Touring Mexico by Car
 

Hi, my husband and I are planning a last minute holiday getaway to Mexico. Our first preference was the Mayan Riviera (Playa del Carmen, Tulum) but most of these packages are sold out. We're considering flying into Puerto Vallarta and doing a bit of a driving tour instead. Would it be practical to consider driving from PV to the Mayan Riviera on a 2 week holiday? <BR>

Personally I don't I do it - it's a long way from PV to the Yucatan. Is there any way you could get a flight to Cozumel or Cancun? You mention that the packages are sold out - if you got air only, you could rent a car and tour around. Otherwise, I'd recommend spending your time on the west coast.

Fly into PV, rent car and head north to Rincon de Guayabitos(overnight), head south to San Pancho and stay at the Costa Azul Adventure Resort(overnight), then south to Sayulita(overnight), then to Bucerias(overnight), then on to PV for a couple of nights, then south to La Manzanilla(www.choice1.com/villamontana.htm), then on to Melaque and Barra de Navidad, then back to PV. A great book to do your planning by is the Pacific Mexico Handbook by Bruce Whipperman. <BR> <BR>Driving from PV to the East coast is not an option! <BR> <BR>adios! <BR> <BR>[email protected]

Thanks for the tips on driving. We've decided to fly into Cancun and head south asap. Any suggestions for things to see and do off the beaten path in the Yucatan?

We've driven as far south as Bacalar. It's quite a pretty area, with a small town and a few hotels. We stayed in a small Mexican owned hotel right on the lagoon. We drove to some ruins (Kohunlich might have been the name) - there was no one there other than the guy at the ticket booth. Quite amazing. There were also a couple of cenotes, one had a wonderful seafood restaurant right on the edge and you could swim out from the restaurant. This was a few years ago, so there may be more development now. <BR> <BR>Usually when we're in that area, we end up in Playa del Carmen at a little hotel. We rent a car for a day or so and head down to Akumal for snorkeling. There are several roads running off from the highway - many of them end up on beaches or at hotels, so it's fun to explore.