Mexico by car

After two years of travel restrictions we were definitely craving getting away to somewhere a little bit more exotic — with a drastically different landscape, culture and flavours. We found this and more during our road trip in Mexico. We knew that the coast wouldn't provide the authentic experience we were after so our plan for two weeks was a multi-centre holiday visiting four different states with two domestic flights in between.

We started our adventure at Cancun airport where we picked up a car for 10 days. Roads in the Yucatan peninsula were generally fantastic, with a choice of paid motorways and paved side roads. To get over jet lag we made a decision to treat ourselves to some beach time and luxury boutique hotels.

Palmaia, The House of Aia

First stop was Playa Del Carmen and the very unique Palmaia, The House of Aia — a secluded sanctuary with oceanfront swim-up suites, jungle spa and gourmet restaurants overseen by chefs who have trained in Michelin starred restaurants from around the globe. We loved that rooms were very modern with state of the art amenities yet outside we were greeted by nature in all its glory — wildlife, abundant greenery and turquoise sea.

The uniqueness of the resort lies in the fact that it includes several sessions/rituals per day with their Architects of Life. You get healed not only physically with nutritious food and indulgent treatments in their jungle spa but also on a mental and spiritual level with activities like Tai Chi, Soul Reading, Pranayama breathing and meditation. Highly recommended for those busy bees and city mice!

Jashita — Tulum's hidden gem

Our second eco boutique resort was beautiful Jashita. With only 30 rooms this gem has an ideal location for exploring Tulum which has become very popular in recent years. Surrounded by the peace and quiet of the Soliman Bay, Jashita is only 10–15 minutes drive from Tulum with its nightlife and trendy restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants, the best food we had on our trip was at Jashita's famous restaurant Pandano. Best pastas outside of Italy courtesy of the hotel's Italian owners! We loved our spacious suite and really appreciated our huge terrace with a plunge pool!

Holbox, Cozumel and Chichen Itza

Never able to stay in one place, we then continued on to the less developed island of Holbox famous for its sand banks and opportunity to swim with manta rays and whale sharks, as well as to the more known island of Cozumel — part of the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and apparently the favourite place for diving of Jacques Yves Cousteau himself!

What holiday to the Yucatan peninsula goes without visiting the legendary Chichen Itza — one of the 7 New Wonders of the World? I highly recommend taking a local guide as otherwise we would have missed some very special sound effects this place is capable of as well as learning fascinating facts about the place.

Chiapas — the most beautiful state of Mexico

After 9 nights it was time to bid goodbye to this part of Mexico as we boarded a flight to Chiapas — called by some the most beautiful state of Mexico! Nature is very different here — resembling Europe even in some places with its mountains and lakes. We even had to put some layers on as temperatures there were noticeably lower than on the coast.

Bordering on Guatemala, Chiapas boasts waterfalls, gorges, lakes and authentic colonial towns with indigenous population. We even took an opportunity to cross into Guatemala for a short wander around — there is no need for passport control and one can cross without a hassle on foot!

The highlights of our stay were our trips to Cascada El Chifflon and taking a boat down the river at Sumidero Canyon. Saying that, visiting the very colourful town of San Cristóbal de Las Casas was undeniably another one. There are very few places in the world left that managed to retain the level of authenticity that Chiapas offers.

Mexico City

As we were flying back from Mexico City, our next domestic flight was to the capital of the country. Mexico City is the largest Spanish speaking city in the world and the scale of it really is impressive. I was surprised to find out that it is in second place in the world by the number of museums after London!

We visited some ourselves — I can particularly recommend Museo Nacional de Antropología housing a large collection of artefacts from various periods of Mexican history. As I have been the biggest fan of Frida Kahlo for years, visiting her Blue House was a must for me. Do book in advance — you simply won't get in if you show up on the day.

Mexico City is also a gateway to the ancient city of Tenochtitlan famous for its large pyramids of the sun and the moon. And the last but not the least, Mexico City is the place to enjoy food — from unbelievably affordable street food stalls to the restaurants sitting among the top eateries in the world.

This for sure was a trip to remember! And we did not even cover half of the country! I encourage you to explore Mexico — do not just stay in an all-inclusive hotel. And if you need us to help you plan your trip — do get in touch!