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Oct 21, 2024 · Eco-Tourism and Adventure Activities. The Yucatan draws those seeking thrilling adventure within its natural landscapes and vibrant marine life. From snorkeling adventures in ancient cenotes to exploring the wildlife of its eco-parks, the region offers countless options. Snorkeling and Diving Spots
Apr 15, 2024 · Planning a 2-week Yucatan itinerary is guaranteed to be an adventure full of stunning beaches, ancient ruins, and vibrant local culture. Over the years, this particular area of Mexico has become incredibly popular, with many travelers seeking the Peninsula’s Caribbean atmosphere.
Mar 21, 2024 · To help you plan the perfect Yucatan road trip, I’ve put together this action-packed Yucatan itinerary that will show you the best beaches, colonial cities and ancient sites in just 10 days. Table of Contents. Yucatan ROAD TRIP GUIDE. How to Get to the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico Travel Requirements. How to Get Around the Yucatan. By Car. By Bus.
- Arrive in Cancún, Drive to Valladolid, Walking Tour. Welcome to Cancún! After picking up your rental car at Cancún International Airport, you'll drive two hours to Valladolid, one of Mexico's Pueblo Magicos, or Magical Towns.
- Boat Ride in the Ría Lagartos Reserve, Pink Lakes & Flamingos. Today, you'll get up early and drive 1.5 hours to Río Lagartos—a town located within the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve—one of the main American flamingo nesting areas in the Yucatán Peninsula.
- See the Ek' Balam Archaeological Site, Swim at Cenote Xcanche. Plan your trip to Mexico. Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
- Explore Chichén Itzá & Yokdzonot Cenote. If you had fun yesterday, you'll get to do it all over again today! Wake up early and drive about 40 minutes to meet your guide by 8 am at the entrance of Chichén Itzá for a private tour.
- How We Structured This Yucatan Road Trip Itinerary
- Why Choose The Yucatan For A Mexico Road Trip
- Getting Around During Your Road Trip in The Yucatan
- Will This 10 Day Yucatan Itinerary Work Without A Car?
- The Ultimate 10 Day Yucatan Road Trip Itinerary
- Other Destinations to Add to Your Yucatan Road Trip Itinerary
- Useful Driving Tips For This Mexico Road Trip Itinerary
- FAQ About Taking A Road Trip in The Yucatan Peninsula
- The Best Time to Road Trip The Yucatan Peninsula
- What to Pack For Your Yucatan Road Trip
We structured this Yucatan road trip itinerary to center around some of our favorite things to do in the Yucatan: explore Mayan ruins, swim in cenotes, and enjoy beautiful beaches. We are covering the Yucatan peninsula here, not just the state of Yucatan, and much of this Yucatan travel itinerary does take place in Quintana Roo. It’s a fairly fast-...
When looking for the perfect road trip in Mexico or even all of Latin America, the Yucatan peninsula immediately shoots up to the top of the list. The peninsula is known as one of the safest regions for tourists in all of Mexico (and for the record, we have always felt incredibly safe not only there but everywhere we’ve been in Mexico), the driving...
The best company to rent a car for your road trip in Mexico from will likely vary dramatically depending on exactly when you’re traveling. Sometimes large international carriers offer the best prices, sometimes local outfits. Sometimes one company has an excellent base price, but terrible rental requirements. The best way to find your rental car is...
Parts of it, yes, but it would be more of a hassle to reach some spots. Mexico’s ADO bus network is impressive, incredibly comfortable (some of the most comfortable buses we’ve ridden on anywhere, quite frankly), and can easily get you around the peninsula, including all the way down to Bacalar. For smaller day trips like visiting Ek Balam and the ...
Day 1: Arrive in Cancun and head to Valladolid.
Assuming you arrive in Cancun early enough in the day to reach Valladolid before sunset, we highly recommend grabbing your rental car at the airport and then immediately hitting the road! If your flight arrives in the late afternoon or evening, though, you’ll want to spend your first night in Cancun itself and then get an early start by driving to Valladolid the next morning. Valladolid is a little under 2 hours from Cancun by car.
Day 2: Explore Valladolid and check out nearby cenotes.
The colorful, small city of Valladolid is a laid-back and delightful place to explor. The Zocalo, cathedral, and the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena are all worth a look, as are the many delicious restaurants and the colorful street of Calzada de los Frailes. The main reason that Valladolid is a favorite for people exploring the Yucatan, though, is not for the charming city that is itself one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos (Magic Towns), but for what lies outside of it. Valladolid is located...
Day 3: Visit Chichen Itza and Cenote Ik Kil.
For your first day trip from Valladolid, head to none other than Mexico’s most famous Mayan ruin and one of the 7 New Wonders of the World: Chichen Itza. We highly recommend showing up very, very early, and entering the park as soon as it opens at 8:00 AM if you want to avoid the worst of the crowds. Most of the big tour buses bringing visitors in by the hundreds from Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen won’t show up until an hour or two after that, giving you a bit of time to explore the rui...
A mere 10 days in the Yucatan could never hope to cover all the incredible peninsula has to offer. If you have a longer Yucatan itinerary to work with, here are a few other places to consider adding onto your Yucatan road trip! I specifically didn’t include popular Isla Mujeres or Isla Holboxin this Yucatan travel blog post, as they’re decidedly no...
Plan to drive only during the day.
With lots of speed bumps (more on that below) and very few street lights, the Yucatan peninsula is not an ideal place to drive at night. Luckily, this Yucatan road trip itinerary should make it fairly easy to drive during the day only–most days include only a couple of hours of driving.
Keep an eye on the time (zone).
This itinerary covers destinations in both the state of Quintana Roo and the state of Yucatan. Despite being right next door to each other and frequently covered on the same trip, these Mexican states are in different time zones! Quintana Roo uses Eastern Standard Time, and Yucatan uses Central Standard Time.
Typically, someone will pump your gas for you.
Most frequently, when you pull up to the gas pump in Mexico, someone will pump your gas for you as well as clean your windshield. You’ll want to provide a small tip for the service. If you don’t see someone servicing the pumps, though, you can also pump your own gas in some places, so keep an eye on what others are doing!
Do you need to speak Spanish for this Yucatan road trip?
No, but it will make your trip much, much easier. While you definitely don’t need to know how to speak Spanish well for this Yucatan itinerary, we recommend learning at least some basic phrases before you go.
How’s the driving?
Incredibly easy! Truly, we found driving in the Yucatan to be far, far easier than driving in most places we’ve been in Europe. For most of this Yucatan road trip itinerary, you’ll be driving on flat, well-signed, uncongested highways. After the initial few hours of getting used to driving in Mexico, we found our road trip to be extremely relaxing. Like in virtually all places around the world, driving is a bit more complex and congested in and around large cities, but not overly difficult fo...
Is this road trip in Mexico safe?
Safety is a very complicated subject, of course (I discussed a bit more about safety in Mexico here), but generally speaking, yes. While cartel violence is certainly a problem in Mexico, it very, very rarely touches tourists and even more rarely touches tourists who avoid going near illegal activities (don’t stumble out of a bar drunk at 3am and try to pick up a prostitute on the way home, basically). We have spent months in Mexico, spread across many different states, and have always felt su...
The high season for traveling the Yucatan Peninsula runs roughly from mid-December to April, with the biggest crowds (and highest prices) typically found around Christmas, New Yea’s, Spring Break, and Easter. This is most prominent on the Riviera Maya, though–we’ve traveled the Yucatan peninsula extensively during high season on multiple trips, and...
Travel Insurance— We don’t ever suggest traveling without travel insurance–anything can happen, and a fast-paced Yucatan road trip is definitely better a case of safe than sorry. We use and recommend Safety Wingfor trips to Mexico. Cell Phone Holder— This is especially important if you don’t have a reliable co-pilot: the last thing you want to do i...
National Geographic's Yucatan Peninsula Adventure Map is a complete travel guide to the region. Coverage begins in the area of Campeche and continues to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico shorelines, including the Riviera Maya.
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Feb 28, 2020 · Alternative Yucatán adventures away from the crowds. Secret swims: the cenotes of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Here's how to take a week-long road trip to explore the best of the Yucatán Maya archaeological sites.
