xgao

I posted this message on the general board. I am posting it at this Mexico board again.

Our 3 year old son, my husband and I will be in Yucatan from 12/21-12/28. Here is our initial plan:

12/21: fly to Cancun
12/22: relex and enjoy Cancun
12/23: afternoon, drive to and overnight at Chichen Itza (we would like to drive in the afternoon so that my son can take a nap while in the car.)
12/24: morning, tour Chiceh Itza; afternoon, drive to and overnight at Uxmal. (try to tour the ruins in the morning before it gets too hot, expecially with our 3 year old.)
12/25: morning, tour Uxmal; afternoon, drive to and overnight at Merida.
12/26: morning, tour Merida; afternoon, drive back to Cancun
12/27: Relex at Cancun or go to Xcaret and Xpu-Ha. (What are the major differences between the two? I know they are very touristy. However, I figure my son would enjoy them.)
12/28: Fly back to the States.

Do you think this itinerary would to be gruelling for a 3 year old? Any special holiday schedules that we should be aware of? Can Xcaret and Tulum be done in one day? Any suggestions would be highly appreciated! Many thanks.

pepper131

Many people do Xel-Ha and Tulum in one day since they are located near each other. It might be a lot for a 3 yr old, but you know your son much more than I do.
Xpu-Ha has a beach club called La Playa that you might enjoy. Plus the beach is wonderful.
Xcaret has been described as Disney in the Mayan Riviera. Just depends on what you are looking for. I believe both "ecoparks" have websites, so you can see what they are about. Keep in mind, the rivers have much cooler water than the ocean.
Your driving schedule seems do-able. The drive from Merida to Cancun will be long though.
I would imagine ruins will be closed on Christmas day. playadelcarmeninfo.com has info on many ruins under "mundo Maya" that you might find useful.

MFNYC

The Mexico board is the same as the general latin america board. You don't need to post twice. Your other post is a few posts down CLick on your screen na,me to view all your posts.

xgao

Thanks. If Uxmal will be closed on Christmas day, then maybe we just switch uxmal with Merida. What is the best way to visit Xel-Hu from Cancun, with a tour?

pepper131

I would say the best way to see Xel-Ha with a 3 yr old is at your own pace and not a tour dictating when and where.

MFNYC

Keep the car and go to Xel-Ha in the morning before all the tour busses arrive. You may also consider staying in Playa Del Carmen instead of Cancun. Check your other post for a comment about that.

RobertSDF

Some good advice on the other posts here. I would also recommend a car--and going early if you want to visit Xel-Ha.
It becomes a mob scene when all the tour buses arrive.
I would also recommend you think about Playa del Carmen. Although it is growing rapidly it is nowhere near as congested and crowded as Cancun--and much more Mexican atmosphere.
Enjoy!

xgao

To drive from Playa del Carmen to Merida, do we still need to go back and pass Cancun? Is it about 45 minutes drive from Playa del Carmen to Cancun?

Xel-Ha or Xcaret, which one is more fun for little kids? Do one generally spend a whole day in either park?

Thank you all for your help!

Ryberg

The easiest way to drive from Playa to Mérida is to go back from Playa in the direction of Cancun and follow the signs for the toll (cuota) road. You'll drive almost back to the airport but not back all the way into Cancun. The toll road is 2-lane, divided highway virtually the entire way. For a car it will cost you somewhere between 250-300 pesos the whole way each way, but well worth it in terms of ease of driving, condition of road, etc. On the other hand, you will not see local color this route. You can take the regular highway all or part of the way and get a lot more of that, but that's often single lane, non-divided highway with lots of little towns along the way, each with its own speed zones and (occasionally unmarked and unannounced) speed bumps.

Yes, Playa is about 45 minutes down the road from Cancun, or at least from the airport.

And yes, many people spend an entire day or most of a day at Xel-ha or Xcaret. Which one is more fun with kids may generate some comments, but in the big picture, they're basically the same.

Steve

xgao

What are the differences between the evening shows at Chichen Itza and Uxmal? Do we need to do both or one should be enough? I am considering spending two nights at Merida instead of staying at Uxmal for one night.

SandraHasWings

Hi Xgao,

I've seen both shows at chichen itza and uxmal...truly no need to see both. My favorite was the Uxmal one.

On a related note to your initial posting, have you considered visiting the Palenque ruins? I did a 2-week tour of Yucatan. Palenque was by far my favorite, with breathtaking ruins and temples tucked away in the jungle. Uxmal was my second favorite---truly gorgeous. Chichen Itza was overrun by tourists--it's the most popular one but definitely not the most beautiful, in my opinion. Palenque is also very large in size, comparable to Chichen, and well worth the trip, and the substitution.

On yet another note, you may consider spending the night in Uxmal instead of Merida. Uxmal has two gorgeous hotels just outside its gates. One is a club med hotel (very intimate and lovely) and the other is a most gorgeous lodge, 5-star rooms with stained glass doors and impossibly high thatched roofs. My fiance and I stayed at the latter for 80 US dollars per night, a complete bargain. At night we opened the windows (they have screens) and fell aslep to the sounds of the jungle. Breathtaking.

Merida is lovely and safe, but if you've only got one night I'd spend it at Uxmal at one of these two lovely hotels and then drive to Merida really early in the morning. Let me know if you'd like more information.

xgao

Thanks SandraHasWings. Where is Palenque? Initially we are considering spending one night at Uxmal. We will be staying the night before at Merida. And we figure since Uxmal is somewhat close to Merida, maybe we can just drive to Uxmal in the morning and come back to Merida after our tour so that we don't have to keep packing and unpacking. Are there much to do at night besides the evening shows by staying right near the ruins?

Also, how will the weather be like in December? I guess it would be a bit cooler, maybe down to the 70s? Then the heat is not going to be much a problem for kids?

RobertSDF

Good advice from Sandra. I too dislike the crowds at Chichen and prefer Uxmal.
Not much going on around the ruins in the evening--Merida would be a great base.
Palenque is FAR south of this area. For example, the fastest first class or luxury bus service (ADO-GL) takes over 7 hours from Merida to Palenque. The ruins are great but it is a long trip.
Enjoy!

SandraHasWings

Xgao--RobertSDF is right about the distance. Palenque is a ways away. I was fortunate to have 2 full weeks in Yucatan to make a 2 day stop there but it may be a little bit tight for your schedule, especially with a 3 yr. old. I just needed to mention it because it truly is worth the visit.

Uxmal does not have a nightlife at all but after walking around the site all day, by the time you are done, you are content with a nice refreshing dip in the pool and a relaxing dinner. We stayed over at the main Uxmal lodge, but walked over to the Club Med hotel for dinner. They serve it to you poolside and it's a very intimate, soothing and romantic setting. After sharing one bottle of wine and a very exciting day of walking around and exploring the ruins in the sun, we were ready to go to sleep in our beautiful thatched roof hotel room.

Merida is a great choice as well--I can't remember what the main avenue there is called but there are some lovely restaurants and hotels there. It's an avenue lined with stately mansions and some have been converted to restaurants. There is one in particular---again, can't remember the name but the oustside of the mansion is a crisp canary yellow/white and the outdoor dining is fabulous. It's not easy to miss. Sorry I can't be more specific with names, it's been a year since I took that trip! I was there in late October and the weather was very warm, sunny and humid, with cooler evenings. while there,I bought a couple of the typical white Yucatan dresses that are made of all cotton or linnen. You can find some very nice, simple styles without the embroidery. I consider myself a "fashionista" and thought these typical outfits (a lot of the women in the region wear them on a daily basis) were the thing to wear to keep in cool style in such hot, humid weather. They are very comfortable, crisp and cool for sightseeing and when you return home you'll have a nice souvenir from your trip you can actually wear. I also bought a light shawl for the cool evenings in Merida. Not sure what December will be like but I don't imagine it would ever get cold there.
You've got a good itinerary overall--I think you and hubby will enjoy yourselves immensely. Would love to hear about it when you return! I'm off to Mexico City for Thanksgiving. This is my 8th trip to Mexico in less than 2 years. Once you fall in love with Mexico it's very difficult not to return!

xgao

After doing a bit more research, we are changing part of our itinerary. After arriving at Cancun airport, we will head directly to Playa del Carmen, spend two nights there, visit Xcaret for one day and Tulum for a half day. On 12/23 afternoon, we will drive to Merida from PDC. 12/24: morning to Uxmal, back to Merida at night. 12/25: tour Merida, then drive to Chichen Itza in the afternoon. 12/26: morning, tour Chichen Itza, afternoon, drive to Cancun. 12/27: ralex at Cancun. 12/28: back to the states.

Do these changes make sense? Also, when do you think we should get our rental car? Should we pick up the car when we arrive at the airport and rent the car for the whole week or should we wait after we get to PDC?

Thanks again for everyone's help!

RobertSDF

To me, it would make the most sense to get the rental car at Playa--really not any need for one there. However, I am not cetain if it will be difficult to then drop the car at Cancun on your return--some of those things are not so easily done in Mexico. It probably can be done with one of the majors--just be certain you check in advance!
Enjoy!

xgao

Thanks Robert. So taking a cab is still the best way to get to Xcaret or Tulum from Playa(if we don't like to go with a tour)?

RobertSDF

A taxi is fine from Playa to Xcaret but not for Tulum. Public bus service to Tulum is very good and very frequent between Playa and Tulum(also very cheap). (Xcaret is almost adjacent to Playa)

xgao

Just read from internet that Chichen Itza actually is open 365 days a year. So it is open during Christmas day (a message posted here long time ago also confirmed this). Is Uxmal also open during Christmas time? How about Merida?

mimipam

Hi xgao,
Sounds like you have a nice trip planned. Just want to recommend a guide we had at Chichen Itza. We spent one night there at the Hacienda Chichen and our guide was Antonio Castillo. He was great. His email is [email protected]
He also has a website www.geocities.com/abc_sightseeings
He lives in Merida so would be good for all that area.
Happy travels!