… „If someone has nothing inside, they will not find anything outside. There is no point to look for something in the world, what cannot be found in yourself … „
Tiziano Terzani
Our stay in Mexico lasted two weeks, and as I wrote before, it is definitely not enough for this country. Despite this, we were able to visit some really great places.
The transport map was as follows: from London we flew to Cancun, and from there to Mexico City. Then we returned by plane to Cancun, from where we went by bus to Playa del Carmen. I decided to stay in this town for several reasons. First of all, because it seemed to me that despite its touristic nature, it would be calmer than Cancun. And in my opinion, I was right … Besides, Puerto del Carmen is a great base point to other places. You can get to Puerto Calero, Tulum, Valladolid or Cancun from here.
This area is called Riviera Maya. It stretches along the Caribbean coast of Yucatan and is rich in beautiful beaches, amazing buildings of the pre-Columbian period, and it does proove, that today’s world is able to live in symbiosis with the fascinating past …
Cancun
Known primarily for its rich resorts, beaches belonging to them, loud nightlife, and prices from outer space 😀 Is it worth going there? Of course, if you are already in Mexico, it would be appropriate to 😉 you can always tick off the next place you saw. Well, if you like parties, exclusive restaurants and sometimes limited access to the sea …. I recommend it, you will definitely have fun 😉 The city was originally designed to compete with Acapulco, and I think it is quite successful in this field . However, it also has its older history. Inhabited once by the Mayans, today it is one of the most frequented tourist places in the state of Quintana Roo. Has it been commercially damaged? Not completely, but unfortunately the trend is obvious …
Tulum
It is the archaeological „homeland” of the Mayan heritage in this region. And at the same time, when it comes to other tourist attractions, it does not differ in their number from Cancun. Also here you can find great, luxury resorts and night clubs. Which of them is better to explore more, is up to you 😉 We chose the Tulum Ruins.
We learned from the guides, that Tulum was once a commercial port. You have to forgive, but then in the early Middle Ages, it was not thought, that this beautiful beach could be used as a foundation for a five-star hotel :p … Fortunately, no one even thought about it later 😀
So Tulum still has its unique charm, which consists of amazing architecture rising against the backdrop of beautiful, still, nature … The Mayan town surrounded by a stone wall, can still boast beautiful buildings (Pyramid el Castillo, Temple of Frescos, Templo Dios del Viento ) and very interesting flora and fauna … As far as the eye can see, there are friendly iguanas everywhere 😀 …. Also, if someone is afraid of this animal – I warn you, they push themselves into the frame when clicking photos all the time 😀
Valladolid
Is a town of the so-called colonial period. A small market square, church, palace, museum where you can see the colours and historical cross-section of Mexico on the walls, and everything is charming and extremely interesting.
What I’ve noticed, despite the large number of tourists, the town is very neat and tidy, you can see that the inhabitants cherish this place very much, boasting the fact that they are descendants of the Mayans. For reckless observers, which I often belong to, I would like make you aware of the thread of very nice and attractive white metal benches in the park on the square.
Well, even on a hot day, especially in the morning, I recommend checking if these benches are … dry … And yes: are they dry. Cause they are poured in the morning, to keep it clean, I suppose. And because I didn’t think about it then, when I was tempted to took myself nice selfie, I spent the rest of my bus trip in wet shorts, wondering if other participants of the trip will notice that my seat is wet … For this reason, I do not include souvenir photo from this bench …. Yes, the traveller’s life is not always simple and comfortable …
Kaua
There is no accurate data on the origins of this town. However it certainly existed before the arrival of the colonisers.
It is a picturesque village, where the descendants of the Mayans proudly try to cultivate the heritage of not only language, but skills. Cozy eateries, with delicious food, handcraft created by the hands of locals, and the stories of guides, all this is really worth to visit Kaua.
Playa del Carmen
Which notoriously I mix with Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote …, I chose as our „homeland” during our trip to Mexico. It is located about an hour bus ride from Cancun. It has beautiful beaches, an archaeological park and, among others, a ferry connection with the island of Cozumel.
The heat during the day makes all parties start here after dark. What does it mean? That means it’s a perfect place for people like me. Obviously, only if you rent a flat at a safe distance from the 5th avenue, which is the local centre … So, during the day there is a moderate number of passers-by, tourists or even natives. You can easily shop, make friends in the area, look for empty beaches. In the evening …. Oh, that’s different 🙂
… The crowds coming out as soon as the rays of the sun disappear. Alcohol stores fill up with tequila lovers looking for free tasting (by the way, there are so many of them, that you can quite relax for free in one evening 😀 they can remember you the next one, it depends on how characteristic your face is 😉). In restaurants, crowds are looking for something for themselves for dinner, and those who like live music also the range is wide : bars with rock beats, Mexican mandolins on the street, or night clubs with unknown music because I am not a fan of them 😉
Oh! And, of course, I recommend a pub where brave girls (gentlemen, maybe also? …) can dance on the table top, with the dancers employed there, and for a courage they will get a glass of tequila. No. I didn’t try 😀 Unfortunately I don’t remember the nameof the pub, but I quite sure is on the 5th avenue, and it is unique 😀
All these places have few things in common. First of them are so-called: cenotes. These are natural wells, called by karology specialists – karst. They are usually found in limestone rocks and are connected to the groundwater. For the people of Yucatan, however, they are particularly important. Because of the climate here, cenotes used to be the main source of water for most of the year, so settlements were built around them. For the same reasons, they also became centres of religious worship. Currently, these lovely fonts are of course transformed into tourist attractions as well. Interestingly enough however, most of them are indigenous. In those cenotes where swimming is allowed, special attention is paid not to lubricate the skin with various creams, and before entering the water you should take a shower. All this in order not to disturb the local flora and fauna as much as it is possible …
As for the extended topic of flora and fauna in Yucatan, I must mention a serious problem with seaweed. Yes, unfortunately, most beaches fight bravely with this natural anomaly. An anomaly mainly in terms of their quantity and current time of occurrence. There are really a lot of them, unfortunately in some places, more sensitive tourists are not even able to cross the beach „attacked” with seaweed. Their smell is, let’s try to name it softly – specific … However, please believe me, you can find relatively clean parts of beaches, where you can calmly get tan and swim. With an emphasis on careful use of the goods of the local nature, beautiful, but sometimes very wild 😉 You just need to walk a lot. As they say: seek, and you will find 🙂
Buses run between all towns. Affordable prices and good transport are provided by the ADO bus. All information can be obtained at their depots or here on the official site.
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