The 10 things to do in Yucatán

Are you planning a trip to Mexico? Discover our top 10 things to do in Yucatán, one of the most touristic Mexican regions.

Located southeast of Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula is an open-air museum. The state of Yucatán has a population of 2,097,175 (2015) spread over 39,612 km2, but the province of Yucatán also includes the Mexican States Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Quitana Roo and to a lesser extent, Belize and a part of Guatemala for a population of about 5 million.

The peninsula goes north between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean coast to the east. Rich in a breathtaking historical, architectural and cultural heritage, the Yucatán is one of the most important wonders for any traveler to visit Mexico.

Between tropical paradisiacal beaches and their seaside resorts – Playa del Carmen, among others - the archaeological remains of Mayas – like the site of Tulum -, the cities of Cancun or Mérida, one will not wonder that to do at the Yucatán, but rather how to optimise the visits among the innumerable ones to visit in Yucatán. And here's to guide our top 10 things to do in this region.

1. Mérida

Capital of the state of Yucatán, Mérida is nicknamed the “white city”, located thirty kilometers from the north coast of Yucatán. Founded on January 6, 1542 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo (1479-1548), the city was built at the site of the old Mayan city T’ho – Ichcaanzihó in Maya, "the city of the five hills".

Mérida is described as a living, friendly city, where an amazing sweetness of living reigns. It is a strategic position: you can stay there and discover the region, including the crater of Chicxulub – known to be the site of impact of a meteorite that hit the ground at 90,000 km/h (several billion times more powerful than the bomb of Hiroshima), causing the dinosaurs to extinction. Don't miss out on the central square (zocaló) and the Montejo paseo, or at the Lucas de Galvéz market.

2. Valladolid

A small town of 48,973 inhabitants, Valladolid was built at the site of the Maya city "Saki" or "Zaci-Val". Visiting Valladolid allows you to discover a quieter city than Merida, less frequented, but charming: a small village atmosphere, an entanglement of paved alleys and colourful facades typical of Central America.

3. Playa del Carmen

The seaside town of Yucatán, Playa del Carmen is another starting point to visit southern Mexico but the area is very frequented by thousands of Western tourists. It is the den to party on the beach and shopping: hotel complexes, restaurants and bars in front of the sea, hordes of tourists on the beach and pedestrian streets where shopping. A very tourist site, so.

4. Tulum

Between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, the Caribbean coast is unveiled in the east of Yucatán: natural cenotates and swimming pools and the village of Akumal – to swim with sea turtles. We go to Tulum to admire the famous Maya archaeological site, bordered by magnificent blue-green waters. It was at the time an influential fishing and trade port during its peak around 1200.

5. Coba

Located at an hour's bus from Tulum, the ruins of the archaeological area of Coba are among the impossible to visit the Yucatán. This is a vast Maya site where you can climb up the top of the pyramid Nohoch Mul . It is the most important site of the Yucatán Peninsula, an ancient city that could have, according to estimates, had up to 50,000 inhabitants.

6. Chichen Itza

We see her on all the postcards of any traveler gone to visit Mexico. We are obviously talking about the Maya pyramid of Chichen Itza. Located between Valladolid and Mérida, the site has been listed on the UNESCO Heritage List since 1988 and recognized as one of the seven new wonders of the world (2007). In the 10th century it was the main religious center of Yucatán. In this emblematic place in Mexico, we visit the great pyramid, the observatory, the wall of the skulls, the ball playground, the sacred Cenoté, the thousand columns: a singular mix of Mayan and Tolteques cultures. Click here to learn more about excursions to Chichen Itza.

7. Ruins d’Edzná

Located in the state of Campeche, the ruins of Edzná – an ancient city founded in the 5th century BC – are Maya remains very well preserved and much less frequented than Tulum or Chichen Itza. This is one of the few examples of Maya pyramid with floors with vaulted rooms.

8. Sian Ka’an Nature Reserve

Located south of Tulum, Sian Ka’an Reserve is a huge natural park of 5,281 km2, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and recognized as a biosphere reserve since 1986. The area has a rich fauna and flora: lush vegetation, bright colours, mangroves, tropical forest, marsh, and more than 300 species of birds.

9. Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc

What to do in Yucatán: beaches, archaeological ruins, cities? Visiting the Yucatán without going to the ruins of Uxmal would be a shame. The site of Uxmal – in the center of the Puuc region – is much less frequented than that of Chichen Itza, which will have the advantage of seduce you if you don’t like the sites where you are trampling so many people. We access Uxmal from the road south of Merida. Uxmal is a pre-Colombian city founded around the year 700, and housed up to 25,000 inhabitants.

10. Isla Mujeres

Small island off Cancun, Isla Mujeres is a tourist but its affluence remains bearable to believe the stories of travellers. It is accessed in 20 minutes by ferry from Cancun. The island is a must for visiting the Yucatán, especially if you like marine and nautical activities: snorkeling, Farniente on the beach Playa Norte , beautiful walks the feet in crystal clear water, diving, etc.

How to go to Yucatán?

To get to the Yucatán, Cancun Airport is particularly well served on flights with stopover but there are also direct flights from Paris. It takes about 12 hours to fly to Paris/Cancun. Cozumel Airport sees some international direct flights, but the majority of flights arrive on Cancun and then transfer to the island. To find cheap flights to Mexico and Yucatán, you can search our partner's website Ulysses .

In which town house in Yucatán?

To stay in Yucatán, you can choose cities such as Mérida or Valladolid to be at the heart of all the activities offered by the region. You can find a cheap hotel in Yucatán by looking for this Compare hotels .

How to move to Yucatán?

If you want to visit the Yucatán by your own means, that is to say without tour operator and other organized trips, we advise you to choose the car rental in order to allow you to visit all the sites we have previously presented to you. You can find attractive prices on the car rental comparison Rentalcars .

Main photo credit: Flickr – Roevin