I will be goining to Mexico later in November and will be spending 3 weeks. This is my first time ever in Mexico and my Spanish is extreemly basic but I can manage my way around.

I'm travelling solo and I'm interested in spliting my vacation as: beach (1 week) and culture/adventure (2 weeks). I will be flying into Cancun and out of Mexico City.

Q1)
I'm planning to spend the first week on the East Coast (Cancun) to chill out at the beach and I'm seeking suggestions for planning the remaining two weeks.

I may consider to rent a car and drive around Quintana Roo/Yucatan for about two weeks then fly from Merida to Mexico City. However, I'm not sure if driving around solo would be a safe idea. I enjoy driving but I wouldn't compromise my safety.
Alternatively, I may opt to fly to Oaxaca for a week and then to Baja California to spend another week. Then, I would fly to Mexico City (transit) to catch my flight back home.

Q2)
Since I'm flying out of Mexico City, I have the option of reaching there a couple of days ahead of my flight back to London to explore the city. So far, I didn't get encouraging feedback on Mexico City and I'm hesitant to spend a day there.

"Gracias" in advance for your suggestions and comments.

I would recommend getting out of Cancun as soon as possible. About an hour south is Playa Del Carmen and another 45 minutes below that is Tulum. Playa used to be small, sleepy and quaint but now is constantly expanding. People from all over the world visit there. Tulum is breathtaking with it's ruins perched on a cliff above the Caribean. Also between Playa and Cancun is the Isla Mujeres(island of the women) and is only accessable by a 40-minute ferry ride. In five previous trips I've never rented a car. The inter-city buses are plush and very affordable, much like flying elsewhere. Cabs are reasonable as well. A 45 minute cab ride from Tulum to Playa was less than $20US (in 2000). I have heard several stories of rental cars being repeatedly stopped and searched by the Mexican military which usually is comprised of kids not much older than 18 carrying automatic weapons. I definitely recommend spending a few days in Merida. You can take day trips to the port city of Progresso and visit Celestrun which is famous for it's Pink Flamingoes. On Saturdays in the town square in Merida there is a market with all sorts of wares for sale. You can book a tour to Chitzen Itsa through many different travel agencies. I recommend Yucatan Trails. It's owned by a French Canadian, Denis Lafoy, who has been down there since 1979. He is quite a character. Across the street from his office is the Hotol Colon which has a beautiful tropical pool hidden from the street and decent rooms. A few years ago a single was 250 pesos but now it's more like 500. Luz in Yucatan has apartments with kitchens starting at around 350 pesos. The oldest cathedral in the Western hemisphere is opposite the town square. At the beginning of the 20th century Merida had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world. I have returned to Merida several times. You will like Merida.

I just got home from a week in Playa del Carmen, and would certainly echo the recommendation to head there. 5th Avenue there at night time is lots of fun...lots of great food and music. From there, you can take a quick ferry ride of about 40 minutes to Cozumel, where there's some great snorkeling. I also spent a day at Xel ha and Tulum and would definitely recommend both. Tulum isn't quite as spectacular as Chichen Itza, but it's easy to get to from Playa del Carmen and only 15 minutes from Xel ha. I thought it was cool to see them still excavating the ruins there and the spot by the ocean is gorgeous.

Driving around Yucatan/Quintana Roo/Campeche is generally safe if you keep your wits about you. It's a great area, especially the area around Merida, with lots and lots to see (basically one set of ruins after another). I definitely recommend visiting Uxmal and environs (more so than Chichen Itza). If you know how people drive in the developing world, then you shouldn't have any trouble in Mexico. Take a good map (signage will probably not be the best on secondary roads). I would NOT recommend driving at night, as there can be anything from animals to unmarked vehicles on the road. But OTOH having a car enables you to go off the beaten path to places like Celestun or Campeche city.

Mexico City is IMO very interesting, and certainly merits a few days. Lots to do & lots to see (museums, nightlife, buildings, neighborhoods...) - sure, it's dangerous, dirty & polluted, but that's how big cities are.

Your alternative plan of going to Oax and BC also sounds very nice though.

Thank you all for your comments..

Everybody's suggestions are great, here's a couple more (having recently traveled extensively through the Yucatan area):

Cancun - Don't stay on the strip (it's like Miami), stay on the Yucatan coast in one of the many places as it'll be more relaxing, less tourists and better service (my opinion).

Playa- it's quickly becoming a shopping/ partying place for all the people who stay on the coast (as it's "the" city to and visit that's outside the hotel premises on the coast). I wouldn't stay in the city as it's not that relaxing, but for an evening of shopping and dinning, it's great.

Isla Mujeres - My parents honeymooned here 35 years ago and I was just there a few months ago. It's still a small, relaxed, quiet island that's great for relaxation. There's only one all-inclusive hotel here (on a tiny island accessed by a bridge from mainland Isla), all the rest is small two-to-three story houses and hotels that makes this picture perfect town great for R&R. There's a nice hotel called the Villa Vera that's quiet and yet good service.

Snorkelling - A little further south from Playa (30 minutes in public transport - every 15 minutes) there's a great town that has fantastic snorkelling. Just enter through the back entrance (where the couple of tourist buses enter) and you'll pay less to snorkel in the same waters and have the same great experience. (I just took a cab from the highway and after a 10 minute ride he took me to the cheaper entrance for about 30 pesos (under $3).

X-Caret- It's a very nice place that has history and is very developed for tourists. It costs about US$40 -45 for the day (and it includes a folkloric night show demonstrating a bit from each of the 30+ states of Mexico). It's worth it for this only (the snorkelling here isn't that great as there aren't as many fish as above). NOTE - most tour buses LEAVE before the show starts - so either have your own rental car (which is safe in the Yucatan/Merida area) or arrange to have a taxi to drive you back.

Merida- a nice cosmpolitan city with great day trips to nearby fishing towns and beaches and ruins including Uxmal ( a very important and large city that was reconstructed three times). It offers a nice light and sound show every night at 19:00 (again - most tours will not stick around until then). If you only see one ruin, this is the one to see.

Chichen Itza - Nice and lots to see, but not as much as the Uxmal. If you arrive early, you can wait a line to climb the inner stairs (of the first pyramid - as the new one was constructed on top) to see the red dragon that lies there from many years ago.

Oaxaca - wow, this city was great with lots of culture and history. A few days just being inside the city (not including sorroundings) is enough to fall in love. There are nearby ruins that are on top of the mountain overlooking Oaxaca that are impressive. The food in the city is fantastic. The local dish - Mole - is a mix of chocolates and seasonings that will leave your mouth asking for more. My girlfriend and I took a local cooking class (from a local - not from the other lady who gears to tourists) and charged us about 400 pesos ($35) for about 3 hours. She explained everything in detail as she instructed us how to cook. At the end, we ate, took pictures and understood the recipe so well that we've cooked it here (in Toronto) a few times already.

From Oaxaca you can go by bus or plane to Puerto Escondido and enjoy a good beach (with much less tourism than the Yucatan), where diving and surfing is popular. Puebla is also nearby and worth the visit.

Baja - I haven't visited this area much, but it's known to have great cuisine, lots of shopping, lots of sightseeing and fishing. The two towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are the main attractions with the first being a more touristy upscale town and the latter being where the locals live and where there's more culture and cheaper shopping available.

DF (Mexico City) - This city, my birthplace, is fantastic, full of history, culture, architecture, food and ambiance. There's many places to see and do that you'll run out of time. If you only have a couple days in the city visit the artsy area Coyoacan where Frida Khalo and Diego's house are. Dont' forget to pop into the national palace and experience some of the greatest paintaings (that I've seen) that will explain the history of Mexico. Grab a tour guide at the entrance to understand it better. The Palacio de Bellas Artes (the national art gallery and palace) is another not to be missed place. The Zona Rosa (tourist area), Chichen Itza (one of the largest city's in Mexico with the moon and sun pyramids alligned with each one respectively).......

well this is a brief rundown.. let me know if you have more questions and I'll try and answer them..