You Too Can Visit The Yucatan
Exploring the Maya Ruins without ruining your vacation.
Here's a few tips on how to get to the Yucatan Peninsula, where to stay, and which of the many ancient Mayan sites to visit on your first trip into the past.
Now that you’ve seen Apocalypto and it’s left you with a yearning to see more of the ancient Maya dwellings, maybe it’s time to start planning your next vacation. Traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula is easy. No passport is needed; just a valid identification, no immunizations required and you can even take your family pet although I don’t recommend it. Traveling by air you’ll land at either Cancun or Merida Mexico. Most major airlines fly into Cancun and several smaller domestic airlines such as Aeromexico fly into Merida. From either airport you can find hotel accommodations to fit any budget.
The best time of the year to travel to the Yucatan is September 8 - 30. The reason for this is that it’s the end of summer, the kids are back in school and all destinations become less crowded. Also it can be less expensive to stay in some resorts/hotels because the summer boom is over and vacancies are up. No matter what time of the year, it’s going to be very warm and humid. Average daily temperature is 78 and humidity level stays at about 90%. In June, July, and August visitors can expect hot sunny summer weather with occasional rainfall. Usually when it rains it rains hard for a little while then dries up quickly. The hurricane season runs late September through December and the sky can change from clear to overcast in minutes. From July through September the temperature is highest, as is rainfall so beware, this is also the mosquito season. November, December and January are the coolest months. There might be some rain, but not daily. This time of year, nights can be much cooler and a jacket required. Spring [February to May] is a beautiful time of year with very little rain and flowers everywhere. Nights can still be a little cool but the daily temperature is milder and more comfortable. When you go out, three things will be of great importance, bottled water, sunscreen and insect repellant. Wear hiking boots or running shoes, never sandals.
The hard part of this trip will be deciding which of the ancient Maya ruins you’ll explore. Nobody knows for sure how many ruin sites are out there. The majority of them are still under heavy brush and have yet to be excavated. However the Yucatan Peninsula is host to a number of spectacular sites and some are within driving range if you are staying anywhere along the Mayan Riviera. Consider staying between Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the Rivera . There’s not an exact spot where the Mayan Riviera starts but the general consensus is that once you get onto highway 307 along the coast in Quintana Roo you are pretty well in the Mayan Riviera. This highway runs from Cancun all the way down to Belize. The Riviera ends after Tulum, where the Costa Maya begins.
There are three sites that are a must see for the first time visitor and all are accessible from the Mayan Rivera either by rental car or tour bus. The first , Tulum Ruins is a small site. It has an excellent beach for swimming and cooling off . This makes an excellent half-day excursion and is easy to get to anywhere on the Mayan Riviera from Tulum to Playa del Carmen. The second site, Coba is deep in the jungle a 45 minutes drive off of Hwy 307 just before Tulum. There is a lot more to see here than Tulum including large temples/pyramids. Last but definately not least is the Granddaddy of Mayan ruin sites in the Yucatan Peninsula and one of the most grandiose in all the Mayan world, Chichen Itza. What also makes this a wonderful site to visit is there has been much restoration done, the grounds are manicured and there are tourist services including restaurants, small museum, and stores.. Chichen Itza is considered a must see for all Vacationers and Mayan Enthusiasts as well.
Keep in mind that no matter what time of the year you visit, it will be crowded, it will be warm and it will be wonderful. Happy traveling!
