Mexico 🇲🇽
Hi!
We are Sinéad and Hugh and recently travelled/ backpacked around the world for 180 days and this was our route through Mexico.
Mexico has so many other amazing places to visit but we saw the Yucatan Peninsula this time around and it was beautiful!
We want this blog to be short and to the point, only highlighting the essential information we needed during our trip, especially those tips that helped us stick to our budget!
However, as we went along, we put a daily 60 second vlog up to give a better flavour of what we got up to – if you want to check it out!
Mexico was Day 1-12 on our Instagram and TikTok!
Helpful Facts about Mexico
Population: ~130m (10th)
GDP: ~ $2trn USD (12th)
Average Net Monthly Salary: ~ $726 USD (52nd)
Main Spoken Language: Spanish
How to Say:
- Hello – Hola
- Please – Por favor
- Thank You – Gracias
Currency: Mexican Pesos ($1 USD ~ M$18 Pesos)
Money Situation: Card accepted in most touristy spots but cash is still king. Lots of ATMs but none are free. Fees M$20-M$120 depending on your card & the ATM. Limits of M$4,000-M$11,000.
Fun Facts: The Aztec Pyramid Chichen Itza is one of the 7 New Wonders of the World and definitely worth the visit even if a tourist destination!
Personal Observations: Yucatan is the most touristy part of Mexico and therefore it can be expensive with many traps. So try to be thorough when looking for the best price on tours, rentals, activities etc!
Average Costs in Mexico for Backpackers
Average Costs in Mexico per day per person:
🛏️ Accommodation: €18 – we stayed in private en suite rooms and these rooms were split between 2
🥘 Food & Drink: €12 – we ate local food or cooked in where possible and tried out some of the excellent street stalls in Mexico
🚌 Transport: €7 – see itinerary below for our route
🤿 Activities: €44* – this can vary hugely but includes a trip to Chichen Itza, Vallodolid and a Cenote as well as our Scuba course!
💶 Total: €81*
*Note: This includes our Open Water PADI Scubadiving course which was €400 pp
Total Cost for 12 days per person: €954* (€554 if excluding scuba)
Budgeting:
Budgeting for any trip can be complex, especially if it is a long one with many destinations, countries and different costs of living!
We created and used a Travel Budget Tracker which we used for our full 180 day trip and helped us stay below budget!
You can download it here and will get a easy-to-follow Youtube tutorial on how its used!
Top tips we found to keep the costs down:
- Accommodation: Don’t just use Hostelworld but also look at Booking, Agoda and Revolut stays to find the best deals! Always, always, always study the reviews as well – but be aware that someone else’s ‘okay’ could be your ‘great’! (As was the case many times during our backpacking trip!)
- Food & Drink: Try to get breakfast included with your accommodation where possible and eat the local food!
- Transport: Booking in person in stations was cheaper for us 99% of the time but sometimes you still cant beat the convenience of busbud!
- Activities: These vary greatly from place to place so just make sure you have budgeted enough for your personal desires as these are one of the reasons that make travelling so special in our opinion!
Itinerary for Mexico
Day 1-2:
Playa del Carmen
Flying into the hub of Cancun, Playa is just a 90 minute bus ride away – which you can get straight from airport every hour! 🏖️
How to get from Cancun to Playa del Carmen:
ADO Bus is one of the safest and cheapest ways to get around all of Mexico (note: it is pronounced “Ah-Day-Oh” in Spanish!). This is how we got to each of our destinations on the mainland. You can use the handy app BusBud to book online in advance but be aware it might charge you a little bit extra. Estimated Cost from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen €14.
Day 3-5:
Cozumel
A beautiful island just off the coast of Playa del Carmen with some amazing scuba diving spots! This is where we did our Open Water PADI scuba course with @CozumelDiveSchool and could not recommend them enough! 🤿
How to get from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel:
An easy 45 minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen. Would recommend you book in person at the port with either company Ultramar or Winjet for best prices but you can also go online! Estimated Cost €15 per person one way. Note that these boats often have some brilliant local entertainment on board with singers busking – check out our Day 5 video to see what we mean! 🎤🎶
Day 6-8:
Tulum
Another quick 90 minute bus further south down the coast and you reach the vibrate Tulum! You have a choice to stay in one of the many beachside resorts or Tulum town itself like we did @hotelzendero! 🛏️ While here why not also check out Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the world!
How to get from Cozumel to Tulum:
After taking a Winjet or Ultramar ferry back to the mainland and Play del Carmen ADO bus is once again your best bet to get to Tulum! It will drop you off at the ADO bus station in Tulum town itself which is very central. Estimated Cost: €5. Estimated Journey: 1 hour.
Day 9-12:
Bacalar
The beautiful crystal clear waters of Bacalar are 3 hours further south again and our favourite stop in Mexico! This town has a lovely atmosphere and is much more quaint and chilled. Get out on the water as much as you possibly can! 🛶🌅
How to get from Tulum to Bacalar:
ADO bus once again! This journey is slightly longer though – it takes in the region of 3 hours. Estimated Cost: €20.
Stay, Eat & Do in Mexico for Backpackers
Playa del Carmen
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Playa del Carmen
- We stayed in an Airbnb for our sole night in Playa and unfortunately would not recommend it!!
- We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
- Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Playa del Carmen
- Dona Paula Restaurant – large portions, home cooked feel & decent value
- La Brocherie – excellent chicken, nice atmosphere & good value
- El Fogón – Tacos! Fajitas! Value!
- There are so many more excellent options with our general rule of thumb being above 4.5 stars on google with 200+ ratings!
🧗♀️ Do: What to do in Playa del Carmen
- Head to the Beach! With numerous beautiful beaches to choose from a day needs to be spent exploring them and cooling down in the sea. Playacar, Playa Coco or Playa Paraiso are all great options!
- Take a day trip to Cozumel if it isn’t already part of your itinerary
- Nightlife – Playa del Carmen can be hopping at night so head out to one of the many Mexican bars and soak up the atmosphere!
Cozumel
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Cozumel
- If doing your scuba course we can’t recommend @CozumelDiveSchool any more! You will get dorm room accommodation included with your course (starts at $350 for the Open Water PADI) or you can pay extra for a private apartment-style room from ~€38 a night!
- We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
- Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Cozumel
- Callejón de la Diez – open air food stalls, good value
- Crazy King Burrito – excellent burritos, decent value
- La Clásica – value, quiet street, cocktails
- There are so many more excellent options with our general rule of thumb being above 4.5 stars on google with 200+ ratings!
🤿 Do: What to Do in Cozumel
- Scuba Diving! If you are an experienced diver or just a beginner like us, Cozumel is a great place to discover the underwater world as it sits right above the second largest coral reef system in the world! With a huge number of dive schools on the island itself you can choose from fun dives, beginner Open Water PADI course right up to advanced coaching courses. We had a fantastic experience with @CozumelDiveSchool so check them out if you are looking for some excellent professional instructors and some great vibes! Their prices start from ~$350 for the basic Open Water PADI Course (level 1).
- Walk the Centro Promenade for sunset!
- Go to the beaches on the east coast – Playa Chen Rio, Playa Punta Moreno or Ixpalbarco Beach!
- Hire bikes and cycle around the coast of the island!
Tulum
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Tulum
- We found a little gem of a place for excellent value (using Revolut Stays) just a couple of days before we arrived in Tulum – @hotelzendero! It is situated in Tulum town and within walking distance of all the shops, restaurants etc. The rooms are simple-modern and there is a rooftop pool to cool off in! You can get a simple breakfast included with your room if you wish. We paid an excellent €35 a night!
- We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
- Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Tulum
- Burrito Amor – the best burritos we have ever had. Hands down. Go here.
- Negro Huitlacoxe – great decor, great flavours!
- Taqueria Honorio – breakfast tacos & value
- Aroma Cafe Tulum – coffee, fluffy pancakes, french toast
🧗♀️ Do: What to Do in Tulum
- Chichen Itza Day Tour – this abandoned Aztec village (but now impeccably kept) is a must see when in the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World!
- Visit any one of the amazing Cenotes!
- Chill on the beach! Tulum is famous for its beautiful beaches – we spent a day on Paradise Beach
- Rent bikes and cycle around Tulum town, the beach & nearly Centotes
- Check out the Nightlife in Tulum town or one of the many fancier Beach Clubs
- Go to Tulum Jungle Gym for a unique (but expensive) workout
Bacalar
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Bacalar
- We stayed at Hotel Vias Maya Bacalar for our first couple of nights and for the price is was perfect. It is a 20 minute walk from the centre of town but it is flat and very doable in the sunshine!
- We stayed in Xibalba for next couple of nights and it has a much more modern feel, nice pool and basic breakfast. Still decent value but also bout 20 minutes from the centre.
- The Yak Lakehouse Hostel – we did not stay here (unfortunately) but we did spend a day here, rented Kayaks and had a sunset drink! This this THE place to stay in Bacalar. It is slightly on the more expensive side when compared to the options above but it is in the perfect location, on the water and close to the centre of town! While we don’t want to give a 100% recommendation as we didn’t stay a night, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you do!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Bacalar
- Los de Atlixco – centre of town, good Mexican burgers!
- La Orden del Gallo – boujee tacos!
- Café Tito Bacalar – breakfast, coffee and pastries
🧗♀️ Do: What to Do in Bacalar
- Get out on the water of Bacalar Lagoon as much as possible! We cannot recommend this enough! Rent a kayak for the day, pack a picnic and experience the peaceful crystal blue waters away from any crowds. Serene. Romantic. Chilled.
- Sunrise group Kayak tour! This is really worth the early morning and is a great way to meet people and see Bacalar at its most beautiful. Most hostels will offer this tour and you don’t need to even be staying with them to join!
- Morning Yoga on a pontoon. Whether a seasoned pro or a beginner like us, starting the day off with some Yoga is this amazing setting will not disappoint!
- Visit Cenote Azul just 4km from Bacalar
Add our Mexico Google Map!
We pinned all of crucial locations as went along – including hostels, hotels, bus stops, restaurants, cafés and must-see sights!
Feel free to save our Google Map for Mexico if you wish!