CharlieTh

My wife and I are going to Cancún (Punta Cancún) in December. I would like to know what's of interest to see or a must-see. We were there last year and went to Chechén Itzá, so that part is checked.

While going there we stopped at a little town called Valladolid that seem to be a very nice place where you can meet locals and talk. I am fluent in Spanish, so for me the local places are the most important.

Is Valladolid worth going to for a couple of hours? Do we need transportation while there?

Any other suggestions are very welcome.

Thank you.

kja

I thought Valladolid worth a couple of days and nights (and with nearly 50,000 people, I would call it a city, not a "little town"). Whether you need transportation depends on what you want to see and do.

Have you consulted a good guide book? You have SOOoooo many options about what to see and do in the area that it really would be worth your while to do so. I found the <i>Moon Guide</i> and <i>Rough Guide</i> particularly useful.

Good luck!

Rohelio

As mentioned above Valladolid is a great little city, well worth spending a night or 2. We have been on several occasions and always stay at the Meson del Marques, right across the central park. A seventeenth century building which happens to have the very best central courtyard to dine in wether it is for breakfast or dinner. There is a cenote right in the city and good restaurants all around. No need for transport in the city itself. You can also visit Ek Balam ruins (half hour away) and even climb the main pyramid.The ADO bus station is several blocks from the main park and the people are very sympathetic and original. There are also several old convents to visit and appreciate... a great place to spend a few days off the beaten track.

CharlieTh

At Ek Balam, can you pay with card or do they need cash as they did at Chechén Itzá?

SambaChula

Cash in pesos. Two separate entry fees, as at all the ruins.

IMO its difficult to get around to "what's of interest to see or a must-see" from a base at a resort in Cancun. Too much time on the road. Especially if you want to spend time in "a very nice place where you can meet locals and talk. I am fluent in Spanish, so for me the local places are the most important."

There are plenty of comfortable posadas along the way.

Rent a car and start driving to:
Tulum (beach, town, ruins)
Akumal (snorkel with giant turtles and rays)
Sian Kaan Biosphere (float Maya canals)
Lake Bacalar
Coba ruins (by bike or bici-taxi)
Valladolid (cenotes, architecture, Sunday night dancing on the zocalo, crafts)
Merida
Ruta Puuc ruins, haciendas, missions
Uxmal ruins
and more....


.

jamie99

Cash is king in that part of Mexico, I only use my card for big ticket items like hotel and rental car. We also stayed at Hotel Meson de Marquis on the main square.
You might enjoy a trip to Rio Lagartos, we drove there and it took us maybe a little over an hour. We hired a boat and he took us out to see the flamingos and other birds (herons, egrets). When we drove back after lunch we passed right by the entrance to Ek Balam, husband asked if I wanted to stop but it was too darn hot at 1pm or later.

CharlieTh

I appreciate all answers, thank you!

However I'd like more places to go to while there. I do not want to drive or take car service, but go on buses.

kja

Please consult some guide books.

SambaChula

Many/most of the suggestions for sights are logistically very difficult from a base in Cancun, particularly by public bus.
Also, do not underestimate the exhaustion factor of traveling in the extreme heat and humidity.
If you are thinking about bus tours with other tourists from Cancun resorts, suggest you ask the front desk of your property on arrival.

cybor

Charlie, You can get anywhere you'd like by tour bus but beware that many of the tours arrive at their destinations too late for my taste. By that you may be arriving at the same time as all the other buses and have to put up with fumes and hoards of tourists.
You may also be touring in the heat of the day.
My suggestion is to find small tour outfits, check out the bus schedules and go it alone, use combis (local transport vans) rent a car or use Uber.

Rohelio

I, for one, have travelled troughout the whole Yucatan peninsula by bus,(1st and 2nd class)including colectivos and have never ever had any problems whatsover. I cannot stress enough how efficient, dependable and economical the transportation system is in that region of the country. North, South or Westward, you will find a bus that gets you there on time and at a fair price. There is a bus stop or depot in almost every town and village, get to know their location and work with the system.

SambaChula

Rohelio--The OP has stated he is based in Cancun. Public bus (ADO), no matter how efficient, dependable and economical, is not practical for day trips to many "must-see" sights around the Yucatan, while staying at a property in Cancun.

As cybor says, there are small tour outfits, like the highly recommended YucaTreks (but I thought OP might classify them same as car service).

Rohelio

Yes. I understand he is in Cancun... I was in Playa del Carmen back then. We are now in Puerto Aventuras.
The best times we had was when we stayed over for a night or two, nothing says he has to be back in his hotel bed that same night...

jamie99

Cancun is not a very convenient place to use as a base to visit other places especially since it is so far north. It would be much better if he could stay further south, like Playa del Carmen. You will have to take the Hotel Zone bus to the ADO station in downtown Cancun, then ADO to wherever. This would probably get tiresome after about two trips. If you will not rent a car then take small group tours.

SambaChula

" nothing says he has to be back in his hotel bed that same night..." except the economics of paying for a resort room he's not using.

kja

' " nothing says he has to be back in his hotel bed that same night..." except the economics of paying for a resort room he's not using. ' -- look up "sunk costs"

Christina

There are some things worth seeing in Cancun itself which you can do by bus, I did. And you can take the ferry to Isla Mujeres easily enough, I did that also. Some museums are the Museo del Arte Popular Mexicano which is easy to get to, and the Museo Maya de Cancun.

I did really like Ek Balam and Rio Lagartos, I did use a tour company for a day trip to those sites, there should be one.

I suspect it would be fairly easy to get a bus to/from Puerto Morelos, also, but I haven't done it. It's not that far, won't cost that much.

https://travelyucatan.com/cancun-bus/