The summer before Covid hit we took a family trip to Cancun, headed south east to Playa Del Carmen where we stayed in a beautiful condo across from the beach Riviera Maya. Su mirador. From this home base we easily travelled to Tulum and Coba to see pyramids and ruins, and the grand cenote along the way.
The car rental was from “DiscoverCars”, we were happy with what we received. The rates were ok but we needed a Crossover because we knew we would be on dirt roads for our adventures. We could have rented something for 30USD /day had we not needed that.
As is the case for most of Mexico, rental insurance (Limited Liability) is mandatory, but not covered in rental costs, and your insurance does not cover rentals here. You will need to get Collision Damage Waiver and limited uninsured liability insurance.
This should cost about $30 USD per day to get, but check with your credit card since many will give you the CDW included if you pay for the entire rental using it. You will still need the LLI but that is a bit cheaper. Unfortunately no one gives this and there’s no standard fee, so depending on who you rent from it could be $20-35 USD per day. Just remember if you do pay to get the CDW through your card if you need to make a claim you must call your credit card company to get approval for repairs.
The rental company will bill you the repairs and the credit card will repay you.
If you book fully through the rental company they will not bill you or recover from the card, they will pay for the repairs, and their insurance would cover you for liability. For piece of mind, go with the car rental companies full policy, its worth the hassle.
also, don’t forget to take pictures of your rental before you drive off the lot, make sure all scrapes, GLASS, dings and missing things are noted on your rental form. Common scars are glass claims and spare tire missing upon return. Take pictures when you return the car as well to show its condition. Dirty cars are fine, no need to wash or vacuum it before returning.
We took our car and headed south to Playa, about 50 minutes south of Cancun. Our condo was in “Playacar” and was perfect, although checking into the secure gated area was a bit difficult. There are several gates around the location and you must enter through the correct gate. The security will take your passport and photocopy it, ask to see your reservation and how many days your staying. There is no gate pass for renters (not for us anyhow) so leaving and returning is the same EVERY TIME! Walking into and out of is easy, no checks just an Hola, Buenos Dias, tartes, noches when you see the guards.
We decided we would take the kids to Xcaret, a fun theme park, amusement park, eco-archaeological park, spa, holistic and much more Mexican experience. It is in a privileged location in the middle of the jungle, with natural settings such as underground rivers that Mayans used thousand years ago to travel inland, cenotes, and the mesmerizing Caribbean Sea at the door step In addition, Xcaret is the only one among the theme parks in Cancun and Riviera Maya that celebrates Mexican (Mayan) history, traditions, and folklore. The evening show is amazing and entertaining and worth the price to see.
We swam with stingrays and all kinds of fish, sharks in the tidal pools of the Caribbean sea and lounged on hammocks. Lunch at the buffet was great, decent selection of foods and the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had was here, wish I had more!
The Grand Cenote and Coba pyramids were on the agenda as well, which are really worth the trip. Heading south toward Tulum (about an hours drive south of Playa) is the first archeological site of Mayans, The Tulum ruins represent one of the last cities built by the Mayans. As a coastal fortification, Tulum thrived during the 13th to 15th centuries and served as a significant trading port. Tulum is a beautiful area that we will be back to for sure one day.
If you want to see the beautiful beach and park to see the ruins you have to turn left into Tulum and head along one of the Hoyle roads to find parking, or you can shuttle, bike (rentals available) or walk. Quite a distance and parking is hard to find. I suggest you stop and eat at one of the many drivable resort restaurants and walk to the ruins, parking is free this way!
Turning right at Tulum onto 109 just a short distance is the grand cenote, full of tourists, and fish, bats, turtles.. no sunscreen is allowed, make sure you follow this rule or they won’t allow to enjoy the cenote.
as you carry on the 109 you eventually get to Coba (about 45 minute drive from Gran Cenote) is a dominant city in the region, inhabited from roughly 600 CE to the 14th/15th century by Mayans. It has extensive ruins, including the 130-foot Nohoch Mul pyramid, stone causeways (sacbe), and proximity to cenotes. You’ll want to visit this place, you can have guided tour, take a bike tour, or walk at your leisure. There are plaques with literature about each ruin in the area so tours aren’t necessary, costs about $20USD per person to enter the area.
