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The Yucatan Peninsula is blessed with Caribbean waters, ancient Mayan ruins and magical cenotes. It comprises the three Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo and borders northern Belize and Guatemala. White sand beaches with turquoise water, pink flamingos, world class diving and imposing Mayan ruins await you here!
Unfortunately it also has several tourism mega-destinations like Cancun and Playa del Carmen attracting millions of tourists every year. So you are unlikely to find some truly hidden gems and will often share the most beautiful parts with many other visitors. If you want to explore other stunning parts of Mexico with far less tourists, check out my blog posts about Oaxaca, Chiapas and La Huasteca Potosina.
For us, the main draw for visiting the Yucatan Peninsula was what most people are after: the perfect cenote experience! No other part of Mexico allows you to cool off in pristine turquoise coloured fresh waters under a jungle framed sky in subterranean pools. Of course we wanted a piece of that too and were willing to go to great lengths to find the best cenotes around!
1. Hunting for Perfect Cenotes
So let’s dive straight into it, shall we? I’ve been dying to explore the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula for quite some time! But which one to visit when there are so many to choose from? The more I researched the more I realised there was no way we’d ever get round to seeing them all.
YUCATAN HAS ABOUT 6,000 CENOTES
You’d be lucky to see as much as 1% of them. most people just visit a few!
We had to be very selective! To tell the truth, they are all simply beautiful. And our favourite ones just so happened to be the ones we were lucky to have to ourselves or shared with very few people. Timing is everything!
If you want to know more about The Best Cenotes to visit in the Yucatan Peninsula and find out more our absolute favourite cenote experience, then check out our guide on:
Top 10 Cenotes to Explore in the Yucatan Peninsula
2. Visit Mayan Ruins
There are many pyramid temples scattered around the Yucatan Peninsula that will afford you a glimpse into the ancient Mayan culture and traditions. The Mayans had some of the most advanced and sophisticated mathematical systems in the world. The importance of astronomy and calendar calculation is still evident today! Mayan buildings were positioned to take advantage of solar and other celestial events. A guided tour will provide valuable insight about the Mayan architecture, traditional ball court games and even human sacrifices!
BEST MAYAN TEMPLES TO VISIT
– Chichén Itzá
– UXmal
– Tulum
– calakmul
– Ek Balam
– Coba
How unique are Mayan ruins to the Yucatan Peninsula?
Mayan temples are not just unique to the Yucatan Peninsula! In fact, you can find them all across Central America too. And even in other parts of Mexico we had already visited countless Mayan archaeological sites like Teotihuacán, Monte Alban and Palenque to name just a few! And we knew we would be visiting many more throughout our travels across central America.
The Mayan ruins we visited in the Yucatan Peninsula were amongst the most touristy and expensive! Generally speaking, we would pay 2-3 USD entrance fee. Within the Yucatan Peninsula the entrance fee was more around 20 USD (not to speak of extortionate parking costs) for places like Chichen Itza or Uxmal.
Did this taint our experience a little? For sure, it felt hugely commercial and overpriced! We don’t regret visiting them but just want you to know that, if you are on a budget, there are hundreds of other Mayan archaeological sites which you can visit at a fraction of the cost in other parts of Mexico and/or across Central America.
How can I visit less crowded Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula?
Crowds vary a lot depending if you are visiting on weekends or midweek and also which time of the year you are visiting. But generally speaking, some will always be more crowded than others. Chitzén Itchá, given its status, is always super crowded!
Less busy, but not less beautiful Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula include Calakmul and Ek Balam. Unfortunately they are also pretty far out from places like Cancun, Tulum or Merida where most people base themselves. Unless of course, you are driving in from Chiapas, as we did. Then you are in luck and they will be on your way 🙂
In case you were wondering …
To put things into perspective, below are a couple of other majestic ruins which can be visited for only 2-5 USD in other parts of Mexico. They weren’t less impressive and in fact we preferred them as they weren’t as commercial and crowded!
3. See Whale Sharks in Holbox Island
Holbox is a car-free island with white sand beaches and a bohemian feel to it. It’s much less crowded than other islands like ‘Isla de Mujeres’ which is easier to access from Cancun. It has dirt roads instead of paved roads, is much more undeveloped and has a rustic feel to it. We didn’t even realise that you can see Whale Sharks until we got there! We had previously dived with Whale Sharks in the Philippines but this time we were visiting during the wrong season.
However, Whale Sharks aside Holbox is totally worth visiting !! We had to park our motorbike at a safe parking spot near the ferry (Puerto de Chiquilá) and once on the island we literally walked everywhere. Although there is also the option of renting golf buggies or get around on bicycles!
WHALE SHARK SEASON
The best time to see whale sharks is from june to september.
Isla Holbox is part of Mexico’s largest ecological reserve and 75% of the island consists of jungle, wild mangroves and empty beaches. Depending on the season you can see many pink flamingos. Out of season you can take a little boat to get further out in order to spot them.
‘Downtown’ is made up of a few sandy streets and restaurants and shops with wooden facades. Most accommodations are congregated around the same area with many nice coffee shops and places to eat. There are definitely some up-market restaurants and boutique hotels BUT luckily, as of yet, no hotel chains. We loved the vibe and the week we spent on Holbox is just what we needed to recharge our batteries!
4. Cozumel: The Diving Paradise of the Yucatan Peninsula
‘Isla Cozumel’ is a world-class diving destination. The island is tourist friendly but certainly not overrun and much quieter than beaches around Cancun or ‘Playa de Mujeres’. Cozumel has some authentic neighbourhoods, features Mayan ruins and has a Caribbean vibe about it. Fiona and I were just about to go sailing and snorkelling around the Belize Barrier Reef for two weeks so we didn’t do any diving here. However, it’s renowned for its world-class reefs and a fantastic snorkelling or dive spot! So if you want to look into doing some snorkelling or diving you should definitely check it out.
5. Spot Pink Flamingos in Celestún Biosphere Reserve
Between the towns of Celestún and Maxcanu, you’ll find the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, which is part of a vast wetland corridor. The mangroves, dunes and low rainforests attract many species of birds, particularly pink flamingos. Surrounded by many pristine beaches with turquoise light blue waters this is a popular place to visit!
BEST TIME TO SEE FLAMINGOS
January – April (Mating season)
The Biosphere Reserve acts as a resting place for migrating flamingos. If you visit in season you’ll see literally thousands of them. When we visited (end of October) the chances of seeing flamingos was far greater at Río Lagartos. So we headed there instead!
6. Visit the sleepy fishing village of Río Lagartos
On the northern shore of the Yucatan Peninsula lies the sleepy fishing village of Río Lagartos. It boasts the densest population of flamingos in Mexico. We visited out of season and certainly didn’t see thousands, but we still enjoyed seeing small groups of them in the wild.
Río Lagartos is a bird watching and nature lovers’ paradise. It’s pretty quiet compared to other parts of the peninsula and some people just visit on day trips from nearby Merida. If you want to get away and fancy some peace and quiet you might want to stay longer. Fiona and I stopped here for a couple of nights.
The main activity is renting a boat (private or shared) and exploring the Biosphere Reserve. It boasts over 400 bird species but of course most people flock here to see pink flamingos. But you can also find pelicans, racoons and sometimes crocodiles. Sunrise tours generally see fewer boats!
What about nearby ‘Las Coloradas’?
Chances are, if you are coming to the Yucatan Peninsula you may have heard of the pink lakes. Or perhaps you have seen a surreal picture of it on social media. Imagine a stretch of white sand beach separated by turquoise blue waters to one side and the most intensely pink-coloured lake to the other. Naturally, this got our attention too.
First up, it’s not that easy to find. Secondly, when you find it you’ll be greeted by signs specifically telling you to KEEP OUT! Then you realise you’ll need to pay to see it and that actually this is not a natural phenomenon at all. The pink water is actually caused by a local man-made salt factory. As the water evaporates and the salinity levels get higher, the algae gives off a red pigment, turning the lakes bright pink.
With so many pictures of it going viral on social media, tours to see ‘Las Coloradas’ have become pretty expensive. It honestly didn’t seem worth it and neither of us were willing to pay for a tour to visit a man-made attraction hyped up by social media. If you do go, beware that the colours are most vivid around midday. If visiting in the afternoon you may need to photoshop the photos to get them to look anything like what you might have seen on social media. Personally, we would give Las Coloradas a miss – it wasn’t worth our time!
7. Swim with turtles in Akumal
Akumal is the number one destination if you want to swim with turtles. You can jump in with your own snorkels and look for them or book a guided tour. There is no charge to swim at Akumal beach but you will be charged for parking, toilets, life vests etc. Renting snorkels upon arrival will set you back around 20 USD. Tours from Playa Del Carmen or Tulum will often include a visit to see cenotes, lunch and snorkelling with the turtles. If you have your own transport, it’s very easy to find and leaving early will allow you to visit during quieter times!
AKUMAL BEACH OPENING TIMES
CLOSED EVERY MONDAY!
OPEN 9am to 5pm Any other day
CLOSED DURING THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY AND SEPTEMBER !!!
The area where you can snorkel is clearly marked to help manage the amount of people in the water and reduce disturbance to the turtles. Please be a respectful visitor and only watch the turtles from a safe distance! Wearing a live vest also helps keeping the waters around you calm. The turtles will appreciate it and you’ll have better visibility too 🙂 And the best news? You can see turtles here all year round !!!
8. Hang out in Tulum
Tulum is a pretty awesome place to hang out. It only has one problem: it’s become way too fancy which is driving up prices! And I have to say that although we had an absolute awesome time here, we were left wondering if it isn’t a little overrated.
So what to expect? Long stretches of white sand beach with turquoise water and Mayan ruins overlooking the stunning coastline. A vibrant nightlife with many nice restaurants and bars to choose from. Some very classy boutique hotels facing off directly to the beach. Some nice cenotes nearby as well. Sounds pretty good, right?
BEST PLACES TO SEE AROUND TULUM
– Sian ka’an Biosphere Reserve
– Punta Allen fishing village
– Cenote dos OJOS
– Tulum Ruins
– Ruins of CobA
Staying anywhere along the beach is incredibly expensive. Certainly nothing for us budget travellers… Most people stay in town and then cycle to the beach! It takes about 20 min. We did actually leave our motorbike at our AirBnB and cycled in too. The main road along the beach is in very poor condition and there is a lot of traffic. Nonetheless it’s lined with boutique shops, restaurants, hotels and bars. Most places can be entered from the main road and then face off to the beach.
If you want to splash out …
Fiona and I treated ourselves to dinner at ‘Ahau Tulum’. The entrance alone is a piece of art and upon leaving there was a queue to take a picture in front of the heart opening wooden sculpture. We timed our visit perfectly for sunset!
HOW CAN I VISIT THE FAMOUS ART SCULPTURE?
‘Ven a la luz’ by daniel popper is the entrance of the ahau tulum boutique hotel
I won’t lie we were a little surprised that 15% tip was automatically added to the bill. This is certainly unusual for Mexico but it wasn’t the only place in Tulum doing it. The food and service were exceptional though and it was a perfect date night!
Your Ultimate Guide to Authentic Tulum
Do you want to experience the best parts Tulum has to offer? Tuluminiña is a local travel guide focused on sustainable, conscious travelling. She is also a big advocate of female solo travelling! So no matter if you are looking for a private tour or secret tips of the area for independent travelling, she’s the best insider guide!
Fiona and I had the pleasure of sailing with Mariette aka Tuluminiña to the Blue Hole in Belize. Apart from being a beautiful human being, we loved her positive vibes and passion for environmentally friendly travelling!
Did you know? Tuluminiña is an expert on Tulum but also knows the best places to visit around the Yucatan Peninsula – don’t hesitate to contact her for tours or local travel tips!
Tulum is my happy place and I like to share this happiness with everyone who comes here!
Tuluminiña
9. Don’t miss the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
The Biosphere is a UNESCO Heritage Site and you can expect to see dolphins, crocodiles, turtles, rays and manatees. In their natural habitat of course! It is considered to be the top spot for wildlife watching, as well as snorkelling in preserved coral reefs. Surprisingly few visitors make it out here so it’s far from crowded!
The easiest way to visit is from Tulum as a day trip. You can either book an organised tour, or make your way independently. There are two access points: The old mayan fishing village of Punta Allen or Muyil. The tours offered at each of these access points differ.
LEAVING FROM PUNTA ALLEN
Expect to see more beaches, saltwater and lagoons offering fantastic snorkelling off the coral reef.
LEAVING FROM MUYIL
Expect to see much more jungle, some Mayan ruins, freshwater lagoons and mangrove forests, as well as Mayan-carved canals.
Fiona and I were more interested in seeing the marine life (dolphins, turtles) and therefore chose the tour from Punta Allen!
10. Kayaking in Bacalar
At the most southern point of the Yucatan Peninsula, at the border to Belize we found a little paradise. We spent our last few days in Mexico in Bacalar. We heard it’s a beautiful and chilled place but it truly exceeded our expectations!
Often referred to as “The Lagoon of Seven Colours” Bacalar is known for its crystal clear waters and incredible shades of turquise-blue colours. The best way to appreciate its beauty is certainly to book a day trip on a catamaran! And otherwise, go kayaking, read a book and chill with the most beautiful views in this relaxing laid back village!
Out of all the places we have visited on the Yucatan Peninsula, this was probably the quietest and most beautiful of them all. The colours are simply unreal and neither of us could have wished for a more spectacular end to our trip in Mexico!
Are you ready to explore the Yucatan Peninsula?
We hope we’ve been able to provide some travel inspiration and highlight just how much beauty is hidden in this part of Mexico. Sure, it’s no hidden gem anymore but that doesn’t make it any less attractive to visiting. Looking for some more inspiration? Then check out our blog post below!
TOP 20 THINGS TO DO IN MEXICO
Questions? Thoughts? Feedback? We are are always happy to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
