How does my draft Cancun/Riviera Maya itinerary look?
Jun 14th, 2013, 01:03 PM
#21
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I disagree about Playa. I stay there about 12 wks a yr, and I do not like touts, drunk crowds and clubbing. (I do enjoy shopping, but I don't do much of it in Playa.). Yes, there are lots of good restaurants and bars on 5th Ave. And I do go to some of them, but I don't encounter wasted people.
Mostly, as you say about Cozumel, I get off the main st (5th Ave) and eat and drink and meet the locals from 10th Ave up to 30th Ave, esp on and around Ave. 30th, as there are many good and less expensive restaurants where the locals go on 30th, and the Wonderful DAC outdoor produce market and the open air organic restaurant next to it are wonderful. (BTw, do not leave Playa without trying AguasChiles!).
I do not go to Calle 12 late at night, like after midnight (that is about a 2block section of Calle 12 running from 5th Ave down past 1st Ave); it is a street with clubs open late at night for young people.
There are many real, authentic Mexicans in Playa, I have many Mexican friends there. What is interesting is that along with the Mayan population, there are so many Mexicans from all over the country who live in Playa, they come for the work. I have learned a lot about other parts of MX from meeting and talking with Mexicans who live and work in Playa.
Playa has a lot of free entertainment at the zocalo area, near the ferry, right on the beachfont. There is a voladores pole there, and the voladores do their show every weekend day., and sometimes during the week ( google this if you don't know what it is, very traditional and ancient pole flying, fantastic costumes). I have heard bands play in the zocalo bandstand, seem traditional dancers there, and seen many wedding parties going into and out of the small church at the zocalo (which has conch shell lights inside and a killer view of the Caribbean behind the altar).
Mostly, as you say about Cozumel, I get off the main st (5th Ave) and eat and drink and meet the locals from 10th Ave up to 30th Ave, esp on and around Ave. 30th, as there are many good and less expensive restaurants where the locals go on 30th, and the Wonderful DAC outdoor produce market and the open air organic restaurant next to it are wonderful. (BTw, do not leave Playa without trying AguasChiles!).
I do not go to Calle 12 late at night, like after midnight (that is about a 2block section of Calle 12 running from 5th Ave down past 1st Ave); it is a street with clubs open late at night for young people.
There are many real, authentic Mexicans in Playa, I have many Mexican friends there. What is interesting is that along with the Mayan population, there are so many Mexicans from all over the country who live in Playa, they come for the work. I have learned a lot about other parts of MX from meeting and talking with Mexicans who live and work in Playa.
Playa has a lot of free entertainment at the zocalo area, near the ferry, right on the beachfont. There is a voladores pole there, and the voladores do their show every weekend day., and sometimes during the week ( google this if you don't know what it is, very traditional and ancient pole flying, fantastic costumes). I have heard bands play in the zocalo bandstand, seem traditional dancers there, and seen many wedding parties going into and out of the small church at the zocalo (which has conch shell lights inside and a killer view of the Caribbean behind the altar).
Jun 24th, 2013, 07:20 PM
#22
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Sorry to jump in late and with some differences of opinion, but here goes:
> Day tour to Uxmal on Friday
Since you are willing to consider renting a car, you might want to rent one for Uxmal so you can include other sites of the Ruta Puuc. If you do, the Flycatcher Inn is a great place to spend the night.
http://flycatcherinn.com
> is Chichen Itza so packed during the day that I should skip it since I am doing Uxmal, Tulum, Coba, and Edzna?
> I thought Chichen Itza quite different from the other sites you mention, although I didn't see Coba. It is crowded, but it's also huge, so I wouldn't necessarily let the crowds deter you. (But I suppose it depends on just how crowded it is on the day that you visit.) Do take sunscreen and lots of water - there is precious little shade on site!
> maybe sub in Ek Balam instead?
I wouldn't consider Ek' Balam a particularly good substitute for Chichen Itza, but it is well worth seeing.
> And these light shows – hokey or worth it?
Hokey, yes. Worth it, perhaps.
> Is 5 nights and 4 full days adequate time to enjoy Tulum beaches/ruins/ town, snorkel in Akmal, and check out some cenotes?
4 days in Tulum would have driven me crazy, but to each his/her own! In 2 days, I visited the ruins, walked the beach at sunset and sunrise, visited a local cenote, took a tour that involved snorkeling in 2 separate underground cenotes, took another afternoon+evening tour into the Sian Ka'an nature preserve, and had an excellent dinner one night at Hechizo.
> I have totally left out Cancun proper
So did I.
> Consider dropping Campeche, unless you have a burning desire t see Edzna.
I respectfully disagree! I admit that I wasn't that impressed by Edzna, but I thought Campeche interesting and sufficiently different from Merida (and other colonial cities) to warrant a visit. And it has some outstanding exhibits in its 2 small archeology museums.
> Edzna ... is ‘considered by archaeologists to be one of the peninsula’s most important ruins.’
Interesting. I don't remember reading anything like that when I went back in 2008. I got the impression it was more of an oddity than an important ruin. But maybe I didn't get good information or maybe more has been learned since then. BTW, there were FAR more people at Edzna on the day I visited than there were at any of the sites on the Ruta Puuc other than Uxmal.
> Oh dear, two votes for 'nightmare'??
In contrast, I'm not particularly bothered by the pace you describe. I'm one of the rare Fodorites who doesn't mind moving every night or two and who wants to make the most of every precious moment I have when I travel. I rarely spend more than 15 minutes with either packing or unpacking, often less than that, so relocating doesn't "cost" me much. I know it isn't for everyone, and I certainly think people should factor in the time for checking in and out and packing/unpacking, but it doesn't need to take all that long.
> Booked a room at Puerto Morelos for the night before departure to be a bit closer to the airport
If you are interested in snorkeling and are spending a night in Puerto Morelos, you might want to get there by early afternoon so you can snorkel there - great place to do it!
Hope that helps!
> Day tour to Uxmal on Friday
Since you are willing to consider renting a car, you might want to rent one for Uxmal so you can include other sites of the Ruta Puuc. If you do, the Flycatcher Inn is a great place to spend the night.
http://flycatcherinn.com
> is Chichen Itza so packed during the day that I should skip it since I am doing Uxmal, Tulum, Coba, and Edzna?
> I thought Chichen Itza quite different from the other sites you mention, although I didn't see Coba. It is crowded, but it's also huge, so I wouldn't necessarily let the crowds deter you. (But I suppose it depends on just how crowded it is on the day that you visit.) Do take sunscreen and lots of water - there is precious little shade on site!
> maybe sub in Ek Balam instead?
I wouldn't consider Ek' Balam a particularly good substitute for Chichen Itza, but it is well worth seeing.
> And these light shows – hokey or worth it?
Hokey, yes. Worth it, perhaps.
> Is 5 nights and 4 full days adequate time to enjoy Tulum beaches/ruins/ town, snorkel in Akmal, and check out some cenotes?
4 days in Tulum would have driven me crazy, but to each his/her own! In 2 days, I visited the ruins, walked the beach at sunset and sunrise, visited a local cenote, took a tour that involved snorkeling in 2 separate underground cenotes, took another afternoon+evening tour into the Sian Ka'an nature preserve, and had an excellent dinner one night at Hechizo.
> I have totally left out Cancun proper
So did I.
> Consider dropping Campeche, unless you have a burning desire t see Edzna.
I respectfully disagree! I admit that I wasn't that impressed by Edzna, but I thought Campeche interesting and sufficiently different from Merida (and other colonial cities) to warrant a visit. And it has some outstanding exhibits in its 2 small archeology museums.
> Edzna ... is ‘considered by archaeologists to be one of the peninsula’s most important ruins.’
Interesting. I don't remember reading anything like that when I went back in 2008. I got the impression it was more of an oddity than an important ruin. But maybe I didn't get good information or maybe more has been learned since then. BTW, there were FAR more people at Edzna on the day I visited than there were at any of the sites on the Ruta Puuc other than Uxmal.
> Oh dear, two votes for 'nightmare'??
In contrast, I'm not particularly bothered by the pace you describe. I'm one of the rare Fodorites who doesn't mind moving every night or two and who wants to make the most of every precious moment I have when I travel. I rarely spend more than 15 minutes with either packing or unpacking, often less than that, so relocating doesn't "cost" me much. I know it isn't for everyone, and I certainly think people should factor in the time for checking in and out and packing/unpacking, but it doesn't need to take all that long.
> Booked a room at Puerto Morelos for the night before departure to be a bit closer to the airport
If you are interested in snorkeling and are spending a night in Puerto Morelos, you might want to get there by early afternoon so you can snorkel there - great place to do it!
Hope that helps!
Jun 24th, 2013, 09:31 PM
#23
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Re: pace, it isn't so much the packing/unpacking and checking in and out as too high a percentage of time in transitions. If you figure out how much time you're sitting on buses or in cars and it rivals the time spent on any other activity, then I'd say that's too much unless you really love sitting.
By moving less often, I pack way more in since the majority of every day and the majority of days, I'm not doing an activity that I don't love. I want to make the most of every precious moment I have when I travel, too, but for me that means devoting more time to cultural interactions, exploring, hiking, diving, snorkeling, cooking classes, Spanish classes, volunteering, or reading in a hammock and less to sitting.
You're right, though - to each his/her own!
And I 2nd the snorkeling at Puerto Morelos - we really enjoyed it. Happy trails!
By moving less often, I pack way more in since the majority of every day and the majority of days, I'm not doing an activity that I don't love. I want to make the most of every precious moment I have when I travel, too, but for me that means devoting more time to cultural interactions, exploring, hiking, diving, snorkeling, cooking classes, Spanish classes, volunteering, or reading in a hammock and less to sitting.
You're right, though - to each his/her own!
And I 2nd the snorkeling at Puerto Morelos - we really enjoyed it. Happy trails!
Jun 25th, 2013, 09:58 AM
#24
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For me, if I move around too much, I just don't feel like I give myself a chance to do more than scratch the surface of a place. So for my own travel planning, I try to limit the one-night-stands and spend at least 2 or 3 nights in each location, more if I can. But then, I like to spend time just being in a place. Everybody's travel style is different.
On our recent trip, we spent 5 nights in Merida and could have stayed longer. Then we spent 3 nights in Santa Elena, which is between Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. Some people thought this was too long, but it was perfect for us. We stayed at the Pickled Onion B&B, which is very near the Fly Catcher Inn that kja mentioned. On our 1st full day in the area, we visited Uxmal and checked out a couple nearby towns, then came back to the Pickled Onion to hang out by the pool with a few beers and read. The next day, we visited the ruins along the Ruta Puuc in the morning and then spent the afternoon just hanging out again.
On our recent trip, we spent 5 nights in Merida and could have stayed longer. Then we spent 3 nights in Santa Elena, which is between Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. Some people thought this was too long, but it was perfect for us. We stayed at the Pickled Onion B&B, which is very near the Fly Catcher Inn that kja mentioned. On our 1st full day in the area, we visited Uxmal and checked out a couple nearby towns, then came back to the Pickled Onion to hang out by the pool with a few beers and read. The next day, we visited the ruins along the Ruta Puuc in the morning and then spent the afternoon just hanging out again.
Jul 1st, 2013, 05:39 PM
#25
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Your itinerary has exhausted me! But we all want different stuff...but one thing I appreciate most about Mexico is the slowing down of time...
Depending upon how early you are leaving in the morning of your last day, I'd stay closer to Cancun than Tulum. Cancun airport expects you to be there 3 hrs early for an international departure.
Depending upon how early you are leaving in the morning of your last day, I'd stay closer to Cancun than Tulum. Cancun airport expects you to be there 3 hrs early for an international departure.
Jul 11th, 2013, 12:26 PM
#26
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We loved Valladolid and used it as a base for Ek Balam and Chitchen Itza morning visits, with a cenote stop each afternoon.
Tulum beaches are spectacular.
Did not like PdC much, even as a base for an early flight out of Cancun.
Tulum beaches are spectacular.
Did not like PdC much, even as a base for an early flight out of Cancun.
Jul 16th, 2013, 08:00 AM
#27
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Agree, PDC is definitely not as charming as it was 10 years ago. And if you like beach, for me a nice non All Inclusive hotel in Cancun is much more peaceful and relaxing than Playa del Carmen. Playa is noisy!
Oct 22nd, 2013, 07:10 PM
#28
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Thanks so much to everyone for the thoughtful input, and I apologize for the drastic delay in following up with my adjusted final itinerary (which I’ve been planning to post for at least two months now, sheesh). I am still keeping a pretty brisk pace --as is my typical ‘first time visit’ travel style-- but I’ve streamlined it just a bit:
3 days Isla Mujeres
3 days PdC
4 days Merida
Pick up rental car on way out of Merida; sleep at Chichen to take early morning tour of grounds
6 days Tulum
Am I correct in thinking I should *not* bring along a bicycle (the kind that folds up small like urban commuters use, down to the size of normal luggage) on this trip? Based on some of the moped/cycle accident horror stories I’ve seen posted online, it just sounds like an invitation to nasty road rash... or worse.
On another ‘perceived danger’ note, I have to share this funny tidbit: my travel doc (from whom I got a few meds to take along in case I need to treat a bug) advised me to *only* eat food from the hotels I’d be staying at. I had to laugh – she seemed quite befuddled when I explained I wasn’t staying at AIs –or indeed, even in hotels for the entire time- on this trip, and certainly had no intention of only eating institutional banquet hall food!
I will come back to report how it all went.
3 days Isla Mujeres
3 days PdC
4 days Merida
Pick up rental car on way out of Merida; sleep at Chichen to take early morning tour of grounds
6 days Tulum
Am I correct in thinking I should *not* bring along a bicycle (the kind that folds up small like urban commuters use, down to the size of normal luggage) on this trip? Based on some of the moped/cycle accident horror stories I’ve seen posted online, it just sounds like an invitation to nasty road rash... or worse.
On another ‘perceived danger’ note, I have to share this funny tidbit: my travel doc (from whom I got a few meds to take along in case I need to treat a bug) advised me to *only* eat food from the hotels I’d be staying at. I had to laugh – she seemed quite befuddled when I explained I wasn’t staying at AIs –or indeed, even in hotels for the entire time- on this trip, and certainly had no intention of only eating institutional banquet hall food!
I will come back to report how it all went.
Oct 23rd, 2013, 06:07 AM
#31
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Just my personal preference, but I would replace Tulum with Cozumel. I don't think you will find a vast difference between PDC and Tulum. Cozumel has some very unique features...not the least of which is easy access to amazing snorkeling. The restaurants on CZM are outstanding and the people are warm and welcoming. It has much more small town feel than other places. Sundays bring out all the locals to the town square. The market is lively. You can take a cooking class, photography class or birding/kayaking adventure.
When you say "sleep at Chichen"....do you mean in the car? I would not recommend that. Otherwise, you have made some wise alterations.
When you say "sleep at Chichen"....do you mean in the car? I would not recommend that. Otherwise, you have made some wise alterations.
Oct 23rd, 2013, 08:03 AM
#32
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kja, I will have a car with me the final week, so I will be sneaking off to Coba and snorkeling at Puerto Morelos and seeing some cenotes while at Tulum. It's not going to be merely planting myself on the beach and never moving (well, perhaps a day or two of that; we'll see how we go).
TC, I am renting a house a smidge north of Tulum, so I won't be in town proper unless I head there purposely. I still hope to take a few hour dive trip that will involve the waters off Cozumel. And heavens, no - I was never so young I'd *plan* to sleep in a car, and am now a couple decades past the last time that accidentally happened, lol! I booked a room at the Mayaland hotel, which is apparently quite convenient to one of the entrances.
hopeful: I def will be 'paying back' with a trip report; I understand that to be the currency I can offer in exchange for the valuable feedback I've gotten.
TC, I am renting a house a smidge north of Tulum, so I won't be in town proper unless I head there purposely. I still hope to take a few hour dive trip that will involve the waters off Cozumel. And heavens, no - I was never so young I'd *plan* to sleep in a car, and am now a couple decades past the last time that accidentally happened, lol! I booked a room at the Mayaland hotel, which is apparently quite convenient to one of the entrances.
hopeful: I def will be 'paying back' with a trip report; I understand that to be the currency I can offer in exchange for the valuable feedback I've gotten.
Oct 23rd, 2013, 10:51 AM
#34
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You could also use charming Colonial Valladolid as a base for CI and EkBalam, as well as some good cenotes. You can go to Coba from there, on the way to Tulum.
We find Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen MUCH too touristy. (I feel like I'm in southern CA when in PdC, and the guys constantly offering drugs along Calle 5 are annoying.) Ilha Holbox might be an alternative island. Tulum is THE BEST beach. Nearby Akumal is great for snorkling to see giant turtles and rays.
Best wishes for a great trip.
We find Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen MUCH too touristy. (I feel like I'm in southern CA when in PdC, and the guys constantly offering drugs along Calle 5 are annoying.) Ilha Holbox might be an alternative island. Tulum is THE BEST beach. Nearby Akumal is great for snorkling to see giant turtles and rays.
Best wishes for a great trip.
Oct 23rd, 2013, 02:19 PM
#35
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Thanks so much, everyone!! I am getting REALLY excited... Now that I'm leaving in several weeks, the reality of the trip is *finally* settling into my brain. Plus this is the first vacation in at least 3 years in which I'm leaving the work computer / phone tether completely behind -- aw yeahhhh! 
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