Mexico is one of the staple South destinations for winter getaway for Canadians, including Quebecers. Every now and then (read: every winter and spring break when the cold plunge into unliveableness), I get tagged on subtle flexing posts from fancy resorts with photos of glimmering suntanned thighs and cocktails. Not that I was ever in the location, but I have friends with zero sense of humble that taunt me with their pictures of perfect resort vacay, while I commute on foot to work, half-buried in snow. Because are we even best friend if we don’t taunt our bff while their struggle. Them betches.
Mexico offers such diverse experiences and regions that it probably needs to be explored in years and years. But we didn’t have years and years, we had 15 days only for this end of year vacation. So instead of staying in the comfort of an all-included resort, we decided to explore the Yucatan peninsula, the safest region in Mexico to travel by car. The Yucatan peninsula consists of three states: Yucatan, Quintana Roo, and Campeche. With our busy-turtle style of traveling, we did two out of three in 15 days and left out Campeche for another visit.
Day 1. Puerto Morelos : Fisherman's village
The entry point to the peninsula by air is through the Cancun airport. Air Canada Rouge just started a direct flight to Cancun from Quebec City, and it takes only 4 to 5 hours of flight. We took a rental car from Cancun Airport and drove right away to Puerto Morelos.
Day 2. Puerto Morelos : Snorkeling at the Great Mayan Reef
Whoever said Puerto Morelos is a sleepy village clearly has never been to Quebec City.It takes only 10 minutes of boat ride to the world's second biggest coral reef. How cool is that?! And the city square becomes very lively after dark with stalls of street food, and arts.
Day 14. Distileria Mayapan and Playa del Carmen
I might not have a perfect vacay picture taken at a fancy resort in Mexico, but I did have a perfect Mexican vacay to brag to them betches treasure. In our short 15 days, we managed to experience more than what we thought we would, from snorkeling at the Meso American reef, to climbing Mayan ruins, to biking in some Mayan jungle, to eating Yucatecan food at an old hacienda, to taking a dip in underground river tunnels, to swimming with piranhas. Okay, maybe it wasn’t piranhas, but it looked like it, hard to tell, I didn’t have my glasses while snorkeling. I loved every part of this vacation.