csanchez

Hi!

I am looking at taking a two week trip to the Mérida and Cancún area in mid-June to the end of the month with my boyfriend. I was thinking we fly into Cancún and then make our way to Mérida, where we'd stay for about a week.

While in Mérida, I'd like to rent a hotel/hostel/bed and breakfast in Mérida that is on or near the beach or near cultural activities. I know Mérida isn't far from the beach so not stay at the beach would be okay. We'd also like to sightsee places such as Umán, Tizimín, Izamal, and others. After a week in Mérida then we'd go to the Cancún to for another week, passing through Chichen Itza on our way there.

The thing is, we am not sure where in the Cancún area we should stay. I'd like to visit Cancún itself but would like something more intimate and romantic where my boyfriend and I can enjoy each other's company while on the beach. From our TBD host location we'd also like to make day trips to Tulum, Cobá, and so on. Should we stay in Isla Mujeres? Holbox? Playa del Carmen??? I've heard Cancún is more touristy and that's fine but again for visiting but I would like something more intimate and authentic so an all-inclusive resort would not be what I am looking for instead looking for something where we can have alone time and be able to enjoy nature (the beach).

Would we need to rent a car ( and if so, how do we do that and how much would that cost for 2 weeks?) or are there buses that can take us Cancún-Mérida, around Mérida, Mérida-Cancún, around the Cancún area, and back to Cancún for our departure? Also, how much do you think this would cost for two people? I need to save up!!!!!!!!!

I've travelled before but during my university with study abroad programs so everything was taken care of. This will be my first trip on my own and am kinda nervous about planning it and making sure it all goes well.

Is this too ambiguous of a plan?? How could we make this dream come true?


Thanks!

suze

<that is on or near the beach or near cultural activities. I know Mérida isn't far from the beach so not stay at the beach would be okay.>

Merida is inland. It's not on a beach at all. The nearest beach is Progresso, about a 30 mins. drive.

live42day

As said Merida is not near the beach and we left Yucatan yesterday, we were going to head to Merida for a couple of days and it was 40degrees so cancelled. Being inland it will be hot and even more so in June I would think.

We loved Cozumel. It is an island though so you will not be touring around a lot from there to places like Tulum etc.
You could consider a week on Cozumel and then a week on the mainland.
We stayed in Puerto Morelos and loved it. It is a small mexican town, not a big tourist area compared to the others. It was our favourite. You can take collectivos to Tulum, Playa for the day. You could do a day trip or overnight trip to Merida and Chicenitza. Playa is very busy, but being young you may like that.
You really don't need a car unless you want to spend lots of time driving. I would just take collectivos (van taxi busses) or taxis when you want to go anywhere. They are cheap.
You can take an ADO bus to Merida.

suze

My experience is all on "the other side" of Mexico (Pacific Coast and Baja) but I personally wouldn't want to rent a car & drive in Mexico. There's just a lot that can go wrong and it's easy enough to get yourself around using other methods (especially if you don't speak Spanish).

jamie99

I would stay south of Playa del Carmen, you can stay in PDC itself although it is bigger than I like. Take a look at Tulum or maybe Akumal. Puerto Morelos is also nice. I love Isla Mujeres but if you plan on doing a lot of touring it is not that convenient.
Although starting in early June (dates not announced yet) they will have swimming with whale sharks through mid September, you might enjoy this. You can do this out of Isla Mujeres or Isla Holbox, although the latter is harder to get to.
We have always had a rental car, small sedan with full insurance should run about $40 per day. Have used both Easyway and America Car Rental with no problems.Luggage is not normally allowed on the colectivos, I avoid them since their main purpose is to transport local people to work and so forth.

kja

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Merida, but as already noted, it isn't on or particular near to a beach. And while I can understand your interest in visiting Izamal, I must admit that I'd never heard of either Umán or Tizimín -- which could simply indicate that I know very little. On the other hand, you don't mention the magnificent Uxmal ruins or other sites along the Ruta Puuc, which were IMO a highlight of the area.

Chichen Itza can easily be visited en route from Merida to the eastern Yucatan coast. Or you could stop overnight (or for longer) to visit lovely Valladolid and the many interesting sites nearby.

Another vote for Puerto Moreles on the Mayan Riviera coast.

You do NOT need a car, although it can be an advantage if you decide to visit Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. If that is of interest to you, and if the tours out of Merida don't meet your needs, you could rent one for just two days to see the area, staying at either the Flycatcher Inn or the Pickled Onion.

If you do rent a car, be sure you read up on some of the critical differences between driving in the Yucatan and driving elsewhere -- knowing the relevant rules and norms of the road can go a LONG way to minimizing the risk of an accident.

Of the many guidebooks I used when planning my time in the area, I found the <i>Moon Guide</i> most useful. You might want to buy one or consult one at your local library.

Good luck!

baldone

While in Merida, you'll have to visit the only Costco in the world with a cenote, lol:http://yucatanexpatlife.com/new-larg...meridas-north/
If you can afford it, I would definitely consider renting a car, even if you end up having some down time. Jaime makes a valid point regarding public transportation and luggage. Not to mention that public transportation and multiple destinations means a ton of wasted time waiting and being in transit between buses/colectivos/taxis. Having a car buys you so much time and flexibility, which with only 2 weeks is, I think, very much worthwhile. Something often overlooked with multiple stops is what do you do with your luggage between hotels? With a car you just lock your stuff in the trunk and not worry about storing it somewhere.
That said, isla holbox requires that you park your car on the mainland. On Isla Mujeres you'll not need or want a car; turn it in before you go.

kja

For a different perspective on cars: Some of my favorite travel memories, in the Yucatan and throughout the world, are from the incomparable opportunity to see local people interacting with each other on local transportation. IME, that is a priceless experience! JMO.

I must admit that I don't understand the relevance of the fact that luggage is not allowed on collectivos -- I only took collectivos for short local trips from a base. When traveling between cities, I took actual intercity buses, where luggage is stored in an under-carriage compartment. If using a collectivo to visit something just outside a city, you should be able to make arrangements with your lodging to hold the luggage for you. At least, that's what I did! And I certainly wouldn't want to take luggage with me on a collectivo to just anywhere, as there might be no where to store it when you get there. ;-)

Whether one ends up "wasting" time by taking local transportation depends on how one plans one's time. Bus schedules are available in advance; and even with a delay here or there, I didn't feel that I "wasted" time on transportation in the Yucatan. And counterbalanced against that is the time you would need to find parking, get fuel ... the constraints on time of travel (I wouldn't try to drive in Mexico after dark!), etc.

And for what little it's worth -- I was glad I had a car for the Ruta Puuc and Celestun because the car let me see those places at my leisure, which -- at least at the time -- was not an option by public transportation, but I absolutely <u>hated</u> driving in the area. And I generally love to drive! As already noted, I rarely used the car on the major roads -- I found it very easy to use the buses. On the back roads, and even the major road from Merida to Celestun, the interplay of light and shadow made it extremely difficult for me to detect or prepare for the many jolting topes; the absence of street lights made it impossible to drive after sunset; the aforementioned differences in rules of the road made for some VERY scary moments, etc.

JMO!

SambaChula

If you are a competent, confident driver at home, you should be comfortable driving in the Yucatan. The roads are good. Keep to the posted speed limits ( despite what the locals do) and watch out for speed bumps (topes) at the edge of towns/villages/settlements. Read up on how to avoid the occasional scam at the gas pump. A compact car should run about U$40/day. Get full insurance. Easyway is a reliable company and you can see their total price when booking online. To me, the major advantage is having ac in the extreme heat and humidity, and having a trunk to secure our things. Also, we encountered one guy stranded at Coba because he missed the last bus; not all locations are well served. That includes travel between the beach and the pueblo in Tulum. Try to arrive at your destination before dark to be able to see any road hazards well.

Tulum is by far the most spectacular beach in the Yucatan IMO.

You can make a big circle from Cancun airport (neither the hotel zone nor the pueblo are worthwhile IMO, unless you arrive very late to head out of town) for your two weeks. Head out for charming Colonial Valladolid (2 hours) and use it for a base to see Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, cenotes and Rio Lagartos flamingos. You could also detour to Ilha Holbox. Then head for Merida. Explore Uxmal, the smaller ruins of the Ruta Puuc, haciendas and missions on your way out or while based there. You can explore Progresso beach, but it is not so nice IMO. There are two large ruins you could explore further south, if time, with a car. Head for Tulum. From a base in Tulum, you can go to the Coba ruins and bike around, see those oat cliff edge in Tulum, and get a tour into the Sian Ka'an biosphere o float down Maya built canals. Enjoy the beach, but stay more cheaply I town, off the main drag (route 307). Lots of Local Maya culture if you look. For your last night, you may want to stay closer to the airport in touristy Playa Del Carmen, or in quiet Puerto Morelos.

Enjoy.

SambaChula

Oh, and also, from a base in Tulum, you can go to Akumal to snorkel with the huge turtles and rays.

emd3

You can also swim with whale sharks from Cancun. I arranged this while in Playa del Carmen and got the boat in Cancun.

Be prepared for intense heat and humidity in Merida then. Like 100 degreesF. Stifling hot. Get a hotel with good AC and a pool. I like Hotel Santa Maria, close to Santa Lucia park where there are free concerts and folk dance pergormances every Thurs night. And close to the zocalo, but quiet.

If you like a lot to do, lots of good restaurant options, shopping, nightlife, as well as the beach, then Playa del Carmen is good. With a car, staying in any of the beach towns from Playa del Carmen or south of there, you can easily visit the beaches at Xhu-pa (really lovely), Akumal, Tulum, cenotes, Coba for ruins. It will be hot and humid but at least you will be staying on the beach, not like inland in Merida.

Renting a car is no big deal, we do it all the time. Just check reviews online and get a reputable company that you can call if you happen to have trouble with the car. And don't drive on the highways at night, no reason to invite trouble if you breakdown at night.

SambaChula

Note: Swimming/snorkeling with whale sharks is seasonal and government regulated. For 2016 it will start on May 15 and go through mid-September. Best/most sightings near Cancun (Holbox, Mulheres) are in July and August.
(It's pretty awesome; I just did it in Baja recently.)

Rohelio

A whole lot of good information here (except Suze)!
Yes, Mérida is a fantastic city that y ou clan fly directly to and from depending on thé time of year and where from.
Car rentals and driving are a breeze in thé Yucatan except in this case as Mérida can be very difficult to understand with all it,s one ways and small streets not to mention parking... Y ou can easily spend a week un Mérida with all it,s théâtres,churches, restaurants, sightseeing ans much more... Make sure it,s on a week end !

jamie99

Yes, Izamal also has a lot of one way streets as well, drove us a little nuts (and my husband was a good driver) but we did manage to get where we were going eventually.
SambaChula, did the government announce the whale shark dates yet? I read elsewhere they were talking about June 1 this year since last few years there were so few whale sharks at the very beginning of the season.

cybor

Re: Whale sharks
I'm reading reports stating that the last season didn't have the usual numbers of sharks. They suspect some sort of trend shift but are unclear why. Maybe the sharks don't like tourists, lol
Anyhow, we missed them last year by a few days when we went to Holbox for the first week in Sept.

Cars, driving in Merida. I sure don't have a problem driving here or finding parking. You either park on the street or find one of the many inexpensive parking lots that are all over the city.

One way streets - You get used to it very quickly as there's a definite pattern. Generally, every other street goes in the same direction. east/west streets are odd numbered and north/south the opposite. It does get a bit strange when you go from neighborhood to neighborhood (colonias) as the numbers change. Most tourists, however don't go into other residential neighborhoods, though.

If you don't want to drive taxis are plentiful and the buses are air conditioned.


Summer heat - You will need a place with A/C as our typical day temps are often in the 90s F. A pool is a must, as well. That said, nights cool down, there's usually a breeze, you learn to drive in A/C cars, tour around in the morning and hit a cenote to cool off after and drink to forget the heat, lol

SambaChula

@jamie99-that's what I read the officially announced date is.

@cybor--"tour around in the morning and hit a cenotes to cool off after and drink to forget the heat" is THE perfect plan!
The freelance guide I went whale shark snorkeling with in La Paz had moved from Cancun this past year because of the population decline you describe. She also said the sharks who do arrive have been smaller.

suze

<A whole lot of good information here (except Suze)!>

Rohelio, All I said is that Merida is not on the beach. Are you disagreeing with that?

SambaChula

Was it not you who advised not to drive in the Yucatan, apparently based on your experience while never in the Yucatan?
Perhaps that is what rohelio is referring to?
I would disagree with your advice as well. I've hardly ever driven anywhere easier than the Yucatan, and with no Spanish. The European tourist desperately begging rides at the Coba parking lot entrance, having missed the last of the few daily buses, would have been enough to convince me, had the extreme heat/humidity and the convenience of storing my things not already done so.

november_moon

We took a 2 week trip to the Yucatan a few years ago. We stayed in Merida, Santa Elena (south of Merida to see the Ruta Puuc area), Valladolid, and Tulum. It was a really good trip - we saw a lot, had time on the beach, and it wasn't too rushed. We didn't have a car in Merida, but had one for the rest of the trip. Driving in that area was really easy. We didn't spend any time in Cancun sincentives that's not really our style.

baldone

kja does make some valid points. When I speak of wasted time, I probably do so from my perspective of having a car here in Mexico. The times we do take a bus, there have been on those more rural-ish routes that are de paso and make lots of stops. Or some routes where you can take a directo to a hub and then a 2nd class to your ultimate destination which at times can require, in effect, some significant backtracking. And on some of those rural routes a published schedule might be hard to come by. It is true that traveling by bus can be an interesting and educational experience. Guatemala comes to mind. But having a car also allows you to stop at some roadside palapa for a snack and a beer or buy a hat etc. which is a fun way too to get a little local interaction. Having a car is also give you a better opportunity to get lost, lol.