Family holiday in Mexico – pyramids, yummy food and sargassum

I knew I wanted to visit Mexico one day but as a family holiday destination it had never been at the top of the list. The internet is full of scary stories mainly attributed to crime and driving related scams (police, pumps, rental companies) so I was a bit anxious when we first started talking about going there. Also, as we found out, the presence of nuts in many foods was going to make eating a bit more challenging. How glad I was, none of these things stopped us from going. What an amazing place it is ?

Family holiday in Mexico our style – it just had to be DIY

The things started getting more real when we found the amazing Cherry Blossom villa in Playa del Carmen. Once it was booked things started falling into pieces really quickly. Flights, car rental, attractions – all pre-booked online, all offering some amazing deals, if well researched in advance.

We always try to keep our schedule relatively empty so that we could explore and make snap decisions on where to go and what to do.

In a build-up to the trip we also started getting the kids interested in the place we were going to visit. We got them Mexican-themed colouring books, kids travel book about the country and looked at internet and maps. So, before we went away they were already well informed about what to expect and they absolutely loved it.

Mexico – here we come

May came quickly and we were onboard of a BA flight bound for Cancun.

After landing in Mexico, we quickly got our luggage and boarded the shuttle to pick up our car from Sixt. Going into the office I expected to be hard sold additional insurance, upgrades and basicallypay twice than our pre-paid price was. What we got was the nicest service ever, no hard sales attempt, got an almost new car – I would recommend these guys to anyone.

Driving around the Yucatan Peninsula requires a bit of getting used to – particularly the Topas are something to be aware of. Topas are basically huge speed bumps to slow you down. And yes, they do – to a walking pace. If you try to go over them any quicker than that, I am sure they will stop your car permanently and that would be the end of your trip, so be careful!

One comment about the widely reported petrol pump scams. We have not experienced any of it. I always simply got out of the car, told the assistant what I need and paid in small denominations of banknotes. That was all. No issues at all so don’t let the scary stories keep you away from exploring using the car.

Playa del Carmen – a great alternative to Cancun

We stayed in Playa del Carmen, which is your typical family friendly holiday destination in Mexico. It is a vibrant holiday resort with all the amenities you would expect. Shops, restaurants, clubs and so much more. There is a gated community with All-inclusive hotels and villas for rent called Playacar, which is a short walk from the town centre. This is also where our holiday villa was located.

What we found particularly exciting about Playa are some of the most amazing restaurants hidden away in little side streets. Just have a look at Zitla which is a beach place but nestled in the town centre. And their food was to die for.

 

Playa has also a ferry terminal for services to/from Isla Cozumel. You cannot move anywhere in the centre without someone trying to sell you tickets to the island. Further down you will find information on our island trips.

Pyramids 

You can’t go to Yucatan and not see the magical historical Mayan sites. We three of them Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza. They are all very different.

Tulum – the Mayan city by the sea – the closes to Cancun and Playa del Carmen is always busy with tourists. If you get there early enough however, you will have a very enjoyable visit.

Coba – our favourite Maya historical site. is about 1h drive further away from Tulum and was by far our favourite one. It is hidden within a forest which gives you a much-appreciated shade. It is also the place where you can actually climb
the pyramid and the views at the top of this 42m tall structure are simply breath-taking. Both our little ones climbed it all the way up so it perfect for a great family holiday memory from Mexico. Just outside the complex we also had a lovely lunch by the lake in the small family run restaurant

Chichen Itza is a huge complex of pyramids, buildings and other ancient structures. It is also the best-known Maya site in the peninsula. Given the distance and the size of the place, it was a full day
trip for us. Well worth the visit as you see a bit more of the interior of the Yucatan.

Beaches, sargassum and…

Riviera Maya has some of the most beautiful beaches – almost white, fine sand, warm sea, colourful sea life. And everything would be great if is wasn’t for one thing – Sargassum.

You might be aware that the whole of Carribbean area is suffering from this seaweed making the water look like a spinach soup making swimming impossible.

During our stay unfortunately the beaches in Playa del Carmen were closed because of them.

However, all is not lost. You are not going to Mexico to have your family holiday spoiled by some seaweed. At least it was not an options for us.

Sargassum affects only eastern facing shores so you simply need to find a western facing shore. The only two options are visits to the islands – Isla Mujeres or Cozumel. Here you will find some spectacular beaches. 

…the islands

Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is a tiny island to the east of Cancun. There are fast ferries connecting it to the mainland. Once on the island you can get around using a…. golf cart. There is plenty of rental places dotted around the centre.

For us and the kids, riding in the golf cart must have been one of the highlights of the holidays. Having a vehicle of your own will allow you to get to some more remote attractions such as the no-nonsense Tortugranja turtle aquarium. It was a great opportunity for kids to come close and learn some basic biology of these amazing creatures.

Having your own golf cart also makes it easy for you to explore some of the best beaches on the island has to offer. We ended up at the very popular Playa Norte.

If you ever end up going to Isla Mujeres, you might want to venture out for lunch in this off the beaten track family owned place – La Lomita restaurant. Trust me – you will not regret making the effort of finding it.

Isla Cozumel

Isla Cozumel, on the other hand, is much bigger and you can get there from Playa del Carmen directly as well as from Cancun. Ideally you need a car if you want to get to the best beaches and see things other than the town centre.

Not many tourists know that there is also a car ferry going to the island from the terminal in Calica just outside Playa del Carmen. If you already have your car rented on the mainland (is it more expensive to rent a car on the island) it is the best option by far. The car ferry takes about 1h and is much cheaper than the fast ferries from Cancun or Playa. You can check the Ultramar ferry here.

We used it twice for our trips to the island and the benefit of having your own car on the island is immense. Not only you can escape the crowded centre of Cozumel but also explore and get to some of the best beaches on the island. We went twice to the picture perfect Playa Palancar and the children enjoyed the crystal clear warm waters, lunch on the beach and relaxing day by the sea.

Food – spicy, vibrant, colourful

What can you say about the Mexican food – it is sooooo yummy and colourful. Fresh and vibrant. Just another thing that made our holiday in Mexico great.

We were a bit worried that the kids will find it too spicy and might not be interested in trying many things. To our surprise – our children absolutely loved the food in Mexico although we had to choose
the things without too much chili.

If there is one culinary thing that we brought back home from our holiday in Mexico and the whole family enjoys – it is sopa de lima or the lime soup. The kids are constantly asking about it and it now even does appear in their restaurant plays. It is kind of a chicken stock made with spices, rice and
lime juice. Absolute hit in our household and now a new favourite. Here is my instagram post on how I tried to recreate it at home.

For us, however, the key was the seafood. It’s freshness and quality was second to none. Just looking at it made you feel hungry.

Of course, I also have to mention tequila. It is everywhere and, whether you like it or not, you will end up trying a cocktail in one of countless bars. I am not a big fan of any strong alcohol or cocktails, but when in Rome….

So there it is a 1m long glass of margarita on the beach – sometimes life is just too good.

FOOD ALLERGY WARNING – MOLE

Mole is a traditional chili sauce used as a condiment as well as a base for other dishes. It is a staple in Mexico and the recipes differ from one family to another. A lot of small family run restaurants will make it themselves but also many will simply buy it ready made. It usually contains sesame seeds as may contain nuts.

As much as the restaurants will try to cook you something that is safe, if they use Mole you cannot be sure if it contains allergens or not. It is better to just go for the food that does not contain Mole at all and this is what we had done.

See more photos from our unforgettable family holiday in Mexico on our Instagram profile.

If you have any questions just contact us and we will try to help.