<p>We’re spending some time in Cancun in late Jan because my husband has meetings there and would like to go down a week or so early and visit some part of Mexico that is less “touristy”. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>If you are comfortable driving in a foreign country, we had a great trip: flew into Cancun, got a rental car, drove to Chichen Itza (stayed at hotel on grounds adjacent to the ruins - Mayan Village?- highly recommend this),drove to Merida, spent a couple days there,drove from there thru Vallodid (sp?) to Tulum (ruins are not as cool as CI but right by the sea), stayed nearby in Akumal (great snorkeling),then 2 hrs back to Cancun.</p>
<p>drb</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. My husband probably would be comfortable driving. Did you have any trouble with police stopping you and asking for money? We had that happen in Mexico years ago when we went beyond the resort areas.</p>
<p>Our son wondered whether Mexico City might be one good place to go, but my husband wondered about the air pollution and maybe crime rate?</p>
<p>Mexico City’s crime rate is sky high. I was there about 8 years ago as part of a fellowship program. We stayed at an expensive hotel, but were advised not to go anywhere – even a few blocks away – without taking a cab.</p>
<p>As for the pollution: My room was on a top floor, and at 6 a.m., I had a glorious view that went all the way to the mountains around the city. Within just a few minutes, I had seen the view obscured by the smog that rolled in with the commuters.</p>
<p>I have enjoyed the Tulum ruins, but that was about 30 years ago, so I don’t know how touristy it is there, now. I have enjoyed Guadalajara about 8 years ago: Beautiful and friendly city.</p>
<p>I would encourage you to read as many websites as you can stomach. Here’s one example:<br>
<a href=“http://www.yucatantoday.com/index.php[/url]”>http://www.yucatantoday.com/index.php</a></p>
<p>Once you have defined possible attractions and hotels, check them on Trip Advisor. <a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g150811-Merida_Yucatan_Peninsula-Hotel-Deals.html[/url]”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g150811-Merida_Yucatan_Peninsula-Hotel-Deals.html</a></p>
<p>As far as Cancun goes, it could be the picture posted in an encylopedia for the word touristy. The same applies to a lesser degree to the entire Southeastern part of Mexico. However, that is not necessarily such a bad thing, because you ARE a tourist when you travel down to Mexico. Please realize that Cancun and Playa del Carmen are VERY expensive and that it won’t fit the idea of cheap Mexico. To add insult to injury, January is the middle of the highest season, so don’t expect any great deal on hotels. On a plus side, you won’t see many crazy Spring Breakers … yet. </p>
<p>In general, the service at the hotel follows what you pay for. The food is typically way overpriced or terrible at the all-inclusive hotels that do not charge very high prices. The ocean in Cancun is gorgeous, but you should be aware that all hotels have NOT reverted to their pre-Wilma days. Some hotels have not rebuilt their beachfront. Again, check the RECENT pictures at TripAdvisor. </p>
<p>The short version is that one can have a great vacation in Cancun, Riviera Maya, or even Merida, but you should not expect much as far an immersion in the Mexico of yesterday. What you should expect is to spend quite a bit of money and a lot more than in the United States.</p>
<p>Oh, heck!</p>
<p>But thanks to all of you for being honest. Would we do better going to, say, Costa Rica for a week and then flying to Cancun?</p>
<p>I’d go with drb’s recommendations. That way, you’re not going terribly far away from Cancun, but are getting more of a taste of Mexico than if you just stayed in Cancun. I would agree that Mexico City probably wouldn’t be a great choice…but the prospects of travel in Mexico is not all as bleak as xiggi makes it sound. As long as you go with an open mind and are not expecting 5-star American type luxury, even hanging out in the touristy areas can be pretty fun. We usually go to Nuevo Vallarta (n of Puerto Vallarta), but next year’s spring break is going to be in Cancun. I’ve been there, but H and D2 have not; They’re on a quest to see all the 7 new wonders of the world (i.e. Chichen Itza), and were already in Peru (Macchu Pichu) this summer. They both dive, so we’re probably going to island hop to Cozumel for a few days, which should be a bit more laid-back than Cancun.</p>
<p>Bethievt, I think you may misunderstood my post about Yucatan and Quintana Roo. I traveled to region twice in 2007. It is far from being a “bad” place but one has to be realistic as what to expect. Cancun is a higly developed resort with accomodations ranging from simpler hotels to extremely luxury ones. One cannot expect to spend $75 per day and be treated like President Calderon. It’s also not a region where the locals will kiss your hand for a quarter or a nickel. This said, there is a reason why people do travel there in masses! </p>
<p>Is Costa Rica a better option? Would that again not depend on your expectations? Is there much to see in Costa Rica? How great is San Jose? How great are the beaches and the cofee plantations? Is a trip in the aerial train worth the travel? </p>
<p>Fwiw, I found Costa Rica an extremely boring place. But that is entirely in the eye of the beholder. Given the choice, I’d return to the Riviera Maya in a heartbeat. Now, if you want to explore something new, you may consider jumping on one of those Cuban planes and see if they still find a way to let you enter the country without stamping your US passport. :)</p>
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<p>Was my message a bleak one or a realistic one? I wrote that one CAN and SHOULD have a great vacation in Mexico. Everything is based on what to expect. </p>
<p>The poster inquired about “out of the way” areas. This is NOT what Cancun is, and surely not what Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit is. Those “plastic cities” have been built for the North American tourist in mind. That does not mean they are bad, but there is a world of difference between Nuevo Vallarta and say Tepic, Nayarit which is 90 minutes away. </p>
<p>How much of an adventure might one find in a trip from Cancun to Tulum, Chichen Itza, or Merida? Some, maybe! Will this mean you’re traveling well beyond the “touristy” pitfalls? Fat chance! </p>
<p>Visit them for yourself, and then we’ll compare notes. Deal?</p>
<p>We did go to Cuba a few years ago with Global Exchange–they did NOT stamp our passports. We met wonderful people and had a great time–would love to go again!</p>
<p>And we aren’t expecting cheap, son just wanted to see a little more of a Mexican side of Mexico. I’ll do my research, but this is my favorite place to start.</p>
<p>Xig, wouldn’t they be better off in SMA or SLP or Cuernavaca? How about the train to Copper Canyon and then down to Mazatlan or Zihuatenajo? I have my Mexico travel atlas handy and at the ready. </p>
<p>And Xig’s right about tripadvisor. That place rocks. Use their forums. Their local pros are quite knowledgeable. D stayed several miles south of Playa towards Tulum. They loved it. Gran Principe Bahia (Akumal). Or some combo of those words in some order. Google will find it. Safe. Clean but yes, not very adventurous. How about Roatan? Do y’all dive? </p>
<p>Anyway, I prefer Cozumel (I just snorkel). Laid back. The Anti-cancun.</p>
<p>I agree with much of the advice given. The Yucatan Peninsula is lovely and Merida, Chichen Itza, Campeche, Tulum, Xel-Ha can be very interesting. We’ve been there a number of times. The snorkeling and diving is very good in several places including Cozumel. We had fun many years ago on Isla Mujeres. drb’s suggestions are good (I think it is Valladolid).</p>
<p>Cancun itself is an over-developed, plasticky tourist place. But it is not hard to go from there to nice places.</p>
<p>I’m interested in Copper Canyon but have not had a chance to get there, though I’ve been to many parts of Mexico.</p>
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<p>Cur, there are many regions of Mexico that are attractive. However, the OP mentioned that her husband would be in Cancun. So. I’d assume it was the starting point, and that Cuernavaca, San Miguel, or San Luis Potosi were not an option. </p>
<p>The Copper Canyon offers remarkable views (it’s advertised as being deeper than the Grand Canyon.) I have not ridden the train all the way to Los Mochis, but driven a number of times from the border to Creel where one finds a number of nice hotels and cabins. Creel happens to be the place where Chihuahua’s elite athletes train to get used to the altitude before national competitions. It is still not very touristy, and is in a different category from Cancun. It is not “that” far from Texas and Tucson. On the way, many people stop in Mata Ortiz, a pueblito famous for its potteries. In the summer, one can also enjoy some of the best peaches in the world in the neighboring town of Casas Grandes.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mataortizpottery.com/[/url]”>http://www.mataortizpottery.com/</a></p>
<p>It was back when I was pregnant with the babies that are now college age, but we stayed in Merida, rented a car and toured the Yucatan. Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Coba were a few of the ruins that we toured, early in the day, before tour buses arrived. A wonderful experience. Tulum also, but I recently heard that a resort was built adjacent to the ruins in the last few years. Even then, Tulum was far less exciting than the bigger ruins. Just driving around, stopping in small towns for lunch, was a pleasure. Very different cuisine than ‘Mexican’, very good food. I’ve always been curious about Progresso, a more Mexican resort, N of Merida. There are all sorts of places to explore in the Yucatan with a car, small ruins in addition to the larger ones. Go, and then let us know what you have found. Hope you speak some Spanish.</p>
<p>Don’t know about now, but we found more interesting places to stay on the coast south of Cancun. Playa del Carmen was reasonable and beautiful at that time. No longer cheap, but I’d guess is still beautiful. You might check the coast farther S. towards Belize. Forget Cancun. Use the airport if necessary, then get out of town.</p>
<p>You could combine Belize and Cancun. Friends of mine did that. They loved Belize - Cancun, not so much.</p>
<p>We’ve been to Mexico several times. Our favorite place to stay is Ibarostar Lindo in the Riveria Maya. If you go through a travel agent and can get a package, it can be quite reasonable. The food was pretty good, the drinks included in the price and it was very relaxing. It was also immaculate, no one got sick, and we felt SAFE. Very relaxing, beautiful beach, I read three books. If you go, take plenty of sun screen, (preferably biodegradable). We ran out and had to buy it there, I spent fifty dollars on sunscreen. That’s $50.00 US</p>
<p>xig, I was picking up on the OP’s Mexico D.F. thought when I suggested SLP or Cuernavaca.</p>
<p>Sarahsmom42 - we stayed at the Iberostar Lindo this spring over Spring Break. Great place - relaxing even with 4 H.S. seniors! Food, just ok, but a beautiful spot. Short ride to Tulum, but for the most part pretty touristy. Much better than Cancun. Playa del Carmen was a lot of fun at night, or, o.k., one night. LOL. I actually prefer Cabo for the food and scenery, but the ocean is not so great for swimming - very rough.</p>
<p>nikrud, The food is never awesome at all inclusives, but at least w/Ibarostar you could get a la carte every night if you wanted. We stayed at another one where you only got three/week and the rest were “buffet.” At this stage in our lives, we like the all inclusive because there is something for everyone, including those who just want to veg. Our 20, 18 and 15.5 year olds liked the fact that they could use all three of the Ibarostar properties and I didn’t nag them about staying with us all of the time. Playa is nice for night life, but the resort nightlife was pretty lame. How 'bout those Ibarostar Friends!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all these suggestions. I was wondering about Cuernavaca and Oaxaca because I looked at the surroundings of Mexico City. I will check out all of the suggestions!</p>