20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN THE RIVIERA MAYA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA

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The Yucatan Peninsula seems like a wonderful first contact with Mexico. It is a land full of attractions and contrasts: centuries-old ruins, incredible beaches, delicious cuisine and a few surprises that can make your trip, one of the most unforgettable. If you are organizing a trip and do not know where to start, today we tell you the best 20 things to see and do in the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan Peninsula.

1. Walk through the historic center of Valladolid, one of the most beautiful villages in Yucatan. Tip: if you have time, spend 2 days here as there are many things to see and do in Valladolid.

2. From there, come tomeet Ek Balam, one of the most unknown and surprising Mayan ruins. Being able to climb its huge pyramid, and contemplate the jungle from above alone, is priceless. Here we tell you our visit to Ek Balam.

3. Try some typical Yucatan dishes. Our favorite? Cochinita pibil tacos: a lifetime addition.

4. Bathe in one of the many cenotes of the area. We loved the one of Suytun and we were lucky to be able to enjoy it completely alone (for that you have to get up early).

5. Flipa in front of the most famous Mayan pyramid (and one of the 7 wonders of the world): that of Kukulcán, in the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza. Here we tell you everything you need to know to visit Chichen Itza (and not screw it up).

6. Take a picture in Las Coloradas, especially in the pink water lagoon. We did not go, so we left it pending for our next trip to the Yucatan Peninsula.

7. Spend some relaxing days in Holbox, a paradise where to disconnect and recharge batteries. It is best to leave it as a final destination to have an excellent travel climax. Here we tell you 15 things to see and do in Holbox.

8. Another island that deserves a lot is Women Island, although be prepared because it is quite touristy. It is best to rent a golf cart (yes, it is the most typical means of transport on the island) and explore it at your own pace. We leave you our guide to visit Isla Mujeres so you can enjoy this destination.

9. An essential stop in Riviera Maya is Tulum. Whether to know its Mayan ruins (the only ones that overlook the sea), to relax on its beaches or spend a few days resting in the town. The truth is that there are many interesting excursions in the surroundings and they say that the city has a special energy. In our case we did not notice it especially ... but perhaps because the sargassum ruined our plans. We will return to give you another chance! This is the best of Tulum.

10. The Bacalar Lagoon It is one of our favorite places in the Riviera Maya, so you can not miss this list. Its waters are so beautiful that you will seem to be on a Caribbean island. Really, what an idyllic place! And in addition the village continues to keep a quiet roll, away from the hustle and bustle of other areas of the Riviera Maya. Here we tell you everything you need to know to visit the Bacalar Lagoon.

11. Bathe in the Akumal beach: You will see sea turtles swimming a few meters from the shore. Of course, get ready to the tourist circus that is mounted ... there are many tourists and a very annoying "mafia": they charge $ 100 just to access the beach. One trick is to have a drink at the Lol Ha restaurant (it is expensive, but not as much as “the entrance”) and they will let you access the beach for free (it also has free parking). And please, don't get too close to the turtles and of course don't touch them!

12. Cancun It is not holy of our devotion, but most likely you will end up passing through here. So you better read this post with all the things to see and do in Cancun (taking a dip in Playa Delfines is the best).

13. If you travel like us during the Day of the Dead, try to match in Merida, where these celebrations are lived in style. And of course stay a couple of days to enjoy all that Mérida has to offer.

14. San Francisco de Campeche, capital of the homonymous state, was one of the great surprises of the trip: we found it a beautiful colonial city and its gastronomy mmmm! How good we ate, those coconut prawns! One day is enough to see the main thing, but try to sleep, at night the city has a special charm. Here we tell you what to see and do in Campeche.

15. Approach to get to know Izamal, a magical town toooodo yellow. Its crown jewel is the Convent of San Antonio de Padua, but the whole town is a pass. Curiosity: in the Mayan language, Izamal means "dew from heaven." In this case we also recommend you to spend a night, but if you do not have time, you can visit it for a couple of hours before continuing your tour. It is very worth it. More information about Izamal.

16. The Calakmul ruins They are one of the least accessible in the entire region, and they are surrounded by km and km of jungle. But believe us: getting there is very worthwhile (although when you first hear the howler monkeys you get a little scared, thinking they are pumas). Here we tell you our visit to Calakmul. Tip: if you do not plan to rent a car, one idea is to sign up for this tour to Calakmul from Bacalar.

17. Other ruins you have to visit, especially if you stay in Tulum, are the Coba Ruins. They were the last ones we visited and perhaps because of this, one of the ones we liked the least (yes, they are objectively past, huh). Early morning to arrive when they open the box office: we were there around 10 and was full of tourists and of course, this subtracted quite a bit of charm. Here we tell you our visit to Coba.

18. And of course you can not miss the Archaeological Zone of Edzná, which go directly to the top5 of our list of Mayan cities! Here we found very few people and we could enjoy the ruins in complete tranquility. The five-story temple is one of the most impressive we saw in the entire Yucatan Peninsula. If you plan to visit Edzná check out this article.

19. We are not done with the ruins, because there are still some that we recommend to visit on your trip to the Yucatan Peninsula. Are the Uxmal Ruins. For us, they are even better than the previous ones! The Pyramid of the Fortune Teller, the Quadrangle of the Nuns and the Governor's Palace are some of the best preserved and most beautiful Mayan works you can see. Here you have our guide to visit Uxmal.

20. If you like less crowded beach sites, write this name: Mahahual. It is a small coastal town, relaxed and with good vibes, perfect to rest or to go on snorkeling and diving excursions to the nearby coral atolls.

A few things to see and do in the Yucatan Peninsula are left out of this list, such as visiting the Mayapán Ruins (Little Chichen Itza), visit Cozumel and take a dip in its crystal clear waters, have cocktails in the Fifth Avenue of Playa del Carmen, take a tour in Celestun, bathe in all possible and imaginable cenotes ...

... but we believe that these 20 things to see and do Riviera Maya and Yucatan Peninsula are a very good start!