A road trip through the Yucatán region, in search of sour oranges and a cold plunge in a fresh water cenote.
I took my first trip to the Yucatán over ten years ago. We took our annual family trip, and my dad organized a snorkeling trip along Cozumel’s coral reefs. Shading my eyes on the roof deck of the transfer ferry, I watched as the white-sand coastline of Playa del Carmen receded into sparkling clear blue waters.
Later that week, we returned to the mainland to visit the Mayan Ruins, first stopping into a tiny beach-front town called Tulum. Sparsely populated and still largely underdeveloped, Tulum was a fresh break from Cancun’s sprawling resorts. Understated yet design-forward boutique hotels overlapped with palapas roofed restaurants where locals dined barefoot under plastic tables. The mixture of high and low, white sand beaches without a pretense of high-priced fuss defined Tulum’s then pared-back charm.
Since that first trip, I’d return to the Yucatan every year, falling further in love with the singular beauty and diversity of landscapes in this region of Mexico. Beyond the white sand beaches of the Caribbean coastline, lay miles of wild jungle streaming with freshwater cenotes, sprawling haciendas, and cobble-stoned colonial towns. Recently I returned to the Yucatán for a one-week road trip, stopping into Valladolid and Mérida along the way.
Here is the itinerary below.
First stop: An overnight in Tulum
Sleep: While the right-fork turn on Tulum’s main drag is overcrowded with taxis, nightclubs, and an endless stream of pedestrian traffic, the boutique hotels located left along the natural reservoir cater to a clientele looking for a peaceful, pared-back stay in the style of ‘Old Tulum’. Best boutique hotels in the area: Habitas Tulum and Nomade if you don’t mind the nightlife noise.
Eat: at Hartwood, if you can snag a reservation
Drink: Grab a mezcal margarita at Casa Jaguar or Gitano
Café: Botanica Cafe & Garden in downtown Tulum serves an excellent breakfast menu with regional produce served in an urban context. Fresh cacao-sprinkled smoothies and huevos sliced and diced with gastro finishes.
Shop: Walk along Av. Coba where you’ll find a long row of boutiques catering to the Boheme burning man, linens-only resort wear crowd.
Take a pit-stop in the yellow town of Izamal situated between Merida and Valladolid, to visit the church Convento de San Antonio.
Second stop: Valladolid
There’s no denying that Coqui Coqui put Valladolid on the map of every discerning design traveler, and a pocket of neighboring boutiques, mercados, and cafés have cropped up on Calle 41 to support the steady stream of tourism.
Eat: Pay a visit to the local El Mercado, where you can find the best of Yucatán’s regional produce. Grab a fresh juice at a jugería and snacks for the road.
Café: Stop in for an espresso or an afternoon botana at Café Tresvanbien
Shop: Visit La Troupe, a chic Yucatán-born brand that designs an elevated range of clothing from embroidered blouses, linen pants and sweeping ponchos.
Slowdown: Beat the heat with an early evening stroll at Candelaria Park
Third Stop: Mérida
Stay: At Coqui Coqui Perfumeria & Spa, a one-room boutique hotel where guests become the master key-holder of the shop in its after-hours.
Eat: Order a cochinita pibil at La Chaya Maya, and book a dinner reservation at Micaela Mar & Lena for pulpo and fried fish.
Café: Soco Café tops our list as one of the best cafés in the region. The cafe and panaderia offers a wide menu of artisanal pastries, savory sandwiches, and an excellent brew of coffee.
Slowdown: Take an early evening stroll at Candelaria Park
Fourth Stop: Hacienda de Temozon
Once a sprawling estate used to produce cattle-market rope, Hacienda de Temozon is now a hotel located in the town of Temozon Sur. While the palatial grounds and ruby red architecture transports guests to a by-gone era, the building retains its original patina and common areas could benefit from a fresh update — still worth paying a visit although I’d suggest staying two nights maximum.
Visit: The village of Becal in the town of Campeche, where a specific style of straw making draws furniture designers and miliners to source in this town.
Eat: Reserve a table at Ixi'im Restaurant in the town of Chocola, where an old henequen farm is transformed into a cultural center and fine dining restaurant.
Slowdown: Book a tour at Hacienda Mucuyuché, where the grounds of a former Hacienda and plantation have been converted into landscaped, lush, tropical gardens with paved paths leading to crystal clear cenotes.
