeed many people in the street try to sell you their services. For some sites like Tulum or Coba it is better to set off from Playa del Carmen, while for other very important sites that are absolutely not to be missed, like Chichen Itza or Uxmal, it is better to use Merida as your starting base. There are many reasons.

Merida is a real Mexican city; there you see the real Mexico, there you can walk the streets surrounded only by Mexicans. What is more, Merida is super cheap. Everything costs less there. Three nights in a hotel, for example, cost me 50 euros; another example: the excursion to Chichen Itza costs almost half what it costs from Playa del Carmen. (I paid 40 euros leaving from Playa; prices obviously vary depending on the agency you go to.) Merida is about 5 hours from Playa del Carmen, and can be reached on Ado buses. A return ticket costs 572 pesos. The buses are new, and it is advisable to cover up given the high temperature of the air conditioning. P.S. They do not hold back on the air conditioning during the excursions either. Absolutely not to be missed is Tulum, set on cliffs, with the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop on one side and the jungle on the other.

Coba, an archaeological site in the middle of the jungle. Here you can climb one of the pyramids and the view you admire from up there (a sea of jungle from above) is worth the whole trip. Chichen Itza, on the other hand, is the most famous archaeological site. Its pyramid has now also become one of the seven wonders of the world. Uxmal is also unmissable, both for the pyramids and for the views you admire. There are many other archaeological sites both in the Yucatan peninsula and in other states of Mexico. Some sites are also found in Guatemala. For more info just go to wikipedia. I am focusing above all on the archaeological sites but Mexico is also sea, biosphere, rivers, coral reef, islands and much more. It is best to look for a hotel or possibly a posada once you have arrived at your destination. In Playa del Carmen there is an embarrassment of choice.

That way, besides spending less, you have the chance to choose the accommodation you like best. Taxis are cheap and safe and it is also worth changing your money directly there in Mexico.