Yucatan peninsula, a central location of the Maya civilization. There are many Maya archaeological sites throughout the lowlands, some of the better-known are Chichen Itza, Coba, or Tulum.
I enjoyed Yucatan a lot. It was a travel holiday in April 2023, foodie moments and great quality time spent with Madzia.
| Table of contents |
|---|
| Cancun |
| Transport |
| Coba Ruins and Cenote |
| Chichen Itza and Valladolid |
| Tulum |
| Playa del Carmen |
| Secret Place |
| Departure |
| Scam |
| GoPro |
Cancun
Cancun, oh boy, it’s 100% the tourist hub! I think I’ll probably never visit it again, but hey, you live and learn! The city is split into two main parts: Downtown and Zona Hoteliera.
We decided to stay in Downtown, where you can find some street art and check out the local markets like Market 28 and Market 23. Let me tell you, when I started talking in my native language, it was like a secret code that unlocked a whole new shopping experience! I was offered completely different stuff that one can found in the shelves.
Zona Hoteliera is where the foreigners flock to. It’s all fancy with big-name brands like Zara, Gucci, and H&M. The beaches there stretch for miles and are lined with luxurious hotels. But here’s the thing, there aren’t many spots to just pop in and out of the area.
In Cancun, there are public buses and these nifty vans called colectivos that the locals use for transportation. We decided to take the colectivo to the beach, but here’s where things got a bit funny. We told the driver “Playa” thinking he’d understand we wanted to go to the beach, but turns out there’s a whole other place called Playa del Carmen 60 kilometers away from Cancun! The driver didn’t want to stop because he’d lose money, but with a little bribe of some pesos, he finally dropped us off on the street in Cancun. We grabbed a coffee, walked to the “nearest” bus stop, and hopped on the right bus to Zona Hoteliera’s beach.
We ended up walking almost the entire length of the beach, didn’t we get a sunburn on our very first day? On the bright side, we got some free drinks from a bar because we were wearing the similar bracelets as the hotel guests on that particular part of the beach. Score! To call it the day, we treated ourselves with a Mexican dinner at La Parada restaurant in Downtown.
Car or Motorbike or Public transport ?
So, I had a dilemma: should I rent a car or a motorbike for the rest of our trip in Yucatan? Considering we had our luggage, including the bike bag, it made more sense to go with a car. Sure, some people mentioned that public transport in Yucatan is pretty decent, but the thought of walking around with our luggage and towing the bike bag everywhere didn’t exactly appeal to me.
Let me tell you about these Chevrolet cars I ended up renting. You won’t believe it, but the rear seats couldn’t be folded down! Can you imagine the struggle of trying to fit the bike bag in? Yes, it actually did not fit in. I did ask the hotel security guards if they could stash the bike bag since we had already checked out. It’s usually not allowed, but after greasing their palms with a little tip, they happily made an exception.
As we hit the road, I noticed how straight and monotonous the roads in Yucatan were. I couldn’t help but think how bored I would have been if I would have opted for a motorbike. No corners, whatsoever.
When I first arrived in Cancun, dealers at the Airport were offering rental cars at unbelievably low prices, around 7 USD per day. It seemed suspicious so I decided not to go for it. Instead, I chose to rent a car from Europcar in the downtown. Recording the video of the car during pickup, status of the car, scratches, mileage, petrol, always helps in case of the potential issues that might occur later.
Coba Ruins and Cenote
Coba is an ancient Maya city. It was estimated that city had 50.000 inhabitants at its peak. Lonely Planet book suggests to rent a bike and cycle among the ruins. It’s a cozy place with few ruins. We did the rent bikes to cut the time and distance while visiting.
We booked the place for night at Xuux Peak. It has own private caves (Cenote), what a cool place it was.
However, we had trouble finding it. New railways are being built around, obscuring the visibility of the entrance road. I took wrong turns three times. The first time, I found myself on a very narrow sandy road, barely wide enough for a car, and ended up getting stuck halfway. To make matters worse, it turned out to be a dead-end road. I had to reverse all the way back to the main road, with bushes scratching the car along the entire route. The second time, we ended in some very small village, folks were about to start the wedding. The third time, I arrived in front of an agricultural building surrounded by big fences and barking dogs. I decided to leave the place as fast as I could, it didn’t look like our Hotel Ecoturistico. We found the way in the end. As GPS and Mobile signal did not work very well, the Hotel did actually sent directions to WhatsApp earlier. We realized that while resting and taking some snacks for dinner.
Cenote at Xuux Peak was an absolute gem. There were about hundred steep wooden stairs down to the Cenote. Bats were welcoming us on the way. Night light from the bulb was strong enough to provide a cozy atmosphere in entire Cenote. During a day, the light was coming into the cave through the openings on the top of the ceiling, making very special atmosphere. We got into the pond on the bottom of the cave, but I must admit I was not really brave to jump in.
Chichen Itza and Valladolid
Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds immense historical significance as one of the largest Maya cities. Given its fame, souvenirs are sold on every single corner. I happen to negotiate one souvenir for free (small Maya calendar) as the seller mistakenly thought I was from Poland as I was complaining that all souvenirs in Chichen Itza are very expensive and I am not buying any.
Two hours spent in the magic Maya place was more than enough for me. I wanted to quickly transfer ourselves to the Tulum city with a short break in city center of Valladolid that was on the way.
Tulum
Tulum, an important port for Coba, holds the distinction of being one of the final cities constructed and inhabited by the Maya civilization.
By the time we reached Tulum, I was already quite exhausted from all the sightseeing at various ruins. However, Tulum had a unique charm due to its coastal location. The breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea added an extra spice to this destination.
To explore the area, we decided to rent bicycles from our hotel. We pedaled our way to the ruins. Extensive construction works were taking place along the coast. I bet that in a few years, it will be another Cancun Zona Hoteliera. On the way back, we stopped for freshly cut coconuts before continuing on to Playa del Carmen.
Playa del Carmen
We wanted to hit the floor with the Salsa music. Zanzi Beach Bar at Playa del Carmen always plays salsa on this night during the week. Unfortunately, not this night. There was a “Pearl Jam band” playing instead, we decided to change the place.
We ended up in the Cuban restaurant-bar La Bodequita del Medio. While sipping two Mojitos, a Live Cuban Music started to play. Couples near the dancefloor couldn’t resist the rhythm and showcased their impressive skills in professional Salsa dancing. At first, I felt a bit out of place, unsure of my dancing skills, but with each sip of my Mojito, I started to loosen up. I had never dance Salsa. However, Madzia had and was already dancing with some local. Once the older couple step on the floor, dancing pretty much freestyle, I decided to do the same. It was more fun and I could dance my “salsa” style without any shame.
In the morning, we headed to Cozumel for snorkeling combined with bit of cycling around the island.
Secret Place
After few kilometers from last village, there was a checkpoint with closed ramp, with military men wearing machine guns and masks asking where we were driving. They let us go.
The road changed from paved to sandy one. The accommodation was five kilometers away from the village, the access road was partially flooded, but we were assured the car could pass, so I drove.
The house had no permanent electricity, only limited one from the solar panels that were charged during the day. No wi-fi. No drinking water, no hot water for showering. Breakfast upon agreement. The house was almost empty, just the owner, his dog, some cats and two guests (couple) besides us. In front of the house there was an private entrance to the ocean, however it was rocky and not very pleasant. In the morning, the owner and the guests left the place. Besides us, no one was far around. There was about ten rooms including owner’s and guests’, most of them had doors wide-open. The wind blew the bits of grass and sand into the open space of the house. Maybe into the pool as well. Wooden heavy sunbeds must have been there at least 10 years …
I must say, this was the best hotel I have ever been to, it had so much atmosphere in it. At night, we managed to check the stars from large sofa that was almost as big as the entire open space. The morning boosted the feeling even more. Sleeping and waking up so close to the sea with the sound of the tides, walking on a beach to catch the sunrise that was just in front of us, excellent local and fresh breakfast with big pots of coffee and tea, enjoying the sunlight while cooling last two beers in the pool. What a magic place !
Departure
I still don’t know if they screw us at the Airport or not. There is a departure tax that visitors need to pay. The official guidelines said it is 10 USD per person, one could pay online and show QR code as an evidence. I did that. However, just before check-in, in the same queue somewhere in the middle, the airport personnel was requesting 1700 MXP in cash (that makes 100USD per person) from every individual visitor. And every individual complained and paid in the end. They gave us some note that was collected at the check-in counter. Weird, isn’t it ?
When we landed in Milan, a national Italian 24 hour strike hit us. It was quite a chaos in the arrival hall. Everyone from all around the world was hoping to get the luggage soon. Few people went to claim the baggage and left the Airport, few including us stayed. After four hours, the luggage started to be offloaded from the plane and became available on the baggage carousel.
Scam
I flew to Cancun right after completing a mountain bike trip in Costa Rica. Traveling with a large and heavy bike bag proved to be quite a logistical challenge. It didn’t fit in a standard-sized taxi, and even though it had small wheels at the back, I would have to drag it along the city’s pavements and roads if I wanted to take public transport.
Travelling from Pura Vida to the touristy world influenced by money so much has its consequences. The taxi services at the airport were smart and crafty, and they managed to deceive me as well. It was my mistake not to research how to get to the hotel in advance. I naively assumed I would figure it out once I arrived at the airport.
However, upon landing, I realized there was no public Wi-Fi available. I approached a person at the car rental counter and asked if they could provide me with Wi-Fi. Luckily, they gave me access to a “Professional” network with decent coverage. I discovered that a taxi ride to downtown Cancun should cost around 20-25 US dollars. However, the taxi drivers inside the airport quoted me fares of 50 or 60 dollars, claiming it was the best price available. Refusing their offers, I left the airport and just behind the outside door, taxi drivers were offering rides for 40 dollars. They even showed me a printed schedule of the public transport, which indicated it only ran once an hour.
I exited the departure area, and beyond the turnstiles, Cancun Taxi Officials approached me offering a ride to the hotel for 25 dollars. I decided to take the offer and waited for about 15 minutes. My bulky bike bag was loaded into a VW Transporter, and I paid for the ride. Since I hadn’t withdrawn any local currency (pesos), I paid with a card, however my Revolut card was not accepted. Instead, I used another card I had with me. I requested a receipt and we proceeded to the hotel. The bill had 420 Mexican pesos on it. Upon reaching the hotel and connecting to the Wi-Fi, I realized that I had been charged 5780 pesos, which amounted to approximately around 330 US dollars. I examined the bill again, and it showed a charge of 420 pesos. I immediately took a taxi back to the airport.
The lady I initially dealt with was nowhere to be found. I asked another guy from the taxi service if he knew her, but he had no idea. He showed me his phone to check my payment, as he had access to all payments made, and it became clear that at least ten other people had been scammed as well. They had indeed charged me 5780 pesos, equivalent to $330. I requested a refund and the guy contacted someone on my behalf, informing me that I would receive it the next day. I did also check in my bank. Unfortunately, since the transaction was already pending in the online banking, I couldn’t block it at the time. As expected, the scam was fully processed by morning.
Next day, I returned to the airport. The individual I had initially dealt with made a call to his superior, who arrived wearing a golden chain and a golden watch. He carefully examined the bill and assured me that I would receive a refund within three days. In case the refund did not come, he promised to compensate me with the equivalent amount in cash, in Mexican pesos.
While waiting for Madzia’s plane to land, I happened to spot the lady who tricked me. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I confronted her, questioning why she had taken advantage of me. In response, she called another Mexican friend to support her. At that moment, it became apparent that everyone in their crew was aware of my situation. It was clear they operated in a well-organized manner. I felt quite uncomfortable, even with cameras scattered everywhere. One can never be sure if they actually functioned properly. I even suspected that the police might be cooperating with them.
Contrary to what they had printed out, the buses did not run every hour but rather every half an hour. It was nothing more than a proper well-thought scam.
Furthermore, if I had read the instructions on the airport website carefully, I could have avoided this incident. They explicitly warned everyone about the existence of scam artists and fake taxi drivers. In an attempt to recover my funds, I approached my bank to dispute the transaction. However, since I had confirmed the transaction with my PIN, I was informed that according to the bank’s policies, the responsibility and mistake lay with me. As a result, I was unable to receive a refund. Even more, the bill for the transaction was not from my card. Double scam !
To close this scam, I did not know that Mexican Pesos and American Dollars have the same sign ($) on the bill. And what is also confusing is that the bill sometimes includes “(USD)” , sometimes words, sometimes not. Interesting.