THE BEST EXCURSIONS IN RIVIERA MAYA (AND YUCATAN PENINSULA)

Send

Having explored the area for almost a month, we have planned to collect in a post the best excursions in Riviera Maya (and the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula). We rent a car and visit everything for free, but many of them can be done with organized tours at good prices.

So they are excursions that are worth both for the adventurers who do them for free, as for those who establish their base in a place like Cancun or Playa del Carmen and from there make day trips, or just do not feel like driving in Mexico. We will give you the two options: visits for free or on tour, and then that each one chooses the one he prefers.

They are the most important Mayan ruins in Mexico and knowing them is a dream come true. Although be prepared to give a good kick: Chichen Itza is much more than the famous pyramid of Kukulcan. In this post we tell you how to visit Chichen Itza and we will talk about all the buildings you will see in the complex. But let us give you some advice: early morning. Try to arrive early (the ticket offices open at 8am) to enjoy the visit with less people and less heat. When we left, around 12, there were many tourists and of course, this detracts from some charm.

For free:

Upon arrival you can park your car and decide whether to visit the archeological zone at your own pace or with a guide. The ticket price is481 pesos (for foreigners).

On tour:

There are Chichen Itza tours that depart from Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Tulum. They cost about € 25 and include transportation, guide in Spanish, snack and entrance to the complex.More information and reservation.

If those of Chichen Itza are the most famous ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula, those of Tulum are the most peculiar, due to their location. They are the only Mayan ruins that overlook the sea, and form one of the best known and most beautiful views of the entire Riviera Maya. In this post we give you all the necessary recommendations to visit the ruins of Tulum. If you are lucky some luck and there is no sargassum, you can take the swimsuit and take a dip in the beach at the foot of the ruins.

For free:

If your accommodation is in Tulum you can arrive by car or even by bike to the site of the Mayan ruins. In case of going by car we advise you to get up early and leave it on the beach road: the entrance is closer and in addition the parking is free (we explain everything in the article). It arrives at 8am as it is one of the most famous excursions in the Riviera Maya and from 10am it is usually quite crowded. Entry costs70 pesos

On tour:

If you stay in Cancun or Playa del Carmen there are numerous tours that will take you to know Tulum in a day for about € 25, with transportation, guide, tickets and snack.More information and reservation.

The Bacalar lagoon was one of the places that surprised us most about the trip to Mexico. We did a sailing boat tour to get to know its famous Seven Colors Lagoon and it was an amazing experience. Although very little wind was blowing and it took a lifetime to complete it (about 6 hours). While navigating its waters it is difficult to think that you are not in the Caribbean: its colors are so impressive that you will not have the feeling of being in a lagoon at all!

For free:

If you have a car, it is worth visiting here and spending a few days relaxing in this little paradise. This magical town is still quite un touristy and, although the accommodations on the front line of the lagoon are more expensive, it is the option we recommend. Being able to enjoy the sunset and sunrise on the shore is something unique.

To make the most important visits within the lagoon you will have to hire a tour (sailing boat is better, since it is ecofriendly, but rather more expensive). A good option (and cheaper with the risk of throwing a few days with laces) is to rent a kayak and reach, at least, the pirate channel! In this post we tell you more about the Bacalar Lagoon.

On tour:

If visiting the lagoon in one day is enough for you, you can sign up for a tour that leaves every day from Cancun and Riviera Maya. Includes pick up and transportation, boat visit of the lagoon and menu meal, although the price is not cheap due to the distance (about € 115).More information and reservation.

Maybe because we were the last Mayan ruins we visited, but they were the ones we liked least. Although objectively they deserve a visit! More than anything to climb the highest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula: the 42-meter-high Nohoch Mul pyramid. In addition the enclosure has a couple of structures and the environment is very pleasant.

For free:

You have two options: do it walking like us or rent a bike (it is the option we recommend). In this case, as in the previous ones, the ideal is to get up early: it was one of the sites where we found the most tourists. Entry costs 75 pesos.

On tour:

If you want to visit Cobá with a guide you have the option of hiring a tour that picks you up in the Riviera Maya area (Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras and Tulum) and also includes the visit of a cenote and buffet lunch. More information and reservation.

The ruins of Calakmul, lost in the middle of the jungle, are one of the most impressive visits of the Riviera Maya. When you are there, surrounded by huge trees and the howls of spider monkeys, you will have a feeling of total solitude (when we visited it there was very little tourism). The bad? That is far from everything, so if you want to visit Calakmul, you will have to spend a couple of days. In this post we tell you our visit to Calakmul.

For free:

We spent the night near Becan (10 km from Xpujil) and the next morning we got up early to get to Calakmul at 8am. Once there we made the visit for free, but at the entrance there is the possibility of hiring a local guide. We believe it is worth it (we regret not having hired it). Admission) divided into three payments) costs188 pesos

On tour:

When we went there was no tour that included transportation and visit to Calakmul but just a few weeks ago Civitatis began offering this one that for about € 80 includes transportation from / to Bacalar and guided tour to Calakmul. We think it's a good option, really, because you save the road (it's a long trip) and accommodation.

Isla Mujeres was one of those places that, just after having visited it, leave you cold, but that over time you value it much more. It is true that there was a lot of tourism and that the North Beach (considered one of the best in the Yucatan Peninsula) did not seem too special, but the roll of renting a golf cart to drive around the island, take margaritas, walk quietly night between lights of cafes and restaurants, cool! Here we tell you more about our visit to Isla Mujeres.

For free:

All you have to do is buy a ferry ticket that, in half an hour from Cancun, will leave you at the island's port. The next thing will be to rent a golf cart, the typical means of transport of the island, and visit its main points. We sincerely believe that visiting the island for free is the best option, especially if you want to stay there for a couple of days.

On tour:

However, visiting Isla Mujeres on a tour from Cancun is also not inadvisable, especially if you want to enjoy a good day of snorkeling and do not have too much time. There is a tour that combines the visit of Isla Mujeres with that of Isla Contoy (we did not visit it but they talked wonderfully about it). Remember that the coral reef found here is the second largest in the world (after Australia) so if you are a little mermaid, you have to visit it! Of course, put on a lot of cream, that the sun in this part of the world hits hard! If you want to go quieter there is also the excursion to Isla Mujeres by catamaran.

We did not go, not for lack of desire eh, but it was bad for us to include it in the marked itinerary. We will be back XD What are the Coloradas? It is an area of northern Yucatan where there are several lakes that are dyed in different colors, due to special algae. The most famous is a pink lake that you will have seen a thousand and one times on Instagram. There are also mangrove areas and flamingos reserve, come on, if you have time it is a highly recommended visit.

For free:

It is best to visit the area from Valladolid, leave early and arrive at Río Lagartos 1.5 hours later. To get to know Las Coloradas, a good idea is to hire a tour from Río Lagarto ... you will save yourself a little money. It lasts 2 hours and includes a boat ride from where you will see mangrove areas, different types of birds and if you are lucky to crocodiles. Of course there is a stop at Las Coloradas. The price is 1,400 pesos per boat (about € 62 approx) so it is best to share it to reduce cost.

When you return to Valladolid make a stop to know the Mayan ruins of Ek Balam, they are very worth it!

On tour:

From Valladolid you can easily hire guided tours that take you to Río Lagartos. If you are interested in this option, you can take a tour of the city center and hire the tour for the next day. If you stay in the Riviera Maya area you can hire this tour.

Another visit that we finally couldn't make: we arrived in Playa del Carmen so tired that we decided to take a few days on vacation, jiji. A little we regret but hey, you always have to leave something to return right? Apparently it is the star excursion from Playa del Carmen, and the one that is most offered.

For free:

The visit is simple since from Playa del Carmen there are ferries that arrive in half an hour to Cozumel. Once here it is best to take a tour, in this case check that it includes the visit to the famous “Cozumel sky”, a low water area where there are many sea stars (remember not to touch them or, of course, take them out of the water).

On tour:

There are tours that leave from Playa del Carmen and include a day of snorkeling around Cozumel. This, for example, includes ferry, snorkeling and lunch.

Actually there is no real route of the cenotes, but we do believe it is important to talk about them, since they are one of the most characteristic attractions of the Yucatan Peninsula. In this post we tell you what are, for us, the most beautiful cenotes in this area of Mexico (coming soon).

Tip: visiting several cenotes can end up being quite expensive, as they are in private properties and tickets are usually expensive. The best area to explore these underground sea caves is the one around Valladolid: here there are many cenotes and their entrance is quite affordable.

They are the ones that take you to know the most famous traction parks in Riviera Maya, such as Xcaret. We decided not to go since we saw that most of them offer activities with animals. Of course we also avoid all excursions that include swimming with dolphins and / or turtles ... We better leave the animals calm and enjoy the rest of the charms that hide the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan Peninsula, which are not few!

Nor do we recommend taking a day trip to Holbox. For us, that beautiful island deserves at least 3 full days (and believe us, once there you will want to stay as long as possible).