10 Tips for your trip to the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico)

First of all, this is obviously a subjective selection and mention of experiences from our 12-day trip to the Yucatan Peninsula. We spent nights in Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel, Merida, Valladolid, and traveled with a rental car, ferry, and taxis. Enjoy reading!

1. Money

Pesos is the local currency, but the US dollar is widely accepted and almost everywhere. Euros are hardly accepted, it is best to exchange them at the airport (we have hardly seen better rates anywhere else). Whenever possible, pay in pesos, as it is almost always more expensive in USD. Credit cards are widely accepted, but it is always good to have cash with you as you cannot rely on it. Cash withdrawals have varying costs, the cheapest bank for exchange rates and fees for us was Santander.

2. Prices

Of course, it depends on where exactly you are, but on average it is cheaper than Austria, especially when it comes to eating out and accommodation. Taxes are usually included in the price. Tipping in restaurants is a different story. Unfortunately, especially in very touristy places (e.g. Tulum, Playa, Cozumel), there is strong pressure in this regard and a tip of 15-20% of the bill is expected. Often it is calculated and listed on the bill, as indicated in the photo. It has happened that a 10% tip was considered too little by the service staff.

Price range (in restaurants):

Coca Cola 0.355ml 25-50 pesos (1.10-2.30 €)

Local beer 0.355ml 40-80 pesos (1.80-3.60 €)

3. (Rental) Car

If you want to explore the peninsula and want to rent a car, it is relatively cheap compared to, for example, Costa Rica, due to the large selection. You don't need an SUV/car with high ground clearance, as the (few) roads are in good condition and there are no inclines. Of course, almost only white cars drive around in the region (remember the license plate ;-)) and strikingly many Volkswagens. It is also relatively easy to navigate, as the streets in the cities follow a logical grid and there are only a few relevant roads outside the urban areas, which mostly go straight for kilometers. By the way, the islands must not be visited with a rental car via ferry, it is explicitly prohibited by most providers.

4. Traffic

In comparison to Costa Rica, it is much more pleasant and there is less traffic. On rural roads, cars often move to the shoulder to be "overtaken". We had hardly any dangerous situations due to speeders or overtaking maneuvers. The many U-turns, even on highways, to get on the right exits take some getting used to.

5. Culture

The Maya culture is naturally omnipresent on the peninsula and a great pride, which is unfortunately sometimes marketed too extreme for our taste. There is practically everything available as a souvenir (sometimes really nice things!) and a large number of Maya sites. Chichén Itzá is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world and is almost a must-visit if you are interested in the Mayan culture. Tip: Be there as early as possible, many sites open at 09:00, around noon everything fills up with tourists and it can get very crowded (happened to us in Chichén Itzá, on the other hand, Coba was very empty in the morning). By the way, consider renting a bicycle in Coba, the distances to walk are very long and it is very cheap.

6. Food

Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, Guacamole, Nachos. You can eat very well in Mexico. Tacos are available in countless variations and are also the #1 dish in our perception. Chicken and beef dominate, beans and corn are naturally widespread as side dishes. Fish dishes are not as common as expected, although the strongholds are located on the coast. Eating vegetarian is also much easier, as many dishes make it possible and therefore more variety is possible. For (not) fans of coriander, it is not as bad as expected.

7. Drinks

Beer, Coca-Cola, and Tequila are the defining drinks. In hardly any country before have we seen so much Coca-Cola advertising in and around restaurants as in this region. The (local) beers are solid but not a highlight, our #1 brand was Indigo. Wine is unfortunately ridiculously expensive, it is better to switch to cocktails, which are cheap in relation. We were on the Margarita wave, which you can get starting at 120 pesos (=5.50 €). The selection of Tequila is (over)whelming, caution is advised as the selection and price range are extremely large and we did not only get good Tequila (even though everything here is better than what is sometimes sold as "Tequilla" in Austria).

8. Weather

Since the peninsula also has 4 seasons, which are identical to Central European ones, we were there at the end of February/beginning of March. At this time, it is dry (rainy season Oct-Jan & Apr-Jul) and very pleasant in terms of temperatures. In the morning, it was quite cool at around 20 degrees, the same in the evening when there is some wind. We were somewhat surprised that, for example, in Merida (western) it is noticeably warmer than on the east coast (Playa) or on Cozumel. Hurricane season is around August-October, so be careful when planning ;-). Details about the weather -> https://travelyucatan.com/yucatan-weather-conditions/#WEATHER

9. Safety

Many myths surround safety in Mexico and Yucatan. Yes, there are definitely regions that are much safer and certain rules need to be followed. Caution is definitely advised (e.g. do not walk alone in side streets, take a taxi at night, etc.), but we have also experienced that walking in less touristy cities like Merida or Valladolid in the evening posed no risk. The police and the military are very present in the major coastal cities with mass tourism, such as Tulum or Playa. Buggy convoys even patrol the beaches. We did not have a single noteworthy situation in 10 days that was unpleasant or caused problems.

10. Diving

To compactly summarize the topic, for divers, the Yucatan Peninsula is definitely worth a visit. Cenote diving was a very special experience and is only possible in Yucatan in this form. The east coast of Cozumel is considered one of the most beautiful spots in the world and also made an impression on us. There are also many opportunities for wreck diving (e.g. in Puerto Morales), which we did not manage to do this time.

Blog posts with pictures and descriptions of diving:

Cozumel: https://vakantio.de/the-bl/cozumel-tauchen-palancar-caves-and-yucab-01032022

Cenotes: https://vakantio.de/the-bl/tauchen-in-cenoten-carwash-and-angelita-23022022

Cenotes: https://vakantio.de/the-bl/tauchen-in-cenote-dos-ojos-22022022

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