Mexico is a country that I have longed to visit for years and the one I was most looking forward to on the tour. I had a few days with my group and the rest of the time in Mexico was with Albert (see part 2).
From Caye Caulker, Belize (where we had spent the past few days), we took a ferry back to Belize City and then another chicken bus to the Belize/Mexico border. It cost $20USD to exit Belize and entry to Mexico was free. However if you are staying there for more than a week, you pay 533 Mexican pesos as an exit fee (which should be included when you book flights but not if travelling by land).
Mahahaul
We spent 2 days in this cute town which is a popular destination for cruise ships. We stayed in Koox Matan Ka’an Hotel which was pretty great. It’s close to the beach, very scenic and has a rooftop area for drinks and a swim overlooking the town.
Now when you arrive here in the evening, it seems quiet and quaint. However the next day when we went to the beach and 3 cruise ships had stopped here for the day, the madness ensued. The beach is full of restaurants, bars and outdoor massage parlours with everyone trying to get your attention. It is hectic so it’s best to find a spot closer to the sea and escape for a swim or snorkel! We spent the day by El Fuerte restaurant’s beach as the loungers and umbrellas were free as long as you consumed something.
The nightlife in Mahahaul doesn’t really exist as most things shut down once the cruise ships leave. So we entertained ourself with drinks on the roof of our hotel, overlooking the sea!
Playa del Carmen
From Mahahual, the bus ride to Playa took a few hours. We stayed in another Koox hotel here – it looks tiny and unimpressive on the outside but the rooms which were studio apartments were the best we’d had on our tour!
It is a great place to visit the beach, cenotes or even a trip to Tulum or Cancun…this is covered in part 2.
For the best night out OF YOUR LIFE, you have to go to Coco Bongo. It costs $70USD which includes entrance, unlimited drinks all night and the show (we also had a reserved area for the night). I couldn’t do it justice trying to explain how amazing the whole experience.. trust me on this one and we can reminisce about it after you go!
Food and drink highlights:
El Mahatí during our pit stop in Chetumal. I had chilaquiles (nachos base with cheese, salsa, guacamole, beans, avocado +/-meat and egg) – something to try in Mexico for sure.
Nohoch Kay Beach Club in Mahahaul – for divine shrimp tacos.
Camaroncito Caribeño in Mahahaul – here I had a huge chicken fajita which was filling and cheap (100pesos – just under £4).
Los Chilakiles in Playa del Carmen – for lunch I had tecanto chicken (you get to choose how spicy or not you want the salsa for each dish) and the next day for breakfast, Mexican style eggs. They serve delicious fresh juices too.
La Patrona De Playa (Playa del Carmen) – pastor tacos (pork with pineapple and salsa…something I hadn’t eaten before but fell in love with instantly). Again a must try in Mexico.
You’ll notice that the tacos are small and soft – this is how they’re done in Mexico. I asked about the hard shells but no one knew what I was talking about!
And that marked the end of my month long travel with G adventures! I learnt so much about Central America and fell in love with the culture and energy the locals had. Plus I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to tour with!
Thank you so much for following my Best of Central America blog series. Keep an eye out for part 2 of my Mexico travels!
J Xo
Road2Culturedom 
6 of the 7 Central American countries in one month! Insane ! Thanks for the in-depth posts, I am considering a trip here so it is handy to know how G adventures was, but also info about the countries too!
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Yeah it was an intense but super fun month ☺️ you should deffo visit either way!
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