Yucatán, Mexico

First reunion after 6.5 years

Here we are – six years after meeting each other in a party hostel in Cairns, Australia – we are going to see each other again – in Cancun, Mexico… What was I doing here? Meeting a stranger (aka Blake) in Mexico where I had never been before and who I had seen only twice before. Am I crazy? I’d call it “optimistic” and over the years of travelling I’ve learnt to listen to my gut feeling. And my gut feeling said: go for it!

Should we shake hands?

When I travel, I always travel comfortably, which means in jogging pants and a hoodie. This time I chose my comfy elephant Asia pants (everyone who’s been to Thailand before, knows which ones I’m talking about) and a grey Australia hoodie. I was planning to get changed before our first get together (first impression and all that) but when I picked up my luggage from the luggage belt, I had to step in front of a glass door and behind this glass door, Blake was already waiting for me. So here we go: elephant pants and hoodie it is – in the end he should like me for my inner values, right?! 😉

Even though we hadn’t seen each other for years, it felt like meeting an old friend again: we clicked instantly, had good banter and were so comfortable with each other right from the start. Good that I had not worried about that at all before…😉

So what was the plan for our two weeks in Mexico? Right – we had no plan. I quickly noticed that Blake is the perfect travel partner as we both love to travel very similarly: we only book the first two nights somewhere (in this case in a hostel in Cancun) so that we can have the highest amount of flexibility.

Great travel partner – check!

Our route in Mexico

We didn’t really spend much time in Cancun (wouldn’t recommend it either) as we only had 12 days time. This is what our travel route around the Yucatan area looked like.

Cancun and Isla Mujeres (2 nights)

Things to do on Isla Mujeres

rent a golf cart and explore the island
relax at the beautiful Playa Norte
spot some dolphins by the lighthouse at Punta Sur
do some beer tasting at Isla Brewing Company

Playa Norte
Punta Sur
golf cart tour
beer tasting

Playa del Carmen and Isla Cozumel (4 nights)

Things to do on Isla Cozumel

rent a scooter and explore the island (especially the less touristy side)
go scuba diving or snorkeling
watch sunset

Where to eat on Isla Cozumel

La Perlita (fish restaurant)
Pancho’s backyard (nice ambiente)

Tulum and Chichén Itzá (2 nights)

Things to do in and near Tulum

rent a scooter or a bicycle to explore the area and the cenotes
swim in one of the many cenotes (if you visit the Grand Cenote, make sure you go early to avoid the crowds)
relax at the beach or visit the Playa Ruinas at the beach (unfortunately we didn’t have enough time for this)
do a day trip to Coba to visit the less touristy ruins
do a guided day trip to the famous Chichén Itzá ruins and Valladolid

Where to eat in Tulum

Matcha Mama (for a healthy snack or breakfast – I loved it!)
Antojitos La Chiapaneca (great street food tacos)
Sabor de Mar (doesn’t look fancy but really tasty seafood)

Isla Holbox (3 nights) – this island was our favourite!

Things to do on Isla Holbox

relax and watch sunset at El Velero Beach Club
enjoy the (all day) happy hour and the hammocks in the water at Carolinda Beach Club
watch the flamingos (we were in such a chill mode on the island that even walking over to see them seemed like too much work)
drink a coconut on the beach and just enjoy life