The state of Yucatan is full of surprises-a bunch of them, actually-from the historic and cultural point of view: amazing natural wonders to the very peculiar and alive traditional culture. Take five days to travel to some iconic destinations such as Cancun, Tulum, Chichen Itza, and Valladolid-bodacious promises of beach relaxation, exploration of ancient Mayan ruins, or even mythological cenotes that promise glimpses of adventure, cultural links, and chilling moments. If one wants the real socio-cultural treat along with mouth-watering dishes and glimpses of nature’s bounty, then here is the ultimate guide that shall lead on a whirlwind tour to the Yucatan Peninsula, which is a real treat to make one ask for more.
Day 1: Cancun – Get it going in Paradise
Arrival and Accommodation
Your Cancun International Airport is one of the best-connected airports in the region, and that is where your adventure will start. We recommend planning the arrival for early in the morning to make the most of your day. Upon arrival, car hires can be made to give full mobility at about $30 per day for those who want to follow their own schedule. Suggestion for the first night: the infamous Maya Monkey Hostel in the famous Hotel Zone. Cancun definitely has a bunch of super-decadent resorts, but this hostel surely won’t make you jealous with comfort or vibe on a budget. You’ll be able to find private rooms from $60/night, making them suitable for couples, groups, and solo travelers who want to get in touch with others.
It’s a really lively, social hostel with lots of common space, but simultaneously has quiet areas for those people that would need them.
Cancun Downtown Unveiled
After settling in, take some time to explore downtown Cancun. While many tourists stay within the confines of the Hotel Zone, venturing into the city center offers a more authentic experience. Go to Parque Las Palapas, a lively square filled with food stalls, live music, and street performers. One of our favorite things to do is grab some delicious street tacos for just $1–$2 each.
Nothing beats the local flavor: from tacos al pastor to carnitas, with oozing cheese.
For dinner, get some local Mexican food at La Parilla or Los de Pescado where a full meal will be under US$15. Cancun downtown is really alive and super cheap food is just so affordable and delicious. That really captures the spirit of Mexico. Finish off your night at one of the local bars where there’s usually some live music playing or simply take a walk around the streets.
Day 2: Snorkelling with Whale Shark, Tulum City
Morning Adventure: Swimming with the Whale Sharks
The second day starts with an encounter to remember – swimming with whale sharks! One of the few very special encounters with animals that you can get in the Yucatan. Whale sharks circulate during June to August; this would reduce travel time if you are interested in going. We went at the end of May, and though not impossible, the possibility is a bit low during those months.
It’s usually a 7-hour tour, depending on various factors. It runs anywhere between $150-$200 bucks per head; it entails transportation, snorkeling gear, and light lunch. This meeting point is quite a distance from Cancun, so you also have to consider the time it takes to get to this point by boat before you are actually swimming with these beauties. The enormity of the whale shark might intimidate you initially; however, you mustn’t worry because they are said to be very docile.
Go to Tulum
Well, after this unforgettable morning with the whale sharks, it was time to head for Tulum. From Cancun, driving usually takes about 2 hours on a pretty decent highway, quite easy. We had opted for a boutique hotel by the name Can Tulum, right in the heart of Tulum.
What really drew us into this place is that it has on the premises a very special cenote, a natural nook with thick vegetation that really makes the hotel feel really secluded and quiet. Rooms here generally go for $100-$150 per night, a fraction of the price compared to beachfront hotels in Tulum’s more touristy areas.
It is for this reason-if we would choose downtown Tulum over the Beach Zone-just because we like that vibe in town. The Beach Zone is really nice; over time, though, this has indeed been an overpriced area. Downtown Tulum has proved to give good value-for-money rates with an array of bars and restaurants buzzing with local life.
Night out in Tulum
Now that you’ve checked in at your hotel, have a feel of the nightlife in Tulum. Well, one night we ventured out and partied-ironically, running into LA people because of the coincidence of it all, which is what travel does. Downtown Tulum has everything from tiny, cozy bars with live music to full-on dance clubs going into the morning hours.
For something super casual, grab drinks at Batey Mojito Bar or dinner at a favorite local restaurant, El Asadero, where you have to get the succulent grilled meats. You can dine at any of those places for about $10-$20, a pretty good deal to experience Tulum’s culinary scene.
Day 3: Cenotes and Beachside Vibes in Tulum
Morning: The Magic of the Cenotes
Day 3 dropped us into the cold waters of some of the more beautiful cenotes the Yucatan Peninsula had on offer. For those who may not know, a cenote is a naturally occurring sinkhole that is usually filled with crystal-clear water, offering great opportunities to connect with nature. We were allowed to visit two such beautiful cenotes: Dos Ojos and Cenote Azul.
• Dos Ojos Cenote: Mainly popular among divers because of the thrilling underwater cave system. The name literally translated is two connected sinkholes, giving an impression of two eyes. Worth a visit if you are into scuba diving. You may find it a little too pricey at 400 MXN ($22) per head if you just go for a swim.
Yet, well, the beauty down there is well worth the pesos.
• Cenote Azul: Further beyond Dos Ojos, join us probably to the most favored-one: Cenote Azul. Much more budget-friendly compared to the first, this cenote costs about 120 MXN ($7) for an entrance ticket. Crystal-clear water among the rich jungle offers a quiet and simply wonderful atmosphere. The water is good for swimming in, while the natural surroundings are excellent for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Pro Tip: Bring a mask and snorkel-or rent them for ~$5-to see the underwater formations and fish in these cenotes.
Afternoon – Tulum Beachside Strip
After morning cooling off in the cenotes, it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about along Tulum’s famous Beachside Strip. While we chose to stay in downtown Tulum for an authentic and more affordable experience, the Beach Strip is well worth visiting for the beautiful coastal views and upscale beach clubs.
The scenery, en-route to the strip itself, is strikingly beautiful, though we found that the once-lively atmosphere had quietened down some couple of years ago due to inflated prices. The strip really buzzed a while back, but you will find today that many of the beach clubs and hotels are just a little less alive, despite the beautiful surroundings.
If you want to take advantage of a beach club for a day, entry alone will cost you about 500-800 MXN ($28-$45) just to get in. Drinks and food in such places are also quite high, with cocktails falling between 150 and 200 MXN ($8-$11). Sure, this is definitely worth the relaxation experience, with a view of the Caribbean Sea and its luxurious amenities. We found downtown Tulum to be way more alive and, in every sense of the word, much cheaper, too.
Evening: A night out in Downtown Tulum
Being a bit more into a happening night, we opted to dine in downtown Tulum. This time for dinner, it was in a restaurant where an Argentinian DJ was working; he made different beats with unusual instruments combined with the sound effects. A combination of music and food that was really going to stick in our brains. Dinner in downtown Tulum is roughly 200-300 MXN ($11-$17) a meal, with drinks-a real steal compared to the Beach Strip. From there, we popped into a few bars to get a sense of the Tulum nightlife. You can find everything from cocktail bars cozy and intimate to pulsating clubs-you can’t really go wrong.
Day 4: The Magic of Chichen Itza and Coba
Morning: Ancient Pyramids of Coba
Day 4 sends you to the highlight of Yucatan’s best-kept secrets: Coba, an ancient Mayan city located approximately an hour and a half north of Tulum. This place houses some of the highest pyramids, dating back over 1,400 years, and gives one that feeling of a real return to the past.
• Coba: Entry into Coba is about 80 MXN (~ $4.50 USD) for basic entrance alone. Actually, paying about 60 MXN (~ $3) to rent bicycles while exploring the ruins is a given, as these are set within a large area. You may also want to hire a local guide for about 600 MXN (~ $34), as this could be one of your best hopes of learning about the history and importance of the site.
• Pyramid Climbing: The main reason anyone visits Coba is being able to climb the tallest pyramid they have well over 130 feet high. It is steep to climb but well worth it for outstanding panoramic views of the jungle and ruins around. However, the climb is quite a good work-out, but it is an experience which really pays off when one sees one of the most rewarding views in the Yucatan.
Pro Tip: Bring lots of water, and wear good shoes-the hike up is pretty steep and quite strenuous in the heat.
Afternoon: Tour to Chichen Itza
Following in the morning with a tour in Coba, a trip to Chichen Itza-one of the wonders of the world and not to miss if someone goes to the Yucatan Peninsula-is taken. From Cobá, further ahead until arriving in Chichen Itzá, it takes some two hours of driving, but it is worth seeing probably the most iconic archaeological site in the world.
• Chichen Itza: Entrance fee per person costs 533 MXN ($30). This is going to overwhelm you as you go down, toe-to-toe with the architectural ingenuity of the Mayans. The first thing you will obviously want to see is, of course, El Castillo: the big step pyramid that dominates the site. Fascinatingly, the cool thing about Chichen Itza is that it was engineered to interact with the sun during the spring and fall equinoxes in which the shadow formed just appears like a serpent sliding down the pyramid.
• The Sacred Cenote: Any visit to Chichen Itza would automatically make the visit to the Sacred Cenote very relevant. This is a type of cenote that the ancient Mayans used for their ritual sacrifice and thus adds a grim element of mystery to all these historical entities. In fact, the feeling of the past weighs upon you as you walk around those ruins of this really ingenious Mayan civilization.
Evening – Overnight in Valladolid
Having used all day in exploring Mayan history, we then proceeded to Valladolid: a quaint, colonial town about 45 minutes from the ruins. Going there really feels like going through a time machine. We stayed in a boutique hotel in the middle of the town, and the rates were around 1,200 MXN ($65) per night. Many times, Valladolid is missed in tours, but we really recommend at least one night’s stay here.
Come nightfall, the food stalls come alive with offerings of tacos, and street food-all 20 MXN-$1 each-so we went out to dinner, finding scrumptious tacos with a Hawaiian twist, then taking a leisurely walk on colored streets afterward. It’s close enough so that you still can do more cenotes the following day.
Pro Tip: Some of the best cenotes in the Yucatan are around Valladolid-if you have time, you may as well plan on spending at least a half-day here before heading back towards Cancun.
Day 5: A Day in Valladolid, Hidden Treasures, Cenote Adventure
Morning: Explore the Colonial Beauty of Valladolid
Valladolid is one of the most charming colonial towns that most seem to bypass. It’s a very good place if you want to avoid the hoards of tourists coming to more well-known places in the Yucatan.
Take the time and meander through colorfully painted streets, basking in historic architecture and atmosphere.
• Walking in the City Center: This is the kind of regular day in Valladolid when one would most often initiate their day in this town square, Parque Principal Francisco Canton Rosado, bordered by numerous handsome colonial surroundings. It’s one of those places that forms picture postcard-perfect scenes: brightly painted houses, historic churches, and tree-lined streets. Actually, the whole town feels just absolutely Mexican without commercialization like Tulum and Cancun.
For one serving of coffee and a light breakfast, one should not miss going to Café del Parque, where one serving of a taza of the local coffee and one pastry will only cost about 50 MXN ($3).
• San Servacio Church: Known as Iglesia de San Servacio, it’s a big 16th-century church that overlooks the plaza. It’s historic and very well represents the architecture of the Spanish colonial rule. Entry is free, and thus, you’ll find it worth going inside just to appreciate the work.
Mid-Morning – Cenote Suhuy-Kaan
Valladolid is known for its cenotes, and on the last day, a refreshing swim in one of them shouldn’t be left out. Cenote Suhuy-Kaan, our first suggestion, is an outlier of a cenote from Valladolid, so far from the tourist trail it assures that any visitor will find it tranquil and uncrowded.
Cenote Suhuy-Kaan: Admission to this wonderland comes at about 100 MXN ($6), and it certainly does feel like another world. It’s got really intense blue water, surrounded by a jungle; thus, one may think he has somehow come to some sort of secret paradisiacal place. It is famous for its crystal-clear waters, perfect for swimming and even snorkeling. There is an iconic photo platform above the cenote.
Pro Tip: It’s always more crowded later in the day, so the earlier, the better. Between 9 and 10 am is best, since you have the place pretty much to yourself.
Lunch in Valladolid
With this refreshing plunge, we returned to have lunch at Valladolid. The whole town is just full of family restaurants serving superlative Yucatecan fare at honestly very low prices. Among the best restaurants in town and one of the most highly recommended was El Mesón del Marqués.
• What to Eat: Traditional Cochinita Pibil, a slow-roasted pork with citrus and spices; Sopa de Lima is the real classic, a sort of lime soup originating from Yucatan. Full meal starting from 180 to 250 MXN ($10-$14) with beverages included per head, portions enormous, flavors truly Yucatecan.
Afternoon – Cenote Xkeken and Cenote Samulá
Two of the most beautiful cenotes in the Yucatan surrounded Valladolid, but absolutely impossible to leave without visiting two more-so the last ones are Cenote Xkeken and Cenote Samulá. Lying a few kilometres away from each other, numerous cenotes have absolutely contrasting environments.
• Cenote Xkeken is like entering another world with the stalactites and dramatic lighting. Entry is about 80 MXN ($4.50), with partial enclosure of the cenote in a cave. It is great to swim in this refreshing water; the only thing is that it is a bit cool due to the lack of direct sunshine.
• Cenote Samulá: Closer to Xkeken, Cenote Samulá has the beam of light that manages its way through an opening at the roof of the cave down to the crystal-clear waters. Entrance is also very cheap at about 80 MXN ($4.50), and photo opportunities make for one more unforgettable time. Both of these cenotes are merely the definition of the perfect ending to your adventure here in Valladolid.
Pro Tip: Equally easy to visit both on a combined ticket for about 150 MXN ($8), thus super friendly to the traveler’s budget.
Evening – Return to Cancun
After a day of seeing nature and history in Valladolid, it is time to go back to Cancun to catch your flight home. It takes 2 hours from Valladolid back to Cancun. Be sure and leave plenty of time to return your rental car and check in to your flight.
Along the way, we cut through a short-lived but violent rainstorm-the powerful reminder of the caprice of tropical weather: when traveling in the Yucatan, always expect the unexpected!
CONCLUSION
This is one tour for the most unforgettable five-day Yucatan Peninsula journey, combining all views on nature, history, and culture into one. A different day, a different opening of a door: one for a swimming affair with whale sharks offshore of Cancun and another one with Chichen-Itza and its mystic Mayan ruins.
Swim in the most beautiful cenotes, climb old pyramids, and soak in the culture of Valladolid, with all the budget-friendly tips in mind and where real locals go.
And it is precisely that which makes this region so unique: capable of fitting any kind of traveler, from the extreme sport enthusiast to the history buff, to those who only want to relax in paradise. Matching the beauty of the Yucatán’s natural and cultural heritage are the warmth and hospitality of its people. As we reflect on time in the Yucatan, reality dawns that this is a lot more than a vacation-this is actually an adventure unto itself that lives far beyond you into eternity. Thus, when you are ready for the most of Yucatan adventures, go ahead and start making travel plans now. Trust us, all the memories you will have here are lifetime ones.
