Destinations › Central & South America › Mexico
Mexico’s Yucatán in 10 days: beaches, cenotes & Mayan ruins
Turquoise Caribbean water, jungle cenotes, Mayan pyramids and colourful colonial towns — all within a few hours of Playa del Carmen.
Duration
10 days
Best time
December – April
Base
Playa del Carmen
Getting around
Rental car
I travelled
March 2017
Mexican food is famous all over the world, but until you eat it in Mexico you don’t really know what Mexican food is. The same goes for the Yucatán: postcards don’t do it justice.
We based ourselves in Playa del Carmen for 10 days and explored the peninsula with a rental car — beaches and cenotes in the morning, Mayan ruins and colonial towns in the afternoon, tacos on the beach at night.
The route at a glance
One base, endless day trips
Tap a stop on the map to jump to that part of the trip
Playa del Carmen
Base · 10 nights
Tulum & Cobá
Day trip
Bacalar
Day trip
Chichén Itzá
Day trip
Holbox
Day trip
Mérida
Day trip
Day trips
What to see
Your base
Playa del Carmen
The perfect base: lively, full of restaurants and bars, and within easy driving of everything. We stayed in a hotel with a rooftop pool — ideal after a long day out.
Day trip · 1 hour
Tulum & Cobá
Tulum is a magical little hippie town, best explored by bicycle, with Mayan ruins right above the beach. Nearby, climb the pyramid at Cobá for a view over the jungle canopy.
Day trip · morning
Cenotes
The Yucatán is dotted with cenotes, natural sinkholes of crystal-clear water. Go early to beat the crowds at Cenote Azul, and don’t miss Cenote Ik Kil — a 26-metre drop into the most spectacular cenote we saw.
Day trip · 2 hours from Tulum
Bacalar Lagoon
The ‘lagoon of seven colours’ is one of the most stunning places in Mexico. Stay a night in a hotel with waterfront rooms if you can.
Day trip · 2 hours
Chichén Itzá & Valladolid
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The site is huge, so hire a guide. Then stop in colonial Valladolid and walk the colourful Calzada de los Frailes.
Day trip · ferry
Holbox Island
A paradise island with no cars — just golf carts and bicycles. Take the 30-minute boat from Chiquilá and slow right down.
Day trip
Río Lagartos & Mérida
Thousands of pink flamingos gather at Río Lagartos from March to June. Finish in Mérida, the elegant colonial capital, around the Plaza Grande.
Beyond the Yucatán
More of Mexico
Teotihuacan
Climb the Pyramid of the Sun, an easy day trip from Mexico City.
Agua Azul, Chiapas
Turquoise cascades deep in the jungle of Chiapas.
Isla Mujeres
An easy day trip by ferry from Cancún.
When to go
The best time to visit the Yucatán
December to April is the best time: sunny, dry and not too hot. February and March can bring seaweed to some beaches. June to October is the rainy and hurricane season.
Best Good Rainy season
Before you go
My top 3 tips for Mexico
01
Hire a car at the airport
It gives you total freedom, and the roads are well maintained. In Tulum, switch to a bicycle.
02
Go to the cenotes early
Arrive first thing to have them almost to yourself — and bring water shoes for the rocks.
03
Take a guide at Chichén Itzá
The site is huge and full of stories you’d miss on your own.
What to eat
Eat like a local
Tacos on the beach
Simple, fresh and the best lunch after a swim.
Huevos rancheros
Breakfast of champions, with a fresh grapefruit juice.
Ceviche tostadas
Fresh fish ceviche — and try the octopus too.
Tailor-made
Want this trip, made for you?
I’ll design your Mexico itinerary — the right base, car hire, cenotes, ruins and the best beach hotels — around your dates.
On this page
Photo gallery
Mexico through my lens
