Sun, beach and sea in Yucatan
June 17, 2022
We planned to have a week of sun, beach and sea on the Yucatán Peninsula as well as visit some of the fantastic Mayan ruins like Tulum on the seaside. The peninsula separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.
We booked an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, but there are plenty of lovely places to stay at and some lovely restaurants. Although you will fly to Cancún, I would avoid staying there if you want to have a slightly more authentic Mexican holiday and experience the local culture. Cancún is, as you can read in many post on the internet, an Americanised concrete tourist trap.
After spending a few days relaxing and soaking in the sun, we booked our first trip. We joined our guide and a small group in a van and drove to Tulum. Tulum is and ancient Mayan City. It i, I believe, the only Mayan port city in Mexico. The main building is a structure called El Castillo (the castle), which you can see on the picture below.
A few days later, we decided to join another group to visit Chichen Itza. This pre-Columbian city was built in AD 600. It was one of the largest Maya cities in Mexico. You can appreciate various types of architecture on the site as the city grew over almost 600 years. Chichen Itza is one of the most visited sites in Mexico. It is best to arrive early if you do not want to have to wait in long queues at the entrance.
We spent another few days relaxing on the beach in Playa del Carmen before returning to Mexico City. The village of Playa del Carmen is not an interesting place in itself. It is juts a place to relax, have a few drinks and enjoy the sea, the sun and the sand.
I would advise to travel to Yucatán before the end of May if possible. The difference of temperature between Mexico City and the coast is pretty big and it will be a bit of shock to your system when you come out of the air conditioned airport.
