How To Explore Yucatan Peninsula In Mexico

After Campeche, my next stop was Merida. Merida is the beautiful Capital city of the state of Yucatan. It is also the largest city in Yucatan Peninsula. There are many museums to visit in the city like Merida City Museum, Museo de la Cancion, Mayan world museum, Museo Casa Montejo, Museum of anthropology and history etc. Things to do in Merida City are Walk through the beautiful street of Paseo Montejo, visit Plaza Grade, Catch a show at Jose Peon Theatre, Eat & Drink at Mercado San Benito, Horse Carriage ride, Explore the beautiful city centre of Merida. There are two places you can visit as a day trip from Merida i.e. Uxmal and Progreso. Progreso is a small beach town and Uxmal is an ancient Mayan city.

After Merida, I traveled to Valladolid in the state of Yucatan. Love this place! You ask why? Well, I have one word for you: Cenotes! Cenotes are huge natural (very) deep wells. It is fed by the currents of Underground rivers. Best place to go swimming thanks to its warm waters i.e. 24-25ºC. It is a pure wonder of nature and there are many of them in and around Valladolid. I hired a bicycle and explore most of them during the day. Cenote Zaci is the one located right in the middle of Valladolid town. Other cenotes to explore are Cenote Xkeken, Cenote Dzitnup, Cenote Saamal, Cenote Oxman, Cenote Tekom, Cenote Suytun, Cenote SAC AUA, Cenote Xcanche. The entry fee to cenotes varies up to 100 MXN. Visiting Chichen Itza as a day trip from Valladolid is a must. It is one of the new seven wonders of the world. Chichen Itza is a large Mayan city from the pre-Columbian era. There’s a Cenote in Chichen Itza too but one cannot swim there. When in Valladolid, explore this colourful town by walk and do catch a light show at Parque Sisal.

After exploring the stunning Cenotes of the state of Yucatan, I traveled to the state of Quintana Roo. My first stop was the town of Playa del Carmen. My only motivation to visit this beach town was to do Skydiving. I wrote in detail about my Skydiving experience here. My favourite beach in Playa del Carmen has to be Playa Punta Esmeralda. This secluded beach is quiet and beautiful. Do visit Playa del Carmen beach in the early morning to beat the crowds.

Do not miss visiting this absolutely stunning Island of Cozumel if you are visiting Playa del Carmen town. There’s a ferry every couple of hours from the terminal near Parque Los Fundadores in Playa del Carmen to reach Cozumel. One way ticket is 220-250 MXN depending upon which ferry company you choose. The best way to explore Cozumel island is to rent a bike and circle the Island. Loved it! Driving along the seashore was a goosebumps-inducing experience even though I hate driving. There are many beaches, viewpoints, attractions like Mayan ruins, cenote, castle on the way. My secret spot where I spend the most time was a shack on the Playa Bonita. Check the message I wrote on the structure above! Quite recently, I received a DM on my Instagram with the picture of this structure 🙂 The next day, I took a snorkelling tour. We went to several reefs like Colombia Reef, Palancar Reef, Paradise Reef followed by crystal blue waters of El Cielo Beach. Unfortunately, much of the Cozumel reefs have been damaged due to “white syndrome” disease. You can see the Snorkelling video here. Do visit Isla de la Pasion in the north end of Cozumel if you get a chance.