Yucatan one week
 

Hi,
I've decided I'd rather spend my week in the Yucatan than Mexico City... I think one week should be doable and I'd rather be away from the hustle and bustle of a busy city. can anyone recommend where to fly to and where best to stay? Merida, Cancun to fly to?
And then Playa Del Carmen or Tulum... should we drive? We're 61 and my husband does speak Spanish....

Thank you!

IMO, one week is not much for the Yucatan. I would urge you to consult a good guidebook or two -- I thought the Rough Guide and Moon Guide particularly useful -- and think through your priorities.

Airports include Cancun and Merida; flying into one and out of the other might make sense, depending on what you want to see and experience.

Otherwise, with no information about your interests, I don't know how to advise you.

With only one week i would base myself in one place .. Tulum or Akumal would be my picks.. but I am not much for going off the beaten path in that area right now... We love the area.. but we stay in hotels that are away from the bigger town/cities like Playa del Carmen and Cancun( ew) .. lol .

It depends on what you want to do while you are there. Is this just a beach vacation or do you want to explore ruins, etc.

Fly to Cancun. Cancun airport is about 15 km south of the city of Cancun.

Here are some options for places to stay...

Isla Mujeres -- an island. From the airport, head to Cancun and get a ferry. Nice place if you want to relax, but not very convenient if you want to visit Maya sites and cenotes.

Cancun Hotel Zone -- this is where all the big hotels/resorts are east of the city of Cancun. Nice beaches when there's no sargassum, but I prefer other places.

Puerto Morelos -- about a half-hour south of the airport so easy to get to. There's a small town on the highway, but you would stay at the quieter beach area.

Playa del Carmen -- quite a busy city, and probably not the place for you.

Akumal -- small resort area. Good snorkelling from the beach, so it gets LOTS of tourists.

Tulum -- a couple of hours from the airport. The town is on the highway, but you would stay at the quieter beach area. This is a good location for visiting Maya sites & cenotes.

You can rent a car if you want, but ADO bus service is excellent. Many visitors choose private transfer services (Canada Transfers, USA Transfers, etc.). If you rent a car, make yourself aware of all the scams involved with the renting company, police ticket scams and gas/petrol station scams.

The coast is fabulous if you want a beach vacation, with some great Mayan ruins to visit. Not too much authentic Mexican puebo feel other than parts of Tulum and Puerto Morelos. The above post sums it up pretty well. Along with a coastal town, you might want to consider 2 nights in Valladolid, a charming small Mexican city with lots of authentic local culture. Close by are several world class ruins. Valladolid is an easy drive from the coast. The locogringo web site is a good resource for the whole coastal area

Have driven many times in the past, last few trips I took a private transfer to Akumal and met up with another friend who rented a car (and of course paid my share). Puerto Morelos is nice and laid back, as is Isla Mujeres although it gets is share of daytrippers. Tulum beach is lovely but dear heaven the hotel prices are sky high compared to other beach destinations.
Are you looking for a hotel or condo (or all inclusive)?
If you do rent a car, rent from a well reviewed local company, I have used both America and Easyway car rental and Avant is also getting good reviews. Whatever you do, do NOT use a third party like Expedia, etc. Cost should be about $35-50 per day with all insurance.

If you want to go to Playa del Carmen or Tulum you would fly into Cancun then head south down the coast.

If you want to include Merida, you might consider flying into Cancun and out of Merida (or vice versa) - depending on where you are coming from. Sometimes, I can get from Buffalo to Merida with one stop, other times of the year it's two stops. But if you can find convenient flights, I think it would save you some drive time.

Be aware that much of the Carribean Coast is struggling with a real seaweed problem. The beaches are completely covered and the sea is full. Instead of perfect white sand and gorgeous blue sea it's a brown sea and a brown beach. The smell isn't great either. Not everywhere is affected equally but I'd definitely do research before assuming you could stay in Tulum or Cancun right now.

I'd go for a base in Merida and explore from there - cenotes and archaeological sites to blow your mind. The city itself is beautiful too and everyone is very friendly and kind.

It's great that you choose Yucatan, I love this place in Mexico, the historic center, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Izamal, Great Museum of the Mayan World, go to Lol-Ha Cenote, Yaxunah, is one of many places to visit. There are many places to visit, and even to move along the Mayan Riviera.

It does help to look at the dates before posting - This thread is 4 months old (that's not ancient but the OP's trip to Mexico in December . . . )

the ruins and cenotes will enchant you without a doubt you will fall in love with this wonderful place!