TRISTEN ANN

I know Mexico doesn’t have the best rap sheet at the moment, but that definitely didn’t stop us from enjoying almost a month of fun in the sun.

We flew into Cancun and immediately hopped on an ADO bus down to Playa del Carmen. (Pro tip: don’t exchange money at the airport — rates are better once you get into the city.) Thankfully, we missed the spring break chaos, so no crowds, no lines, and no fighting over beach chairs. We did, however, arrive during peak sargassum season (March/April)… but we didn’t mind all the seaweed. The poor beach staffers spent hours every single morning cleaning up the sargassum from the shoreline. God forbid tourists have seaweed on their beach…

We got around just fine without fluent Spanish, and everyone was incredibly friendly. Also, no… you cannot drink the water. Not even boiled. Learned that one the hard way lol.

The weather was amazing: hot, sunny, with a steady breeze that kept everything comfortable. Playa del Carmen itself was super cute, with a long main street running parallel to the ocean that was perfect for shopping and wandering around. Although, honestly, the best food was always at least a 15-minute walk west of downtown. Needless to say, we ate our body weight in tacos.

One thing that surprised us was how much beachfront is now privately owned by resorts, making public beaches pretty hard to come by. Kind of sad for the locals honestly. But after some exploring, we did manage to find a few hidden gems.

Since the area is famous for cenotes, we obviously had to visit a few. Cenote Azul was definitely touristy, but also the cheapest at around 120 pesos each, and absolutely beautiful. Tons of fish nibbling at your toes, cliff jumping, and six separate swimming areas that made it easy to find your own little private spot. We also visited a Cenote Esmeralda that connects to the beach front that was completely free, filled with swings and fruit vendors everywhere. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it out to the ruins… but hey, it’s not like they’re going anywhere anytime soon.

Now for the part people actually care about: food recommendations lol.

Best taco truck: El Compa
Best smoothie spot: Nativo
Best casual restaurant: El Fogón

And now for the coolest restaurant I’ve ever been to — a true hidden gem, literally, because it’s underground. Alux Restaurant & Bar is built inside an old cenote. Completely underground, incredible atmosphere, and some of the best fine dining around. Truly unforgettable and 100% worth it.

You can walk pretty much everywhere in Playa, but we rented a scooter for a few days to explore more cenotes farther out. Honestly though, taxis are easier and cheaper if you’re wanting to explore outside the city.

After Playa del Carmen, we took the ferry over to Cozumel — only about 30 minutes, and definitely buy tickets online ahead of time to save money. The ferry somehow turned into a full-on concert with speakers, microphones, drums, guitars… honestly the best ferry ride I’ve ever had hahaha.

Cozumel had completely different vibes. Way more relaxed, less touristy (outside the cruise port area), and surprisingly cheaper than the mainland. I’d definitely recommend renting a scooter there since the island is small and super easy to explore. Tons of free beaches between the private resorts, amazing snorkeling, and barely any people.

We were also really impressed by the coral restoration efforts along the west shoreline, protected by Cozumel’s ripping currents just offshore. Boat diving is definitely the main attraction there, especially in the mornings, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Walls, tunnels, arches, and some insanely fun drift diving. And by drift diving, I mean covering THREE dive sites in a single dive because the current was absolutely ripping lol.

We saw eagle rays along with nurse sharks this time of year, which made every dive exciting. Huge sponge structures and surprisingly healthy coral formations too. Fun fact: Cozumel actually rotates closures on certain dive sites for a couple months at a time to let marine life rest and repopulate. Super refreshing to see such a tourist-heavy dive destination still prioritizing ocean health.

Cozumel food recommendations:

Best brunch spot: Cafe de Isla
Best tacos: Taqueria El Mexicano
Best beach restaurant: Buccanos
Best scooter rental: David’s Rentals

Overall, this trip felt really different from our usual adventures. We actually slowed down and took time to properly vacation for once. It was nice to feel like one of the tourists.

Also, if anyone’s looking for a great read, we finished My Friends by Fredrik Backman with tears in our eyes and love in our hearts lol.

We loved this area, but next time we visit Mexico, we’re definitely heading to the Baja coast for some world-class diving — Cabo San Lucas and La Paz specifically. So if anyone’s been diving there, drop your recommendations below!

xoxo