During the pandemic in 2022, Mexico was almost the only country to visit and therefore, I had the opportunity to visit the country twice, indulging in its beauty to the fullest. I discovered the famous East, enjoyed surfing in the West, and expanded my knowledge about the Maya culture in the jungle. In total, I spent almost six months in Mexico. My extensive travels inspired me to create a comprehensive itinerary that encompasses all the must-see attractions.
Table of Content:
My Personal Experience
As I already mentioned before I spent almost six months in Mexico and have been to the country twice (so far). Before my first visit, I had literally no idea about the country and I'd never been to a Latin country before. As many of you probably do before visiting a country, I googled it. What are the best things to do in Mexico? Which are the best places to visit in Mexico? And so on.
After I did my research, I came up with this travel route:
Starting from Mexico City (6) I began my journey by visiting Puerto Escondido (1). I'd heard that this surf town in the West must be one of the best places to visit in Mexico. Unfortunately, I hadn't had the experience of my life there. Disappointed, I left Puerto Escondido after only four days (little did I know that I will like it so much during my second visit that I'm going to stay over five weeks there) and flew all the way back to Mexico City and took another flight to Cancun.
From Cancun, I took a shuttle bus from the company ADO, which is a comfortable and easy way to get to Tulum for less than 20$. After arriving at the bus station I made my way to one of the best hostels I've ever been; The Mayan Monkey Hostel.
❗️Consider walking, renting a bike or a scooter instead of taking a taxi because they will rip you off.
Tulum was an absolute blessing, that had everything a backpacker needed. Cheap street food, fun hostel parties, and lots of other travelers.
After Tulum, I went to Playa del Carmen and made my first experience with a "collectivo", which are small mini-vans that collect people and transfer them from one place to another. It's the local way to get around the East Coast. After Playa del Carmen I went to Cancun, a popular place among Americans for having wild parties during Spring Break. I did not like it and decided to take a ferry to Isla Mujeres, a beautiful tropical island.
The month was almost over, which is why I had to fly back to Mexico City, stayed there for a couple of nights, and went back to Switzerland.
Being back in Switzerland (and to all the restrictions we had due to covid) I dreamed myself back to the good times I had in Mexico. Since I believe that no dreams are impossible, I made myself that one came true. As soon as I could I booked a flight and found myself in an airplane on its way to Mexico, where I started with my second trip.
I started with Tulum (1) first, because it was the place, where I had the best memories, and went down South to Bacalar (2). From there I went back to Playa del Carmen (3) with a "collectivo" and added another new destination to my been-list. Holbox (4) is a traveler's paradise and I'm sure perfect for having the most relaxing time. Unfortunately, it was raining most of the time during my visit, which is why I left Holbox and made my way back to my favorite island in Mexico - Isla Mujeres (5). A friend of mine, who was visiting me during my second time in Mexico had to fly back to Switzerland and because of that, we went to Cancun (6).
While I was thinking about my next steps, I came up with the idea to make my way from the West Coast to Guatemala (I never made it to Guatemala though) and flew back to Puerto Escondido (7). This time I had a whole new experience there, discovered an area, I'd not seen during my first visit and I liked it that much, I saw myself extending my stays over and over again. I originally planned to stay only a few days in Puerto Escondido and found myself there after five weeks. The only reason I left Puerto Escondido was because of a friend of mine that planned to visit me in Mexico and I told her that we would meet in Cancun.
I showed my two favorite places on the East Coast: Isla Mujeres and Tulum. After that, I could not stay another day in a known environment and needed a change. I decided to discover the inland of Mexico. I found myself on a bus towards Palenque (8), just a short bus ride (only 11 hours) from Tulum apart. Here I learned more about the Maya Culture and visited waterfalls. Next, I went to San Cristobalal (9) de las Casas and from there back to Mexico City (10) to catch my flight back home.
The Ultimate One-Month Mexico Itinerary
Okay, that was a lot of talking about my trip to Mexico, maybe you find it helpful or maybe you skipped the whole thing and landed on what you came for - the ultimate and best Mexico itinerary!
After reading about my whole story (or maybe not) you know I've seen a lot and been to a lot of places in Mexico. My friends and their friends knew and were asking me where they should go and what the best itinerary would be. So, I created this itinerary for them and you (although there was no blog and you at this moment).
Day 1: Arrival
Let's assume that you arrive in Cancun, it's always a struggle to get out from the airport, and I recommend taking the shuttle service and taking a public bus that brings you to the hotel zone. You either stay in one of those hotels or check in to Mayan Monkey. Give yourself two nights to arrive, maybe dive into Cancun's wild nightlife or relax at the beach. Honestly, there's not much to do here.
Day 3: Enjoy a Tropical Island
Next, take the public bus and head towards the ferry station. From there, you buy a ticket to Isla Mujeres, where you can easily hang around for a while, some people have spent months on the island. Personally, I recommend spending at least three nights on Isla.
Day 6: Dancing in Playa del Carmen
From Isla Mujeres get yourself the ferry to Playa del Carmen, another tourist hotspot but without the one-by-one hotel vibe. It's a great town for having fun at night, going shopping, or relaxing at the beach. After two nights, it's already time for your next destination.
Day 8: Famous Tulum
It's time for the famous Tulum. A popular destination among influencers, spiritual people, and party tigers. Unfortunately, since it got famous the prices are increasing drastically!
🤑 Some beach clubs demand an entry fee of 150$ or more!
Besides the increasing prices, Tulum is an absolute blessing in terms of living a relaxed lifestyle. Enjoying the sun at Playa Paraiso, exploring the many cenotes, or enjoying nourishing food at one of their many fancy cafés. Tulum has it all.
For those who are more on a spiritual journey, you can do many yoga sessions, expand your mind, and many more. There are no limits!
Spend seven nights in Tulum, get yourself a bicycle or a scooter, and enjoy.
Day 15: Explore the Maya Culture
After spending some time in Tulum you're probably energized enough to have a longer journey because it gets reaaaaally long. Night buses are departing from Tulum to Palenque, a town that's famous for its nice Maya temples. Stay in Palenque for three nights and afterward, do the waterfall tour that will bring you to San Cristobal de las Casas, spend another two nights here before taking another long bus ride to my favorite place.
Day 20: Welcome to Surfer's Paradise
It's time to hit the beach again and Puerto Escondido is the perfect place for it! During day time take a surf lesson and dance in one of their relaxed beach clubs at Zicatela. I'd recommend staying seven nights in Puerto Escondido, exploring every beach, and maybe doing a day trip to Mazunte.
Day 27: Hola, Big City!
From Puerto Escondido take a flight to Mexico City, the capital city of Mexico. Here you have enough time to explore the city and its many museums and visit the famous Teotihuacan Maya Temple.
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