Mexico - which resort to choose? Yucatan Peninsula..

[MarshmallowFarm]

We are planning a trip to Mexico in December and I'm very confused about where to stay. We'll be flying into Cancun and hiring a car then renting a villa or apartment. Most accommodation seems to be in Playa del Carmen but I'm wondering if it's too big a resort to be really relaxing? Quite fancy Akumel or Tulum. Has anyone been to any of these places? We want somewhere with a fab beach, nice restaurants and a bit of a buzz but not a huge resort with tons of bars, clubs etc either. Main occupations will be sunbathing and sightseeing! Thanks in advance..

There was a big thread about this recently - will find and bump for you!

Thanks Holla I've found the other thread. The hotels people mention on there sound fab especially Bahia Principe! My kids always want space though so we will be self-catering to get extra living room space etc...

Playa del Carmen is fine, not big and brash at all - well, not when we were there in 2006.

You have the jetty for Cozumel there (I found it boring, my son went diving, so enjoyed it).

Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba temples are well worth the day trips.

Never made it to Tulum beach area, south of the temple, but on my list. Meant to be good.

Also Oaxaca and Mérida worth checking out I've heard.

I went to Playa Del Car last year - just outside Playa del Carmen. It's a nice area and not busy. I wouldn't stay in Playa del Carmen personally but it's nice to be near somewhere like that for ferries etc. You could stay in a Playa del Car resort and still be within reach of Playa del Carmen for restaurants etc.

I would not recommend the ferry to Cozumel - a strange mix of exorbitant taxis, beach clubs and not very good snorkelling - couldn't wait to get back on the ferry!

Akumel is a lovely place though. It's more traditional, you can swim with turtles off the beach and the beach is lovely. It was one of the highlights of our trip and great combined with a visit to a local beachside restaurant.