5 spots you must visit in Yucatán & Quintana Roo, Mexico

Door: Astromaud

Geplaatst op Feb 29, 2020

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is a city located along the Caribbean Sea, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is a popular tourist area in eastern Mexico. Playa del Carmen features a wide array of tourist activities due to its geographical location in the Riviera Maya. The town has become one of the fastest to grow in population size in Mexico.

Playa del Carmen is mainly known for the many hotels and for the city center. The city center is very crowded and has a lot of different shops, restaurants and bars. it's located directly next to the sea and has a very nice vibe. 

Eventhough there are a lot of tourists and souvenirshops, the city center still feels very Mexican because of the architecture, Mexican music and of course the locals. There are a lot of bars and restaurant that overlook the sea, and give you the most amazing view during the day as well as during the night. 

If you are on a budget; don't worry! Because of the many different places, there's a spot for every budget.

If you're not in the mood for shopping, you can either get your tan on at the beach, rent a bike and explore the area or go to one of the many cenotes in Playa del Carmen.

Tulum

Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya's. It was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.One of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites, Tulum is a popular site for tourists.

Tulum is about an hour by car from Playa del Carmen. The roads in Yucatán are very good so it's easy to rent your own car. Once you get to the parkingspot of Tulum, there's an are where you can get souvenirs and food. you'll have to walk about ten minutes from this are to the entrance of the park. It'll cost you about $8 for a ticket. 

The site of Tulum is located next to the sea, but nevertheless VERY hot. Make sure you bring enough water and it could be a good idea to wear a hat! 

There are several buildings on the site and you'll probably spend about an hour/ hour and a half here. 

You can't touch or climb any of the buildings, but the view is rewarding enough!

Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos is a town and seaport in Quintana Roo, Mexico's easternmost state, on the Yucatán Peninsula. The town is located in the northeast of the state, about 36 km south of the resort city of Cancún, and about 30 km north of the city of Playa del Carmen. The marine terminal at Puerto Morelos is equipped to handle containers and is the oldest, largest and most important seaport in the state of Quintana Roo.

Puerto Morelos is since a couple of years a very touristic spot. The last couple of years a lot of hotels and restaurants have settled here. There's almost no space to park your car, and the beach is very crowded. But what makes Puerto Morelo different than the other cities in Yucatán, is the authentic little harbour.  Fishermen catch their own fish here, and clean them on the spot! Every other hour there are some boats leaving to catch some more fish. For a small price you could join them on the boat at have a look at how they do it. 

Ek' Balam

Ekʼ Balam is a Yucatec-Maya archaeological site within the municipality of Temozón, Yucatán, Mexico. It lies in the Northern Maya lowlands, 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Valladolid and 56 kilometres (35 mi) northeast of Chichen Itza. From the Preclassic until the Postclassic period, it was the seat of a Mayan kingdom.

The site is noted for the preservation of the plaster on the tomb of Ukit Kan Lek Tokʼ, a king buried in the side of the largest pyramid.

There are a lot of famous archeological sites in Mexico. Ek' Balam is not on of them. And because of that reason, it's a lot better preserved than most of the other temples. What makes Ek' Balam even more special, is that it is one of the few temples you can actually climb. And the view is amazing! On a clear day, from the top of the Acrópolis, temples of Cobá and Chichén Itzá can be seen on the horizon. 

What makes Ek' Balam even more special, is that a lot of the paintings are still very well visible on the temples. It truly is a magical place. 

Bacalar 

Bacalar is the largest city in Bacalar Municipality in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The name most likely derives from Mayan languages: bʼak halal, meaning "surrounded by reeds", the name of the locality attested at the time of the 16th century arrival of the Spanish.

There are a lot of different activities you can do in Bacalar. You can shop in one of the shops in the main town, you can lay at the beach, you can pay for a tour and swim with sea turtles (You can also hire a snorkling set and search for the turtles yourself),  you can enjoy Mexican food in one of the beach bars, take a lot of pretty pictures and just walk around and enjoy the beautiful area. 

Bacalar is a really laid back town, so just put on your bikini and chill!