Mexico self-drive trip: the Yucatán

Pick up your rental car at the Cancun airport and begin your Mexico travel with a scenic drive south to Tulum. This first day blends freedom with local insight, allowing you to tailor your stops and take your time along the coast.

Explore the cliffside Mayan ruins overlooking turquoise waters, relax on Paradise Beach, snorkel along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and spot wildlife in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. End your day under starry skies and browse Quintana Roo handicrafts for an authentic, handcrafted keepsake.

Tulum, a jewel of the Riviera Maya, once known as Zamá, “place of the dawn”, sits dramatically atop a cliff overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, an essential coastal chapter of a Mayan heritage trip. This walled city served as a major maritime and land trade hub, an astronomical observatory, and a strategic coastal defense.

Explore the Great Palace, the Castle, the Temple of the Frescoes, and the Temple of the Descending God before unwinding on one of the world’s most stunning beaches.

Enjoy a relaxed morning at Playa Paraíso in Tulum, where soft white sand and turquoise waters invite unhurried walks, refreshing swims, and sun-soaked lounging. This tailor-made moment captures the essence of slow travel and authentic coastal charm.

Later, a scenic 45-minute drive takes you to Cobá to explore its jungle-covered ruins. Rent a bike or walk the shaded paths to Nohoch Mul, then climb to the top for sweeping views over the surrounding forest.

Self-drive to the Cobá Archaeological Site, an ancient Maya city bordered by five lakes that once dominated the northern lowlands. Explore more than 50 raised roads, or sacbes, that connected ceremonial and residential centers, revealing a network of trade, alliances, and daily Maya life.

Then climb the tallest pyramid on the Yucatán Peninsula, 120 steps to sweeping jungle views, an experience that makes Cobá one of the best places to visit in Mexico for history and adventure.

Drive from Cobá to Valladolid and arrive by mid-morning to wander its colorful colonial streets, leafy plazas, and lively parks. Tailor your day with a guided walk, a visit to the local market, or a relaxed break in one of the town’s cafés.

Explore the fortified Convent of San Bernardino de Siena and the 16th-century Baroque Cathedral of San Gervasio, gaining insight into both recent Maya history and contemporary Yucatec life.

Drive to Río Lagartos for a morning boat excursion through its protected biosphere reserve. Glide past feeding and nesting flamingos, expansive salt flats, tangled mangroves, and the daily rhythms of local fishermen, exactly the kind of wild, cinematic detour a Tomb Raider-inspired Mexico trip is made for.

With a local guide, tailor your stops to photograph birdlife and sample fresh seafood straight from the coast. Continue to Las Coloradas to witness the famous Pink Lake and learn how salt production and salt-loving microbes create its striking, vivid color.

Drive to Chichén Itzá to explore the heart of Maya civilization, a highlight of any Mexico itinerary. Walk around the iconic Kukulcán Pyramid (El Castillo), visit ancient plazas and temples, and hear local stories that bring pre-Hispanic history vividly to life.

Afterwards, continue to the Sacred Cenote of Sacrifices for a moment of quiet reflection and atmospheric photography.

Drive about 1.5 hours from Chichén Itzá to the golden-painted town of Izamal. Stroll its sunlit streets, browse local crafts, and take in panoramic views from the convent atrium. Visit the Ex Convent of San Antonio de Padua, founded in 1549 by Fray Diego de Landa on the foundations of the pre-Hispanic Pap-Hol-Chac.

Completed in 1562 under the direction of Fray Juan de Mérida, its vast atrium, featuring four Indian chapels and a serene garden, reveals why Izamal became the principal Marian shrine of the Yucatán.

Self-drive from Izamal to Mérida and arrive ready to explore the city’s vibrant colonial heart. Wander the historic center, stroll along Paseo Montejo past its grand mansions, browse lively markets, sample Yucatecan specialties, and enjoy live trova music while meeting welcoming locals.

In the afternoon, visit the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, home to more than 1,160 artifacts. Its interactive exhibits, featuring pre-Hispanic stelae, ceramics, gold and jade pieces, textiles, and colonial-era objects, use modern technology to bring Maya history vividly to life.

Arrive at Uxmal, a masterful expression of classic Maya architecture. Wander among the Pyramid of the Magician and the Nunnery Quadrangle to admire Puuc-style façades, intricate stone friezes, and sacred alignments up close.

Explore the Governor’s Palace, crafted from more than 20,000 stones, and hear the stories and symbolism behind its remarkable carvings.

In the evening, stay for the light and sound show, which brings Maya history and cosmovision to life in a vivid, atmospheric display.

Explore Dzibilchaltún, a major Maya center with origins dating back to 500 BC. Wander its concentric plazas, admire vaulted structures and pyramids, and visit the renowned Temple of the Seven Dolls while taking in the many archaeological layers spread across its 25-hectare core.

Savor your final hours in the Yucatán with an authentic, tailor-made experience. Enjoy breakfast at a bustling Mérida mercado, take a last refreshing dip in a nearby cenote, and make a slow drive through pastel-colored colonial streets for one more photo stop.

Then, continue to either Mérida or Cancún airport for your departure. Distances vary, so allow extra time for scenic pauses and returning your rental car.