Allgemein EN – Page 7 – Kat´s Truth about Travelling

Calakmul

The Ruins of Calakmul are located in the middle of nowhere and unlike any other ruins I have visited in Mexico. This is partly because Calakmul is really far off the beaten track. In short: you have to take a colectivo from Chetumal to Xpujil, where you then have to organise a shared ride or a taxi colectivo/private tour. Calakmul also is the only pyramid where I have seen trees growing on top of the ruins. The ruins near Palenque in Chiapas do also merge more or less with the jungle, but here the climate is more humid and I have not seen any trees growing on a pyramid. In Calakmul, on the other hand, it is a little drier and nature has basically been given free rein to merge with the pyramids. The only thing that has been done by mankind is to ensure that the pyramids are visible and accessible. And since Calakmul is really not easy to reach, you hardly see any other tourists. So, it's definitely a fairly special ruins site. When I was there our guide also showed us a bit of the nature and the surroundings, which was really cool. We encountered some special birds, including an ostrich and a few monkeys. Apart from that the atmosphere itself is very peaceful and pure, and you can feel how nature and pyramids are united. 😊 Last but not least, the ruins themselves are also beautiful. However, what makes the scenery special and, in my opinion, worth seeing is the unique interplay between the ruins and nature. Go or not? I admit that it is really complicated to get to Calakmul. And also a bit adventurous. Nevertheless, I found it very beautiful and worthwhile. So go, but only if you have the time. Because the whole thing is a 3-day trip. Travel there, Calakmul and travel back.

Bacalar

Quiet, incredibly peaceful and simply magical. I admit I thought for a long time about whether or not to stop in Bacalar. Bacalar looks beautiful on photos, but there isn't really too much to do there. Meaning it's one of those places that either catches you or it doesn't. When I arrived in Bacalar, I had just come from my roundtrip through some of the most touristy places in Mexico – Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. I was honestly afraid it would be too quiet for me. Simply because Bacalar is tiny and basically just exists of jetties leading onto the water. However, Bacalar has a very similar yet different effect to Puerto Escondido. You arrive and instantly feel relaxed. It is incredibly quiet and peaceful, and you automatically take a deep breathe. As my hostel was at one end of Bacalar, I walked to what is probably the first official jetty in Bacalar. When I saw the view, I was hooked. The magic took hold of me and I knew immediately that it was the right decision to come here. Bacalar may ‘only’ consist of calm waters, jetties leading onto the water, a few reeds and grasses at the edge and people chilling on the jetties, going on boat trips or doing stand-up paddling, but... it's just so incredibly quiet and relaxed. You just sit down, look at the scenery and unwind. And that's it. That's all the magic is about. And it's enough :D I found Bacalar to be a place that makes you let your mind wander, enjoy the silence, be creative and just be. PS: The centre of Bacalar and the rest of the town are really not spectacular. I took a walk around and... Just sit on the jetty and see what happens to/inside of you 😉 Go or not? I think Bacalar is one of those places that captivates just about everyone. Especially if you're open to it. Bacalar isn't really a place for a quick visit, but even if you arrive and only stay for one entire day (meaning waking up and going back to sleep in Bacalar), it still has an effect on you. So personally, I wouldn't skip it 😊

Streetart – Tulúm

Before I arrived to Tulum, I had heard that there was supposed to be plenty of beautiful street art. Therefore, I was quite determined to take a walk around and go looking for it. And indeed, you can find it both in the centre and just outside the town. Below is a small selection of the graffiti and murals that I found most beautiful. Go searching for it or not? I found the graffiti and street art in Tulum nice overall. Although I’ll admit that I had imagined a little more from the descriptions, there actually is quite a lot of beautiful street art in Tulum. However, it is very scattered and mostly woven into the surroundings in such a way that it does not stand out as much as it deserves to.

Ruins & Beach Santa Fe – Tulúm

There are lots of ruins to visit throughout the area around Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas. Tulúm also has one. The ruins in Tulum are quite cute and stand out thanks to a small beach and the view over the sea from the edge of the cliffs and from the beach. And you can walk straight from the ruins to another beach. In terms of the ruins themselves... To be honest, Tulum isn't particularly impressive. Especially if you've seen the ruins in Yucatán or Chiapas. Go or not? If you're visiting Tulum anyway, yes, because no other ruins have a beach right on their doorstep. If you're not visiting Tulum anyway, no, because there are really many more beautiful and impressive ruins in Mexico.

Tulúm

Tulúm basically is the backpacker’s destination in Quintana Roo. Or at least the backpacker’s destination of the three ‘big’ and most famous places in Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulúm). The reason for that is that Tulúm is a little less expensive and touristy in comparison. There is also a little more to see in Tulúm itself (cenotes, ruins and beach). Plus Tulúm has some really cool street art. Since Tulúm has a reputation for being quite cute, beautiful and alternative, I was hoping to like Tulúm - unlike Cancún and Playa del Carmen. Cause I did like Playa del Carmen more compared to Cancún and I thought maybe things would slowly improve place by place. Tulúm is indeed quite cute, beautiful and alternative. But unfortunately only in comparison to Cancún and Playa del Carmen. And quite frankly the ruins are really lame (no offence) if you've already seen the big and beautiful ones in Mexico. The beach is okay and actually quite nice, but it's just a single beach. Cancún and Playa del Carmen here actually have more to offer. The cenotes... save your time, effort and money for Valladolid and Mérida instead. Again, no offence. Go or not? I know I'm being very critical about Tulum and the other places in Quintana Roo. And in a way I feel sorry about that, but... Quintana Roo is just very expensive and touristy, and compared to other parts in Mexico it's simply not as rich in cultural and scenic beauty. So you can visit Tulum if you want, but it's not really a must.

Beach Promenade – Playa del Carmen

Beach is basically what Playa del Carmen is known for besides partying. When I was there, the entire coast of Quintana Roo had a serious algae problem. Means that most of the beach in Playa del Carmen was completely covered in algae – so don't be surprised when you see the photos. Although this is/was bad for tourism I found the photos actually way more interesting and probably took more pictures than I would have otherwise. :D Because the scenery changes completely with so much seaweed. The beach itself is quite nice though and you can really walk all the way along the sea in Playa del Carmen. I love it when you can do that. Plus it means that at the end of my long beach walk, I was basically back near the hostel :D Go or not? With the seaweed problem, no, because it was really bad and clearly visible. I mean, you can of course go just for Coco Bongo and the town itself, but... Playa del Carmen is not without reason a place where most people go for the beach (there's not much else). 😉 Without the algae problem it’s fine and you can chill here. People who aren't into beaches or partying should stay away though. And people who don't like tourist spots can also skip Playa del Carmen. (PS: for beaches and parties, there are other cool places in Mexico, such as Puerto Escondido).

Streets of Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is one of the most famous and therefore quite touristy coastal towns in Quintana Roo. Americans in particular like to travel here for their holidays meaning it is cheap and easy to get to Playa del Carmen, but everything on site is quite expensive. Playa del Carmen is known for sun, beach (more on that in another post) and parties. And to be honest, there is not much more to it. The centre is quite cute, but the town itself is not very big and the centre mainly consists of souvenir shops, bars and clubs, which blast different kind of music from all sides at night/in the evening. One of the main attractions is Coco Bongo, a party that is only found here and in Cancún and, in my opinion, even though being expensive is actually worth the money (Coco Bongo). Go or not? Playa del Carmen is not my favourite place, but it is definitely nicer, somewhat cute and has a more pleasant atmosphere than Cancún. So I would say you can go, but you don't have to. It just depends on what kind of traveller you are and what kind of holiday you want to have.

Punta Ciricote – Holbox

Holbox, or rather Holbox Town, is located quite far on one side of Holbox. Punta Ciricote is pretty much in the opposite direction at the very end of Holbox and overlooks a cute little island. And if you drive a little further down the sandy path, you come to a very sweet and cute beach with a jetty that goes onto the water and from which you can watch a nice sunset. As it is at the other end of the island it of course is relatively far away. Meaning you need a bicycle or another vehicle, as there are no buses or anything like that on Holbox. Nevertheless Punta Ciricote, like the beach just around the corner, is really pretty 😊 Go or not? Neither Puna Ciricote nor the beach are spectacular, but the place has an incredible tranquillity about it and is really pretty in its own way. So if you have the time, go.

Protected Area – Holbox

The nature reserve in Holbox is called ‘Área de Protección de flora y fauna yum balam’. Translated ‘protected zone of flora and fauna Yum Balam’. It is extremely quiet there and extends mainly over the water. Although the zone is accessible by foot it is quite far outside Holbox itself. Therefore, I grabbed a bicycle from the hostel and went for it. Once you arrive you can't continue by bike, but have to wade through water that can get quite deep. So, wear a swimsuit underneath. I also had to wade through a very dark section – probably just full of algae – which I admit was a little creepy :D Once at the protected area itself, you wade through incredibly clear water that comes up to about your calves. The area itself is not only secured by a visible barrier, but also has several information boards describing what kind of area it is and what you can and cannot do here – basically the classic features of a nature reserve. Plus when I was there, I just hit feeding time for the birds. Apart from that – I'm just being honest – without the barrier in the water, you wouldn't realise that you are near or in a nature reserve. Simply because where you come from, the water and the surroundings look exactly the same as where you are looking. Go or not? I have to admit that I was a little disappointed because getting to the area is not the easiest thing to do. First you have to cycle there and then wade through really deep water. And once you're there, it's a bit like, ‘OK, is that it?’ So I would recommend it to people who really like and especially understand nature reserves a little and who are also interested in the subject. Otherwise, you might wonder why you travelled so far. But that's just my opinion :D

Streetart – Holbox

I found graffiti and street art on walls in the majority of the places in Mexico. In Holbox the graffiti is scattered throughout the town, some small, some large, all of them really pretty and some with really lovely messages on top. Below is a small selection of the ones I found most beautiful 😊 “Go” or not? I would just wander through the streets and see what I discover 😉