Travel Mexico in 2021! Cancun VS Playa del Carmen VS Tulum. Discover Riviera Maya in Mexico! Mexico Riviera Maya part (2/3)

Travel Mexico 2021 during covid-19. The most open place in the world in 2021!

Travel to Mexico and visit the most popular destinations from north to south: Cancun - Isla Holbox - Isla Mujeres - Playa del Carmen - Cozumel - Tulum - Bacalar

Hello Guys!

First of all if you want to travel to Mexico you definitely should check this post, where I talk about how to travel to Mexico during covid-19 among other useful links & tips like cheap covid-19 travel insurances, cost of living, medical services, onward tickets and much more! 

Furthermore to know exactly how to travel during covid-19 restrictions worldwide you should know this post already! 

Both posts are a must read before you come to Mexico!!

With that said, today I gonna write about where you can go once you arrived in Mexico (assuming you arrive in Cancun). I will summarize everything important you need to know about the bigger destinations along the Riviera Maya. 

riviera maya
The States Quintan Roo right and Yucatan left. On the top right you will find Cancun. I marked all popular destinations for you to have an overview. Needless to say that there’s much more to discover!

Cancun

Cancun Hotel Zone is basically a strip into the ocean. The water one of the cleanest and beautiful I've ever seen in a tourism hot spot!
Cancun Hotel Zone is basically a strip leading into the ocean. The water is one of the cleanest and most beautiful I’ve ever seen in a tourism hot spot!
Cancun is a famous tourist destination especially for US citizens and the biggest city along the Maya Riviera. Due to the direct connections and cheap flights from the US and Europa to Cancun international airport it’s most likely your starting point to discover and travel throughout Mexico.
 

What to do in Cancun?

Turquoise water and shallow grounds are a trademark from Cancun. Me enjoying at
Turquoise and shallow water are a trademark from Cancun. Me enjoying at “Playa Gaviotas” near the party zone in Cancun.
As it’s your starting point take advantage and discover Cancun 2-3 nights ( for example 1 night in downtown and 2 at the hotel zone). The Caribbean Coast at the hotel zone is still very beautiful and very clean! The beaches are one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen in a “touristy” destination! Even cleaner and more clear and beautiful than in Playa del Carmen und Tulum (I know it’s hard to believe). Moreover definitely visit “Mercado 28 and 23” if your into any kind of souvenirs and “Parque de las Palapas” to get local food! Both are located in downtown close to the ADO bus station!
 

From Cancun you can discover Isla Holbox North from Cancun or go to Isla Mujeres North-East from Cancun. For both destinations you need to take the  ferry. Definitely practice some snorkeling and discover the islands! The latter is also popular by backpackers and digital nomads. Once you decide to visit Isla Holbox consider to discover Las Colorados as well, which is a pink water Lake in the North a Yucatan.  

Furthermore you can take one of the many ADO bus connections to the city Merida in Yucatan or to one of the new world wonders and Maya pyramid Chichen Itza!! So plenty of things to do before coming down to Playa del Carmen!

Once you did all that come down south to Playa del Carmen which is the next bigger destination in the Riviera Maya and the place I live )).

Sunset time in Cancun. You can climb up the stones and go to the very end to enjoy a romantic sunset.
Sunset time in Cancun. You can climb up the stones and go to the very end to enjoy a romantic sunset.

Lifestyle

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Picture taken from the stones to capture the sunset.

Unfortunately everything exciting in Cancun is at the strip leading to the Caribbean sea where you will find 100s of hotels, restaurants and bars all made mainly for US tourists. It’s worth to have a look though and stay a couple of nights at the famous backpacker hostels Mayan Monkey and Selina hotels at the hotel zone or downtown. Once you get to know the vibe you can decide yourself if you like it or not. 

The advantages of staying at one of the hostels in the hotel zone are short ways to party, beach, restaurantes and the supermarket (Chedraui)! You don’t need any other transportation once you checked in. Take the local bus R1 (just under the bridge close to the ADO bus station) to get the the hotel zone! 

Playa del Carmen 

Playa del Carmen's local beach called
Playa del Carmen’s local beach called “Punta Esmeralda”. There’s almost nobody during the week.

Much smaller than Cancun and more centralized is Playa del Carmen aka “Playa”. Centralized in that sense that downtown and beach is one place! You will reach Playa del Carmen in around 1h from Cancun by ADO bus or take so called “colectivos”, which are vans leaving to Playa every 15  min or so! Even though still quite touristy in Playa – again mainly US tourists – it’s also very popular for digital nomads and backpackers all over the world

What to do in Playa del Carmen?

One of Many cenotes close to Playa del Carmen and Tulum!
One of Many cenotes close to Playa del Carmen and Tulum!

Playa del Carmen it’s perfect place if you are into diving. Close to Playa is the bigger island Cozumel and the second biggest reef in the world. Even though you can reach Cozumel from Cancun, it’s worth to wait and combine rather Playa del Carmen and Cozumel than Cancun, unless your just for diving in Mexico. Moreover more so called Cenotes are around Playa del Carmen and later on the way further down to Tulum. In short Cenotes are deep water filled sinkholes in limestone, where the water comes in from underground rivers (that’s why it’s not salty water).

Lifestyle

The beach close to the 5th street (La Quinta).
The beach close to the famous walking street 5th street (La Quinta).

You will find many backpackers and travelers in Playa as everybody from Cancun heading down. You will meet many people staying there longer than just a couple of days which is very important for the overall vibe. When going out to the famous 5th street (la Quinta) you will mainly find US families on holiday mode or day trippers. 

Once you find your place and decide to stay longer (like me) you will meet much more people staying long term in Playa. That makes the vibe of this city
Furthermore if you live in the center you can reach everything by foot. If you don’t want to walk you can even rent bikes at several stations spread around the center (check www.biciplaya.com and APP-Store) and discover all the center of Playa very inexpensive by bike! The first 30 min are absolutely for FREE (I never need more than 20 min to go from A to B) which is amazing! (I never go by foot anymore).

One of money side streets from the 5th street leading to the beach.
One of money side streets from the 5th street leading to the beach.

In short the advantages are that people stay longer or long term here so you can make meaningful friends :)). Short ways to the beautiful beach, supermarket, restaurants, party, gym and even calisthenics park (remember get biciplaya to take full advantage) and much less traffic is also a big PLUS ! You not gonna waste time and can be productive! 

 

Tulum

The Maya ruins in Tulum is a must for every backpacker!
The Maya ruins in Tulum is a must for every backpacker!

Last on the list is Tulum. Tulum is the smallest from all three and just 1h south from Playa del Carmen! Technically downtown is just a strip and where you have restaurants and bars on the left and right side! Nowadays it’s a very popular and expensive destination! That’s why It’s also known as the Miami of Mexico as recently the prices for apartments and hotels in the hotel zone skyrocketed to crazy amounts

Similar to Cancun und unlike Playa del Carmen downtown and the beach are separated. That means you definitely need a scooter or bike if you don’t want to waste to much time to go to the beach. Unfortunately unlike in Cancun where you can stay at the hotel zone for relatively cheap in Tulum it’s very expensive and you barely find an affordable hostel at the beach. 

What to do in Tulum?

Tulum's beaches are big and empty. Often you have beach parties till the early mornings.
Tulum’s beaches are huge and empty. Often you have beach parties till the early mornings.

Like said above once you heading down to Playa del Carmen you will find more and more cenotes you can visit by yourself or making a tour. 

Tulum’s beaches are by far the biggest and emptiest in comparison to Cancun and Playa which is amazing! Moreover you can visit the Maya ruins of Tulum right in front of the beach, which is a must do once you are there! One tip is to stay at the FREE HOSTEL close to the Maya ruins in Tulum. It’s one of the cheapest hostel in Tulum and close to the beach as well. So when you visited the ruins you can directly go to the beach after.

Tulum is well known for drugs and famous beach electro parties, cenote parties and other crazy parties! But like a said before Tulum is very expensive, so don’t be surprised if you gonna pay more than you expected!

Further down south from Tulum you will reach Bacalar, which is a crystal clear lake where you can do paddling among other activities.

Paddle board class in Bacalar close to the border to Belize.
Me at a paddle board class in Bacalar close to the border to Belize in 2017.

Lifestyle

Me at the beach in Tulum :))
Me at the beach in Tulum 2021 :)). You can see the Maya ruins in the very end. There is also a viewpoint, just go along the stones at the very end and than move up!

The vibe in Tulum is much more quiet and less touristy than in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. That’ why it’s a hot spot for digital nomads, backpackers, hippies and long term travelers . And indeed you can witness a more relaxed and peaceful vibe! Unfortunately also Tulum is getting more and more crowded and expensive as the word spreads. You can feel it especially on the prices. Everything is more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, but still affordable as long as you stay in downtown Tulum.

In short, the advantages are the quit and peaceful vibe, smaller and therefore more familiar town, and the bigger and very beautiful beach.

 

Summary travelling Riviera Maya

A nice viewpoint in Playa del Carmen my favorite spot in Riviera Maya
A nice viewpoint in Playa del Carmen my favorite spot in Riviera Maya

The backpacker route in the beautiful state Quintana Roo is quite clear once you decided to come to Mexico. Starting from Cancun you will go all the way down the Riviera Maya and discover tons of things! Depending on you preferences just stay longer either at Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum or any other small village you fall in love with and enjoy the Mexican “winter”. But most importantly get out of Europa’s winter and their crazy rules and health dictatorships!

Unfortunately Riviera Maya is one of the more expensive parts in Mexico (together wit Baja California Sur on the West Coast of Mexico). So don’t be surprised to see higher prices than the rest of Mexico and in South East Asia. Especially for accommodation you will pay a little bit more (on average around 10$ I would say), but the standard is also higher! Once you leave and travel to other parts of Mexico like Chiapas, Oaxaca you will see much lower prices again!

 

Any Questions about Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum?? Let me know at the comment section!

Transportation in Mexico

The most common form is to use the ADO Bus and so called “colectivos” which are vans picking up people every 15 min and bringing them to their desired destination. You can download the ADO app in app store to see the all departures and book online!

Another way is to use www.blablacar.mx which is also very popular in central Europa!

Cost of living in Mexico

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Accommodation will make up around 30-50% of your travel budget. That means minimum 300$ if your budget is 1000$ per month.

Let’s say it how it is. Everybody is different and have a different travel budget, goals and travel plans. Right now I give you an idea how much I spend! Keep in mind that I live in Playa del Carmen for convenience in a hostel called Selina (it’s a worldwide hostel chain), and don’t travel in the moment.

Case study:

  • The hostel costs me 325$ a month (2 people in one room). 
  • I usually cook at least once a day (breakfast) and therefore need to go to Walmart (cheapest place in Playa del Carmen) to buy stuff every 4 days (my routine) and spend almost always the same amount around 500 Pesos which is 25$. Monthly it would be 3750 Pesos for 30 days which is 188$
  • Sometimes I eat outside, let’s say every second day for on average 100 Pesos, this would be 1500 Pesos per month ~ 75$
  • I go out once or twice a week, but I never buy drinks in the clubs (I don’t like their mixed drinks and don’t drink beer anymore). The alcohol cost me around 200 Pesos per week, which would be just 1000 Mexican Pesos per month! It’s around 50$.
  • I use laundry and other services around once every 2 weeks (I wear always the same, that’s beach life!). That costs me 100 Pesos every 2 weeks which is 200 Pesos per month ~ 10$. 
So let’s sum it up! I spend at least 648 US Dollars a month lets round it up and put 700$ instead (due to other transaction costs and small little things I need every here and there), which is approximately 577€ per month! I live very cheap don’t I?? Travel to Mexico now!!!!!!

BUT don’t forget I’m not travelling in the moment, and not doing any activities like visiting cenotes among other amazing stuff (I did it before ;)). I would say with travelling, and activities you will need between 850$-1000& for 4 weeks in Mexico!

Medical Services in Mexico 

FREE consultation in
FREE consultation in “Farmacias del Ahorro” all around Mexico

 

UPDATE 8 March 2021: You can make a rapid antigen test or a PCR test on a test center on the 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen! It’s just by the ADO bus station. Another mobil test center is on the 10th AVENUE close to Selina Hotel in Playa del Carmen. It’s very convenient for your flight home!

In Mexico you can get free consultation from a doctor in the so called “Farmacias del Ahorro” which means “cheap pharmacies” or “pharmacies to save money”. They are spread all over Mexico and usually you can walk in and ask if they have a doctor there. You will be queueing like everybody else and wait for you turn. The good thing is it’s FREE consultation (you give whatever you want) and it’s a good way to get prescribed drugs if needed! (of course you gonna pay the drugs, but not the doctor ;))

An alternative to Farmacias del Ahorro is the other pharmacy chain “simi” pharmacy. They usually also have a doctor in their pharmacy shops. Unfortunately the consulting in simi cost around 50 Pesos (still a bargain) and similar to Farmacias del Ahorro you can just walk in and queue!

UPDATE Covid-19 test 19.01.2021:

You can make a rapid covid antigen test at the ADO bus station in Cancun for around 250 Pesos ~ 10.50€ or or just less than 10 USD. You should receive the results immediately as it’s a antibody test I guess!

Moreover the cheapest PCR covid-19 test I’ve seen was around 1000 Pesos (~50 USD) in Cancun as well. In case you gonna travel back to you home country and need a test.

About Money

Different ATM fees along banks in Mexico
Different ATM fees along banks in Mexico

Unfortunately similar to Turkey, Thailand etc. just to name a few, you have to pay an intern ATM fee or bring and exchange cash if you want to avoid that. 

If you want to save some bucks and rather withdraw more frequently like me, here are one of the “cheaper” banks which offer ATM service:

UPDATE: In Santander bank I would withdraw FOR FREE with my Mastercard! Avoid all Santanter ATMS at shopping malls, shops and on the street though, because there you still have fees!!

UPDATE 06.02.2021: Cannot withdraw for free anymore! I have to pay around 34 Pesos now… Life’s a bitch 😀

Banorte: Around 44 Pesos (~2 US-Dollar)

CIBanco: Around 29 Pesos (~1.5 US-Dollar) UPDATE January 2021: They raised the fees to around 50 Pesos!

Generally speaking just try to avoid ATMS on the street and go to the banks itself! Because even in Santander ATMS standing in shops, malls you have to pay a fee!

AND: Always decline their exchange rate and any “donations”. The might ask you this two things. Just always decline! Your bank’s exchange rate is always better than their shitty rate! 

Check his post to see further common scams in Mexico and other sunny destinations!

Receipt ATM fees Mexico
Receipt ATM fees Mexico

Try to avoid the rest or just exchange cash for 20 Pesos for 1 Dollar! Keep in mind that exchange and other fees depends on your bank and credit card payment processor (Visa, MasterCard, American Express)

Internet connection: DATA and WIFI

Buy a sim card while in Mexico!
Buy a sim card while in Mexico!

I always say it’s definitely worth it to buy a sim card for using your own data or use your roaming once you stay more than 2-3 days abroad. Just make sure to go to an official shop to buy your sim card. The best provider with the best coverage is Telcel. Technically you can buy a sim card anywhere for example in any OXXO (7-11 of Mexico), but they might don’t understand what you want and/or charge you for something you don’t need (I asked 5 shops and everybody told me something different, before I looked for an official Telcel shop). Depending on how long you gonna stay you can choose different packages! For 20 days you pay around 150 Pesos already with Mexican sim card. Furthermore in Mexico there is usually automatically unlimited usage of Facebook and Instagram when using from the apps! 

For the WIFI connection if really doesn’t depend to much whether you live in Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Tulum. Everything depends which Wifi package and connection your apartment/hostel has. The only thing I heard that here in Quintana Roo you definitely have a better WIFI than in apartments and hostels in Oaxaca for example!

In all the hostel I stayed I had a very good Wifi connection in the common areas. Not so much in the rooms itself. When I lived in a apartment in Playa del Carmen the Wifi connection was good as well (HD streaming was possible).

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