The Yucatan Peninsula is an amazing vacation spot in Mexico, because of its beautiful, sandy beaches, colorful towns, cenotes with crystal clear water and delicious food. For many people, Yucatan is only about luxury resorts and beachside parties, but in reality this part of Mexico is filled with hidden gems, architecture wonders and many more adventurous things. It you love adventures as I do, you will be amazed by this part of Mexico. In this post I put together a 12-day Road Trip Itinerary in the Yucatan Peninsula, with the best things to do and to see. I hope it will inspire you to see more than just the most famos resert towns on the Riviera Maya. I hope you enjoy this post! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more content @sarowly.

How to get to Yucatan/Quintana Roo?

I flew directly from San Francisco (SFO) to Cancun (CUN), the flight was 5 hour long and I paid around $500 for a round-trip with United in Economy Class. I’m sure you may be able to find cheaper flights, because last year I paid only $250 for a round trip, the same flight. From Cancun, I took a private shuttle to one first destination - Tulum (it costed about $120), you can easily order it on the airport’s website (you need to book your transportation beforehand, to make sure it’s a legal and safe company), don’t order taxi at the airport, since it will more expensive.

Approaching to Cancun International Airport

Best places to see on the Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo

Tulum - 3 days

We started off the trip by spending 3 nights in Tulum, we stayed at Copal Tulum Hotel, I loved its boho style & decor. I can highly recommend you this hotel, our room was so spacious, it had 1 bedroom, living room, 2 bathrooms and a big terrace, it was equipped with the kitchen and all necessary things. The hotel has two pools - one pool in the jungle & one infinity pool. You can book that hotel here. I would love to stay there again.

How to get around Tulum?

We rented bikes, but a motobike is also a good option. I don’t recommend renting a car, because of the expensive parking near beach in the Hotel Zone & huge traffic. If you love adventures, I think bike is the best option to feel the ambiance of the place, it also depends what part of the city you will be staying it. Our hotel was located about 7 miles from the beach.

Tulum Highlights:

Tulum Cenotes (Grand Cenote & Cenote Cavaliera)
Tulum Mayan Ruins
Hotel Zone with all the beach bars & boho restaurants
Streets of Tulum in Pueblo (center of the Tulum)
Beach day in Tulum (a clean beach is near hotel Ahau, you can enter through it)
Sian Ka’an (book a one day trip with a travel agency)

Where to eat in Tulum?

My favorite restaurant that I visited was Mamazzita, it’s a boho Mexican styled restaurant located in the Hotel Zone, their food is great and the cocktails were delicious, you should check out this place. I ordered guacamoli and tuna tostadas.

Sian Ka’an - 1 day

Sian Ka’an is a biosphere reserve near Tulum which contains tropical forests, mangroves and a large marin section with the reef. It’s home to many species & ecosystems. Its name means “Origin of the Sky” and it’s one of the Mexico’s largest protected areas. You can spot there wild dolphins, sea turtles, crocodiles and lots of different birds. The best way to experience Sian Ka’an is by booking a one-day tour with the local agencies or private travel guides. I recommend booking a tour which includes a boat ride instead of driving the bumpy road, this is what we did. The tour was around $140 USD per person and it was such a wonderful experience! Don’t forget to visit Sian Ka’an when you will be in Tulum, is a must-see place, especially if you love wildlife & nature.

Playa del Carmen - 3 days

After spending three nights in Tulum, we headed to Playa del Carmen. Since we weren’t renting a car in Tulum we took a bus, Ado (you can purchse the tickets in their mobile app), it costed around $12 per person. Playa del Carmen is a vibrant city with lots of restaurants, clubs and beach bars, the city center is located on the 5th avenue. I recommend you to book your hotel or appartement close to the heart of the city. I went twice to Playa del Carmen and I stayed in those two places: Macondo 5th Avenue (it was an airbnb/aparthotel) and Hotel Marvic (a boutique hotel).

If you’re looking for something more affortable and airbnb style, check out this airbnb with amazing location right on the 5th Avenue (my friend from Poland, Domi, owns is, she is also a travel guide and blogger in the Riviera Maya).

Xpu-Ha Beach between Playa del Carmen and Tulum

How to get around Playa del Carmen?

You don’t need a car to get around Playa del Carmen, but if you would like to go to the nearby beaches, I suggest your renting one. We went to an amazing, wild beach Xpu-Ha (between Playa del Carmen & Tulum) and Cenote Azul, it was very convenient that we had a car, but it’s also possible to get there using a public transportation such as Collectivo.

Playa del Carmen Highlights:

Playa Punta Esmeralda
5th Avenue with all the colorful streets & murals
Cenote Azul & Cenote Cristalino
Xpu-Ha Beach

Where to eat in Playa del Carmen?

I went to many nice restaurants and bars, which were mostly located close to the 5th Avenue. Here are my favorite pics:

Las Hijas de la Tostada (the best I’ve ever had tacos, tostadas & sea food)
Chiltepin Marisquillos (great Mexican food & seafood)
Tom Yam Gung Thai Food (delicious affordable Thai food)
Que Huevos (breakfast & lunch ; Mexican food)
Trattoria del Centro (Italian food, great pizza & pasta, I loved their Hugo Spritz)
Zitla Ceiba (amazing breakfast, lunch, dinner ; Mexican Food)

Isla Contoy & Isla Mujeres - 1 day

Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres are located very close to each other, but they are totally different. You can visit those two islands in one day by booking an excursion with one of the travel agencies. The boat goes from Cancun, but the companies usually offer free shuttle from different towns.

Isla Contoy is a small island located about 30 km north of Isla Mujeres. It’s an absolutely beautiful place which is known for its flora and fauna, especially the birds and sea turtles. Isla Contoy is under protection of the Mexican gouvernment and it’s a National Park since 1998. No one lives on the island or can stay there over night, all the trips need to be hosted by an agency and only one day trips are permitted.

Isla Mujeres is another island, which is more touristy and it’s famous for nice sandy beaches, boutique hotels and colorful souvenir shops. It’s very charming and it has a nice vibe, I saw there lots of murals. The best way to explore the island is by a golf cart (the island is very small).I didn’t enjoy this island fully, since we only went there for 1 hour on our way back to Cancun from Contoy. If you have more time, staying overnight is a good idea.

What to see in Yucatan?

Valladolid - 2 days

This is one of my favorite towns in Yucatan, because of the stunning colonial architecture, great vibe and many nearby cenotes. Valladolid is very colorful, it’s considered as one of the Magical Towns of Mexico. We spent two nights at Hotel Waye (book here), boutique colonial hotel located in the center of Valladolid. It was great, and I loved the breakfast which was included to the room rate, I highly suggest you staying there!

How to get around Valladolid?

We drove there with our car rented in Playa del Carmen, it allowed us to explore nearby attractions and landmarks. Remember that there is a 1 hour time difference, when you will be travelling from Quintana Roo from Yucatan.

Valladolid Highlights:

Historical Center of Valladolid (Park Francisco Canton & Cathedral San Gervasio)
Cenote Suytun
Cenote Oxman
Chichen-Itza (it’s a 45 min drive from Valladolid)

Bacalar - 2 days

This spectacular lake is located between Tulum and Chetumal, close to the border with Belize. It’s called the Lagoon of Seven Colors, because of multiple shades of blue. Bacalar is also considered as one of the Magical Towns of Mexico. The lake is home to some of the world’s oldest organism, which have helped scientists trace back origins of life, stromatolites, which are around 3.5 billion years old.

Remember not to step on the stromatolites when swimming in the lake and don’t use them as a stairs, resting place or dock. They are very fragile and we need to keep them safe. Also, don’t use the sunscreen when entering to the water, it’s not recomended.

We stayed 2 nights at Habitas Bacalar (book here), it’s an amazing, luxury tent hotel located in the jungle, near the Balacar Lake. It was such a great experience staying there. You can explore the lagoon by boat or kayak, it’s so fun! Please remember to be respectful and protect the nature.

Our tent in Habitas Bacalar, the place is awesome!

I hope you enjoyed this 12-day Road Trip Itinerary to the most wonderful places in Yucatan. Feel free to share this link with your friends or save it for later on Pinterest, if you’re planning your trip to Mexico. Also, I added some affiliate links to this post, if you book your stay using my link, I can earn a small comission. If doesn’t cost you anything but I would appreciate it a lot.

12-day Road Trip Itinerary in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico