Hi!

I have a little more than 3 weeks vacation time in february, and when looking at the plane ticket prices to Cancun and some of the apartment prices in that whole area, Mexico seems like the front runner so far!

I've been twice to Mexico before:

- 1 week in Puerto Vallarta stayed in a beachfront hotel right in the old town, loved the whole city and did a few day trips by bus to Boca de Tomatlan and Sayulita.
- 3 weeks in Playa del Carmen staying in an apartment in Playacar, and did day trips by Ado bus to Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza and took the ferry to Cozumel.

Both vacations were excellent! I was thinking of returning to Puerto Vallarta again because it's been a while longer since I've been but the plane prices are not cheap right now! However for plane tickets to Cancun there are some nice deals. I'm trying to make this new 3 weeks trip something different from the last one, so I'm thinking of starting the vacation maybe by going 1 week in Merida with a few day trips like Uxmal. Then for the remainder I would like to return to Playacar or somewhere else located on the beach that you guys can recommend. Staying downtown Cancun is intimidating for me because I often read that it's not the safest place, so I'm kind of reluctant to book there?

I thought I had found the 2nd destination when I came upon the beach town Progreso which is very close to Merida, but I read that they are having problems with the water right now so I feel more comfortable going somewhere else. The goal is really to relax and escape the cold weather not to jump from one destination to another... But obviously we will still visit the selected areas, eat out and enjoy the destinations. I feel like Merida is kind of set, but now I'm trying to figure if it's best to go back for the beach part of the vacation to Playacar/Playa del Carmen or somewhere else. I'm interested to see your suggestions, thanks!

Well I'd go back to Puerto Vallarta because that's my home-away-from-home and true love. I spent a month in Old Town Oct/Nov last year and had a fantastic time.

But I don't think that sounds like what YOU are wanting to do.

Hi, like I said in my opening post, that was actually my preference, to go back to Puerto Vallarta... But unfortunately right now the plane tickets for Puerto Vallarta are in the range of $900+ while for Cancun they are $400+, so that's really the main reason for not choosing PV as we are on a budget. Usually I can see PV tickets for around $500+ but not right now

Merida is, IMO, a delight. Uxmal can be visited as a day trip from Merida, but IMO, the Ruta Puuc is better seen in a 2-day circuit, with an overnight stop near Uxmal. YMMV.

You might also look at Valladolid or, further afield, Campeche or even Palenque.

IME, the Moon Guide provides excellent coverage of the area.

Hope that helps!

Not sure where you live but Southwest has great rates out of Oakland La & other spots to PV