Mexico is huge – this page focuses on the Yucatán Peninsula, with Maya ruins, cenotes and the Caribbean coast from Cancún to the border with Belize. Here are the facts and my travel story.
Mexico at a glance
Top sights
Isla Mujeres
The narrow island is just 15–20 minutes by ferry from Cancún (from Puerto Juárez, ferries roughly every 30–60 minutes). Rent a golf cart, swim at Playa Norte and look out over the open sea from Punta Sur at the southern tip – the perfect contrast to the hotel zone.
Chichén Itzá
Mexico’s best-known Maya site, with the El Castillo pyramid, is about 2 hours from Mérida and 2.5–3 hours from Cancún, now also with a Tren Maya stop. Since March 2026 there is a single ticket (around MXN 680–700 for foreigners). Climbing the pyramid is not allowed. Go early in the morning, before the buses from Cancún arrive.
Holbox
Ferry from Chiquilá, about 25 minutes, hourly until around 9 pm. There are no visitor cars on the island – only golf carts, bicycles and sandy streets. From around mid-May to September you can swim with whale sharks (peak July/August), and on some evenings plankton makes the waves glow.
Tulum
Maya ruins on a cliff right above the Caribbean. Much cheaper since 2026: MXN 265 for foreigners, and the surrounding Parque del Jaguar with its beaches is free. All around are cenotes for swimming in freshwater caves.
Xcalak
In the far south of Quintana Roo, just before Belize, the road ends at a fishing village of a few hundred people. The reef lies within Arrecifes de Xcalak National Park, and dive trips leave from here for the Banco Chinchorro atoll. Very remote – bring cash and don’t expect nightlife. Reach it via Chetumal or Mahahual.
My travel story
The Yucatán Peninsula has two faces: Cancún’s hotel zone with all-inclusive resorts and party boats – and everything you reach once you drive away from it.
Chichén Itzá in the early morning is impressive while the site is still empty. Tulum has one of the most beautiful settings of any ruins in the world: stones, cliff, turquoise sea. Then a cenote – cool, crystal-clear water in a cave.
On Holbox everything feels barefoot: sandy streets, hammocks, sunsets over the lagoon. Isla Mujeres is the quick escape for anyone who doesn’t want to stay in Cancún.
And Xcalak? That is the place for people who really want to get away. A village at the end of the road, a reef on the doorstep and in the evening only the sound of the sea.
Getting there from Munich
Mexico is one of the few long-haul destinations on this list with a nonstop flight from Munich: Lufthansa flies direct to Mexico City (around 12 hours). Cancún requires a change, for example via Frankfurt, Zurich, Madrid or Toronto. We take you to Munich Airport at a fixed price and pick you up on your return – with flight tracking in case you land late.
As of November 2026. All information without guarantee; entry and ferry prices change often, and entry and vaccination rules can change at short notice. Entry details apply to German citizens. Please check the German Foreign Office travel advice and consult a travel-medicine specialist about vaccinations.