While the northern Yucatan has its fair share of Mayan ruins, Costa Maya has its own, speckled across the south. Costa Maya’s vastly underrated ruins in the south like the Chacchoben and the Kohunlich might be lesser known than Chichen Itza, but they equally fascinating.
Costa Maya’s rising fame has made it greatly accessible. From neighboring airports, especially the largest one in Cancun, Chetumal, and even from Belize, via the long highways that dominate the interior Yucatan, getting to Costa Maya isn’t difficult.
Costa Maya’s beautiful blue waters, natural beauty, and relatively fewer crowds making it another destination in the Yucatan to check out. It may be just another stop to the majesty of the Mayan peninsula, but it has its reasons to be on travelers’ lists.
Mahahual is a sleepy fishing village in southern Quintana Roo until cruisers descend from the ships, that is. The charm of Mahahual lies in its old-world charm, almost like a time-capsule, where you can still see, and feel Mexico before the tourism boom.
Getting to Bacalar is not complicated, braving the long highways of Quintana Roo will prove worth it once you get to dip into the 7 colors of the lake. Bacalar’s tourism is being fed by two airports, Chetumal which is the nearest one, and Cancun, which receives the most number of visitors to the peninsula.
Lake Bacalar’s breathtaking beauty is reason enough to visit the charming town of Bacalar, in southern Quintana Roo. When you swim in the lake of 7 colors, fed by freshwater cenotes all around, to not visit this charming lake when you’re in the peninsula is a sin.
Getting to Isla Holbox is not an easy task, ridden with bus transfers and ferry rides, but the final destination is worth it. With Quintana Roo’s developed tourism, it’s tough to grasp why it can be challenging to get to Holbox, but once you get there it will all pay off.
One of the underrated gems of the Yucatan Peninsula, Holbox, with its bioluminescent beaches, beautiful sand bars, whale shark tours, and car-less center, is a Yucatan must-visit. Isla Holbox’s charm is its quiet, laid-back charm that appeals to travelers that long for a true escape.
Fun and underrated, Maroma is only down south of fun Cancun and stone-throw away from Playa del Carmen. This small beach town offers beautiful beaches that rival the bigger cities of the Riviera Maya.
Set between Quintana Roo’s prime jewels of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, getting to Akumal is easy, and accessible. With its beautiful calm and peaceful stretches of clean white sand beaches, Akumal is small but tough to miss.
Akumal, a Yucatan Peninsula jewel that is making big waves to peace-loving travelers. Akumal is one of those smaller beach towns that have charms that rival big holiday meccas. This charming, peaceful small beach town is definitely one of Quintana Roo’s visit-worthy spots.
Deep in the lush greens of Yucatan, Chichen Itza is situated between the charming cities of Valladolid and Merida. Once a Mayan powerhouse in the Yucatan lowlands, Chichen Itza held power from the north extending to the east and west coasts of the peninsula.