Estado de Yucatán Travel Forum

We are traveling to Cancun in August and would like to visit Coba and Pac Chen. Do we need to sign up for a tour in order to visit Pac Chen or can we visit on our own? We will be renting a car so we will have transportation. I will appreciate any information and tips you can provide. Thank you

Does anyone have any recommendations for affordably priced ($20US to $40US) hotels in Merida that are near the action. I would like to be close to the zocalo, street markets, nightlife, etc...I do need a room with a bath, but besides that, I'm not to picky.

Thanks

Last time I visited Chichen Itza they only did the light and sound show on Wednesdays, I just read on the mayaland website that they do it every night now. Can anyone confirm this is true? Secondly I plan on getting to Chichen Itza after five which is when the park closes, do they still allow you to pay to gain entrance for the light and sound show after five? Thanks in advance

We are struggling with whether to rent a car or take the buses during our trip to Progreso May 24 through 31. Do you....or anyone...have info on private drivers ?

I'm planning on driving from Palenque to Santa Elena, the map seems fairly straight forward in terms of taking route 186 to 261, its all the small unmarked roads that have me concerned. Same with all the small unmarked roads from Uxmal to route 180 D. My question is are these roads hard to navigate? Even though they are unmarked, according to the map there aren't very many roads so I figure it would be just a matter of turning on the road on my left or right if I'm following the map. If anyone has driven these roads from 261 to Uxmal, or the roads from Uxmal heading East to 180D, not via Merida, any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated. Thanks

Hello hello. Has anybody taken a private tour that they would recommend from Akumal to Chichen Itza? Please send along any website or information. Thanks so much and have a great day.

hey all,

I've got 2 weeks off at the end of march and i'm trying to plan a last minute trip for myself. I've never been to the caribbean side of mexico and wondering if anyone can suggest the right place/s to go? I'm definately on a tight budget but i found a ticket to cancun for 600 bucks so i thought i could fly in and stay at some cheapy hotels somewhere. i have no desire for cancun and would rather something smaller. I would still like to be able to meet some people so not too small. Is tulum a good place to go for a few days? should i do playa del carmen? I want to explore the ruins as well and snorkel. any suggestions at all is great. thanks!

1. Is bus service available between Merida and Uxmal? Is 1-day tour to Uxmal from Merida enough?

2. Any bus from Valladolid to Cancun?

3. How about safety of above areas comparing to Mexico city?

Thank you for your answers.

Hi guys,

My wife and I have finally decided to go around Yucatan (along with our teenage daughter) on the first week of May, flying into Merida from the US and right after a 3-day stay at Mexico City. Please give your views on this proposed itinerary:

day 1: arrive in Merida in the afternoon, check in at hotel and explore the town.
day 2: being a Sunday, I heard it's fiesta time in Merida so hang around till noon, then in the afternoon go to Chichen Itza and check in at a local hotel.
day 3: tour Chich ruins in the morning, go and tour Coba in the afternoon, then return to Merida afterwards.
day 4: go to Uxmal/Puuc route for the whole day, then back to Merida.
day 5: go to Cancun early morning, stay there the whole day then back to Merida.
day 6: fly back to the US via Mexico City.

Given this schedule, do you think days 2-4 could only be done with the use of a rental car or could we manage by bus? And does anyone have any feedback on the Dolores Alba hotel in Merida or Chichen? It's not listed among the VT Merida hotels tab though the Frommer's website rates it 1-star (out of 3).

Thanks for any remarks!

Unfortunately Merida seems to be overbooked during the time, I want to visit Mexico. So I'm not able to book via www.opodo.de and www.expedia.de. Unfortunately it is impossible to book via www.orbittz.com (or similar American offerors) without having a US billing addess (it works for some European countries, but unfortunately not for Austria).

So where to book? Do you know other adresses? How does http://www.mexicohoteles.com.mx/ work (unfortunately only in Spanish but self-explanatory... Are all mentioned hotels available? Will I be booked immediately?).

Do you have any other ideas?

I need a hotel in Merida from 10th or 11th March till 16th or 17th (depending on the flight I'll catch) and in Cancun from about 17th till 24th.

Hi VTers.
Looking for ideas on places to stay and things to do in Merida. Going there in May (for a 5 day weekend). Plans to visit Chichin Itza, other than that we're open.
We're a couple, in our 20's, would be willing to stay in a hotel or hostel...mainly we need something on the cheaper side.
What about travel to the ruins? Should we book a tour or take a bus? One more question, should we stay in Chichin Itza or head back to Merida for the night?
Thanks, as always, for all help!

What is the most comfortable way to get to Tikal from Yuacatan peninsula (I suppose Campeche and/or Tulum will be the southernmost point I'd reach in Yucatan without this detour) Apart from the mentioned I'd be staying in Merida and Cancun the most time of my journey.... Is there any chance for a short trip to Tikal? How long would you estimate, that this trip takes?

btw: I suppose it is forbidden to cross the borders with hired cars, isn't it?

Is Merida a good basis for daily trips to all the sights in Yucatan peninsula?
Especially I'm thinking about visiting Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Valladolid, Ek Balam, Izamal, Tulum and may be Campeche.
Do you think it is more clever to go back to a prebooked hotel in Merida every night or to book several hotels near all the sights (a typical "round-trip") (btw, I suppose it is also a question of cost).
How long would you plan for such a trip? Did I miss some must-sees? And would it be possible to do all daily trips from Cancun as well?

Btw: Is there any comfortable way to see Tikal as well or is it too far abroad?

Due to a job-related change I'm thinking about spending my remaining days of vacation in Yucatan. I'd like to stay in a sea ressort for relaxing but also partying for one week and to combine my visit with a round trip.

My problem is, that I am in a hurry, because the only possibility for me to make this journey is in the time from 8th of March till 30th of March (I am thinking about a two-week journey).

I already contacted local (=Austrian) travel agencies and it is hard to find a fitting offer due to the short time in advance. They offered me Hotel "Iberostar Paraiso del Mar" in Riviera Maya (all-inclusive) for one week combined with a one-week guided bus tour. The price is almost 3.000 EUR, so very expensive imho.

So I need you help, please answer quickly, because time is quickly running out:

-Do you kow any offerors for one-week round-trips, where only the hotels (and a hire car) is booked? (To feel more assured I'd prefer to book it online in advance...)

-Do you know cheap offers for hotels in Cancun (almost all hotels offered by Austrian and German offerors are fully booked due to Easter holidays)?

-Are there budget airlines (like Ryan air) from the U.S.? (probably I can manage to get a cheap flight to the states and fly to Cancun from there). Where would I be able to book them?

-Is Belize (Xunantunich) and Guatemala (Tikal, Flores) worth the detour and the problems occuring due to the impossibility to use rented cars outside of Mexico?

-Do you know the mentioned above hotel in Riviera Maya?

Thank you in advance!

We will be in Merida for three days in early April staying at the Luz en Yucatan. This will be our second trip to this wonderful city. We went to an hennequin plantation and to Uxmal the first time, as wellas browsing the city and the zocalo. We would love some suggestions for not-to-miss other short trips and/or things to do in the city. We'd love to go to Celustun (sp) but we'd love to see more of the city! I cried when we left.
Chris

We will be in Progresso for several hours. Looking for best beach - do not want ot pay$$$ to go to one of the all inclusive places. Would like chairs, drink available and snorkling - appreciate any and all ideas.

I will be in the Yucatan (including the Cancun area, Merida, Valladolid and Chichen Itza) in mid-March. My first question: how careful do I need to be with what I eat? I know to take extreme caution with fruits and vegetables and not to drink the water, but are other foods okay?

Second question: what are some must-bring items?

And I guess I'll throw in one more: we have a pretty good itinerary already, but if there are some things that we must see, I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks!

We're looking to stay for 1-2 weeks on the beach in a not too touristy, quiet, reasonably priced, safe cabin, palapa, B&B, house... I speak Spanish and would love to have a town nearby to be able to also wander around and chat with people. Have been reading about Holbox, Tulum... I was in Tulum 20 years ago and wonder how built up it has become. Any suggestions for a town and accommodations?

Thanks, gracias, obrigada, merci, toda rabah, arigato, a sheynem dank, kap kun ka...

I just read an article in the Merida Insider on Dengue Fever. Is this a concern in the Merida/Progreso area? As a visitor, what precautions would you suggest?

Thanks, Kate

We want to rent a car for one month (beginning mid-February) at Merida airport. We are looking for an all inclusive rental rate. Where should we find the best deal?
Thanks.

Are there any internet cafes at or near the Port of Progreso? I am traveling to Progreso in January and need access to the internet to send and receive data. Can anyone provide any information.

Planning on a one or two day stop in Merida and am looking for recommendation for lodging right in the middle of where what ever happes in Merida is happening. Not looking for any frills, just a real Mexican experience.

Hello Everyone

Thank you very much for all the information and suggestions that you have given us here on this forum. We're two college students on budget so we decided to do pretty much everything by bus. We bought Moon Handbooks and it's great with giving us the bus schedule and duration for all the cities.

Day 01 (Sunday): Stay in Merida to enjoy the street festivals

Day 02 (Monday, Christmas Eve): Take one of those ATS buses that go to the Puuc Route and visit Uxmal and other smaller sites along the route.

Day 03 (Tuesday, Christmas Day): Take the first class bus early and enjoy the sight. Leave for Valladolid by bus after lunch. Have Genesis Retreat pick up from the bus station and transfer to their guesthouse. Hopefully, we would have time to tour Ek'Balam before the sun sets. Stay the night at Genesis Retreat.

Day 04 (Wednesday): Take the first bus out from Valladolid to Tulum. After lunch, we would like to go to Coba but there is no bus from Coba to Merida after 2:30 in the afternoon and I don't think there is enough time. So it seems like we are going to have to skip Coba this time. Perhaps, we could take a quick ride to Cancun and stay around for a while. Take a late evening bus back to Merida.

Day 05 (Thursday): Visit Campeche by bus. After staying in the town for a while, take a bus to Edzna.

Day 06 (Friday): This is our last day in Mexico and I haven't planned this out yet. We would like to visit one of the haciendas. We're thinking of Hacienda Sotuta de Peon and it looks like we're gonna have to contact a local tour company. Any other suggestion?

The itenerary above is only going to work out if the buses run like any other days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Please feel free to comment or tell us what you think.

HJ

We will be arriving at Cancun airport on December 24 at noon. We want to travel to Merida on the same day, if possible by bus. Will we be able to get bus seats since it is Christmas Eve?

I have heard that they stage "posada"s in Merida evenings in December. Does anyone know where it will be help on December 24 evening?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hello,

My name is Maria and I'm a Yoga teacher from Prescott, AZ in the USA, planning a Yoga retreat at a private house in Uaymitun in 2009.
We intend to visit various ruins during our 1, 2 or 3 week retreat.
The house is secluded so when we go out we would like to interact with the residents and use public transportation.

1 - Would this be a possibility at all?

2 - Do the buses go out to Uaymitun?

3 - Are there buses from Uaymitun to Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Ek Balam, Loltun Caves, etc.?

4 - Can I get a Bus Schedule somewhere on the internet? If not can I contact someone down there to send me one?

5 - If the public transportation is not an option, what would you recommend?

Any and all help would be truly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.

In Peace & Beauty,
Maria

Hello Everyone

My friend and I will be in Merida from December 22nd (Saturday) to December 28th (Friday). This is our first time visiting Mexico and we are going to set our base in Merida to explore the ruins and visit the nearby small towns.

Our biggest concern is whether we should join a local tour group or take a bus on our own. We would like to go to Chichen Itza and Valladolid one day. We are planning of devoting one full day to explore the Puuc Route and another day to visit Tulum and Cancun. Is it possible to go to Tulum and Cancun from Merida by bus on the same day? We would also like to go to Campeche and visit a hacienda if time permits. We're two asian girls and we don't speak spanish. Would it be easy for us to take bus to all of the places I mentioned above?

The other question is what we should do on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Do buses operate on those days? If not, is there any public celebration in Merida? We're not really into hopping bars, drinking or clubbing, etc.

Thanks for your time.

Heidi and Justine

IS THERE BUS TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM MERIDA INTL AIRPORT?

I tried Ticket Bus but I did not find the schedule of buses from Chichen Itza to Merida. I know the buses go hourly from Cancun to Chichen Itza. BUt the continuation onward I can't find. I little help?

Also I can't find the schedule from Merida to Chetumal.

Are 'Holiday Schedules' Different. Are bus services offered on 24/12/2007, 25/12/2007, or 26/12/2007?

Is ADO better than UNO? Does it matter?

How long is the ride from Chichen Itza to Merida?

Thank you,
as

Hi,

I want to stay in Chichen Itza overnight to see both night show and to spend a whole day on the ruines.
As far as I see, there are three hotels close there. Villas Arquelogicas is booked out, two others are very expensive. Which unexpensive and QUIET (without traffic noise) hotels are available close at Chichen Itza? Or do I need to stay at Valladolid? Which hotels are good and quiet at Valladolid? How much it costs to go there (from and to ruines) on taxi?

Leo

1. We are staying in Uaymitun for January 2008. So far, we do not plan to rent a car as we've heard that public transportation is plentiful and cheap. I'd love suggestions of day trips we could take. I realize that we are staying in a fairly isolated place so I'm interested in other travelers experiences staying in this area. I'm concerned that I may get bored!! I like to do something interesting at least part of every day and not just lay around the pool/beach.

2. I have to keep in fairly regular touch with my family in Canada as I have an elderly somewhat unwell parent. Where is the closest internet cafe? Is there any wireless access in the area at all?

3. Is it easy to find groceries? Would it be difficult to transport a few large shopping bags in the public bus/combi?

Thanks for any and all help!