Finally going back after almost 4 years

[sharky60]

Is it possible to visit the ruins (tulum, chichen) early in the morning or late afternoon? Maybe a private guide/transport?

Early morning is best, the archeological sites close at 4:00p. and the mid-afternoon heat in the jungle can be very opressive.

Chichen Itza is an all day affair, especially if you drive or take the tour busses. it's over a 3 hr. drive from Playa del Carmen.

there is a flight tour from Coz to C.I., we did it a few years ago and it's really the best way to go for a first time trip.

Tulum is more accessible, but not nearly as impressive in size and scope, but still very much worth the visit. the big plus to Tulum is it is on the coast and once you are in the walled city it's self, the Caribbean breeze makes it much cooler than it is in the middle of the jungle like Chichen Itza and Coba.

Coba is the third of the major sites most visited, it's about another 40 km into the jungle from Tulum, not as excavated as Chichen Itza, but still has some very impressive structures and the highest temple on the Yucatan and was at one time one of the biggest cities of the Mayan World.

both Tulum & Coba are best visited by renting a jeep in Playa del Carmen and driving to yourself. Once you are there for about $25 you can hire a private guide, or if you are lucky enough, just kind of slip in with a tour group and eaves drop on thier guide. if you get an early enough start, you could actually make both sites in one day.

My wife and I tried that at Coba. 3 busses pulled up and we just sort of milled our way into the back of the group. The tourguide starts talking...IN GERMAN!!! :11:

Ok, we had to hire our own guide, turned out great! we had a wonderful converstation on the Maya and gave us a very nice personal tour.

 

[Tigerman]

Totally not the same. Cancun diving doesn't come close to Cozumel diving. Sorry, that's like comparing grapes to watermelons. (I'm tired of the apples to oranges analogy )

Well, first I didnt say dive Cancun instead of Cozumel, I said dive the area out OF cancun. From cancun you can dive both cancun, cozumel and the cenotes. At least one of those options goes away if you stay in cozumel.
Ive actually been diving all three and covered pretty well where I stand as far as where Id rather dive. That Cancun and Cozumel is different is true, Cancun is shallower and "flatter" reefs with more marine life, while Cozumel is deeper, steeper and larger corals thats starting to come back up through the sand..

 

[midwestdvr]

Early morning is best, the archeological sites close at 4:00p. and the mid-afternoon heat in the jungle can be very opressive.

Chichen Itza is an all day affair, especially if you drive or take the tour busses. it's over a 3 hr. drive from Playa del Carmen.

there is a flight tour from Coz to C.I., we did it a few years ago and it's really the best way to go for a first time trip.

Tulum is more accessible, but not nearly as impressive in size and scope, but still very much worth the visit. the big plus to Tulum is it is on the coast and once you are in the walled city it's self, the Caribbean breeze makes it much cooler than it is in the middle of the jungle like Chichen Itza and Coba.

Coba is the third of the major sites most visited, it's about another 40 km into the jungle from Tulum, not as excavated as Chichen Itza, but still has some very impressive structures and the highest temple on the Yucatan and was at one time one of the biggest cities of the Mayan World.

both Tulum & Coba are best visited by renting a jeep in Playa del Carmen and driving to yourself. Once you are there for about $25 you can hire a private guide, or if you are lucky enough, just kind of slip in with a tour group and eaves drop on thier guide. if you get an early enough start, you could actually make both sites in one day.

My wife and I tried that at Coba. 3 busses pulled up and we just sort of milled our way into the back of the group. The tourguide starts talking...IN GERMAN!!! :11:

Ok, we had to hire our own guide, turned out great! we had a wonderful converstation on the Maya and gave us a very nice personal tour.

Thanks, sharky. How's the drive to Tulum and Chichen Itza? Easy to follow the directions? Do you need a jeep because of bad roads?

 

[ggunn]

Well, first I didnt say dive Cancun instead of Cozumel, I said dive the area out OF cancun. From cancun you can dive both cancun, cozumel and the cenotes. At least one of those options goes away if you stay in cozumel.
Ive actually been diving all three and covered pretty well where I stand as far as where Id rather dive. That Cancun and Cozumel is different is true, Cancun is shallower and "flatter" reefs with more marine life, while Cozumel is deeper, steeper and larger corals thats starting to come back up through the sand..

So you are saying that you can dive Cozumel on a boat out of Cancun? Maybe so, but it would be a very long boat ride; looking at a map it looks like about 70-80 miles from the Cancun lagoon to the southern Cozumel dive sites. As to coral that is "starting to come back up through the sand" at Cozumel, the southern reefs feature huge towering coral formations that were never even close to being buried in sand by Wilma.