· MEXICO ·
11 Less touristy things to do in the Yucatan
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 11 Sep 2024
Are you looking for a trip to the Mexican Yucatan that doesn’t scream club vibes, environmental damage, overtourism, and free shots? If so, then check out these suggestions for things to do in the Yucatan that have a fraction of the visitors and a more local feel!
I recently wrote about how the Maya Riviera was hugely struggling with mass tourism and environmental destruction. However, despite the area being an total ecological disaster, I don’t think that means people should just boycott the entire Yucatan.
Instead, let’s spread the love (and money) and have some lesser frequented but just as awesome experiences elsewhere! There are honestly so many less touristy things to do in the Yucatan Peninsula that are utterly epic. It’s a welcome alternative to sitting on a beach, having loud obnoxious music blared at you while surrounded by frat boys getting wasted (looking at you Playa and Cancun).
Here is a list of places across the peninsula that we visited on our two-month trip around the Yucatan that had relatively few crowds. These are all suggestions that we would highly recommend! We’ve also mentioned if there were any standout restaurants, bars, or hotels too.
For an itinerary that encompasses all of this post, plus more, with travel hints, recommendations, tips and routes, check out our 2-4 week Yucatan itinerary.
IN THIS GUIDE //
Less touristy things to do in the Yucatan
STAY ON THE BEACH IN CELESTÚN OR SISAL
GIVE CHICHÉN ITZÁ A MISS – TRY EK’ BALAM INSTEAD
FLOAT IN BACALAR LAGOON
VISIT SOME ALTERNATIVE MAYAN RUINS
TRAVEL THE NORTHERN COAST AROUND PROGRESO
SEE THE PINK LAKES OF LOS COLORADOS
VISIT PARQUE DE LAS PALAPAS
VISIT CAMPECHE CITY
TAKE A DRIVE TO PUNTA ALLEN
CHOOSE AN EMPTY CENOTE
SPOT SOME FLAMINGOS
FINAL THOUGHTS
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1. Stay on the Beach in Celestún or Sisal
An hour or so from Mérida are the tiny coastal towns of Celestún and Sisal. Both provide perfect little slices of tropical beach life, but without the crowds, noise or cost.
Although the oceans are not quite as pure azure blue like along the Riviera Maya, they are beautiful, clean, and quiet. There is also far less sargassum than down the Riviera Maya coast, which could make this a welcome choice for beach-lovers during certain times of the year.
In terms of things to do, the towns have a low-key vibe, with a few laid-back restaurants, shops and several lodging options. Golf carts zip around, parking is easy and everybody has fruit juices in hand. Your money goes a long way here compared to the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula!
2. Swap Chichén Itzá for Ek’ Balam
I do not hide the fact that I hated Chichén Itzá. It was overrun with tourists even before the gates opened (I know, I was part of the problem!).
The hawkers were also just obscene. If the idea of walking around an incredible archaeological site while vendors try to sell you ceramic penises for ‘one dollar, one dollar’ fills you with dread, consider visiting Ek’ Balam instead.
Now, Ek’ Balam is not the quietest Mayan ruin in the Yucatan, but if you are in Valladolid and are tempted with Chichén Itzá, choose this one instead. It is (slightly) cheaper, has far fewer tourists, no vendors and you can actually climb the structures and get some incredible views. We much preferred it. There are still tour buses, however between their arrival, the site was almost empty.
Hotel | in Valladolid, we absolutely loved the Margarett Modern Hotel, a well-equipped budget midrange hotel.
3. Float About in Bacalar’s Blue Lagoon
What the Pueblo Mágico of Bacalar lacks in beach, it makes up for in blueness.
This 42-kilometre-long lagoon of seven colours is simply stunning. It’s not completely unknown, but still has a quiet, small-town vibe and the lagoon feels pretty much empty.
Take a boat trip, kayak or paddleboard out onto the lake; or maybe just hangout by the shore. It’s an easy place to spend a few days, with low key nightlife and some pretty decent food – try Mi Burrito Bacalar for some banging veggie (and non-veggie) burritos.
It is seriously beautiful and currently not overrun, despite being only two and half hours south from Tulum (and it’s way prettier!).
4. Visit Some Less Visited Mayan Ruins
I didn’t want this post to just end up being a list of amazing ruins so I bunched the best ones together (although everyone should visit all these sites if they have the time!). They are fantastic options for getting miles away from the crowds and seeing some world class archaeological marvels.
Although they are all slightly more challenging to reach by public transport and are not serviced by many tours, it does keep the hordes at bay.
Edzná is probably the quietest, definitely the cheapest and is perfect paired with a visit to Campeche City.
Calakmul is the most remote and has some of the tallest Mayan pyramids – you can see all the way to Tikal in Guatemala on a good day. The ruins are set in a biosphere, so it is almost impossible not to see a whole tonne of wildlife.
Uxmal is so special. It is devoid of other people and by far the most beautiful site we have visited. The architecture is unique, with snake carvings and circular temples. The cost is high (all the major ruins in Yucatan State are) but we think it is well worth it. The Pickled Onion is a cute little place to stay nearby with a lovely owner.
We’ve written a pros and cons of the best Mayan ruins if you’re stuck trying to decide which is best for you.
5. Travel the Northern Coast Around Progreso
Progreso, a coastal town in the north of the Yucatan, isn’t so quiet, especially on cruise days.
It does have some perfectly beautiful beaches, average accommodation options and decent (but costly) restaurants if you decide to stay for a while, though. However, the averageness just fades away and the area is just magic when you drive east or west out of the town. Passing through tiny villages, simple eateries, little playgrounds, empty stretches of beach; this is the Yucatan that most people wish for and never find.
To the west, towards Sisal, there are some beautiful empty sands, that are not even very far from central Progreso, where you can kayak and hike. Head down to Playon Las Dunas Chuburna on Google Maps.
To the east, there are flamingo habitats, some pink salty lakes and the tiny Mayan ruins of Xcambo. Also, weirdly, quite a few snakes on the road.
6. See the Pink Lakes of Las Colorados
This one I can imagine becoming a little bit touristy, I’m not going to lie (although not to Cancun levels). However, it is definitely up there on most Instagrammy ‘things to do in the Yucatan’ lists. When we visited, it was pretty much empty, though!
The pink lakes are included on our list of things to do here, mostly because they are in the process of building an entire centre around the salt ponds to get as much money as possible from tourists. This means that soon, it will be incredibly busy and probably have hints of Disneyland going on. Get in there and see the pink lakes before it turns into a theme park!
Also, we should mention that if you’ve seen pink lakes elsewhere, give this one a miss. It’s expensive and a little bit commercial but is also the brightest pink lakes we’ve ever seen.
Playa Cancunito is lovely as a stop from here if you need a bit of beach time – it’s mostly empty, clean, with calm waves (most of the time).
If you continue driving past the Pink Lakes and Colorados town, there are wild beaches for miles on your left side and flamingo habitats on your right. Ignore the tour staff there that tell you that you must have a guide – you don’t.
7. If you have to be in Cancun, Visit Parque de las Palapas
If you absolutely must hang out in Cancun for a bit, we suggest you stay in Centro and visit the main square – Parque de las Palapas. Although busy, we always found it to mostly be Mexican families and not very touristy. There are little (inexpensive) food stalls serving all the usuals, kids riding little electric cars and some super cute street performers.
It’s the perfect place to pass the evening in Cancun (significantly better than anywhere in the hotel zone). We always stay in accommodation near the square – there are lots of decent options.
Hotel | our recommendation is The Quetzal as a nice budget mid-range option, run by a lovely lady who speaks perfect English, located right next to Parque de las Palapas.
8. Visit Campeche City
Campeche City is a stunning walled city to the far west of the Yucatan Peninsula. Of all the things to do on this list, I think Campeche is the most overlooked by the majority of tourists.
I love this city; the seafront, the city walls and the market. It has some lovely small restaurants, great bars and some of the best sunsets (and storms) I have ever seen.
The city is also the jumping off point for Edzná, one of the Mayan ruins mentioned above.
Tip | Luan is probably my favourite restaurant for vegetarian options. If you are after a cheap meal, head over to the market or check out the taquerias near the corner of calle 8 and 61.
Hotel | my favourite lodging in Campeche is the Hotel Castelmar; the staff are great and it’s a stunning building.
9. Take a Drive to Punta Allen and Sian Ka’an Bioreserve
This lovely little place, like Bacalar, is technically along the popular Quintana Roo coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
However, access and effort appear to be keeping the masses away and I really appreciate that! To get to the area, you have to drive around three hours south of Tulum, along some unsealed bumpy roads. However, it is so worth it – peace, isolation and stunning beaches await you at the end!
It is possible to tour the Sian Ka’an Biosphere without driving to Punta Allen, by organising an excursion through an outfitter.
Hotel | we highly recommend a stay in the magical Hotel Cielo y Selva.
10. Choose an Empty Cenote
If you go on Instagram, it’s literally full of pictures of cenotes. Problem is, with those photos comes people, often armies of them.
If you visit the well-known cenotes near Tulum or Valladolid, there can be queues just to get in the entrance (we’ve seen it). Along with the environmental damage that comes with huge numbers of unmanaged tourists, it’s just not so fun swimming with hundreds of others, all at arm’s length.
There are hundreds of relatively undiscovered cenotes across the Yucatan Peninsula; the best being around the Mérida region. For some reason, tourists just don’t venture out much there!
Some of our favourite quite ones are Cenote Kankirixche, Yaal Utzil, X’Batun, Tres Oches and Noh-Mozon. These have varying degrees of sketchy road to reach them, but if you can get there it’s likely you’ll be alone.
You can always check Google Maps and just look for some nearby your location.
11. Spot Some Flamingos
Depending on the season, you may not be able to miss these ridiculous pink birds on the coast of the Yucatan!
They congregate along the north and north-eastern coasts of the Yucatan, with some of the best places to see them being Rio Lagartos, Celestún and around Progreso.
Rio Lagartos was a favourite of ours, personally – it’s a tiny fishing village surrounded by protected biosphere reserve full of wildlife, especially birds. The mud here is supposed to be special too, and apparently has benefits if you put it on your skin.
Boat tours in Rio Lagartos are super affordable and do not need to be organised in advance. We had a fantastic time and stayed in the area for several days.
Hotel | the best mid-range lodging option in town is the Hotel Rio Lagartos.
Rio Lagartos is also a good lodging choice for visiting the Las Colorados Pink Lakes.
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Final Thoughts – Things to do in the Yucatan
Truthfully, I had so many negative feelings about the Yucatan until our most recent trip.
It felt very commercial, suffering from overtourism and devoid of character. However, I was wrong. The region is rich with fascinating food, sights, history, nature and people. The Yucatan Peninsula is a fantastic place to visit, whether you are a backpacker or a family with kids. It turns out I was confusing the popular Maya Riviera areas with the entire peninsula; my preconceptions were utterly inaccurate!
We have written an in-depth, offbeat Yucatan itinerary that encompasses all of the above, and more, if you’re considering a road trip or backpacking adventure.
We sincerely hope you enjoy your visit, and you get to see the Yucatan that we experienced; it’s magical.
Have a fantastic trip!
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
hello! do you have hotel or restaurant suggestions in sisal or celestún? we’re hoping to get away to a quieter beach in january, and are hoping for a hotel with enough amenities that they can help arrange transportation for us from the airport, and to a day trip or two like uxmal or the biosphere. otherwise we’re hoping to swim/relax/read and eat fresh seafood.
thank you for any advice you have! your posts are great, love the guide for uxmal!