maine_traveler

So my boyfriend and I are trying to plan a trip to the Yucatan in November during Thanksgiving break. We are both 20 and have never traveled much out of the country. He speaks almost fluent Spanish, so that is a help.

Our problem is this: We both love everything about the Mayan Ruins, but hate tourists. So we are trying to find a place to stay that is less touristy and still close to some sites. We don't mind hostels. And we can't spend a fortune either. I don't know if we are old enough to rent a car, so that is a consideration.

If anyone knows of some "out of the way" places to stay, any general travel advise, or anything you might think we would find interesting, that would be awesome. Thanks!

suze

It's going to be pretty darn tricky to see the major Mayan sites and not see any other tourists besides yourselves!

That said, I'd check either Akumal or Tulum, as a place to stay.

colokid

I'd say Tulum also. It's going to be busy in November and Tulum might be the one place that's lower in tourist numbers. You can look at the website www.tulum.info to get a feel for the area.

wanatrvl

Another idea may be to check out Belize. They have lots of Mayan ruins as well. My family went there last summer and saw the Mayan ruins in the Cayo district and they were amazing. And for the most part, we barely saw anyone else at the ruins. We also went on a tour into a cave where the Mayans held ceremonies and made sacifices. There are still original artifacts and skeletons in there. It is called the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. The tour was unlike anything you would see in the US and National Geographic rates it as one of the must see caves in the world. By the way, I'm from Maine (looking at your screen name, I assume you are also) and saw a lot of tourists in the summer where I grew up. But, of course, that is exactly what you are when you are on vacation. But I can see wanting to find less crowded areas. Good luck with your plans.

Fra_Diavolo

Valladolid is within easy distance -- about forty minutes -- from Chichen Itza, and less than ten miles from the spectacular but little visited Ek Balam. It's a large market town with a good hotel and a few minor sights of its own. A good spot for a couple of days in the area.

Yoou'll want to see Uxmal and the Puuc hills cities, south of Merida. Unfortunately distant from any town of size, but it is possible to make a day trip from Merida, or spend one night in the area. There are some B&Bs nearby.

suze

I was thinking only of places near the ocean/beach (my own preference). Great suggestions above for more varied experience.

wasigan

We traveled the Yucatan two years ago and stayed in Merida, then made our way down the Puuc Route south of there and then east again to Vallodolid. From Merida, you can see Izamal where there are smaller ruins, and of course Chichen Itza. We stayed overnight at an old hacienda an hour south of Merida called Yaxcopoil which is pretty close to Uxmal. Both were well worth the stay, and not touristy at all. In fact, Yaxcopoil only has 2 or 3 guest rooms and we were the only ones there at the time. Uxmal is also amazing and not very crowded if you go early! From there you can drive to Tulum and stay in very uncrowded beach hotels and check out the ruins. Again, go early to avoid the tour buses from Cancun. We took our trip in early Spring and crowds were very manageable. Have fun!

barefootmum

My friend and I stayed at Cabanas Copal in Tulum in January and found it to be the perfect base for exploring the region. It wasn't crowded and our cabin was almost on the beach, so we went to sleep listening to the surf - perfect!

I think you usually have to be 25 to rent a car in Mexico, although ACE Car Rental will rent if you are 21.

From http://www.mexperience.com/guide/ess...ntalmexico.php

Minimum Age of Driver
In some exceptional circumstances, and usually accompanies by a hefty deposit and hefty excess charges for damage and accidents, car rental agencies may accept drivers below the age of 25, but most require that the driver(s) of the vehicle are at least 25 years of age and some even stipulate that the person must have held a full driving license for a minimum time period, between two and five years. Ask the sales agent or check the small print on the rental agreement for details.


The ruins in Tulum were always busy, but the other ruins, like the ones at Coba were almost deserted when we went on a Sunday morning.

pammyspam

If you want a beach vacation, I also think you may enjoy Tulum. However, you are not old enough to rent a car. You can get to Tulum by bus and/or colectivo, but to travel around Tulum you would have to walk, bike and use taxis. It would not be a major problem, it just that having a car can be more convenient. Visit the ruins early in the morning – around 8:00 am. Although there are no ruins, you might also enjoy Isla Mujeres. It is more “touristy” than Tulum, but not as much as PDC and certainly nothing like Cancun. If you stay in the downtown/North Beach area, you would be walking distance to the beach, restaurants & bars. Transport on the island is by golf cart or scooter. You are old enough to rent these, I believe, and you would probably only want to rent for a day or two at most. Isla is also very reasonably priced, but again, a beach vacation –no ruins. BTW, I too am from Maine. We find the trip from Portland to Cancun to be very easy and reasonably priced in comparison to the Caribbean islands. Isla prices are very good, maybe even cheaper than the rest of the Yucatan.