Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a diverse area that boasts stunning beaches, lush jungles, ancient Mayan temples, and impressive colonial cities.
While this region has so much to offer, many people are dissuaded from visiting Mexico due to sensationalized stories in the news. Sure they might visit Cancun, which is found within the Yucatan Peninsula, but many tourists find it daunting to travel inland and experience the lesser known destinations in Southern Mexico.
On the contrary, I’m here to show you that it’s entirely possible to travel safely throughout Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. I’ll also explain why it’s not as difficult as one might believe.
And who am I to tell you this?
I’m just your everyday adventure seeker who spent two months traveling throughout this region by myself. Starting off in Cancun, I traversed over 1,000 miles down to the Guatemalan border and then eventually made my way back to the tourist metropolis for my return flight. Most importantly, I was able to accomplish this feat without experiencing any problems along the way.
With this being said, let’s jump right in and take a look at 5 tips for traveling Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Learn How To Use The ADO Bus System
ADO (Autobuses de Oriente/Buses of the East) is undeniably the most convenient method of transportation south of Mexico City. It’s also very easy to use. You simply walk into a ADO bus station in any city and you can purchase either a one way or a round trip ticket for any other destination in Southern Mexico. It should be noted that some cities have more than one station. ADO has a smartphone app so you can actually see the options for every destination along with the departure times and prices ahead of time.
The vehicles are surprisingly comfortable and most even have bathrooms located within the bus itself. If you’d like extra leg room or additional amenities such as WiFi, you can opt to pay for a more luxurious model of the ADO bus for your journey. However, the standard model is plenty comfortable and you’ll find that the prices are quite affordable.
Blend Into The Crowd
This really goes for any country that you’re visiting but it’s especially important in Mexico. Don’t flash valuables or do anything that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Although Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is decently safe as a whole, you don’t want to fall victim to a crime of opportunity. A crime of opportunity refers to any situation where the perpetrator sees an opportunity to commit a crime and then capitalizes on it without any prior intention to do so. This is the most common type of crime that impacts tourists and it can be caused by a myriad of actions such as being visibly drunk, wearing fancy clothing, or flashing valuables in public. Please, for the love of travel, don’t do any of those things.
It’s important to be aware of your surroundings at all times and to attempt to blend into the crowd when traveling somewhere new.
Always Carry Insect Repellent
Southern Mexico is tropical, which means that there are plenty of mosquitos just dreaming about biting you. While this may sound scary, it won’t be as long as you carry and apply insect repellent every single day.
You can buy either creams or sprays that carry DEET, which is both the most common and the most effective form of repelling mosquitoes. These repellents are sold in almost every general store so you’ll want to make sure that you have some on hand and are using it before going outside.
Look, I got bit by plenty of mosquitoes during my two months in Mexico. When you’re in a tropical region for that long, it’s bound to happen. However, I would have been bitten ten times as often if I didn’t use insect repellent. It’s really a no-brainer.
Read More: Valladolid Mexico Travel Guide
Find Cheap Lodging On Hostelworld Or Booking.com
Depending on what kind of accommodations you’re looking for, both Hostelworld and Booking.com are excellent options for finding hostels and hotels respectively.
I personally like to stay in hostels so I just plug any destination into the Hostelworld app and can immediately see all of the options available. You should look at the pictures and read at least a few reviews before deciding on a specific accommodation. Further, you can reserve the accommodation ahead of time on both of these platforms so that you won’t have to do any additional research once you arrive at your destination.
Having a streamlined method of locating and reserving the best accommodations within your budget is extremely important and can help to relieve some of the anxiety that many travelers face.
Note: This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Using our affiliate links is a great way to support this website.
Learn Some Basic Spanish
I can’t stress this last point enough. You have to know how to say more than just beer (cerveza) and bathroom (baño).
Now I’m not saying that you need to go out there and master the Spanish language before traveling to Mexico. What I am saying, however, is that learning some basic phrases and common words can go a long way in making your experience more enjoyable.
Imagine a situation where you need to ask for directions to your hotel, or maybe you need to ask what time the bus will leave the station. Maybe you have a food allergy and you need to ask about a certain ingredient at a restaurant. These are all simple questions but you need to carve out a little time to learn the relevant words and phrases ahead of time.
I would recommend looking up words related to hotels, restaurants, transportation, and directions. This will provide you with a good basis for the language and it will give you the ability to ask questions should you have any.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it. While there are various other recommendations that I could give based on specific cities, these five tips should help you travel efficiently throughout Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a whole.
I would like to close by saying that these tips aren’t necessarily specific to just the Yucatan Peninsula or Mexico. You can use these ideas to help you plan any trip to any destination. The most important thing is to always be prepared.
Plan Your Trip To Mexico
Accommodations: We recommend using Booking.com and Hostelworld for reserving accommodations. Both of these booking sites are easy to use and they feature a wide range of options. You can compare prices, view photos, and read reviews to help you find the perfect accommodation.
Flights: We recommend using Kiwi to find cheap flights. Their interface is user friendly and they help you find the best deals on flights to any destination.
The best airport to fly into is the Cancun International Airport:
Travel Insurance: We recommend purchasing travel insurance from World Nomads. They’re one of the most trusted travel insurance providers and their plans cover a wide range of claims from overseas medical care to emergency evacuation. World Nomads will even allow you to purchase a plan if you’re already traveling abroad.
Excellent article and great tips for travelling Yucatan.
Thank you, glad to hear that you enjoyed the article!
Great tips Michael. Basic Spanish can go a long way! I am glad you included the shameless selfie!
Yes I always try to end the article with a picture of me in that location! That way nobody can doubt that I’m speaking from experience haha.
Great tips and very informative. I surely need to visit. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad that you found it to be informative! Safe travels.
Such great tips! And so true about the insect repellent! I got bit up when I went to Mexico! Thanks for sharing! I’m pinning this!
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment! Also I saw that you pinned the article, thanks for that too! Much obliged.
I am dreaming about the day I will buy my flights to Yucatan. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing all this.
You’re very welcome! That sounds like an exciting day!