8 Places to see in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula outside Cancun

They did not look that impressive. The hand prints looked like simple graffiti on the wall of the cave, but they were painted there at a time that the Yucatan had more mammoths than Mojitos.

Outside of the all inclusive resorts of Cancun are a number of experiences missed by many of the tourists. You might not get the all inclusive hotel if you venture further afield but you might get a better connection with past and present Yucatecans.

Grutas (Caves) de Loltun

With it’s 10,000 year old cave art, Loltun has some of the oldest evidence of human habitation inn the Yucatan. The cave was also used by the Mayans for ceremonial purposes and later as a place of refugee in times of war. Loltun is the largest of the caves on the Yucatan or at least the largest “dry” cave. Dry here is a relative term, because while the cave is cooler than the surrounding jungle it is only slightly less humid than swimming in the ocean.

Merida

Merida. Is a beautiful colonial city that feels oddly like a small town. Try to be in Merida on a Sunday afternoon and evening when the square fills with vendors and performers. We watched local dancers perform what appeared, based on the woman in the white dress, to be dances from a traditional wedding. For dinner stop at one of the taco vendors along the side of the central square. At 10 pesos a taco we ate for less than $4 each and had one of our best meals in the Yucatan. Save room for dessert. Try the Yucatan version of a crepe, a Marquesita, with queso de bola. Although I am still intrigued by the vendor selling corn flavored ice cream.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is the obvious choice for a Mayan ruin to visit and is majestic with it’s large pyramid. It gets a large number of tourists by 11am in the morning but is large enough to accommodate the crowds. Hire one of the knowledgeable guides for a group for 600 pesos (<$60). If you like to shop beware that the park is also filled with vendors and plan your time accordingly.

Tulum

Tulum is another Mayan ruin with a beautiful setting on the coast south of Playa del Carmen. It is very convenient to reach but is therefore filled with tour groups and is very commercial. The site is much more spectacular than the buildings themselves.

Uxmal

Uxmal is not quite as grand as Chichan Itza but is less crowded and is interesting in it’s own right. It has more interesting ruins and half the crowds in more than twice the space of the more popular ruins at Tulum.

Coba

As controversial as this may be, I might suggest if you are in the Tulum area and have only the time or tolerance for one nearby ruin that you skip Tulum in favor of Coba. Coba is a 45 minute drive from Tulum and is a much larger site. It is so large in fact that you should rent a bike to ride through the jungle between the 3 main sites. If you are not up to a bike ride then you can rent a pedicab and let someone else do the work. Coba also has a pyramid that you can climb that will put you above the jungle canopy.

Grand Cenote

The Yucatan looks like Swiss cheese from the air. It is dotted with numerous sink holes called cenotes, many of which are filled with fresh water. One town south of Merida boats 150 cenotes in the area. For a fun afternoon on a hot Summer day, take a swim in a cenote. We went to the Grand Cenote which is just a few kilometers from Tulum towards Coba. Picture swimming into a cave complete with stalactites and stalagmites. The experience is both cool and very cool!

Playa del Carmen

Playa is an hour or so south of Cancun and is a popular destination for Mexicans and Europeans. It does not have the mega resorts that Cancun offers but is a great place to rent a condo. Playa gets lots of tourists so it has many restaurants on its main drag on 5th Avenue. To save money, find a restaurant off of one of the side streets.

For more ideas about traveling to the Yucatan listen to Travel to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico – Amateur Traveler
Episode 163 which is what motivated my trip.