traWell’s Mexican itinerary is unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Swim in cenotes & crystal-clear lagoon, detox in an aromatherapy temazcal steam room, walk along picture-postcard sandy beaches watching the sun go down & marvel at mysterious Mayan ruins. And in between, sample the region’s delicious traditional dishes as part of Mexico’s rich and varied cuisine (nominated by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity).
Cancun International Airport (CUN)
7 Days
All guests must be over 18.
Fly into Cancun Airport, where you will meet your traWell concierge and be driven to your hotel. Subject to arrival time, your concierge may recommend options (and/or arrange transport) for dinner. If you arrive during the day, shake off your jet lag with a dip in the Caribbean or a visit to Nichupte Lagoon.
Travel to beautiful Playa del Carmen (travel time: 1 hour).
In the late afternoon, you have the option of swimming in one of many nearby cenotes (drive time: approx. 45 minutes): a natural sinkhole which the ancient Maya used for water supplies; or simply sunbathe on the beach and wander the city streets.
Explore Tulum’s archaeological zone – once a fortified Mayan town – and experience low-impact movement walking along the beach (drive time: 1 hour).
Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before dining in a beautiful beachside restaurant, overlooking the Caribbean as the sun goes down.
Catch a ferry (travel time: 45 minutes) to the small island of Cozumel, which you can explore by car, scooter or beach buggy as you prefer. Sunbathe on one of the island’s many sandy beaches.
Don’t miss the prawn quesadillas in Punta Sur!
Your concierge will help you with your check-out from Playa del Carmen and then drive you to Chichen Itza in the state of Yucatan (drive time = 2.5 hours).
Explore the ruins of Chichen Itza, a city built by the Maya in the Late Classic period (600-900 AD). Highlights include the Temple of Kukulkan, the Great Ball Court and the Temple of a Thousand Warriors.
Following your visit to Chichen Itza, enjoy a cup of coffee in a nearby resort hotel or, if energy levels permit, visit the picturesque city of Valladolid. You will return to Cancun this evening (drive time 1h 30).
Enjoy a morning at leisure to explore the beachfront in Cancun.
In the afternoon, partake in ritual purification in a traditional temazcal (either privately or, as is our preference, as part of a wider group).
The word temazcal comes from the Nahuatl temazcalli, which means steam temple house. Temazcales were widely used in Mesoamerican traditional medicine and remain popular in Mexico to this day. The temazcal ceremony, with its ritual use of copal incense, combines two traWell therapies (aromatherapy and contrast temperature) and symbolises rebirth. The medicinal water of the temazcal may include herbs and botanicals as diverse as rosemary, eucalyptus, camphor, cedar, jasmine and lemon. Afterwards you will feel refreshed and quite possibly reborn.
Enjoy the morning at leisure, before your final drive to Cancun International Airport. Rest assured: this trip has barely scratched the surface of what Mexico has to offer.
