So we're going next month and while we want to relax we don't want to be stuck at the resort the whole time. We're thinking of a few excursions and would really appreciate some opinions on these. 1. Chichen Itza vs. Tulum CI is more historic and may have more to see. Tulum has the whole "built on a cliff and overlooks the sea" thing going on and may require less of a time commitment. We're really torn on this one. We want to do one of them and can't decide which. 2. Isla Mujeres We saw an excursion going there that included drinks on the boat ride, lunch somewhere there, drinks on the boat and during lunch and beach time somewhere. Is this recommended or are we better off just getting on the ferry and doing our own thing when we get there? I hear you can rent golf carts? And is it easy/safe to get to and from the ferry? We're at the Riu Caribe. 3. Others An excursion to a cenote...or is this just another swimming hole? Deep sea fishing on a shared boat...we're considering this as well. There is a thing called Xoximilco, which is a boat ride on a canal in what looks like woods and includes dinner, drinks and entertainment. It looks intresting, but the pictures always look interesting. This will be our first time in Cancun and we thank you in advance for your your input. Me and Hunny.
Thank you Donald, and that does sound like fun from all I've read about it, but it's not really our thing. Maybe 20 years ago...
We did Tulum on our own several years ago and loved it. We hired a private guide there and I felt we got more out of it than if we had gone on a group tour. Now as I said, this was back in 2010 and we had rented a car and drove ourselves around. We had meant to go to Chicken Pizza but stopped at a small town along the way that had a sort of bazaar going on in the town square and we ended up spending the day there. Not sure I would do that again but it was quite fun then.
Since you are first timers, I doubt you want to make the time commitment required for CI. It's going to wipe out a whole day, or even more if you stay over. Also, it will be brutally hot this time of year. Tulum is a great alternative. Let's face it: after a while, old rocks are old rocks. Ruins are cool and educational and all that, but a trip to Tulum will show you the whole coast, as you necessarily go by Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, and a bunch of hotels sort of out on their own. Plus, the drive to CI is much longer and much more boring. Once at Tulum (be sure and wear a swimsuit) you can check out the ruins and the beach community. This is how we found that we wanted to stay in Tulum instead of Cancun, Playa, etc. Past the ruins (south) is a thriving beach community. Beach Road is a small two lane paved road running south along the coast to the national park that marks its (sort of) end. There are many very small hotels and quite a fine selection of places to eat along the way, and you can stop and go to the beach where you Desire. Most people prefer the beaches at Tulum over any others in the area. And, if you want to stop and explore PDC, you can do that, too. BTW, my plan presupposes that you rent a car instead of taking an excursion. Don't be afraid to do so. It's perfectly safe and civilized. I would also urge you to avoid any excursion to IM, and just go on your own.
Thank you HsvCpl and Feliz. Your insight is most helpful. If anyone else has anything to add, we're listening.
Isla Mujeres is a lot of fun. Take the ferry across and rent a golf cart. The best way is to rent the golf cart at the ferry terminal before you get on the boat. That way you know it will be available and ready when you get there. We went from the same dock as the pirate ships. Once there, you can drive the cart anywhere on the island. There are drive-in liquor stores where you can grab some beer and enjoy it while you are driving around. Make sure you take Pesos though because the businesses in the island will screw you on exchange. Also, vendors are quite pricey and they can get a little pissed if you play hard ball in you negotiations but that is the only way to get a good price with most of them. And I like a challenging negotiation but, I understand some don't.
Boob cruise is a must, ferry over to Isla Mujeres as far as other excursions we went on a private tour to Xplor, there is a bunch of things to do there from ziplining to the cenotes. If you are looking at going to the ruins I would think Chichen Itza
We did the dancer which was fun to isla mujeres and some ruins. We also did Xplor it was ok. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
