The Yucatán Peninsula is one of the best regions of Mexico to explore as it is full of beaches, cenotes, ruins, amazing food and lush jungle. It is really easy to travel this region, especially for frist time visitors to Mexico. It is well loved by couples, digital nomads, backpackers and families.
There are three main states in the Yucatán Peninsula:
- Yucatán state
- Quintana Roo (with the Riviera Maya is located)
- Campeche
They are all incredible places to visit and can be seen on one large itinerary or on separate smaller ones. I cover the options in this guide to the Yucatan Peninsula so you can plan your trip.
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Table of Contents
Where Is the Yucatán Peninsula?
The Yucatán Peninsula is located in southeast Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. It extends south to share a border with Belize and Guatemala. It has 3 states, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche which all share a Mayan history but differ in their main focal draws for tourists. Yucatan is the cultural heart, Quintana Roo is home to the world famous beaches and Campeche is the largest yet it is the more ‘off the beaten path’ of the three, with travellers feeling like they have stepped back in time when visiting. There are 3 key airport hubs in Cancun, Tulum and Merida and driving distances are pretty moderate.
Why Visit the Yucatán Peninsula?
The Yucatan Peninsula is the perfect area of Mexico to visit for first-time Mexico travellers due to the tourism infrastructure and safe tourist route that is readily accessible. It is affordable for all budgets and its beautiful beaches are matched by the unique cenotes and ancient ruins. The road trips are easy and the food is incredible.
Who the Yucatán Peninsula Is Best For
There is something for everyone in the Yucatan Peninsula:
- Couples → Tulum & Bacalar
- Families → Cancun & Playa del Carmen
- Backpackers → Holbox & Valladolid
- Luxury → Riviera Maya resorts
- Digital nomads → Tulum & Playa del Carmen
Best Places to Visit in the Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatan Peninsula is full of things to see and do, these are the main ones that tourists flock to:
Cancun
Cancun is the original and main airport gateway, it is great for families and resort travellers. It makes an excellent base to day trip from. Cancun is worth staying in if you prefer a simple style of travel due to having a family or you prefer a luxurious option. Check out our pick of the best resort in Cancun for location and value.
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen offers a central Riviera Maya base with restaurants and nightlife. It is convenient and digital nomads love it. This is a good place to start or finish your time in the Yucatan Peninsula and this is our favourite place to stay.
Tulum
Tulum is famous for its beaches, ruins, boutique hotels in luxe rustic aesthetic with wellness focuses and beach club vibes. It really delivers on all of these. Tulum is a little more expensive than other locations in the Yucatan but it is worth it to experience at least once. Tulum is best for couples and luxury travellers but can be visited on any budget as there are midrange hotels and hostels available. I would definitely book early as accomodation does fill up.
Read our complete guides on Tulum with all the information you need to go.
Bacalar
Bacalar is gaining notoriety for its incredible Lagoon of Seven Colours. Coming here is a must for the idyllic lagoon sailing tours and relaxed atmosphere of the town. Bacalar stands out for its incredible cenotes, lagoon and local vibes. You will find boutique stays and good food, the town comes alive in the late afternoon / early evening with a market and restaurants spilling on to the streets.
Is Bacalar Worth Visiting?
Yes, Bacalar is worth visiting to experience a town that is busy with tourists but doesn’t seem it. We were there during Easter and while it was busy it still felt like it was more local tourists coming. There was a very cool vibe and the lagoons and cenotes are stunning. Our full Bacalar guide will show you everything you need to make Bacalar part of your Yucatan trip.
Valladolid
Valladolid is a small colonial town with some of the best cenote access in the Yucatan. It makes the perfect base for a Chichen Itza tour and has an excellent foodie scene and an authentic atmosphere. Valladolid is an excellent place to soak up culture and do some of the best day trips in the region, our Valladolid guide shows you what is worth booking immediately.
Holbox
Holbox is a unique car-free island, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the boho vibe. Slow travelling here will reward you with a chilled out experience, beach bars and clubs and tours like island hopping, whale tour, sunset cruises and a bioluminescence trip. This is the best place to come and escape it all. Our complete Holbox guide shows you what you need to know to get here.
Mérida
Merida is the cultural capital of the Yucatan Peninsula. It has a strong food scene, musuems (including some impressive free ones) and colonial architecture. If you are looking to learn about the history of the area this is the place to come, we even stayed in an old colonial home! Our Merida guide shares our favourite place to stay, best restaurants and must do activities.
Best Cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula
There are so many cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula, these are the best. We really recommend you visit at least one, but I’m sure you will get obsessed and have to see them all!
Best Open Cenotes
Open cenotes are exposed sinkholes usually with fresh water, the most impressive are Cenote Azul near Bacalar and Ik Kil near Valladolid.
Best Cave Cenotes
Cave cenotes can be explored by diving and the most famous of them is Dos Ojos. Diving through this cave system would in an incredible experience but you do need the proper qualitifcations.
Most Photogenic Cenotes
For the cenote that is the most photogenic, Cenote Saytun tops them all. It is the ultimate instagram famous cenote that you have to check out.
Best Cenotes Near Tulum
Gran Cenote and Cenote Calavera are the best cenotes near Tulum.
Best Beaches in the Yucatán Peninsula
The Riviera Maya has some of the best beaches in the Yucatan Peninsula. Our top three are:
- Tulum’s Playa Paradiso – is a magically sparkling clear blue and it has perfectly white sand. I can completely understand how people fall in love with it.
- Punta Mosquito at Isla Holbox was stunning, it was a decent walk out at low tide to get there but definitely worth it for the clearest and seaweed free water on the island.
- Bacalar’s lagoon is pretty special too, it is fresh water and a gorgeous milky turqouise blue.
Best Beaches for Swimming – Playa Paradiso and Punta Mosquito
Most Relaxing Beaches – Playa Paradiso, Bacalar Lagoon
Easiest Beaches for Families – Playa del Carmen’s Playacar
Best Mayan Ruins in the Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatan Peninsula is full of amazing Mayan ruins, these are the ones we would prioritise seeing first:
- Chichén Itzá – popular and can be more crowded, great to visit on a tour combined with a cenote. Can non climb but still worth visiting. Tip-take a hat and water as it can get hot and there is not much shade.
- Tulum Ruins – beautiful location on the cliff, lovely to walk around, best to go in morning before becoming busy or late afternoon for sunset, you can tour with a combination cenote and turtle swim too.
- Coba – you can climb this site, located halfway between Valladolid and Tulum. Visit on a tour with a cenote
- Ek Balam – very cool site, you can stil climb, quite large, can combine Ek Balam with Chichen Itza tour
Yucatán Peninsula Itineraries
There are so many different itineraries you can do in the Yucatan, the best choice for you will depend on your time frame and preferred travel style.
1 Week Yucatán Itinerary
Playa Del Carmen → Merida → Tulum
2 Week Yucatán Itinerary
Cancun → Valladolid → Merida → Tulum → Bacalar → Holbox
3 Week Yucatán Road Trip
Cancun → Valladolid → Merida → Tulum → Mahahual → Bacalar → Holbox
How to Get Around the Yucatán Peninsula
ADO Buses – The bus system is really good in this area. We used the ADO Buses to get around and it was incredibly easy. They are really well organised and generally run perfectly to time. You can pre-book your bus online to make sure your preferred time is reserved. The Yucatan is actually really easy to get around. There are lots of transport options from public to private. The best way to get around the Yucatan is with the ADO bus system. It is an incredibly well organised and affordable option that has connections to almost everywhere on the tourist trail. For example you can book an ADO bus Cancun to Tulum. We always book on 12GO as you can see all the options and ADO is pretty obvious with their big red buses. They show all options, even by air and ferry.
Colectivos – You will more than likely take at least one colectivo in Mexico, we took one from Tulum town to the beach area and another from Mahahual to Tulum. It is essentially a small bus and locals use them to get around in an informal manner.
Ferry systems – Ferries are pretty straight forward, we pre-booked our ticket to go to Isla Holbox and it went very smoothly, when we arrived on the bus we just showed our ticket and were allowed to board. The boats were in excellent condition and ran to time.
Should You Rent a Car in Yucatán?
Car Hire – You can absolutely rent a car and drive yourself if you prefer the freedom that this brings. Driving in Mexico isn’t too difficult, we recommend booking with Discover Cars. Lots of people prefer this so they can get to out of the way places or to attractions before the tour buses arrive.
Driving safety – The Yucatan Peninsula is considered one of the safer areas to drive in Mexico, watch out for speed limits, speed bumps and toll roads (these are actually better to use as they are more modern and quicker).
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Best Time to Visit the Yucatán Peninsula
Dry Season
The best weather in the Yucatan Mexico is November to March for the coolest and driest time of year. You will have nice calm seas and temperatures with little rain. This will also be peak tourist season especially between December to March when the crowds can swell and prices go up. We went in March and it was great.
Wet Season
The wet season runs between June to September and is hot and humid with wet weather that can be heavy down pours.
Hurricane Season
In general June to the end of November is hurricane season, it is really not advisable to visit during these months. Some people like to visit in November and hope for good weather and smaller tourist numbers.
Seaweed Season
A sweet spot to have good weather and avoid the sargassum is November and December which is a shoulder season. Sargassum season runs April to October but can start early or go late. The seaweed can be really thick and quite smelly. We saw people on the beach at Tulum cleaning it up and the beaches were really well kept even during the season. In Holbox it was not cleaned up and was really thick, it was perfect at Punta Mosquito though so you just have to walk to another beach to avoid it.
Yucatán Peninsula Travel Budget
The cost of travelling the Yucatan is quite affordable in general. These are our average budget breakdowns for each type of traveller (per person/per day):
- budget traveller: ~$50-$80 USD (hostels, street food, free or cheapest tours, public transport)
- mid-range: ~$100-$150 USD (quality hotel accommodation, street food & affordable restaurants, affordable, group tours and a mix of public transport and private transport)
- luxury: ~$250-$600USD (all-inclusive resort, restaurant meals, private transport and private tours)
Where to Stay in the Yucatán Peninsula
Best for Couples
Tulum and Bacalar are the most romantic locations for couples. There are great beach or lagoon side accomodations and lazy days by the beach or sailing around a lagoon sounds pretty perfect!
Best for Luxury
For luxury travellers you wont find better or more luxurious accommodation that in the Riviera Maya and especially Tulum. The beach hotels here are incredible and a reason in themselves to visit. You will also find stunning resorts at Cancun.
Best for Backpackers
Backpackers will love the boho coastal vibes at Holbox and the small town colonial charm of Valladolid.
Best for Digital Nomads
Playa del Carmen and Tulum are popular with digital nomads as they have excellent infrastructure that is required when working from abroad. You will find co-working spaces that are set up for digital nomads.
Essential Yucatán Peninsula Travel Tips
Safety Tips
In general the Yucatan is a relatively safe area to travel, the tourist zones are usually manned by police and there are always people around. We haven’t personally had any safety concerns while travelling in Mexico. The main concern I would have is petty theft, of course if you are solo female traveller always be cautious. Everyone would be best to use their regular travel safety precautions. Scams to avoid in Mexico are fake police, card skimming, fake taxis and equipment damage.
ATM & Money Tips
We always use ATMs that are located in or next to banks and try to use them when the bank is open so if there is an issue we can go in and get help. We make sure to carry enough cash to pay street stall vendors, collectivos etc. I wouldn’t carry around large amounts of money in Mexico as most places will take cards. The only exception is if you are visiting a small town that is known to not have card or wifi facilities.
SIM Cards & eSIMs
We no longer bother getting a SIM card but get an eSIM instead. They are very easy to use and simple to install.
Renting a Car
If you want the freedom to get around as you please then renting a car is a great idea. We use Discovery Cars when renting.
Avoiding Tourist Scams
Tourists scams will be anywhere there are tourists. Scams to avoid in Mexico are fake police, card skimming, fake taxis and equipment damage.
Water & Food Safety
We always drink bottled or filtered water and we try to refill our own filter water bottles as much as possible. We use filtered or bottle water for drinking and teeth brushing.
Packing Tips
Packing light is always our preference but you can really get around Mexico with as much luggage as you need because the transport is really good. See our packing guide above, but in general pack for warm weather with beach activities in mind.
Travel Insurance for Mexico
I would take out travel insurance for anytime I travel, there is nothing worse than needed it and not having it. A popular one for digital nomads is Safety Wing and for regular travellers check out Visitors Coverage.
Best Food to Try in the Yucatán Peninsula
We love Mexican food, it is one of the best cuisines in the world. These are our favourite foods we eat in the Yucatana Peninsula, the ones that you have to taste.
- Cochinita pibil (our absolute favourite dish in the Yucatan)
- Marquesitas
- Panuchos
- Salbutes
- Sopa de lima
- Tacos (of course!)
Most overrated destination in the Yucatan Peninsula
We think Isla Holbox was the most overrated destination. Yes the beach at Punta Mosquito was stunning and although affected by the sargassum seaweed it was being cleaned up daily way better than in other locations like Holbox. But overall the town and beach was just over priced, there was a daily fee to go to the beach and if you stayed at the town you had to walk or get a taxi there. I definitely think you should go, just either be prepared to spend more than you would usually or for only a few days if not.
What surprised us most
We were so surprised by how good the public transport was. The ADO buses are so affordable, run to time and comfortable. I wish they were everywhere.
What to Pack for Yucatán Mexico
For travel in the Yucatan I would recommend fabrics that are light and breathable, like cotton and linen as it will be warm. Swimwear, hat and sunglasses for beach days and make sure to take a waterproof phone case and a dry bag if doing boating trips or visiting cenotes. Reef Safe sunscreen is a must as is mosquito repellant and a basic travel medical kit. Sturdy walking shoes for walking in jungle and exploring ruins as well as city and town exploration. Check out our packing list here.
Mistakes to Avoid in the Yucatán
- Underestimating ADO travel times – travel takes longer than expected although the buses do run to time, make sure to keep enough time for transit.
- Not booking Holbox accommodation early – Holbox sells out, book it as soon as you know your dates.
- Visiting Tulum during heavy sargassum season – Sargassum season is during April-October, we were there through the season and although it is not preferable they do clean up the beach better than anywhere else we have experienced sargassum.
- Carrying only cards – cash will be needed for small vendors like taco stands and local buses.
- Booking Mahahual buses last minute – Mahahual is small, book your accomodation when you know your dates.
- Staying only in Cancun resorts – Cancun is exciting but there is so much more to see in the area. Leave Cancun and explore the country a little.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Yucatán Peninsula
Is the Yucatán Peninsula safe?
Yes, travel in the Yucatan Peninsula is considered some of the safer in Mexico because it is so heavily travelled.
Is Tulum worth visiting?
Tulum is worth visiting and can be done on any budget. The beautiful beaches and ruins make this a must stop.
How many days do you need?
2 weeks is a perfect amount of time for travel in the Yucatan, with more time you can spend longer and get to a few more destinations.
Cancun vs Playa del Carmen?
Both are resort towns that have loads of excellent hotels, beachfront, restaurants and nightlife. They are tourist towns that are set up for easy travel and are great for digital nomads and families or resort travellers. If you want a smaller town then Playa Del Carmen or for larger town and bigger resorts and bars then Cancun.
Is Bacalar worth visiting?
Bacalar is one of our favourite places and totally worth visiting. It is a different experience from the beaches and jungle. The lagoons and cenote are stunning and sailing trips are a must.
Can you drink the water?
No we do not recommend drinking the water in Mexico. We use this filtered bottle and fill it from bottled water or filtered water from our hotels to both drink and brush our teeth.
Do you need a car?
No you do not need a car to travel in the Yucatan Peninsula as it is really well set up with buses, you can definitely hire a car if you want the freedom though.
Best month to visit?
We went in March and it was a great time to be in the Yucatan, we had excellent weather.
Final Thoughts on Visiting the Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatan Peninsula is a very easy place to get around with both public transport or car hire, perfect for first-time Mexico travel. Slowing down and enjoying each location, particularly Bacalar which was so different and very cool. Explore beyond the resort beachs and head in to the jungle to see ancient ruins and cenotes.
If you love excellent food, amazing world wonders and stunning beaches then you will love travelling in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Plan your trip:
👉 Read next: Yucatan Itinerary
👉 Plan your trip: Mexico Travel Guide
👉 Don’t miss: Things to do in Merida Yucatan Mexico
Want to see it all in action? Watch our full Mexico series on YouTube (subscribe to our channel to stay up to date with our travel guides) and follow along on Instagram @passport_nomads and @kelly___buckley for real-time travel tips, guides, and behind-the-scenes moments.
We hope this guide helped you plan an unforgettable trip.
