72 hours in Yucatan, Mexico

After spending two weeks and a half in Tulum, I decided to make a roadtrip around Yucatan, Mexico.

I received so many questions on my stories about my trip that I decide to make a small guide for all of you.

About Yucatan

This is the southeast region of Mexico, bounded on the north by the Gulf of Mexico, on the southeast by Quintana Roo and on the southwest by the state of Campeche.

The capital of Yucatan is Merida, famous for the beautiful colonial architecture, contemporary restaurants, many cenotes and also the home of amazing Mayan ruins.

This region really surprised me because it offers more than what I expected. I was literally very close to change my flight as I realized there was so many things to do in this region that 3 days was not enough. But for itinerary issues it was very difficult for me to do that. So end up enjoying every minute in this place to the fullest.

Transportation

The best way to explore is to rent a car. Yucatan is a huge area and the places on this list are quite far.

You do not need a 4×4 car since the roads are very good and the places on this list can be accessed in a basic and small car.

What to do?

Take in mind I only went for 3 days so I manage to see all these places in these 3 full days, which is quite a lot if you see distances on a map. I’m sure there’s much more things to do in this region. The places I decide to visit were:

Valladolid: a magical little town with a very colonial style, a quiet and charming atmosphere. Without a doubt, it is worth visiting because it is a very striking town because of its pretty houses and buildings with pastel colors.
Cenote SuyTun: this is a short distance from Valladolid and definitely worth visiting as it is one of the most impressive cenotes I have visited. This is an underground cavern surrounded by stalactites, glaciers and shallow waters where you can see at a glance the freshwater fish that live in it. Personally I wanted to photograph this cenote with the ray of light that enters inside the cavern but this does not enter until midday. So my options were: photographing it without people in the morning or with many people with the damn ray of light lol. So, I went for the no people kind of shot. My best recommendation to do it without people is to go just when they open that is 9am. The approximate entrance cost is $5 per person.
Izamal: the amazing little town where everything is yellow! Yes, yellow-mellow! Definitely a place that I loved to visiting. I was there for the day and I really wished I stayed longer! Walking and getting lost inside the yellow streets was ideal since each street was prettier than the previous one. I would definitely recommend visiting the Convento San Antonio and the Coqui Coqui hotel. Whether you are staying for a night, it is worth visiting this property. As for lunch I will recommend having lunch at the Kinich. A super famous restaurant in Izamal. Make sure to book early as it gets very busy. I booked the same day at lunch time and I had to wait an hour approximately but I didn’t care much about the wait as I could explore the town more.
Cenote Hacienda Mucuyche: one of the hidden gems of Yucatan and one of the most virgin cenotes I have visited. This place was recommended to me by a local and I completely loved it! It is on the same way to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal. This cenote is famous because it was visited by Empress Carlota and it was an hacienda of henequen and distillery before. The approximate entrance cost is $ 25 per person.
Uxmal: one of the most important old Mayan cities of Yucatan and probably less tourist than Chichen Itza. It is an hour and a half from Merida and it has an approximate entrance fee of $ 5 per person. I recommend going in morning hours. If you are solo travelers, like me take notes that they won’t let you access with tripods or drones. You will have to trust some tourist to take a good photo. Try looking for someone who has a professional camera.
Las coloradas: this pink lake was one of the reasons why I wanted to make a roadtrip through Yucatan. This is about 3 hours from Merida. And the pink color of the water is due to a high content of microorganisms (specific to a halobacterium) and high salinity causes this particular color. The halobacteria is responsible for the pink of the water since its membranes are purple. This type of organism is usually found in water highly saturated with salt. The entrance has an approximate cost of $5 per person and you have a maximum limit to be within 30 minutes. Take note that you will not be able to bring a tripod here neither.

Donde hospedarse?

The Yucatan region is very large and to visit all the places on this list you will need to stay in several hotels. I would recommend staying:

Coqui Coqui: this is a chain of Mexican boutique hotels that is located all around Yucatan and just opened one in Bora Bora. They started like a perfume shop and now they are boutique hotels that offer experiences. Either you are staying here or not I would still recommend visiting this place because is really beautiful!
Chable resort: without a doubt it has been one of the best hotels where I have stayed in Mexico! From its beautiful villas with private pool surrounded by nature to its incredible cuisine. This is only 25 minutes from Merida and what I liked most about the property is that it has a cenote in the spa.