The Riviera Maya is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is also SO much more than Tulum (although Tulum is pretty awesome too). Rent a car, drive around and explore!
Practicalities for Riviera Maya
Currency: Mexican pesos
Recommended length of stay: two weeks
Month of visit: August
Useful tips: Rent a car – but don’t forget your International Drivers Permit!
CDC’s Recommended Vaccinations: Click here!
Packing List
- 3 bathing suits and cover ups
- 1 lightweight jacket
- 3 dresses or lightweight shirt/shorts
- Sneakers
- Water shoes
- Waterproof bag
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
Cozumel
Our journey in the Riviera Maya actually started in Cozumel, which is an island off the east coast of Mexico. We flew directly into Cozumel from LAX, which was a breezy overnight flight. After waking up and landing we felt well rested and ready to begin our Mexican adventure.
We took a taxi directly to our hotel, the Melia Cozumel. This was our first time at an all-inclusive resort, and probably the last. The resort itself is set in a pristine area of the beach with absolutely stunning views. We found the food and drinks to be lackluster, and it was difficult to get “reservations” at the on-site restaurants. We stayed for three nights and ended up eating at the same restaurant every single night (with the same limited menu choices). There was however a massive fish tank that we enjoyed next to our dinner table. We did enjoy playing mini-golf at the resort and spending lots of time on the beach relaxing. Our room was a beachfront suite with a hot tub overlooking the ocean. There was also an ongoing group of lively beach volleyball players. We didn’t do much outside of the hotel in Cozumel.
Playa Del Carmen
After a few days of gluttony, we left Cozumel and took a ferry over to Playa Del Carmen, officially beginning our Riviera Maya journey. This was a bustling little city on the land-side of Cozumel. Here we strolled through the streets, hit up a market, then settled in for some beachfront ceviche and margs. Later on we picked up our car and hit the road.
Tulum
Tulum is only about an hour’s drive from Playa del Carmen, down the coast. You might want to stop at Akumal along the way, which has a prestigious dive center. The dive center can also arrange cruises over the pristine waters of the Caribbean Sea if you’re so inclined.
Tulum is what we like to describe as “vibey”. Everywhere we went, there was so much to see, hear, taste and feel. Be forewarned though, that Tulum is FULL of people taking pictures of themselves or of other people. Casual plug for living in the moment, my friends! Also, many of the hotels require you to have an actual photographers permit ($$$) before taking any pictures, so you may get told to put your camera away. We only shoot on iPhone but were still a little hesitant.
We stayed at Azucar Hotel Tulum which I highly recommend due to location and again, vibes. Our hotel suite had a rooftop PRIVATE pool overlooking the ocean, and had a super central location to all of the great food and drink spots on the beach. Plenty of people visit Tulum to party. We had a great time enjoying quesadillas and napping in the sun! It can get pricey though, and there are other coastal towns in Mexico that provide a little more value if you don’t want to “party”.
The Cenotes
One aspect of Tulum that we really enjoyed was that it was very close to multiple cenotes in the area. There is even one restaurant in Tulum that has its own private cenote, which was one of Yas’s favorite experiences! A few of the more popular (and hence busier) cenotes in the area are Cenote Suytun and Cenote Ik Kil. We enjoyed snorkeling through Sac Actun but you need to be able to swim to see anything much at this cenote.
Here is a picture of Yas getting ready to snorkel through the Sac Actun cenote – she was terrified! The other cenotes we visited were less strenuous.
Chichen Itza
Driving through Quintana Roo puts you very close to Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of the world! Definitely visit here if you’re on a Quintana Roo road trip to see the iconic Mayan pyramids. Be sure to come early if you can to avoid the lines. Visit the sacred cenote on site, and wander through the artisan market.
Bacalar
Next on our road trip was the Lagoon of Seven Colors. It’s very easy to see how it gets its name. We found Beach Club Blu which was such a fun place to relax and hang out. Here we enjoyed some interesting frozen drinks to cool off, and had the best ceviche of our lives here. We spent all afternoon jumping off the dock and swimming in the crystal clear warm waters.
During our time here, we stayed at MCH Maya Bacalar, which we highly recommend. We found our hotel room to be very clean and new, with a beautiful hot tub overlooking the lake. Be forewarned that there are quite a few critters outdoors at night that you may end up sharing the hot tub with!
Isla Holbox
We continued our journey through scenic Quintana Roo road trip and ended up at the tiny village of Chiquila. Here we parked our car for a few nights in a secure garage and took the ferry over to Isla Holbox. This is one of the best-kept secrets of Mexico. Move over Cozumel and Cancun – here comes Isla Holbox! Pristine white sandy beaches, crystal clear sparkling blue water and friendly smiles await you. There are very few cars on the island and everyone gets around by either walking or using golf cart taxis.
We decided to stay at Hotel Las Nubes. This was a beautiful beachfront hotel and our room had a bathtub overlooking the ocean. The restaurant there has a nice selection and beautiful view as well. However, we did have quite a few lizards in our room at night – but its island life!
We found that Isla Holbox was home to many delicious restaurants, many of them beachside. El Sushi de Holbox serves delicious affordable fresh sushi rolls. We also loved Roots Pizza for the good vibes and delicious large pizzas. After dinner we enjoyed walking down the beach which has multiple bars with live music, and even stopped by karaoke night for some delicious drinks at at Temoc Tacos and Mezcal which was a very fun time.
Cancun
After getting back to Chiquila, we hit the road and drove two hours to Cancun. This is a very touristy area and is not really our scene. We stopped in to a beachfront restaurant before flying back to LA. What do you think of our road trip map? By the way, this part of Mexico is just north of Belize!