Yucatán, from a car-free island to the lagoon of seven colours
Fifteen days across the Yucatán peninsula: barefoot days on Holbox, Chichén Itzá with a guide, a swim in a cenote, colonial Mérida and the turquoise lagoon of Bacalar, linked by bus, ferry and the new Maya Train. Built on our own trip in October 2025.
Prenez un guide pour Chichén Itzá. Le nôtre a fait la journée, avec des histoires que vous n'entendriez jamais seuls ; sans guide, c'est beau, mais sans plus.
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Poser une question sur ce voyageDay 1 · Cancún
One quiet night by the sea
Getting there
There are direct flights to Cancún from several European cities.
- Holbox is another three and a half hours by bus and ferry, so we broke the journey with one night in Cancún rather than adding it to a long-haul flight
Where you're staying
Presidente InterContinental Cancún, Punta Cancún: a five-star hotel on the calmest beach in Cancún, looking across to Isla Mujeres.
- Our favourite moment: jet lag had us up at 6.30, and we had breakfast at the best tables, practically on the beach, with nobody else around and the sea in front of us
- A big breakfast with plenty of fresh produce, and dinner in the hotel was very good too
- The beach in front is wide, calm and beautifully kept, good for a short walk before bed
Photos: our own trip, October 2025
Why October
October sits at the end of the hurricane season, which runs from June to November. There is a real chance of rain, and of a storm. We had no hurricanes, just two afternoons of rain, and in return hotels cost far less and there were so few people that places felt like they were ours alone.
Days 2–5 · Holbox
Four days on an island of sand streets
Getting there
A bus from Cancún's ADO terminal to Chiquilá, about two and a half hours, then the ferry across, 20 to 30 minutes.
- The bus is cheap and comfortable, with Spanish films on board, and the road runs through what is basically jungle
- Two companies, 9 Hermanos and Holbox Express, run the crossing; they are the same, so buy at the port and take whichever leaves next, in case the bus runs late
- There are no cars on Holbox, only golf carts and bikes: we walked fifteen minutes to the hotel, and duffle bags beat suitcases on sand
Where you're staying
Hotel Para Ti, in the centre of the village: an adults-only hotel of sixteen rooms built in local wood around a pool, 200 metres from the sea.
- Cute and comfortable rather than extraordinary: decent rooms with everything you need, a hammock inside that is more decoration than use, and a nice pool
- Breakfast was great, with a choice of dishes every day
- The service was friendly enough; after the reviews we expected a little more warmth
Photos: paratiholbox.com
Or, our pick if we go back
Mawimbi Boutique Hotel: fourteen rooms in a tropical garden right on the beach, at the edge of the village.
- We found it on a walk along the beach, and if we go to Holbox again, this is where we stay, without a second thought
Photos: our own trip, October 2025
Lunch, dinner or a sunset drink
Lunch at Mawimbi, on the sand in front of the hotel: incredibly good food, music, and genuinely friendly people.
- Just as good for an aperitivo as the sun goes down
- The beach beds are free if you spend a minimum with them
- Holbox has plenty of good breakfast bars and restaurants beyond this one
Photos: our own trip, October 2025
The days
The walk to Punta Mosquito: east along the shore and out over the sandbanks, ankle- to knee-deep in warm water for kilometres.
- Just follow the people, many make the walk
- Flamingos, pelicans and herons on the flats
- Next time we would also take a kayak through the mangroves
Photos: our own trip, October 2025
After dark
On dark nights around the new moon, the water glows blue when you move through it: bioluminescent plankton, best on the dark shores away from the village lights, with Punta Cocos the usual spot.
- Bring plenty of mosquito spray
Seaweed and rain
Sargassum seaweed can wash up on the Caribbean coast at different times of year, and when we were there the beaches had plenty. Once you are in the water you forget it. And because the streets are sand with no drains, half the village is under water after a downpour. Whale sharks gather off Holbox from June to September, if you would rather come for those.
Day 6 · Valladolid
Inland, to a colonial town and a cave pool
Getting there
The ferry back to Chiquilá, then about two and a half hours by road to Valladolid.
- We took a shared shuttle and it was an experience: nineteen people in a van you would fill with nine in Europe. Cheap, and it got us there, but we would book a private transfer
Where you're staying
Hotel Zentik Project: an adults-only boutique hotel with palapa-roofed suites and its own cave, six metres underground, filled with warm salt water and open day and night.
- A swim in the cave after a day at the ruins is the reason to stay
- An outdoor pool, a spa and a good restaurant as well
The town
Valladolid: a pretty colonial town of painted streets around the church of San Servacio.
- A nice town, but not much to see: an evening walk and dinner around the main square is enough
Flagship day
Chichén Itzá with a guide, then a cenote
The morning
Chichén Itzá, with a private guide, three quarters of an hour from Valladolid.
- Our hotel booked the guide for us, and he made the day: endlessly friendly, with stories about every stone that you would never pick up on your own
- Honestly, without a guide it is nice, but nothing special
- Be there when it opens, before the day trips from Cancún arrive
- We rode there by scooter; it is a long way, so we would rather take a driver
Photos: our own trip, October 2025
The afternoon
Cenote Puerta del Sueño, a cenote that had only recently opened when we went: a cave of stalactites over still, clear water, run by a family who share their home with a very cheeky monkey.
- Cenotes are magical, and you should not miss at least one: go, swim to cool off, head back, an hour is plenty
- Which one matters less than you think; pick one on your way
- Most are inexpensive, but some are tourist traps charging far more than the rest, and some are packed
Photos: our own trip, October 2025
What a cenote is
The Yucatán is a flat plate of limestone with no rivers on the surface: the water runs underground. Where the roof of a cave collapsed, it opened a cenote, and there are thousands of them. For the Maya they were the only fresh water, and entrances to Xibalbá, the underworld.
Days 8–11 · Mérida
Four days in the white city
Getting there
The Maya Train from Valladolid to Mérida, about two hours, stopping at Chichén Itzá and Izamal.
- We took the Maya Train ourselves and would absolutely recommend it: it looks and runs much like a European train
- Mérida's station, Teya, is outside the city, so allow twenty to thirty minutes by taxi to the centre
Where you're staying
Rosas & Xocolate, Paseo de Montejo: two restored mansions painted pink, with a pool, a rooftop and a spa built around cacao.
The city
Mérida: Paseo de Montejo and its mansions from the henequen boom, the Plaza Grande and one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas.
- Many people told us not to miss it, which is why it is on this route
- On Sundays the centre closes to cars for Mérida en Domingo: music, dancing and food stalls on the square
A day out
Uxmal, an hour south: the finest of the Puuc Maya cities, with the oval Pyramid of the Magician and long carved palaces.
- Quieter than Chichén Itzá, and to many people more beautiful
- Go with a driver and stop at a cenote on the way back
Dinner
La Chaya Maya, in the centre: Yucatecan classics in a colonial house, cochinita pibil, sopa de lima and panuchos.
Days 12–14 · Bacalar
Three slow days on the lagoon of seven colours
Getting there
The one long travel day: the ADO bus from Mérida to Bacalar takes five to six and a half hours, a private driver about five.
- Bacalar is in Quintana Roo, an hour ahead of Mérida
Where you're staying
Akalki: a small retreat on the lagoon shore with Bacalar's only overwater bungalows, plus yoga, massage and a temazcal.
The days
Laguna de Bacalar: forty kilometres of fresh water that shades from white sand to turquoise to deep blue, hence the seven colours.
- Out by kayak or under sail to the Pirates' Channel and the stromatolites
- A swim in Cenote Azul, the huge round cenote just south of town
Day 15 · Home
The Maya Train back to Cancún airport
Getting home
The morning Maya Train from Bacalar reaches Cancún airport station in about four and three quarter hours, in time for the evening flights to Europe.
- A last coffee by the lagoon before you go
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