Mexico Itinerary
This Mexico itinerary outlines our day-by-day travel journal in the Yucatan Peninsula during the month of February. It includes transportation, costs, highlights, and general tips which may come in handy if you’re planning to visit Mexico.
Day 1 – Cancun Airport to Isla Holbox
We flew into Cancun Airport and travelled directly to Isla Holbox. Our flight into Cancun was an early one which made it easier for us to head directly to the island. We arrived on Isla Holbox in the evening and explored the town, visited the market, and indulged in local street food.
Getting from Cancun Airport to Isla Holbox
Travel time: 6 hours
Travel cost: 634 MXN per person (approx. US$32)
Travel mode: Public buses + ferry (ADO bus)
Day 2 – Isla Holbox
We booked a package tour to Yalahau lagoon, Isla Pasion and Isla Pajaros. We were also meant to visit Punto Mosquito (more on this here!)
Day 3 – Isla Holbox
Spent the day on the beach at Playa Punta Cocos.
Day 4 – Isla Holbox to Merida
Spent some time walking around the town of Isla Holbox, caught an afternoon ferry to Chiquila, and an evening bus to Merida (arrived at 21:30).
Getting from Isla Holbox to Merida
Travel time: 5 hours (time zone change)
Travel cost: 708 MXN per person (approx. US$36)
Travel mode: ferry + public bus (ADO bus)
Day 5 – Merida & Uxmal
Visited the insightful Mayan World Museum, then headed to the Uxmal ruins. Checked out Parque de Santiago, Parque de Santa Lucia and Plaza Grande in the evening.
Getting from Merida to Uxmal ruins
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Travel cost: 88 MXN per person (approx. US$4)
Travel mode: public bus (company called SUR)
Day 6 – Merida to Valladolid
Caught a morning bus from Merida, arrived in Valladolid at 13:00, and headed straight to Cenote Suytun. Spent the evening in Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado.
Getting from Merida to Valladolid
Travel time: 3 hours
Travel cost: $18 per person
Travel mode: public bus (ADO bus)
Day 7 – Valladolid & Chichen Itza
Took the early colectivo from Valladolid to Chichen Itza (arrived at 07:50). We suggest visiting in the morning – the ruins are crowded in the afternoon.
Getting from Valladolid to Chichen Itza
Travel time: 40 minutes
Travel cost: 40 MXN per person (approx. US$2)
Travel mode: colectivo (small van)
Day 8 – Valladolid to Bacalar
Left Valladolid in the morning and arrived in Bacalar at 16:30. This was mostly a travel day – once we arrived in Bacalar, we checked out the town center and had dinner.
Getting from Valladolid to Bacalar
Travel time: 6 hours
Travel cost: 456 MXN per person (approx. US$23)
Travel mode: public bus (ADO bus)
Day 9 – Bacalar
Spent some time at Cenote Cocalitos and explored the town of Bacalar, including the fort of San Felipe.
Day 10 – Bacalar
Spent a good part of our day at Parque Nacional Maracuya swimming and taking in the beautiful colours of the laguna.
Day 11 – Bacalar to Tulum
Spent the morning kayaking in the laguna and later departed Bacalar. Arrived in Tulum at 17:15.
Getting from Bacalar to Tulum
Travel time: 3 hours
Travel cost: 324 MXN per person (approx. US$17)
Travel mode: public bus (ADO bus)
Day 12 – Tulum
3 scuba dives in Riviera Maya cenotes – 1 dive in ‘El Pit’ and 2 dives in ‘Dos Ojos’.
Day 13 – Tulum
Borrowed 2 bicycles from our hotel and rode them to the popular beaches Playa Los Palmas and Playa Paraiso. Took a short snorkeling tour and spotted some turtles and stingrays. Spent the evening in the center of Tulum.
Day 14 – Tulum
Our last day in Tulum was quite laid-back – spent some more time in Tulum center, had breakfast, visited some shops, and relaxed by the hotel’s pool.
Day 15 – Tulum to Playa del Carmen
Left Tulum and arrived in Playa del Carmen at 14:30.
Getting from Tulum to Playa del Carmen
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Travel cost: $7
Travel mode: public bus (ADO bus)
Day 16 – Playa del Carmen
We spent the day relaxing on the beach and exploring the main street of Playa del Carmen. In retrospect, we would have preferred if we had departed Playa del Carmen on this day and gained an extra day in Cozumel.
Day 17 – Playa del Carmen to Cozumel
Caught an early ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel, rented a scooter for the day and explored the entire island – Money bar, SkyReef, Bar Miami, El Mirador, Playa Chen Rio, Coconuts.
Getting from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel
Travel time: 30 minutes
Travel cost: 235 MXN per person (approx. US$12)
Travel mode: Ferry (Winjet)
Day 18 – Cozumel
Scuba diving at 2 different sites, Palancar Rocks and Yucab Reef. Every single day we spent diving in Cozumel was incredible – we absolutely love this place!
Day 19 – Cozumel
Another 2 boat dives at 2 different sites: Palancar Gardens and Tormentos Reef.
Day 21 – Cozumel to Cancun
This was mostly a travel day – we departed Cozumel at 11:00 via ferry and caught the afternoon bus to Cancun from Playa Del Carmen.
Getting from Cozumel to Cancun
Travel time: 30 mins (ferry) & 1 hour 45 mins (bus)
Travel cost: 315 MXN per person (includes ferry & bus) (approx. US$16)
Travel mode: ferry (Winjet) + bus (ADO)
Day 21 – Depart Cancun Airport
Departed Mexico on an early flight from Cancun airport.
Getting from Cancun to Cancun Airport
Travel time: 25 minutes
Travel cost: 94 MXN per person (approx. US$5)
Travel mode: public bus (ADO)
Useful information and tips
Transportation
- ADO buses are a cost effective means of getting around in the Yucatan peninsula. They’re also quite comfortable (especially when compared to other buses in Central America).
- We recommend buying your ADO bus tickets a few days in advance, especially if you are sure of your departure times – some popular bus routes and times tend to be sold out.
- You can buy physical bus tickets from any ADO kiosk or online via their mobile app (it’s in Spanish, but easy enough to follow).
Money
- Although most places accept US Dollars, we suggest carrying some local currency as well – you may find that it’s cheaper to pay using local currency in certain places.
Others
- Buy a local sim card. As with most places, having a data connection makes getting around easier.
- Book your dives in advance where possible! We don’t normally book much in advance, but this was one of those cases where not booking in advance could have really affected our plans. We were ultimately lucky to find a dive center with enough space to take us on (a good number of dive centers didn’t have space).