Almost with a baby!
We left for Mexico on the 30th of December 2021, just before New Years eve, straight after both having Corona for the first time. Another roadtrip for us, this time travelling through Quintana Roo and Yucatan.
We travelled from London straight to Cancun airport. We pre-booked our car, assuming that this would mean we could pick it up quickly and head to Tulum. We were wrong! Our flight was delayed by a few hours, someone got arrested just before boarding, so we arrived late in Mexico. When we went to pick up our car, they gave it away as they thought we weren’t going to come.
The main reason we chose to go to Tulum first (and for one night only), was because the drive to Bacalar – where we wanted to start our holiday – was much further, and because we arrived late in the afternoon we didn’t want to drive in the dark on our first day in Mexico. That didn’t work out as planned, because when we finally got our car, it was pitch black outside. We arrived at our accommodation around 9:30pm.
The Trip
- Day 1: London – Cancun Airport, drive on to Tulum
- Day 2: Drive to Bacalar, Burrito Amor & New Years Eve in Bacalar
- Day 3: Bacalar: Los Rápidos & La Playita
- Day 4: Drive to Campeche
- Day 5: Campeche to Mérida, via Hecelchakán
- Day 6: Mérida: Walking Tour & Gordita’s
- Day 7: Mérida: Daytrip to Mangroves of Celestún & Uxmal
- Day 8: Mérida: Daytrip to Progreso & Cenote Noh‑Mozon
- Day 9: Drive to Valladolid, via Izamal & Chichén Itzá
- Day 10: Valladolid: Daytrip to Río Lagartos, Las Coloradas & Cenotes
- Day 11: Valladolid to Holbox
- Day 12: Holbox
- Day 13: Holbox
- Day 14: Drive to Cancun
- Day 15: Cancun Airport – London
Day 1: London to Tulum via Cancun
We left London in the morning to fly to Cancun airport. We decided from the start we did not want to stay in Cancun as both of us prefer to visit smaller more authentic places. The reason we drove to Tulum, and did decide to spend about half a day here, was because we thought we would be able to drive there before it would be dark. As mentioned before, we did not make it due to delays to our flight.
Arrival & Late Night in Tulum – unexpected start after flight delays
We arrived in Tulum around 9:30pm (the drive from Cancun airport to our accommodation in Tulum was 1.5h) and decided to head straight out to have some food and a drink to celebrate our arrival in Mexico, and because we were starving.. We went for a walk and ended up on the street behind our accommodation (Casa Almendro) where we found some street food stalls that were very busy, mainly with locals, so decided to give it a go and try out their taco’s. They did not disappoint!
Street Food & Celebration – tacos, and cocktails on the first evening
We walked into town, had a couple more drinks and headed back to our accommodation as we were tired. As a side note, we never intended to stay in Tulum, so I did not look up any activities to do here. I hear very good stories about it from others, but we do not really have any recommendations for Tulum ourselves.
Day 2: Tulum to Bacalar
We got up early on day 2 to find a nice breakfast spot in Tulum. We wanted to have early breakfast, as we also had a recommendation from a friend to go to Burrito Amor for lunch, and we did not want to leave Tulum too late to head to Bacalar.
Breakfast and lunch in Tulum – juice bowls, colourful street art & burrito’s
We came across Juice Lover and both ordered a juice, one yoghurt muesli and one acai bowl. The atmosphere inside was very nice and the people working there very friendly!
We strolled round Tulum, went into some shops and enjoyed the street art. Around 11:00am we headed back to our accommodation, enjoyed the hammocks on the roof terrace, packed our bags and drove to Burrito Amor – so we could head straight for Bacalar from there.
There was a short queue for Burrito Amor as we wanted to sit inside due to some rain. When inside we ordered a beef and shrimp burrito to share.
Burrito Amor is a very pretty place to eat, definitely very instragrammable (I however forgot to take any pictures here!). We enjoyed the food, but didn’t stay too long as we wanted to get to Bacalar. Mainly because we had not done any research for what to do on New Years Eve, so we wanted to have some time to have a look around the town and hopefully find a nice place to go to.
Afterwards we walked around town to find a place to celebrate NYE. We came across La Catrina, where we ended up spending our NYE. I am not sure what it’s like on a ‘normal’ evening. But it was a great bar for us with a live band. They did not have a table for just us, so we ended up sharing a table with an American guy and a father and son from Mexico, which made our night even more fun!
We arrived in Bacalar around 3:00pm, the drive from Tulum was around 2.5h. We stayed in Isel Magic Hotel in Bacalar. Bacalar is not a very large place, so everything is pretty much walking distance. We decided to head out and ended up at Balneario Ejidal Mágico for our first cocktails. Mezcalita for me all holiday!
New Year’s Eve in Bacalar – planning late but finding local buzz
We didn’t think to book anything for NYE, didn’t think it would be needed, but found out a lot of places were actually fully booked. Decided not to get stressed about it, just headed back to our accommodation, get ready and head out for the night.
We first went for some quick taco’s at Barbanegra, very lovely place and the food and drinks were definitely tasty!
Day 3: Bacalar
Stroll Around Bacalar Town – peaceful mornings and hidden cafés
We got up early to have breakfast and have a little stroll through Bacalar in the morning. We ended up at El Manatí for a juice and yoghurt bowl. It’s a restaurant with a shop/ gallery inside. Very peaceful atmosphere. Bacalar is a really nice little town, so walking round and discovering all the little restaurants and shops is a very fun thing to do, even after a night of drinking!
Los Rápidos Relaxation – chilling in blue currents with cocktails
In the late morning we headed to Los Rápidos, it’s only a 20m drive from Bacalar. It’s a (very blue) stream with a strong current where you can enter on one side and, without swimming or any effort, will be taken to the other side by the current. We chilled here for a couple hours, had a swim and just relaxed with some cocktails. You can also get a little more active and rent a canoe, but we just felt like relaxing so did not do this.
Dinner at La Playita – stunning setting, mixed food review
We went for dinner at La Playita. It’s an amazing setting!! but we did not like the food very much. If you go for a place that looks incredible, I would 100% recommend going here, if you actually want nice food I definitely would not.
Day 4: Bacalar to Campeche
Breakfast at Enamora – garden markets and local vibes
We started our day with breakfast at Enamora, before we would head for Campeche. Enamora is a really nice breakfast place with great outside seating. There is also a little market where independent artists sell their works in the garden of the restaurant.
Campeche Evening – garden dinner and colourful colonial streets
The drive to Campeche was our longest drive of the trip, it took us 6h to drive from Bacalar to Campeche (from Quintana Roo to Yucatan). We have previously done roadtrips in Italy and Croatia and I must say that the scenery when driving in Mexico is nothing like that. Where in Italy and Croatia I loved driving because it was all so pretty, Mexico (or at least where we drove) does not have that. There are also a lot of large potholes in the road, so make sure to keep an eye out for these when driving! We got to Campeche around 4:00pm and easily had access to our airbnb. We headed into town for some food and ended up at La Maria Cocina Peninsular. When entering the restaurant there is not much to it, a very plain room, with no personality. But when you go to the back and sit in the garden with the lovely garden bar, it’s a really cosy place, and even more important, the food is amazing!
After food we roamed the streets of Campeche. It’s a very pretty little town, with loads of colourful houses. We also walked via Calle 59, a little street full of bars and restaurants where you mainly find tourists.
Later in the evening the weather started to go bad, lots of rain. We wanted to go to a supermarket to get some things – I LOVE going to supermarkets in foreign countries! – and whilst doing so we passed a really small food place, where they had authentic taco Al Pastor with the flame. I was so excited to try these! My partner does not eat pork, so he ordered beef taco’s. We decided to take them home to our airbnb and eat them there. When we finished them I was sitting on the bed, and heard a fast ticking sound, when a HUGE! black cockroach ran between my legs. My partner thought it was a mouse. Neither of us dared to kill it and we were also worried its family might be living somewhere in the place. Needless to say we had a horrible night and decided to let this cockroach win and leave a day early for Mérida…
Day 5: Campeche to Mérida
Breakfast & Cochinita Pibil Hunt – local food mission
We had breakfast at Luan before making the 55m drive to Hecelchakán – on the way to Mérida. I read about Hecelchakán and their cochinita pibil. It’s pork and apparently really good one! You have to get there super early as it sells out very quickly.. Unfortunately we did not make it in time. In the square in front of the church there are little stalls that are selling it, but when we arrived they had all closed/ sold out. When we were leaving Hecelchakán, we drove by a very small outside chicken place, Asadero Chapo, where we decided to order and share a whole chicken. It was served with spaghetti, rice and a really nice hot sauce served in a little plastic bag. We didn’t expect anything of it, but it was honestly very good! And the lady who owns the place, was super friendly.
The drive to Mérida from Hecelchakán is another 1h22m. On the way we drove via a roadblock, guarded by armed officers. The officer signed to us to slow down, but my partner thought he meant ‘go ahead!’, so he sped up, which led the officer to jump in front of our car with his gun out. He made us open the boot and checked our luggage – probably thinking we were trying to escape.. – but all was fine after a check and short conversation telling him where we were from.
Arrival in Mérida – courtyard hotel and lively night out
We got to Mérida around 4:00pm and checked into our lovely hotel for the next nights. We stayed in Hotel Boutique La Casona by Kavia and were very impressed with it. It’s right in the town centre, but it’s tucked away in a little courtyard which makes it seem like you’re somewhere quiet.
After dropping our bags and freshening up, we headed out for the evening.
We headed for La Negrita for – huge – cocktails, nibbles and live music. Super lively and busy here, exactly what we wanted after arriving in a new place. In the short period of time I already really loved Mérida and I was actually very happy that this cockroach made us go here a day early! We didn’t stay out too late, (La Negrita closes at 10:00pm) decided to go home early’ish as we wanted to join the free walking tour the next morning to learn a little more about Mérida.
Day 6: Mérida Exploration
Free Walking Tour – history, guides and gorditas recommendations
This morning we started off by going to a free walking tour. It’s done by students from the Mérida University who walk you around the town centre and tell you about the cities history and current things going on. It’s free but you can give them a donation at the end, as to what you think the tour was worth. You have to get to Parque de Santa Lucía for 9:30am and there you will find your guide.
We met some people during this walking tour that we ended up seeing again and pretty much saw along our trip until we went home. So if you’re travelling alone it’s also a very good way of meeting people. Our tour guide recommended we go to Gorditas Doña Gorda, to try gordita’s. They are made with maize dough and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings. It reminded me a bit of an arepa. He recommended we’d try the cactus one, so this is what I did. Super cheap and so so good. We went back many times!
Afternoon Walks – colourful streets, local experiences & octopus
In the afternoon we went for a walk through Mérida, the places we did not see on the tour. Like the other places in Mexico we’ve seen so far, there are so many pretty and colourful houses. We both LOVE octopus (the best we’ve eaten so far was in Italy) and we read about a restaurant in Mérida that is doing a really good one. It’s a bit more of a fancy restaurant so we decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal. You really do not have to do this, as all the food is so amazing and you really do not have to pay a lot to eat amazing in Mexico.
The restaurant we ate at is called Micaela Mar y Leña. You will have to book it as it seems to be pretty popular. We went for an early evening dinner here and really enjoyed the food. The people working there are also super friendly and helpful in recommending and explaining the various dishes. We shared two starters and each had the octopus as a main.
Day 7: Mangroves & Ruins
Canoe Tour through Celestún Mangroves – wildlife and guided exploration
Today we headed for the Mangroves of Celestún. The drive from Mérida was 1h15m. We found a small company that does tours in a canoe to show you the mangroves. You can also canoe yourself, but as my partner isn’t a good swimmer (and there are crocodiles in the mangroves) we decided it would be better to have someone come with us! It was also a nice experience as Jose (our guide) knows a lot about the area and told us all about it! I would 100% recommend doing this tour. It was beautiful and it was just us two on the boat with Jose so lots of time for questions and nice conversation with him too.
Celestún Beach & Cocktails – relaxed seaside vibes
After our tour in the Mangroves we headed for the beach town of Celustún, which was only a short drive. When we got there, everything was still closed so we spend some time walking the beach and taking the mandatory swing pictures! Whilst at the Mangroves we met a couple that recommended us to eat at La Palapa for seafood, so we did. The setting was lovely, but the food wasn’t amazing, both of us thought there wasn’t much flavour to it and the lobster was quite tough. The cocktails on the other hand were very good, with fresh juice! So going there for the view and a cocktail I would definitely recommend!
Uxmal Ruins in the late afternoon – quieter alternative to Chichén Itzá
We had a very busy day seeing things today. After spending time in the Mangroves and at the beach in Celustún we drove to the Uxmal Ruins, which was 1h50m. You can compare it with Chichen Itza (where we also went), but less busy! I preferred it over Chichen Itza. It wasn’t too busy when we got there, which was at the end of the afternoon, and therefore we could take some really good pictures of the impressive ruins, but no pictures really do it justice.
There are loads of lizards walking around, some are very big!
After spending time here we went back to Mérida, which was 1h12m drive, and chilled for a bit in our hotel. In the evening we decided to just have some Gordita’s as neither of us was very hungry and have a walk through town.
Night out in Mérida – Meeting up with new friends
We ended up at a laser light show on the square in front of the Cathedral de Mérida. It was super busy with both local residents and tourists. There were performances of Mayan dance and a demonstration of a Mayan game of hot potato (this potato was actually on fire!). The light show itself teaches about the Cathedral de Mérida, what all of the sculptures on the outside of the cathedral mean and why they were included. It gives a great deal of history. This is a great way to get educated on the heritage.
When at the light show we ran into a couple of people we met during the walking tour and we decided to go for a couple of drinks with them at La Fundación Mezcalería. After these drinks we were really ready to get back and go to bed as we had loads planned for the next day too.
Day 8: Progreso & Cenote Noh-Mozon
Reserva Ecológica El Corchito – raccoons and mangroves walk
Today we went to Progreso. First stop was the Reserva Ecológica El Corchito, which was a 45m drive from Mérida. You have to get here by a short boat trip to the other side, where there are pools and mangroves. We were told these were cenotes but after having visited some other ones on this trip I don’t think they were. These were manmade round pools. It was really chilled and relaxing to walk round here, we did not really feel like swimming in the water as it was quite cold due to there being no sun getting through the trees and we wanted to leave for Progreso on time. Reserva Ecológica El Corchito has loads of raccoons just roaming round, coming very close and they are super cute.
Cenote Noh-Mozon Swim – remote and gorgeous escape
Our next stop was the sea town of Progreso, to have a walk on the beach and grab some lunch. We bough a fresh smoothie in the small market and had some chicken from a small place in the town centre. We didn’t stay here too long because we also wanted to visit Cenote Noh-Mozon. A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, which has appeared because of the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater.
The drive there from Progreso was 1h34m through some really small places. The road that actually leads up to the Cenote is pretty intense. You can’t drive any faster than 5km/h as it’s really bumpy. Therefore, it takes about 20 minutes to get to the Cenote when you leave from the main road. We kept wondering where we would end up, as there really was nothing on the way, and this also was the only way out from the Cenote (we did see no other cars coming our way). I don’t think it’s possible to get here if you do not have a car as the Cenote is not a busy tourist place. When we got there, only one other family was inside. I am so so happy we decided to go here, because for me it was the most beautiful thing I have seen this holiday. The pictures really do not do it justice.
Also, as you can see from the below pictures. The stairs down to the water were really wonky!!
And just as an FYI, this Cenote is not manned, so there are no lifejackets or anyone to save you if something goes wrong.
This was going to be our last evening in Mérida, so after we came back from our day of exploring we got showered and headed out into town. We had dinner at Taquería De La Unión and did some shopping. We went to Artesanías Itzel where I saw the most stunning silver ring (I have a thing for jewellery and I buy something on most of my trips). It’s a silver ring that can flip over, on one side you see the Maya Calendar and on the other side an Aztec sign (I added a video as my description might not be the best explanation)
My partner didn’t like it at first but as soon as he saw it on he also knew I should get it. Perfect ending of our last evening in Mérida.
We headed home to rest for our drive to Valladolid the next day.
Day 9: Valladolid via Izamal & Chichén Itzá
Morning Stop in Izamal – exploring the Yellow City
We left early in the morning to go to Valladolid. On the way there we were going to make two stops. Stop 1: Izamal, the yellow city. The drive from Mérida was 1h12m. All buildings in the city centre are the same colour yellow and this looks really stunning. We had a short stop here, looked around the town, had a smoothie and left to go to Chichen Itza.
Chichén Itzá Experience – walking ancient wonders
The drive from Izamal to Chichen Itza took us 1h14m. Chichen Itza was much busier than Uxmal Ruins. As impressive to see though, it really is incredible. We spent a lot of time here, walking round taking in the impressive views and trying to take pictures to do it justice. It’s something you need to experience yourself, as just talking about it or looking at pictures won’t give you the experience of witnessing it in real life.
We arrived in Valladolid late afternoon. The drive from Chichen Itza to Valladolid took us 45m so not far at all. We were staying in Hotel Boutique SAYAB.
Evening in Valladolid – cocktails, rooftop views and dinner
In Valladolid we met up with two girls from the group we met in Mérida for dinner and cocktails. We went to restaurant Ahal where I tried Mole for the first time, loved it!! The restaurant is definitely a recommendation and has a really cute outside part. There is live music too. After dinner we went for cocktails at a rooftop bar on the square.
There are a lot of stray dogs in Valladolid (in Mexico in general, but we noticed it mainly in Valladolid). One dog walked past me and after I shortly spoke to it, it followed us to our hotel the whole way, rubbing against our legs for attention. Broke my heart to see how much love they are missing.
Day 10: Río Lagartos & Cenotes
Flamingo & Crocodile Boat Tour – feeding wildlife up close
In the morning we got up early to go to Río Lagartos and Las Coloradas, the drive from Valladolid is 1h30m. We first went to Río Lagartos to do a boat tour, we were hoping to see flamingo’s and crocodiles. We were planning to go on a tour with multiple people, but when we got there the previous boat had just left and it would take a while before another one would go. We didn’t want to wait around as we were planning on seeing a couple of cenotes later on too, so decided to do a tour with just us two and a boat driver.
I think in the end this was a great decision as he really took the time to show us and let us feed a crocodile and pelicans and let us enjoy watching the flamingo’s. We had a great time on the boat and it was incredible to see it all. You are not allowed to go too close to the flamingo’s with the boats, so they do not get disturbed in their natural habitat.
When we came back from Río Lagartos we made the short drive to Los Coloradas. From the pictures it looks stunning. Now we are back home I am not sure why, but at the time we chose not to go in, as we thought it was quite a hefty fee. We saw some bits of the pink water (as per picture), but I am sure the actual experience would’ve been magical.
Cenotes Samula & Xkeken – crystal clear cenote swims
We headed back to Valladolid where we picked up two people we met whilst in Mérida to head to two cenotes.
These cenotes were a completely different experience from Noh-Mozon. They are manned, you have to pay an entry fee, wear a lifejacket and it’s also busy inside! Doesn’t take away from the beauty though!
We drove to Cenotes Samula and Xkeken, they are right next to eachother and a 16m drive from our hotel. We had a lovely swim in both locations. The water is super clear and blue and the temperature does not go above 24 degrees, so you feel super fresh afterwards!
Night in Valladolid – tacos and drinks in town
After our swims we headed back to Valladolid to shower and head back into town for some food and drinks. Near our hotel was El Taco Loco, a small neighbourhood place that sold pretty good taco’s. But as mentioned before, most food in Mexico is just really good, you do not need to pay a lot for it.
We headed to Mezcaleria Don Trejo and sat in their massive garden. It’s super cute with loads of lights and objects. I didn’t take any pictures here as we again ran into people we met before and spend our evening with them catching up.
Day 11: Valladolid to Holbox
Breakfast & Hot Sauce Finds – local flavours before departure
In the morning we went for breakfast at Canto Encanto. We sat upstairs next to the open window and could enjoy the pretty streets of Valladolid whilst having some great food. I also had my first (and last, but not because it wasn’t nice) banana expresso.. Totally not what I thought it would be, not sure what I actually thought, but it was made with fresh banana.
We went for another stroll through town and came across two ladies selling home made hot sauce on the pavement. They let us try the sauce, made with habanero, and we decided to take some home to the UK, as well as some habanero peppers (they survived until we were home!). Last thing before we left Valladolid to go to Holbox was get an ice-cream from Wabi Gelato. 100% recommend! They do some really unusual flavours.
We headed for Holbox late morning, the drive took us 2h4m to Chiquilá. This is where we parked our car for the coming days, as you can’t take a car to Holbox. There are plenty of long stay carparks, just find one that works for you, you do not have to book them in advance. The island is car free, the only vehicles driving there are little golf carts to bring you to and from your hotel. The boat trip takes around 25m and we booked the boat when we were in Chiquilá.
Holbox Arrival – car left behind, golf carts and boat transfer
Upon arrival in Holbox we headed to our hotel Tropical Suites by MIJ. It is pretty central on the island I’d say and we chilled in our hotel for a bit before we went out for the evening. We had food at Taco Queto, a good but simple food place, not expensive at all. Afterwards we went to The Hot Corner for drinks. Whilst being here we saw one of the girls that we met in Mérida and Valladolid with two of her friends that joined her for her trip. We spend the rest of the evening (and our time in Holbox) with them and another guy we met.
Day 12: Holbox Leisure
Slow Island Day – seafood lunch and exploring sandy streets
After yesterday evening we decided to start the day slow. Had a good lie-in and grab some nice lunch (by the time we finally got out). We went to Las Panchas, which we heard was good for seafood. The food was nice, large portions too! After eating we walked round Holbox and went into some of the lovely small shops. We were also offered a free tequila tasting which we happily gave a go. Tequila isn’t my favourite drink to have neat, but everyone kept telling me that would change once in Mexico. I can tell you it did not, I’m still not a fan of drinking it without a mixer.
We weren’t as blessed with nice weather as some people have been when in Holbox. The streets here are not paved, and therefore when it rains they can become massive puddles. When it’s like this, definitely do not try to wear your nice sandals! This is what the roads mainly looked like during our stay in Holbox:
Dinner for 8 – island vibes and beach beers
Doesn’t take anything away of the beauty of the island. It just feels peaceful staying here, like nothing is a must. In the evening we met up with the others for dinner. We couldn’t get a table before 9:30pm, so we started off with beers on the beach! We had dinner at Salma, which is amazing for a larger group (we were with 8). The food was very good, and they do great cocktails (but also do bottled beer). By the time we finished eating, the front of the restaurant had turned into a dance, with a live DJ. We stayed here for a bit to dance, but decided to go to the beach for some more chilled drinks. When we were there, due to Covid, all places in Holbox needed to close by 12:00. Another good ending of a perfect day in Mexico.
Day 13: Holbox Fun & Games
Our days in Holbox will pretty much sound the same, as we really used the island to relax and party. It was great that we met others as I think it made the experience of Holbox an even nicer one for us.
Posada Ingrid Chill – games, food and drinks with friends
We met up around lunchtime with the others and went to Posada Ingrid Grill. Mainly because it had a good garden with large tables as we wanted to play a card game. The people we met brought it from Switzerland, it’s called ‘Frantic’. Whilst drinking beers and eventually all sharing two whole chickens, we spent some hours here.
We left for a walk on the beach when it started to rain and thunder. We ended up in a covered beach bar, the Mojito Beach Club, had some more cocktails and played a couple more rounds of Frantic. When at the beach I saw these really cute little birds that kept following the water.
We left late afternoon to have a shower as this would be our last night in Holbox, so we decided to all go out for dinner again.
We went to Parador 33. The food was amazing!!
Last night in Holbox – drinks and games on the beach
Afterwards we headed to the beach and spend the evening here, drinking beers and playing games on the beach. It was one of my favourite evenings of the trip.
We actually ended up saving a girl we found naked on the beach, so drunk she could hardly speak.. Brought her back to her hotel and made sure nothing bad happened to her.
Day 14: Holbox to Cancun
Final Holbox Brunch – brunch with friends before departure
Today we are heading to Cancun, just to spend here one day before we are going back home. But first we all met for a final brunch at Painapol. As there was no space when we got there, my partner and I did a last walk on the beach, to enjoy the relaxing views, before soon having to go back to normality. When our table was ready we met up with the others.
Painapol, as all places in Holbox, was great. Amazing food, I had a tuna steak here. After brunch we got our stuff and took the boat back to Chiquilá. One of the guys we met came with us, as he was also leaving from Cancun the day after. The drive from Chiquilá to Cancun took us 2h13m.
As we only had today to spend in Cancun, we decided to drive to the hotel strip, just to see what it was all about. We were not staying anywhere near here and I am kind of glad we didn’t as it really isn’t my kind of vibe.
La Habichuela Dinner – local recommendation before home
We personally didn’t really like Cancun, and only stayed here so we could get to the airport easily the next day. Having said this, we did eat at a great restaurant that I would 100% recommend, their garden is incredible, and the food is good too! It’s called La Habichuela.
We went to bed early as we were heading back to London the next day.
Day 15: Back to London
Bye Mexico, you were an absolute pleasure!
Farewell to Mexico – reflect on food, friends, and family memories
I can’t believe Mexico was never on our list of places we really wanted to visit. We mainly went because you did not have to do a Covid test to get here. Now we both agree it’s an incredible country, with amazing food. We would love to come back to see all the parts we haven’t seen yet.
And what makes it even more special is that we made our little boy here! So this was sort of our first road trip as a family, he was just REALLY really tiny still <3
Mexico Travel FAQ
Is Mexico good for a family roadtrip?
We found Mexico so family-friendly as a roadtrip destination. From beaches and cenotes to food markets and ancient ruins, it has variety — and driving your own car makes it much easier with kids.
How long do you need in Mexico?
Our 15-day trip was relaxed enough to enjoy both small towns and major sights without feeling rushed. If you have less time, focus on a region (Yucatán or Quintana Roo) — but this longer loop let us really savour the experience. We still only saw a very small part of Mexico, so to see more of the country you will need a much longer time.
Is Mexico expensive for families?
Mexico felt great value, especially compared with Europe or the US — from street food tacos to cenote days and local tours. Luxury options exist, but honest local meals and smaller hotels kept costs down.
What’s the best time of year to visit Mexico?
We travelled around New Year’s and early winter — warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine made beaches, cenotes, and exploring cities really enjoyable, though weather varies by season.
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