Cancun: Chichén Itzá, Cobá & Tulúm. Tour or Van Service?

[mantas]

Hi:
We are a party of 4 (2 adults + 2 girls). We are going to Cancun in mid July.
Though I would like to rent a car and do things on my own, I am a bit concerned about the troubles with car rentals I’ve read in the forum, specially with the insurance and damages issues.

Day One:
I would like to go to Chichen Itza on one day (visiting the ruins, then do the cenote snorkeling, and maybe going somewhere else -visit a tequila destillery or something else-). I would like to depart early morning to arrive to Chichen before the hordes.
Does somebody knows a good reliable tour service that do not waste time making stops on the way to the ruins? We do not need a special english speaking service as we all speak spanish.

Day Two: I want to did the following circuit:
1) Early morning: visit Cobá;
2) From Cobá, going to Tulum, visit the ruins and spend 1 hour or so in the beach next to the ruins.
Maybe, insert Akumal in between -before Tulum- or after;
3) Back to hotel zone.
I was thinking in a transfer or van service, that takes us to each place and wait for us, since I do not find any tour doing this on the same day.

Well, any comment will be welcome, except telling “go rent a car”. Also I am not very confident on the ADO bus service as I don’ t fully understand yet how and where I must catch the bus from one place to another (lets say, from Cobá to Tulum).

Thank you to everybody in advance.

[sylvia hennesy]

Chichen Itza is huge, and it's a long drive from Cancun; although the cenote swim might be doable, I think throwing in a distillery visit is too much. (I have to say it: a rental car is not a big deal, and will save you time and money and be much more convenient.) Just get everything on paper before you go, and be sure your insurance is up to date (your own cc provides a good bit of it). That makes the CI trip pretty easy; just hop on the tollway.
Coba and Tulum the same day, ok, but trying to shoehorn a third visit to a different place will be too much; there's no point in popping in and out again (except maybe Tulum).

[emma69]

Tulum beach - you certainly don't need an hour - the beach is very very small. A quick splash to cool off and that's about all the time I would allocate. Tulum to Akumal very easy - collectivo (mini bus) stop is very obvious, but before you get there a dozen taxis will offer a ride - haggle! We paid $10US last year (v 40 pesos for the collectivo). but everyone was happy. We got to Tulum as the gates opened and it was great, no people, not hot (there really is no shade there, so avoid in the heat of the midday sun!) and it was beautiful!

[mantas]

Originally Posted by emma69

Tulum beach - you certainly don't need an hour - the beach is very very small. A quick splash to cool off and that's about all the time I would allocate. Tulum to Akumal very easy - collectivo (mini bus) stop is very obvious, but before you get there a dozen taxis will offer a ride - haggle! We paid $10US last year (v 40 pesos for the collectivo). but everyone was happy. We got to Tulum as the gates opened and it was great, no people, not hot (there really is no shade there, so avoid in the heat of the midday sun!) and it was beautiful!

Thank. That is a good tip. But I was thinking on doing some snorkeling both in Tulum and in Akumal, where I heard you can snorkel with sea turtles.
Alos I am planning on sum up a couple of cenotes near Tulum, to do some more snorkeling.
But maybe I am wrong planning just from my desk without really even touch land yet.

[emma69]

Tulum wasn't good for snorkelling, too much surf, not calm enough. And a really small area that gets packed with people. Akumel is better, but I was disappointed by the snorkelling. No turtles when we went and fewer fish than off the hotel beach. People have told me this week if you want to see turtles you need to get there early morning - we got there around lunchtime so were too late last year.

[JDiver]

For Chichén Itzá you take the comfortable and safe ADO First Class bus and save yourself some hassles and expensive air or car rental, 404 pesos round trip, but because the bus leaves Cancún at 9 AM you will only have 12:00 - 4:30 PM for Chichén - the hottest part of the day, when you will be wanting lunch, and not nearly enough time for this splendid Maya site.

A good day: enjoy the ruins, have lunch in the adjacent Lodge at Chichén, or the Hotel Mayaland near the entrance (across from the Caracól, built in 1923, the main building was actually designed by "discoverer" of Chichén Sylvanus Morley) or Hacienda Chichén (originally the archaeological workers were housed here) and return for the cooler part of the afternoon to see the rest before boarding your bus back - or, far better yet, stay the night! as it is a three hour drive. (Or rent a car...)

I recommend this great map (USD $10) so you can use it for Cobá and Chichén; it has tons of useful information, including Chichén via public transport.

For Cobá and Tulúm I recommend a taxi - ask locally for a good referral. Cobá is very worthwhile, lots of waling, much less "developed" than Chichén, interesting birds and some wildlife. Tulúm is not as impressive (though its siting / location are lovely) and the snorkeling is - eh! Snorkeling the cenotes (one or two) can be interesting, and there are some unique species that live in the caves, like blind fish and shrimps - but it takes some penetration to see them, and IMO snorkel one you have snorkeled most of them. Maybe snorkel at Akumal (IMO you have a possibility of turtles, but do not bet on it - and keep your hands off, please,) and Tankah cenote. (Diving the cenotes, that's an entirely different dicussion, and is truly spectacular - with the proper training and guiding.)

In the day, I'd suggest snorkeling in Yalkú - the cool fresh water spring leads to the warmer salt water, and many interesting fresh, brackish and salt water fish live here. It can be crystal clear or it can be cloudy depending on what is happening at the moment, and it has become quite touristed - there is controlled entry, and if you are late you will not get in.

If you will be in Cancún, you may want to inquire about snorkeling opportunities north of Cancún in July, out of Cancún or nearby Isla Mujeres - because in summer, you can snorkel with whale sharks (about 300 come to feed on plankton at this time of year). And depending on when you are there (we we going in late July) you might even see us there, snorkeling with these big, gentle giants. (One provider is this one.)

IF you rent a car - do a super-thorough inspection, much more minutiously than you would at home; further, take photos with your camera or cell phone (date feature on). Note ANY irregularities - missing jack or jack handle, everything. Do not accept anyone's word they will let something go by - in Mexico, every ding, every dent - not to mention stolen side mirror, etc. - counts when you return the vehicle in if it is not documented.

If you do rent, buy the insurance of course - expensive perhaps, but in Mexico the insurance company is your bailor if you have an accident (Napoleonic law means you are presumed to be at fault until...), and if you get the "sin deducible" it covers dings and junk you may have missed. Not bad, IMO, for a drive out to Chichén (go early!) though it might be trickier for the other areas you want to see - beware of pilfering from cars, and do not leave anything in the car.

[Tizzette]

Ideally in July heat you would arrive at Chichen Itza at 8 or 9 AM so take the 2-1/2 hour ADO bus from Cancun the afternoon before. Have a swim, dinner at your hotel, and go to the Chichen Itza light show if you like that kind of thing. The bus will let you off at the main gate where you can easily get to the Mayaland Hotel or Hacienda Chichen, or even better get off the bus in the small colonial city of Vallodolid where you will experience something different of Mexico than beaches and tourists. You can stay at Mesion del Marques for about $85 or several boutique B & Bs there. There are tours out of Vallodolid including Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, but you can easily take a collectivo or taxi. There's a cenote located in town and others nearby. The ADO GL buses (for grand luxe) are first class, comfy big seats, c-o-l-d AC. You can take a taxi or the Cancun Hotel Zone shuttle down to Bus Station in Centro where you will find it easy to manage to buy tickets and get on the right bus without speaking Spanish. From Chichen Itza or Vallodolid, you can return on the bus to Cancun, or you can go straight on to Tulum before returning to Cancun.

[JDiver]

Tizzette, I had entirely forgotten the "lúz y sonido" - and it is nice. Your idea is a very good one. And yes, Valladolid is definitely not on the tourist track - nice colonial place with its own attractiveness - and El Mesón del Marqués would be memorable and more economical than the places at Chichén, I suspect. Chichén Itzá is 42 km / 26 miles away.

Another interesting place to stay is about ten minutes' walk from Chichén, the Villas Ruinas Arqueológicas - part of a small chain of middle-up scale hotels near archaeological zones.

[cadavi]

Wife and I just got back from CUN. We hired a SUV with a driver - left for Chichen early AM (~6AM), had the place pretty much to ourselves. Left for Coba/Tulum from Chichen, spent the afternoon there and got back to the Hotel Zone and were back in our pool by 6PM. Thought it would be really tiring but was not bad at all. The driver was great, nice clean Chevy Suburban, stopped many places along the way to eat, shop, etc at local places. Fun!

[JDiver]

Thanks for the report. With a driver and decent vehicle, departing early, you can have a nice day at Chichén Itzá. I'd not recommend Chichén, Tulúm and Cobá in one day except for those willing to put on some miles and who are satisfied with a fairly topical treatment of those archaeological sites.

I also posted in another thread about a reliable service we used that provides transfers and tours (unguided, AFAIK) to various sites and locales within Quintana Roo state and into Yucatán.

Originally Posted by JDiver

Can+cun+Transfers.com (can't actually put the name or website in without autocensor killing it; just erase the "+" signs)
Webiste: http://bit.ly/NrNSCs
a service of Servicios Turísticos Van, S.A. de C.V.
Avenida Tulum # 200 Suite 201. Cancun, Q. Roo. 77500. Mexico
Local phone #: 011 52 (998) 210 3317 - (998) 210 4094 - (998) 210 3774
Email: sales@can....ransfers.com

Their service for van service to sites such as Chichén Itzá, Tulúm, etc. is http://www.van.travel

Both members of Associación Mexicana de Agencias de Viaje A.C., the Mexican association of travel agencies, est. 1945

Originally Posted by cadavi

Wife and I just got back from CUN. We hired a SUV with a driver - left for Chichen early AM (~6AM), had the place pretty much to ourselves. Left for Coba/Tulum from Chichen, spent the afternoon there and got back to the Hotel Zone and were back in our pool by 6PM. Thought it would be really tiring but was not bad at all. The driver was great, nice clean Chevy Suburban, stopped many places along the way to eat, shop, etc at local places. Fun!

[legionnaire]

We will be a group of 12 (3 families of two adults and two kids each - middle schoolers) staying in Cancun over christmas. We would like to spend the day ay chichen itza, finish the light show in the evening before returning to the hotel in Cancun for the night.

Any suggestions on how best to get to chichen and back, given these requirements?

1. The ADO bus seems to afford us about 4-4.30 hours of the hottest part of the day. Not very attractive.
2. The gray line bus company seems to have a tour that runs only on Wednesday's that meets all the above requirements.
3. van.travel that jdiver suggested seems to be suitable, but if the drive to and from takes 6 hours, that leaves us with just 4.5 hours out of the 10.5 hour rental. Not ideal.

Any other thoughts?

[Tizzette]

November to March, the hottest part of the day is OK in my opinion.