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Written by Savi, 105 Comments

Chilli flakes being sprinkled on juicy pineapples, ice-cold margaritas on a balmy summer evening, local women flaunting brightly coloured huipiles (loose tunics) and flowers in their hair, sleepy towns with pastel coloured houses, vintage Volkswagen Beetles lining cobble stoned alleys, delicately-spiced food under sprawling trees on the roadside, beaches with jewelled waters, and crumbling Mayan ruins- I will NEVER forget my first road trip in Mexico.

 

It’s historically rich, culturally replete, and boasts of a teeming culinary scene but over and above everything else it’s seductive. From sultry Mexican evenings spent dancing in the neighbourhood cantina (pub) to sampling dozens of salsas at a street-side haunt as a bead of sweat trickles down the nape of your neck, there is something deeply sensual about life in Mexico.

 

yucatan peninsula coloured lagoons las coloradas
What a sight!

 

Highlights of a road trip in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

  1. The glistening beaches of Playa Del Carmen and Cancun
  2. Bohemian alleyways of Tulum
  3. Flamingoes and coloured lagoons at Rio Lagartos National Park
  4. The bustling town of Merida with pastel-coloured houses and vintage cars
  5. The gorgeous Colonial town of Izamal, lined with chrome-yellow houses. It’s jokingly referred to as ‘Instagram town’ – hard to take a bad photo here.
  6. Offbeat Mayan Ruins of Uxmal
  7. The iconic ruins of Chichen Itza (not our favourite part!)
  8. Countryside haciendas, laden with history
  9. Hundreds of famous and hidden cenotes, perfect for snorkelling, diving or just cooling off after a long day of sightseeing.
  10. THE food (deserves a separate article of its own)

 

Merida vintage car and colourful houses
The colourful town of Merida

 

 

 

 

Tips for renting a car in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Renting a car is easy because there are dozens of rental companies at Cancun International Airport. However the best deals are usually online, so make sure you book in advance. Cancun is quite a popular destination, so there are always loads of offers and special seasonal discounts. It’s best to check a price comparison website, that collates rental rates from various providers, before booking a car. We compared prices on EconomyBookings.com and got a great deal on a sedan. Rental rates were £25/day with basic insurance included. 

Something to keep in mind while renting a car in Mexico: most companies try to coerce customers into purchasing local insurance, so make sure this is included in the cost of the car when you book your rental car online. Our confirmation from EconomyBookings.com clearly mentioned that the insurances were included so we had no trouble while picking up our car.

Driving in the Yucatan Peninsula is absolutely safe and most roads are in great condition. For this reason, we strongly recommend you to rent a car – you’ll be able to explore many offbeat places 🙂 However it’s best to exercise common sense and take basic precautions: drive carefully well within the speed limit and never leave luggage or valuables in the car. For this reason, it’s best not to make too many pit-stops if you’re driving from one town to the other with your luggage in the car.

car driving las coloradas yucatan mexico
Our car in remote locations in Mexico 🙂

 

Fuel costs of a road trip in Yucatan Peninsula

 We spent 1700 Pesos (£70) and drove 1500 kms in 12 days.

 

Things to eat on your road trip in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Contrary to popular stereotype, Mexican food in the Yucatan Peninsula isn’t spicy. It’s delicately nuanced and flavourful. However there is always a variety of pickled vegetables and spicy salsas at hand, perfect to amp up spice levels if you like your food hot!

 

Some of the best meals we had were at roadside eateries set up under large trees. We couldn’t get enough of warm freshly-made tortillas, fried Oaxacan (pronounced wa-ha-can) cheese in seafood salads, and sumptuous tropical fruits in the Yucatan Peninsula. Here’s some things that you need to eat on your road trip in Mexico:

  • Stringy Oaxacan cheese – perfect in salads and tacos
  • Tacos El Pastor  – Tacos with a variety of meats grilled on the spit. The most flavourful ones are at anonymous hole-in-the-wall eateries.
  • Sopa de Lima (Yucatan lime soup) – chicken broth flavoured with Mexican limes and topped with thin tortilla strips
  • Fiery habanero salsa
  • Burritos – because where else, if not in Mexico (duh!)
  • Guacamole with tostadas and nachos – Avocados in this part of the world are magic!
  • Frijoles Molidos Negros – a classic Mexican dip made from refried black beans
  • Cochinita Pibil – traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork that has an earthy sweetness about it. Perfect with freshly-made tortillas.
  • Scrumptious flavourful fruits and vegetables including lima, xcatic chile, mamoncillo, dragonfruit, mangoes, fresh coconuts, and pineapples. Nom!

Cochinita Pibil Tulum Mexico
Delicious Cochinita Pibil at Huitzical Hotel in Tulum

 

nachos and guacamole by the beach in Playa Del Carmen
Nachos and guacamole with a view 😀

 

 

What to do on your road trip in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

 

Days 1-4 Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

We kicked off our road trip by driving to a gorgeous romantic retreat just an hour away from Cancun International Airport. Playa Del Carmen is home to dozens of hotels and resorts and is a perfect base for exploring the glistening beaches in the area. The resort town offers idyllic palm-fringed beaches, coral-reefs, azure waters, and water sports by the dozen. It’s the Caribbean dream!

Since it was Vid’s birthday, we decided to treat ourselves to a relaxing stay at an indulgent hotel in town. Our days in Playa Del Carmen were spent unwinding at our villa, kayaking in the jewelled waters of the Caribbean Sea, and walking along palm-fringed beaches while evenings were spent devouring decadent three-course meals, sampling Mexican liquors, and visiting the spa for a massage or two.

massage at the pier at Viceroy Riviera Maya Playa Del Carmen
One of the best spa ‘rooms’ ever 🙂

 

Playa Del Carment beach Mexico
Vid on his birthday at Viceroy Riviera Maya:-)

 

girl at beaches of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
The lush beaches of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

 

Accommodation in Playa Del Carmen

If you’re on a budget AirBnB has some great options in the area.  If you’re planning a honeymoon or luxurious romantic getaway, Viceroy Riviera Maya is perfect. Private villas are equipped with hammocks, plunge pools, outdoor jungle showers, and uber-spacious rooms. Little touches like Bose speakers and bespoke handmade soaps (watermelon was our favourite 🙂 ) add to the experience.

Villa patio Viceroy Riviera Maya

Our gorgeous villa at Viceroy Riviera Maya 

Days 4-6 Rio Lagartos, Mexico

Thus thoroughly pampered, we left Playa Del Carmen and drove to Rio Lagartos Natural Reserve.The highway out of Playa Del Carmen eventually leads to a toll booth. We paid 90 pesos (£4) here. Once you cross the toll booth take the libre (free) highway to Rio Lagartos via Tizimin. This drive took us 4 hours.

Rio Lagartos is a sleepy fishing village, located by a lagoon. Tourism is gradually picking up in the area but even so, there are just a couple of hotels and restaurants. You will be swamped by boat and tour operators on reaching the area. But we would recommend skipping the guided tour if you have a rental car on you – exploring the area yourself is a lot of fun and it’s free. Besides, the unpredictability and adventure that comes with it is the best part of a road trip in the Yucatan Peninsula 🙂

Once you’re fully settled, it’s time to fall in love with the wonders of mother nature. Rio Lagartos has a lot of tricks up its sleeve – from bright-pink lagoons and salt reserves to green lakes and hundreds of flamingoes, these 2 days are bound to be a definite highlight of your road trip in the Yucatan Peninsula. Rio Lagartos is home to thousands of flamingoes and dozens of glistening reflective lagoons. Frothy salt deposits can be spotted at the edges of these glorious lagoons. The scenery here reminded us a lot of our time in the remote deserts of Bolivia. The lagoons are teeming with algae and shrimps that flamingoes feed on – this lends them their distinctive red and pink colour. The dramatic green and pink colours of the water, coupled with stretches of white powdery sand make for dramatic photographs. But do beware – the lagoons are brightest between the months of November and March when the colours pop.

Before you go read our detailed guide to FINDING THE COLOURED LAGOONS OF MEXICO

rio lagartos coloured lagoons Yucatan Mexico
Never seen anything like that 🙂

 

Pink Flamingoes at Las Coloradas Rio Lagartos Mexico
Loved the flamingoes in the Rio Lagartos area 😀

 

Accommodation in Rio Lagartos:

We stayed at a new boutique hotel recommended by a couple of locals in the area. The rooms at Yuum Ha Boutique Hotel are clean, spacious, and equipped to the level of a 3* hotel anywhere else in the world – quite a luxury here in Rio Lagartos Natural Reserve! There is free parking and basic breakfast on site.

Yuum Ha boutique hotel Rio Lagartos Mexico
Our hotel right by the lagoon!

 

Days 6-9 Merida, Mexico

The next stop on this road trip of the Yucatan Peninsula is Merida, a dreamy town that seems to have walked right out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel – think pastel-coloured colonial houses, vintage cars, hole-in-the-wall eateries, vendors selling everything from knives to tacos on bicycles, men wearing wide-brimmed straw hats! The bustling capital of the Yucatan Peninsula doesn’t disappoint – it has all the amenities you could possibly need (Walmarts, Starbucks, you name it!) but still retains its old world charm.

We happened to visit Merida during Mexico’s National Day celebrations, so the streets were alight with a carnivalesque atmosphere. Local cantinas (pubs) were jam-packed with locals, dancing and drinking games were going on at every street corner, and women were dressed in their finest huipiles (loose embroidered tunics) with flowers adorning their hair.

It’s hard to tear oneself away from Merida’s quaint alleyways but do make sure to visit the Uxmal ruins, less than 1.5 hours away from Merida. The ruins are impressive and a lot less crowded than Chichen Itza. In fact, if you get there early you might have a whole complex full of Mayan ruins all to yourself – we got there at 8 and had it our ourselves for the better part of an hour! 🙂 Don’t forget to stop at the museum at Yaxcopoil Hacienda and a cenote or two on your way back to the city.

 

Merida national day celebrations
Bustling centre of Merida all geared up for National Day celebrations

 

Beetle and coloured houses in Merida Mexico
We actually went on a mission to find all Volkswagen beetles in town 😉

 

Girl at ruins of Uxmal near Merida
Savi at the gorgeous ruins of Uxmal

 

couple at empty ruins of Uxmal near Merida
Both of us at the Uxmal ruins – not a soul in sight 🙂

 

Accommodation in Merida

We stumbled on one of our favourite boutique hotels in a while in Merida. The Diplomat Boutique Hotel is run by a young Canadian couple and we loved it to bits! It is housed inside a spacious colonial house that has been refurbished to a high standard. Everything from Sara’s home-made Mexican breakfasts to Neil’s welcome drinks were uber-modern, with an undeniably Mexican edge. The Diplomat Boutique Hotel is in close proximity both to the historical centre and Merida’s gorgeous residential streets.

 

Hotel Diplomat luxury boutique hotel in Merida Mexico
Our breakfast at Hotel Diplomat 🙂

 

 

Day 9-12 Tulum, Mexico

It’s time to drive back to the glorious coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula. But not before experiencing a few gems. Drive back to Tulum via the slow, scenic route. Make sure you stop in Izamal, a small colonial town, about 70 kms away from Merida. Izamal has a long and fraught history – it was the centre of worship for Mayan god Itzamná and later used as the site for a towering monastery by Spanish colonialists. But today the provincial town is famous for its chrome yellow houses. Add to it horse-drawn carriages and quaint alleyways and you get one of the most photogenic places in the Yucatan Peninsula. Izamal has a laid-back charm about it that’s hard to replicate.

 

If you have a couple of extra days at hand, spend them in the bustling town of Valladolid. As for us, we continued onto Tulum after a languorous stop in Izamal. The drive from Izamal to Tulum took us 3 hours. Our days in Tulum were spent eating way too many tortillas and tacos at local eateries and shopping for Mexican salsas to take back home. Here are some of the things we enjoyed in Tulum:

  • Driving along the beach road that goes to Sian Ka’an Biosphere – it’s a bumpy road but there are lots of secluded beaches along the way. If you do drive all the way upto Sian Ka’an Biosphere, you can take a boat tour through mangroves and tropical forests.
  • Swimming & snorkelling in the Cenotes around Tulum – there are plenty to choose from, but the best ones are Dos Ojos and Grand Cenote. We suggest going only to one of them and spending the rest of the time on the beaches 🙂 Entry fee is usually around 150 Pesos (£6)
  • Visiting the Coba ruins – the ruins aren’t very impressive but it’s possible to climb to the top
  • Lazing at the beach while gazing at Tulum’s iconic Mayan ruins perched above turquoise waters
  • Walking around Tulum pueblo – Tulum’s bylanes are dotted with some great street art – perfect if you enjoy urban art.
  • Eating – there are plenty of smoothie bars and taco restaurants in the area – we really enjoyed burritos and vegan salads at Burrito Amor. Another option is El Camello Restaurant – it has large portions of traditional Mexican food and is a big hit with visitors

 

Izamal yellow town on way from Merida to Tulum Mexico
The sunshine town – Izamal 🙂

 

Tulum ruins Mexico ocean
Exporing the Tulum ruins

 

Tulum secluded beach at Sian Ka'an biosphere
Enjoying the quaint beaches of Sian Ka’an biosphere

 

Grand Cenote Tulum Mexico
Go for a dip in Grand Cenote

 

Tulum pueblo colourful town
Walk around the colourful town centre with bohemian street art

 

Burrito Amor salads and burritos in Tulum Mexico
Healthy and tasty food at Burrito Amor

 

Accommodation in Tulum

Tulum is the site of a Mayan walled city and it’s divided into 2 distinct parts : you can choose to stay in a beach-facing hotel or a bohemian hideaway in Tulum pueblo (downtown). No prizes for guessing what we chose! Since we’d already spent a lot of time lazing at the beach in Playa Del Carmen, we thought we would opt for a hotel close to the bohemian downtown area in Tulum.

Huitzical Hotel is a little bohemian hideaway with just 5 rooms and a large shared kitchen. Rooms are spacious and they come with hammocks, colourful cushions, and vine-laden terraces. Breakfast is usually home-cooked tortillas with beans. Bikes are available (free of charge) for guests to explore the attractions of Tulum 🙂 We thoroughly enjoyed the few days we spent in this oasis – a perfect way to end our road trip in Mexico!

Huitzical hotel tulum pueblo Mexico
Our colourful room at Huitzical hotel in Tulum

 

breakfast at huitzical hotel in Tulum
A yummy home-cooked breakfast 🙂

 

Planning a road trip in Mexico?

Read  A Guide to Finding the Coloured Lagoons of Mexico

Read 5 Things to do in Tulum, Mexico

Read about all our road trips around the world too!

105 thoughts on “Viva Mexico: A Sumptuous Road Trip in the Yucatan Peninsula

    1. Joanna Mexico is a good place to put on your bucket list – this roadtrip offers a bit of everything (culture, sights, and amazing food ) 🙂

    1. Thanks Rhian – always love hearing from you. Mexico had been on our bucket list for ages till we decided to go and finally make it happen 🙂

    1. Aah – the colourful buildings in Izamal and Tulum’s beaches were definitely the highlights of our trip to Mexico 🙂

  1. I honestly think that you guyz have the best travel blog..the way u describe everything in so much detail, itinerary, price, stay, food, best sight seeing places..i mean after reading your blog I dont think you have to look to any other source of information if you planning to visit taht country..and ur writing style makes any reader hooked..even if the article is long we cant stop inbtw..love you guyz..keep travelling.. <3

    1. Thanks a million Ritika 🙂 So happy to hear that from you. A lot of effort goes into penning these guides but comments such as yours make it all worth it

  2. We are heading to Cancun for 9 days with our 1 year old in December. Thanks for sharing this info guys. This will be very helpfull 🙂 And needless to say – The pics are incredible..

    1. That’s awesome Abhinav – we have three more articles on the area coming up soon. Send us photos from your trip to Cancun in December 🙂

  3. Hello! Would you mind saying which company you rented the car from? It looks a company called mex has the cheapest rate and includes insurance as well..seems too good to be true..I am talking about $35 for 6 days vs $134 for 6 days from hertz/avis without insurance.. Would love your input.
    Thanks!

    1. Hey Saila – we compared prices on economybooking.com and ended up booking a car with Europcar. It was a great experience. I don’t know about Mex Car Rental but I WOULD request you to be wary of local car rental companies – if something is too good to be true, it probably is!! Read the fine print well if you end up booking with them. Also do read our little note about insurance in the ‘Renting a car’ section of this article before booking your rental car 🙂

    1. Hey Varun – Cancun can get really hectic. We wanted to stay in a quieter place, so we flew to Cancun and chose to stay in the neighbouring Playa Del Carmen instead!

  4. Hi Savi and Vid, Nice to meet both of you.

    Hey, I’m always a big fan of reading your travel experience, you are one who highlight very well the trip. You have shared another great experience of Mexico road trip. Looking these amazing pictures is really surprising for me and it looks quite beautiful. I much appreciate you for including the wonderful snaps of Mexico road trip.

    There are many things to learn before planning a Mexico trip and here you have explained very well the things to know such as renting a car, things to eat etc. My hearty desire to visit such wonderful place after looking these wonderful photos of you. The images of Mexico is awesome and well captured.

    You’re both looking gorgeous at the Uxmal ruins. The colorful water looks quite impressive and I haven’t see before such hilarious place.
    Thanks for sharing.
    – Ravi.

  5. Beautiful !! Btw, when did you visit Chichen Itza during this roadtrip? Was it a pitstop on the way to Merida?

    1. Hey there – we chose to skip Chichen Itza. Over years of travelling, we’ve realised that crowds really spoil historical sites (however special) for us. So we decided to skip it in favour of less known ruins like Uxmal 🙂

      1. Yes. That is so true. I feel the same.
        And which area in Rio Lagartos did you see the flamingoes? By car or boat? Do you think we have to take a boat to see them as some websites suggest?
        Most probably we will be taking the same road trip next Feb 🙂

        1. Hey there – we saw flamingoes while driving around. As we suggested above, we’d recommend skipping the boat tours altogether and going to look for flamingoes yourself. It’s a lot more fun!

          1. How do you manage if say car breaks down on a roadtrip in another country? Do you have phone connection and international data plans ? How do you communicate with others if help is needed on a remote road?

          2. Hi Neeha,

            We usually opt for insurances that have breakdown cover included. If our rental car were to breakdown, we can call for assistance and someone from the insurance company will arrange for us to be picked up and our car to be repaired/replaced. If we are in a country for long, we buy a local sim else we use our phone on roaming 🙂

            Hope that helps

  6. Love this, guys.. booked my tickets to Cancun this Dec… We do not have as many days and we’ll have to tailor this itinerary a bit.. but this is basically it 🙂

    1. So good to hear that. You MUST send us photos from Mexico. We have a few more articles on our roadtrip in Mexico coming up super soon 🙂

    1. Absolutely. Mexico is really popular because of the all-inclusive resorts but a self-drive roadtrip in the Yucatan Peninsula is definitely more fun 🙂

  7. Hi Savi and Vid

    Could you please let me know if the drive is safe in a rented car from Cancun to Playa del Carmen and to Rio Lagartos and back to Cancun? I have a 3 year old kid. I have been hearing mixed reactions from my friends, so wanted your opinion?

    Love every pic and post of yours! It really takes courage to do what you both have bee doing. Happy Travelling!

    Regards,
    Sreedevi

    1. Hey there. Thank you so much. Yes it’s safe to drive around in the Yucatan Peninsula – just exercise necessary precautions and don’t leave valuables or luggage in the car!!

  8. I love your posts and i love how all your outfits are coordinated with the background/view! How do you manage to dovetail your outfits so beautifully? <3

    1. Thanks Palack – we just ransack our suitcases and hope we come up with something appropriate that does justice to the place we’re in 🙂

  9. Hey Savi, Booked our tickets to Cancun this Feb. Soooo excited already 🙂 I was wondering if it is necessary to carry pesos? Does USD work?

    1. Hey Priyanka,

      That sounds amazing 🙂 No need to carry Pesos as USD work 🙂

      Share photos from your trip with us, ok?

  10. This blog brought back so many memories from my trip to Yucatan Peninsula last month , from Cancun to Playa de Carmen to Tulum beaches , Everything ! I surely missed out on a lot of things as I can make out . But as you both say, there’s always a next time to visit 🙂
    Loved getting the breezy memories refreshed 🙂

    1. Hey Mudit,

      Thanks a ton 🙂 It sure was a great trip and we’re happy to hear our article made you reminisce about your time in this beautiful part of the world!

      Cheers!

  11. Hi Savi and Vid ,
    Thanks for the detailed itinerary . It is very helpful . I’m planning a trip to Cancun in the first on Jan . I’m trying to book a rental car through Economybooking.com . Do i have to buy Mexican Liability insurance other than the insurance mentioned on the website ? Sharing your experience will be really helpful .

    1. Hi Prabhu,

      No, we didn’t buy any additional insurance other than what’s stated on the website 🙂

      Hope you have a great trip

  12. Is it safe to travel the Yucatan, via rental car? I’m planning on going next week and driving the whole loop, including Calakmul. Did you get any trouble from cops or gangs or anything else? Thank you!

    1. Hi Em,

      Driving in Yucatan is absolutely safe as long as you follow the rules. There will be random stops where cops will check your car (mostly for drugs) and let you go if you haven’t done anything wrong. We were stopped a couple of times and after a routine check were let off.

      Roads are good and well marked – you shouldn’t have any problems driving there 🙂

      Cheers!

  13. Hi Savi and Vid.

    I love your posts and some of your pictures are like dream. I need a little piece of advice. Me and my husband are planning a vacation in Feb for 8-10 days. We live in New York. I am thinking to do Yucatan and Guatemala, We have been to Cancun and Tulum though. These pink lagoons and Merida city looks interesting to me and so do Guatemala/Lake Atitalan. Is it a good idea in Feb for these many days.

    But also, my husband suggests to go to Norway for Northern Lights. What is a better option????

    Other option I was thinking Peru and Bolivia as It is going to be toooooo cold in Norway. Please suggest. I am really confused.

    1. Hey Sakshi,

      Well, both places are amazing in their unique ways. Yes, Norway will be super cold in February, but you’ll also have a chance at seeing the Northern Lights.

      If you decide to go to Merida, Los Colorados (pink lagoons), and Guatemala, 10 days might be too short. That said, you can spend 3 days in Merida, 2 days in Los Colorados, and fly from Cancun to Guatemala and spend 2 days in Antigua and 3-4 days in Lake Atitlan before flying back from Guatemala city.

      Hope this helps 🙂

  14. Hi Savi & Vid,

    Happy New Year. Hope both of you had a rocking start to this year.

    First things first, big fan (sometimes also jealous with your lifestyle;))!!! Made a road trip to Iceland based on your itinerary – loved it to the core.

    I have a question. If you have to choose for a 8 day road trip between Costa Rica and Mexico in the month of July, which would you choose based on your experience? I know the question is bit weird like comparing Apples Vs Oranges, but if your criteria is to spend 30% of your time on nice coral beaches, 50% on road with a nice scenic (preferably tropical) view and remaining 20% on Food, what your first call would be?

    Also – the GPS we take from the renting car company works in both the places? (unlike Iceland where only google maps work and I ended up spending a LOT on data while roaming 🙁 ). Please let me know.

    Thank you and really appreciate your help in advance.
    Harshit

    1. Hey Harshit – We’d suggest choosing Mexico for a good mix of scenery and beaches. We used offline maps to navigate in both countries – you don’t need to spend on date. Just download an offline navigation app such as maps.me 🙂

  15. love your blog as always. currently in process of planning our trip. we are also planning to drive as you guys did. but every time i speak to my friends/colleagues, they are asking if i’m crazy to drive in mexico? did you had any bad experience? is there anything we need to aware of while planning road trip to mexico? is that risky?

    1. Hey Kris,

      We did not have any bad experiences and had a great time driving in Yucatan peninsula. I’m not sure how it is driving in other parts of Mexico, but in Yucatan we had no problems whatsoever and saw thousands of other tourists driving their rental cars too.

      Just take the normal precautions and you’ll be fine.

  16. Savi and Vid,

    My boyfriend and I have been searching for weeks for the perfect t two week vacation with enough time to explore and relax.

    I have followed you on my instagram for a while and decided to visit your blog today for some travel inspiration.

    All I can say is THANK YOU! We are pretty much copying your roatrip (although adding playa del carmen at the end instead of the beginning), and we cannot wait to experience all the food, colour and culture you have described!

    A few questions if I may:
    1. How many dollars do you recommend carrying with us? Do places take card?
    2. Was parking generally free everywhere you went?
    3. Do you have any recommendations for hotels in Cancun – we may stay there for two nights before dinner flying out.

    This is by far one of the best travel blogs I have come across as well as the sweetest couple. You guys are awesome and true role models of success!

    Khiloni

    1. Hey Khiloni

      So happy to know you guys are off to Mexico – do send us photos from your roadtrip of Yucatan.
      Most places take cards but I’d suggest carrying a few hundred dollars for spending at roadside shacks and other such.
      Parking was free at most places on this roadtrip except when we were in larger cities such as Merida.
      Unfortunately we don’t have recommendations for Cancun as we ended up staying in Playa Del Carmen, but there are TONS of good (albeit overpriced!) hotels there 🙂 Have fun

  17. This is exactly the information that I was looking for! Planning to do something similar for my honeymoon. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your total cost/budget for this entire road trip? Thanks!

    1. Hey Chi that depends on where you are flying from and the kind of hotels you choose but expect to spend at least $400/day if you want to go the luxury route since it’s your honeymoon

  18. Hi Savi & Vid,

    I have been a secret admirer of your blog and this post inspired me to plan a trip for our 5th year wedding anniversary to Playa and Tulum, we have made our reservations and can’t wait to explore all the places you suggested!!

    I have a specific question regarding the Sian Ka’an Biosphere. You mentioned that the road is bumpy from Tulum but I read on another travel blog that it is not recommended to go via Punta Allen side as the drive is very bad, they suggested 4WD only and then too can experience severe erosion. We really want to explore the beaches on the way to Sian Ka’an as you guys mentioned but skeptical about this drive.

    We are experienced drivers and have done quite a lot road trips in US but this will be our first in Mexico.

    Will appreciate any insight 🙂

    Thanks
    Neha

    1. Hey Neha we only drove till where we could and if we had a 4WD we would have definitely gone deeper ☺️

  19. Hello! Looking forward to going here myself!

    Couple of questions:
    1. Were the areas generally safe? Any places or neighborhoods we should avoid while on the road?
    2. Did you have to carry cash (in pesos), or do most places accept credit cards?
    3. Was it easy to get around speaking just English?

    1. Hi Shambhavi,

      Yes it was safe. It’s always a good idea to have some cash with you even though most places accept credit cards. Finally, yes it was easy enough to get around with just English. Where you can’t, a smile and some hand gestures go a long way 😉

  20. My boyfriend and I are also in love with Mexico. We’ve been 5x in 2 years. We’ve been to Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen. So far Isla Mujeres is my favorite. We are definitely interested in taking a road trip next time to alot of the places you posted about. I especially look forward to the cenotes and pink beaches. Thank you- I loved reading your story.

    1. Thank you so much Tina and so happy to hear that you love Mexico too. Enjoy your road trip in Mexico and ping us if you have any questions 🙂

  21. I love this idea! We did a road trip down Highway 1 in California last year and had a blast! We need a trip idea for next year… I’m just really nervous about Mexico, especially driving. What would you say to to convince me it’s safe? HA! I saw on a post above that you were stopped by the police a few times. How do I know the police are honest and safe as well? TIA!

    1. Hey Barbie,

      I guess that’s a leap of faith – there’ll never be a really easy way of telling an honest copy from a dirty one, but that holds true for pretty much any person in this world 🙂 Even when we were stopped by the police, we never really felt unsafe. It was more a routine check just to see you weren’t in possession of any illegal substances 😉

  22. Hi Savi and Vid

    We were thinking of going to Mexico in first week of August from New York.
    Were just wondering if it is a good time to go there and thought with your experience it would be best to ask you.

    Mansha and Nihit

    1. Hey Nihit,

      We went in September and had a great time. Not sure about August from personal experience but shouldn’t be bad

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