Two-hour flight from Houston, walkable in sandals, made for relaxing mornings and long dinners. Closer than CDMX, more interesting than Cancun, and exactly the right pace for a weekend in the jungle if you're in the mood to swim in blue cenote waters.

WHAT

sightseeing, snorkeling, dining

WHERE

Tulum, Chichen Itza, Coba, Sian Kaan*, Playa del Carmen*

DURATION

>2 days

Notes:

• Getting around: rent a car or use Uber. Bikes work for short hops on the beach road.

• Cash: bring pesos. Many cenotes are cash-only and don't refund.

• Reef-safe sunscreen only at cenotes (they'll check).

• Best window: Nov–April (dry season). Avoid July–Oct (sargassum + storms).

Day 1 - Ruins + Cenotes

• Tulum Mayan Ruins (go at 8 AM open — brutal by 10)

• Playa Paraíso Beach Club (walkable from ruins)

• Gran Cenote (morning, mostly shallow has turtles, caves. You can rent gears)

• Cenote Calavera (5 min away — smaller cenote, w jumping platforms)

• Sfer Ik (cool atmospheric art space, modern jungle atmosphere)

Day 2 - Coba or Chichen Itza

• Coba Archaeological Site (~45 min drive — jungle ruins, rent a bike inside)

• Chichen Itza Ruins (2hr+ drive from Tulum) one of the world's wonders

• Cenote Ik-Kil (verdant and scenic cenote, lifevests must be worn at all times, 25m deep! no diving)

  
  

Day 3 - Cenotes + Ocean Snorkeling

• Cenote Dos Ojos (best snorkeling cenote, tight caves, swimming required, not ideal for the claustrophobic)

• Cenote Taak Bi Ha (semi enclosed cavern cenote)

• Snorkeling on the beach, Mexico has one of the larger coral reserves. Book through Airbnb or Viator.

  
  

  *ALT DAY 3 (if you're not into the swimming)

• Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (book a boat tour — dolphins, mangroves, floating channels)

• XCARET Park (Playa del Carmen) eco-archaeological park with all kinds of attraction, animals, shows, cenotes, ziplines, etc

Dining/Cafes

• Ilios fresh seafood and vibes, has a bit of a greco-party vibe

• Hartwood seafood, open air

• Arca soft shell crabs, grilled octopus

• Mezzanine thai food by the beach, near the ruins

• Burrito Amor a little outside of Tulum, vegan options, good white sauce

• Rosa Negra latin-western fusion, gets a little litty at night

• Frescos soft shell crab tacos

• Vegan Tacos Perro No Come Perro (street vendor, amazing vegan tacos)

• Pasha Mediterranean/Turkish

• Cafe Antonella good french bakery

• Botanica Garden cafe, good brunch spot

• Panna e Cioccolato good gelato spot on main st

We loved going to Chedraui grocery store for Mexican snacks, souvenirs

(Updated December 2021)