Mexico has stolen many hearts! We would like to share this route with you. A 27-day road trip, to visit Yucatan and Chiapas. You fly out and back at Cancun Airport. Starting in an undiscovered paradise: Isla Mujeres . From there you set off on a road trip along well-known highlights and lesser-known pearls: Chitzen Itza , Uxmal and Campeche in Yucatan. It then go to San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque via Kolem Jaa . Then you return to Yucatan via Calakmul, a little-visited Mayan complex in the middle of the jungle. And end up in laid back Puerto MorelosAkumal , two jewels on the Riviera Maya. You can easily make an independent car tour through Mexico. You can book the flight, hotels and car separately. We will share a route from day to day with you and some tips.
Day 21 – Visit Calakmul
Yesterday we enjoyed a bizarre phenomenon: the Bat Cave , or Volcan de los Murcielagos. Millions of bats fly out at dusk. And that every day of the year. Today we go to Calakmul. Calakmul is located in the heart of a tropical rainforest, the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. From the main road it is another sixty kilometers drive, through dense jungle.There are almost no cars and no other signs of life, except colorful birds. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful cities of the Maya Empire. At its peak, 50,000 people lived here and the city prospered from 550 BC to 900 AD. Very little has been excavated. The city must have been gigantic. There are an incredible amount of ruins to see, and then only a fraction is exposed! Due to its size and distance from civilization, count on a full day for a visit.
Calakmul also has one huge advantage compared to other ruins: you can climb all the temples! Granted, the stairs are narrow and steep, but the views are great. You will have a 360 degree view of the jungle around. Green, lush green, everywhere you look. Here and there the green is interrupted by the top of a temple that protrudes between the trees. You stand high above the desolate, remote, mighty Calakmul. You can’t get closer to the Mayans and Indiana Jones than this.
Day 22 – via the ruins of Becan to Akumal
+/- 375 km and 5 hours drive
In the morning we first visit the excavations of Becan , which are only 5 km from the hotel. It is the only Mayan castle or fortress to survive. You can also imagine this very well when you visit the ruin. Here too you can climb everything again. A rope leads you up and down again. Watch carefully, here too the stairs are narrow and sometimes steep.
After that, most of the road trip is over! On to the Riviera Maya. That seems to work like a magnet on all North Americans, but also Europeans, who come here in large numbers to lie in the sun. The cities of Cancun and Playa del Carmen in particular are super busy and touristy. And the resorts keep expanding along the coast. We choose two different places to spend the last days, namely Akumal and Puerto Morelos. Reason: both are still described as relatively non-touristy. That certainly applies to Puerto Morelos, Akumal is busy with day tourists during the day, but the peace returns in the evening.
Overnight in Akumal
It is certainly not easy to find less expensive accommodation in Akumal. Below is a great jungle tip! We stay here for three nights .
Our choice: Maya Eco Village
This is a very nice, new bungalow complex! The bungalows have everything you want after a day of sun, sea and beach. Quietly situated on the edge of the jungle, beautiful rooms, comfortable beds, good air conditioning, a private bathroom. You can also laze by the pool, walk through the tropical garden, or hang out in a hammock. In the morning you can enjoy a delicious breakfast. You can sleep here with two people for €150 per night. For four people you pay €170 per night. A slightly more expensive price, but hey, nice to end your road trip through Mexico. Book now, this Maya Eco Village is rated a big 9!
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Day 23 – Snorkeling with sea turtles in Akumal
In Akumal we will snorkel from the beach in the hope of spotting sea turtles . We hope you get incredibly spoiled this trip by unexpected wildlife encounters. We meet Suriel from Akumal Smile Tours in downtown Tulum at 9am. You can arrange the tour via Whatsapp. On the beach, we go snorkeling under supervision. There is also a buoy that the kids (and possibly the parents) can hang on when they are tired. We hope you will see lots of fish, big and small, in all kinds of beautiful colors and you will also go to the place where the sea grass grows. Big chance you will see turtles there!
You will snorkel for about two hours , during which the guide does his best to point out as many animals as possible. After that you are free. If you were to search the internet for providers of snorkeling tours in Akumal, expect prices starting from $50 pp. which includes entrance to the National Park, all snorkeling equipment, lockers, life jacket and guide. Looking for food? You can’t eat cheaply on the beach.Time to relax today at the swimming pool of our hotel.
Day 24 – Visit Tulum
Today to Tulum. Pay a quick visit to the excavation. After all the excavations we have already seen, this excavation is quite small. She is also very touristy and very hot. If you thought you had seen everything with Chichen Itza, but Tulum looks like an amusement park; complete with so-called army vehicles that transport tourists from the entrance of the tourist village to the actual ruin.
Tulum is also beautiful: it is the only excavation by the sea and is therefore beautifully situated. After the excavation you can take the beach of Tulum, and wander around the town itself, go souvenir shopping and eat in one of the many restaurants. A perfectly relaxing day.
Day 25 – from Akumal to Puerto Morelos
+/- 75 km and 1 hour drive
You drive from Akumal to Puerto Morelos. On the way we pass Playa del Carmen, a busy tourist resort. Before we check into our apartment in Puerto Morelos and enjoy your own private swimming pool , you can pay a visit to a reptile farm.
Overnight in Puerto Morelos
When you can‘t get enough of the tropical coast of Yucatan and stay in both Akumal and Puerto Morelos. This town is located 30 minutes from Cancun and 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen, just between the two tourist attractions. This old fishing village is very charming and seems unaffected by the busy neighbors 🙂 This is a wonderful destination for the last days before your departure. We stay here for 2 nights at the end of our trip.
Our choice: Corales Suites
This paradise with an 8.1 on Booking.com is really wonderful! A very nice swimming pool, a bright and new complex, with very luxuriously furnished rooms, what more could you want? The location is also perfect, right on the beach and a 5-minute walk from the center! You have a double suite from $98, a four-person suite from $102. Book the beautiful Corales Suites !
Day 26 – Puerto Morelos and snorkeling
The holiday feeling continues in Puerto Morelos . This is a very old fishing village, which has retained its charm and small scale. Surprising, because it is less than 30 minutes from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The proximity of these two busy tourist resorts has therefore not affected this pleasant village. Again, snow-white beaches, clear blue water, pelicans catching a fish… you can just watch it from your beach chair, but we really enjoyed going snorkeling again to finish. You can easily arrange a snorkeling tour on site. The tours you come across on the internet are large-scale (read: crammed boat) and expensive, often converted to $40 pp. including boat, guide, snorkel equipment, life jacket, entrance to the national park and drinks on board. If you negotiate, you might get it cheaper. You have to book a snorkeling tour because you can’t snorkel from the beach. You go out to sea with a guide and a boat and snorkel on the high seas. Normally you sail to different places, where you get snorkeling time at each place. The guide/driver will snorkel with you to point out the colorful fish.
Day 27 – to Cancun Airport and departure
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, including this wonderful journey! In less than 30 minutes you will drive to Cancun Airport, where we board the plane home, a great experience richer!
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