Mexico - Caribbean Coast holidays

Things to do

Explore your destination

Chichén Itzá

Stand on the basketball court where Mayan men slogged it out for the honour of ritual sacrifice. Marvel the architectural feat that is El Castillo – the famous stepped pyramid. And visit the observatory where the Mayan accurately plotted the movement of the stars using just the naked eye. This is a must-do on any trip to the Yucatán Peninsula. Lunch is included.

Prices from approx. £45pp (adult); £ 27pp (child under 12)

Tulúm and Xel-Ha

See how the wealthy ancient Mayans lived by visiting the seaside ruins of Tulúm. Once a walled city, the site’s best known today for its cliff-top location, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. In the afternoon, take a dip in the blue lagoons and inlets of Xel-Ha. You also have the opportunity to snorkel in this protected park.

Prices from approx. £60pp (adult); £36pp (child under 12)

Highlights

Making a splash with the dolphins at Dolphin Discovery, Cancún, where you can hold onto their fins as you’re towed through the water

Stepping back into ancient history and visiting the amazing El Castillo pyramid at Chichén Itzá, one of Mexico’s most famous Mayan sites

Discovering Tulúm’s fascinating Mayan fortress for an unforgettable experience on your holiday on Mexico’s Caribbean Coast

Heading to Chankanaab, a national park in Cozumel, home to the world’s second largest coral reef, where you can dive, swim, snorkel and sunbathe

Taking a dip in the unique cenotes (pronounced say-no-tay), freshwater pools formed over millions of years, some in stunning underground caverns

Getting close to nature at Xcaret Park in Playa del Carmen, an eco park with exotic wildlife and water activities, where you can swim with bottlenose dolphins

Getting an adrenaline rush with the great watersports; try sailing, jet skiing or whizzing through the water on a speedboat

Becoming a scuba-diver by taking lessons at one of the many diving schools and then exploring the underwater delights of Mexico’s Caribbean Coast

Feeling the buzz on a night out in Cancún’s party paradise that includes night clubs playing the latest dance tunes, live rock’n’roll venues and Cuban music spots

Exploring the deep blue yonder on one of the many boat trips the Yucatán Peninsula has to offer

Shopping in the malls and in the warren of shops and stalls for souvenirs and handicrafts to remember your holiday on Mexico’s Caribbean Coast

Food and drink

Eating out on holiday on Mexico’s Caribbean Coast could mean anything from international fine dining and fast food outlets to open-air Mexican tavernas in Cancún, Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen or seafood restaurants in Cozumel.

Try filled corn and flour tortillas, usually eaten with fiery salsa, delicious guacamole and a cool glass of beer.

Taste Mexico’s national dish, Mole Poblano, made from turkey or chicken in an extraordinary mixture of chocolate, chilli and fifty or so other ingredients, while sipping an ice-cold Mexican Margarita cocktail.

Evening Flavour

Famed for its hot and heady nightlife, Cancún will have you heading home as the sun comes up. Here, there are neon lights galore and you can take your pick of a huge number of bars and nightclubs. Just be sure not to miss the Coco Bongo Show & Disco, which mixes up dance music with pop star impersonators, flying acrobats and dramatic acts by comic book heroes.

Shopping

There are a whopping 2,000 shops in Cancún’s Hotel Zone and downtown, including American-influenced malls such as La Isla Shopping Village and designer boutiques.

You can shop ‘til you drop on Fifth Avenue, but this one’s in Playa del Carmen, and

San Miguel in Cozumel has a modern shopping mall and plenty of tourist shops.

Good buys include ceramics, woodcarvings, leather, jewellery, Mexican sombreros and hammocks, all of which make great mementoes of your holiday on Mexico’s Caribbean Coast.

Dates for the Diary

Catch the Spring Equinox at Chichén Itzá in March, as the sun’s rays form seven triangles on its main pyramid and, as the sun moves, a serpent slithers down it.

For the Family

Dip your flipper in the clear waters of the Caribbean coast and explore the world’s second largest coral reef at the Chankanaab National Park.

Delve deep into the jungle to explore ancient Mayan sites and hidden underground pools on a Coba Jungle Safari.

Zoom down slides and bob along the lazy river at Nuevo Vallarta’s Splash Water Park.

Hot foot it to Vallarta’s mountains and while away the day biking, hiking and horse-riding.

Let the kids splash about with the dolphins at Xcaret Eco Park on a special swim programme just for the little ones.

Glide along zip wires and swing between the treetops on a Canopy Tour through the jungle.

Local weather

Information

Language: Spanish and English. Currency: $Mexican Peso. US Dollar travellers cheques/cash and most credit cards are accepted. Standard GMT: - 6 hrs. Mexican Ministry of Tourism: Wakefield House, 41 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4DJ. Tel: 020 7488 9392. www.visitmexico.com

For essential information on visas, departure taxes, vaccinations and other issues please click 'info' at the top of the page.

Travel money

Peso

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.

Travel foundation

Helping Mayan women make a living in Mexico

When you book a holiday with us we’ll ask you to make a small donation to the World Care Fund.



Your donations to the World Care Fund have helped preserve traditional skills and create jobs for Mayan women in Mexico, so communities can earn a good income and keep their cultural heritage alive. Our World Care Fund project partner, The Travel Foundation, is an independent sustainable tourism charity, who we work with exclusively to help the Mayan community of Chumpon in Mexico.