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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Riviera Maya Mexico

35 replies

pilates · 13/06/2016 14:02

Going in August with DH with two young teens.

Any do's or don'ts and trips/restaurants you would recommend?

OP posts:
MrsChrisPratt · 13/06/2016 14:07

Xcarat is A-mazing! We stayed in the hotel next door and got unlimited passes-went in every day. So much to see and do, should not be missed.

LunaLoveg00d · 13/06/2016 14:09

Xel-ha is very good too. And the ruins at Tulum.

MeMySonAndl · 13/06/2016 14:12

Do not miss Xcaret, it may sound a bit expensive but it does really make the trip amazing. If your teens are adventurous you will love X-Plore.

Dito to visit Mayan ruins, especially Chichen Itza. If you get a chance to swim in a cenote, that is an opportunity not to be missed.

AlbusPercival · 13/06/2016 14:20

Agreed, we loved Xcaret

Tequilamockinbird · 13/06/2016 14:22

Yy to Xcaret.

Akumal and Tulum are both lovely, nice beaches and ruins to see. Playa Del Carmen is good for shopping and lots of bars/restaurants etc.

DH and DD went swimming with whale sharks and said it was amazing.

Tequilamockinbird · 13/06/2016 14:23

Oh yes, forgot about Xplor too - great zip wires!

Original poster
pilates · 13/06/2016 14:58

Wow, I didn't expect so many replies so soon, thank you.

So will put Xcaret and Xplor on the list.

Would like to visit the Mayan ruins but I think the children would only want to do this for one day, so which would you recommend and I presume it would be best to go early in the morning because of the heat?

Also did you book your trips independently or was it through your tour operator?

OP posts:
AlbusPercival · 13/06/2016 15:16

We went to Chichen Itza with tour operator.

They go very early to avoid heat, so my top tip is to do it your second full day. i didnt mind waking up at 4 ish to go as that is of course around 9 am UK time :) Our visit included lunch and a swim at a cenote, and stopping in Valladolid. It also included all drinks on the bus water, lemoade, beer and tequila.

Original poster
pilates · 13/06/2016 16:03

Thanks.

Are there loads of mosquitos and did you take your currency with you or when you got there? Do they prefer the american dollar?

OP posts:
AlbusPercival · 13/06/2016 16:15

We took pesos with us. Dont forget you need to keep some back to pay the tax to leave.

Us dollars are accepted most places, but certainly not everywhere. and the exchange rate didnt look terribly good.

We went in April, only saw mosquitoes in the early am on the beach, and I am a mozzie magnet

Tactfulcactus · 13/06/2016 16:20

Sorry, completely off topic, but when I saw the thread title I thought it was in the baby names thread...!!

Original poster
pilates · 13/06/2016 18:27

Thank you Smile

OP posts:
ihatethecold · 13/06/2016 18:45

Where are you staying op?
We thought about going this year.
Decided on Thailand instead.
Would love to hear about it when you return

mouldycheesefan · 13/06/2016 19:04

Xel-ha and snorkelling with turtles at akumal.
Found the ruins too hot.

darceybussell · 13/06/2016 19:16

We did three ruin sites and obviously chichen itza is the famous one, but id say the best one with teenagers would be Coba as it's a bit closer and you are allowed to climb up the pyramids - you can't climb on them at chichen itza

princessconsuelabannahammock · 13/06/2016 19:20

We went there for our honeymoon - it was amazing. Did xel ha and xcaret - both very good but busy. There are loads of cenotes in the area, we found some of the less touristy ones and saw loads of lizard things, they didnt have much in the way of facilities but were some of the best things we did. We went to peurto moralez (sp) a tiny village up the coast where the reef is close to the shore and we went snorkelling from a boat.

There were loads of mini buses zooming up and down the main road and we caught those and they were really cheap.

We went on the trip adviser forum and got loads of ideas of things to do in the area.

Tulum was nice - mayan temple by the sea.

Have an amazing time

LolaStarr · 13/06/2016 19:26

Xel-Ha is beautiful, can't recommend it enough. Chichen Itza is amazing but very, VERY hot! Or it was when we went in October anyway!

MeMySonAndl · 13/06/2016 20:22

If you go to XCaret don't get the entry-buffet meal package, you will spend hours queuing at the restaurants, which could be better used looking around. If I ever go again I would go for an a la carte option.

exLtEveDallas · 13/06/2016 20:51

Don't go into the Bodego el Medio in Playa del Carmen. That place was the cause of my downfall...

(Far too many Mojitos leading to the birth of DD 9 months later)

Grin Grin Grin

But seriously - it's a great rum bar and they also have a Señor Frogs on the waterfront.

I preferred Tulum to Chitchen Itza, the breeze coming off the shore was much needed and it was less 'buggy'. Xel Ha and Xcaret were excellent, taxis were v cheap and we felt very safe when we were there.

celtiethree · 14/06/2016 13:31

We did a cenotes tour with a company called xenotes. It was the best thing we have ever done, we are going in just over a week and will do this tour again.

Original poster
pilates · 14/06/2016 16:11

ihatethecold It's about 20km from the centre of Playa del Carmen. I will let you know what it's like. I think I had a conversation with you about Thailand a few months back as I was thinking of going but I couldn't convince my DH to go Sad may be next year when you come back on here and rave about it and I can show him Wink.

ExLtEveDalls what's a Senor Frogs?

Thanks everyone for your tips, keep them coming.

OP posts:
MeMySonAndl · 14/06/2016 16:22

Oooooh! Senor Frogs is the Mexican beach version of Hard Rock Cafe, the sort of place you wanted to go to and be seen in (without your parents!) as a teenager.

Long queues to enter, trendy music, I would say good food as well, expensive t-shirts to take home (if they continue to be what they were when I was a teenager circa 1990!).

AlbusPercival · 14/06/2016 16:30

Which hotel are you staying in Pilates?

exLtEveDallas · 14/06/2016 18:25

Yeah Senor Frogs is a 'party bar' - lots of fun, lots of cocktails (made famous for me by Friends - Phoebe talking about getting drunk there). We've still got hurricane glasses and a tacky picture & frame on show from there...12 years ago this year.

TooManyButtons · 14/06/2016 18:29

We've been twice, staying in the Grand Palladium and the Bahia Principe hotels, both amazing and I'd go back tomorrow. Another vote for Xel-ha, it's the best day out I've ever done on holiday.