All you need to know about Yucatan – Guide
Yucatan Peninsula is known for its long spectacular coastline with white sand, turquoise water and balmy breezes. But there is way more to this part of Mexico. It is one of the most culturally and naturally rich regions in the world. The enchanting culture and traditions of the ancient Mayan civilisation are woven throughout the peninsula. It is home to a vast variety of fauna and flora in natural bioreserves and all around the region. Without forgetting the second biggest coral reef in the world- the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. It is also the area with the longest underground river system in the world and countless stunning cenotes to visit. In addition, there are many charming towns to stay at. From Playa del Carmen to Valadolid, or Tulum, it is an ideal place for relaxing and adventurous holidays. With the help of this Yucatan Guide, of course!
Traveling around Yucatan
Most of international flights arrive in Cancun Airport, from where people spread out to different parts of the peninsula.
There are public transport services from Cancun airport. The Riviera Maya bus leaves for Puerto Morales and Playa Del Carmen hourly between 10.20 am and 7 pm.
Taxies are widely used by tourists- make sure to agree on the price before the trip. You might even make one-day trip deals with the driver. They’ll take you to a location and wait for you there. But that can’t be cheap.
Another popular way of getting around- and the cheapest one, is by colectivos. Those mini buses operate in smaller districts. But there is a down part of traveling with them. The driver departs only when the van is full. So you might end up waiting for a while before leaving to your destination.
The easier way of getting around this part of Mexico is definitely by renting a car.
Renting a Car
Car rent in Cancun is really cheap when you first look at the prices. However after a few minutes of research, we discovered many scary reviews of car rental companies. Even for companies that are reliable in Europe and US. As we didn’t want to start out travels stressing over the process of renting a car, we dug deeper and came across a small local dealer Yes Rent A Car.
It seemed a bit more expensive than other companies, but it has no hidden costs. The price you get on the website is the final price you will pay! A deposit of 300 dollars was also taken for our 8 days car rental. It was returned to my card just few days after we completed the rental. From the arrival hall we got picked up by a nice man who took us to their office. We completed some paper work and within 30 min we were on our way. A noticeable fact is also that we had no troubles at all even arriving late, around 10.30 PM.
Driving in Yucatan
Driving in the peninsula is very easy. The roads are in great conditions and we didn’t encountered any problems at all. On our way from Playa Del Carmen to Valladolid we were stopped at a police control point. The police officers were polite and calm and said they were looking for drugs. As a result, they searched our car. As we had nothing to hide, we were not stressed and a few min after, they wished us a nice holiday and we continued our way.
Gasoline is not expensive in Yucatan. But gas stations are not that easy to find outside of cities. Furthermore, you have to look out for scams at the stations. The only reason we did’t get fooled was because we read about them before hand and we knew what to pay attention for.
Popular scams in Mexico
First of all, Mexicans are very warm and friendly people. Don’t be afraid to talk to them or ask for help. They are talkative and appreciate the tourism as they know how valuable it is for their economy. But as in any country there are also people who are dishonest.
There are a few common scams, when locals will try to take advantage of tourists. This Yucatan guide will take you through the most popular one.
Gas stations
The most common place where you might (will) get scammed is in gas stations.
- As soon as you turn off the car, get out and make sure that the pomp you chose was reset and reads zero. Otherwise, they will try to fill your tank on top of the numbers of the previous tanking… You’ll end up paying double.
- When you pay for gas, prepare your money in the car. Then, hand them the bills one by one, counting the money you are giving them out loud! If you just hand out the pile they might (will) hide the largest bill and say you did’t give enough. Watch their hands as they might even try to swap the bills and try to convince you you made a mistake. For example switching a 500pesos bill for a 50.
- Make sure you know how much change you are supposed to get as they might try to convince you that you payed the right amount. It is worth having smaller bills and trying to pay the exact amount.
We must say that thanks to that knowledge, the first time we had to tank in Playa Del Carmen, we avoided 2 of those scams. The double charge on the gas meter: we had to ask for it to be zeroed. And while paying, the attendant tried to hide the 200 pesos bill. But Hamilton was staring at his hands and caught him instantly.
After being told off, the attendant didn’t say any thing and gave back the right change (a bit shaky from being called out ?). Hamilton speaks Spanish, but we’re pretty sure they understood English without any problem.
Other Popular Scams
1. Bank and money Exchange
The other place where you should watch out for scams is bank or money exchange. Count the bills one by one in front of the cashier, saying exactly how much you hand them. Afterwards count in front of them the money they gave you, making sure it’s the correct amount. It’s common for the cashier to drop a few bills under the counter after counting it in front of you.
2. Price of souvenirs
You have to be aware that in all the tourists areas like Chichen Itza, the prices of items sold are much higher. You will pay even double for a souvenir comparing to less crowded places.
3. Akumal Beach paying access
The Akumal Beach scam, which we were victims of. Akumal Beach is a nice beach where you can swim next to wild turtles. But locals will make you pay. For more information, check our article Top things to do in Playa Del Carmen and find out how to swim with turtles at that beach for free. ?
4. Renting a car
Renting a car can also be tricky. Above we covered a safe company to rent a car in Yucatan. If you decide to go with another company, watch out for those few things:
- The rental company might force you to purchase additional unnecessary insurance coverage.
- They might try to add hidden costs without you realising it.
- At the end of the rental, they might try to charge you for damages that you didn’t cause, like scratches or bumps. Make sure to check the car before you drive off. Take pictures of the vehicle yourself and notify the rentier of all already existing scratches and damages. And make sure they sign them off.
5. Using your Credit Card
Use your credit card only in secure places like big hotels or restaurants. For anywhere else have cash, to avoid the possibility of duplicating your card. Use only secure ATM for money withdraw and always make sure there isn’t scanning machine installed on top by pulling slightly the outer part. Of course, this is valid in any country of the world but better be extra safe than sorry during your travels.
Also, make sure they are not charging your card in USD or EUR when the price should be in pesos!
Language
English is usually spoken in touristic areas, but it’s worth to know few Spanish words for the more remote places. It actually surprised us that people always answer in Spanish, even if they understand and seems to speak English. We think its great and gives a good opportunity to practice another language. Adding a smile will make you go a long way ?
Prices
Yucatan (Mexico) isn’t an expensive destination for the most part. You can find large variety of budget and mid-range accommodations, as well as great restaurant with fair prices.
All the entrances to cenotes and sites are paying, and the fee varies from about 70 pesos for some cenotes up to 430 pesos for Chichen Itza.
↬ Read : Chichen Itza- The New World Wonder Guide
The scuba diving prices are pretty much the same as in any other counties- about 120 dollars for 2 tank dives with all the equipment.
The only area that we found really more expensive was Tulum. It seems like this area adapted New York prices more then Mexicans, with bungalows starting from 150 euro a night, to 15-20 euro drinks at the restaurant and 20-30 euro dishes.
↬ Note : Tulum is a must-see of Yucatan region, but are you sure to really know what to expect??
Make sure you have plenty of cash with you, as lots of places don’t accept credit cards. Outside of the big cities its also hard to find ATMs. Even in Tulum Beach (you’ll have to go to Tulum).
Tipping is common and appreciated and if you find the services excellent, you can leave 10% extra. In Tulum area tipping seemed mandatory and expected at 15% or more, American style.
Weather
Yucatan Peninsula has a tropical climate, with a rainy and muggy season from June to October. A relatively cool season from November to February. And finally, a hot season from March to May, when the highest temperatures of the year are reached with peaks of more than 40 °C. We traveled at end of November/beginning of December and the temperatures were perfect. It was around 30 degrees during the day and just a bit lower during the nights. But overall, we endured only two days of rain out of 8 days in total, so it wasn’t too bad.
Food in Yucatan
This Yucatan Guide wouldn’t be complete without covering the culinary aspect. Mexican food is vibrant, delicious and fresh. It is also colorful with a lot of popularly known products such as tomatoes, limes, coriander, red onion, avocado, and corn. It can be spicy (if you ask for it) with the use of an amazing array of chillies, both fresh and dried . The dishes are absolutely delicious and daily prepared with fresh products thanks to the tropical climate. There’s a common perception that Mexican food is both spicy and heavy but, in fact, true Mexican food has a fresh lightness from its generous use of fresh herbs, vegetables and citrus. The most popular mexican dishes are guacamole, tacos, fajitas, nachos, cevice, chicken/beef/shrimp enchiladas. And it is DELICIOUS.
↬ Read : Our recommended Best Food Spots of Tulum Beach.
Bon appétit, et bon voyage!
