Mexico

Cancun and Playa Del Carmen

Disclaimer: This was a family vacation. More glamping, more touristy things.

With that said, Family vacations are both fun and hectic- constantly planning things that everyone wants to do, and doing most things together. For this vacation, we rented a time share in a BEAUTIFUL area just south of Cancun. There was a total of 10 of us in two separate time share rooms that could honestly have fit all of us in one. HUGE.

Below will be the pictures, stories, and travel tips I've made from this vacation:

Time Share: The Grand Mayan by Vidanta

This. THIS is what I call luxury. Time shares like this have EVERYTHING. Vidanta is a huge resort located in various parts of Mexico made up of 5-6 hotels (the Grand Luxxe, Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan, Mayan Palace, The Bliss, The Sea Garden). We stayed in the Resort in Riviera Maya which included 5 of the 6 hotels and were specifically in The Grand Mayan. Let me tell you. I do not normally do fancy, but this was RESORT FANCY.

The resort itself has access to the beach, has many swimming pools, over 7 restaurants/buffets both casual and more high end, shows with dinner, multiple bars, a large convenience store which also includes souvenirs, hidden lounge areas, and of course, hotels with only suites. You can get around by walking or taking the "shuttle" (long stretches of what looks like a tram or long gold carts) to each destination -Just make sure you know the names of the places you want to go to and get on the right colored tram!

Our suite (We actually stayed in a two rooms that combined via shared inner door) had everything! Because it is a time share room, as you entered there was the kitchen (which came with all the pans, pots, cups, and silverware you would need) and bar with 2 tall seats, dining room (with a dining table and 4 chairs), and the living room (with two couches, one on each side, which had pull out beds from underneath and a large screen TV).

Each room consisted of a large king sized mattress bed, with it's own mini living room (couch with pullout bed underneath, coffee table, and tv) and bathroom with a spa tub and separate shower.

The rooms and living room had a sliding door to the large balcony that overlooked the lush "neighborhood" below. Our balcony, unlike that of our cousins' suite had it's own MINI POOL to the left and beach/lounge chairs to the right. TALK ABOUT LUXURY, RIGHT? Pictures in the slider below :)

Activities: Playa Del Carmen (Sight-Seeing) and Xcaret

Playa Del Carmen:

Because it was a family vacation, my boyfriend and I decided to head towards the airport to rent a 10 passenger “van” to get to and from different destinations. From there, we were able to visit Playa Del Carmen. From there we visited 10th avenue and 5th avenue for some shopping, food, and souvenirs! Walked along the beach, grabbed some fresh coconut, and made memories with the family.

Tulum:

Tulum is an archaeological site that is filled with beautiful beaches along the coast and well-preserved Mayan ruins along the cliff side. My boyfriend and I decided we needed a little bit more history on this beach-y relaxing trip and this was just the place. Once entering Tulum, we easily found parking and walked to the site, paid our entrance fee (decided not to do the Tour with a physical person as a guide, but rather a self-guided tour). Super hot and humid day, similar to the other days we were there, so pictures were taken by the amazing ruins and lots of stops were made in the shade. Haha

Xcaret Park in Playa Del Carmen:

We also spent a day at Xcaret! (Similar to Xplore!)

Honestly, I would definitely spend the money to go here or the other parks similar to this again. Especially if you are unfamiliar with Playa Del Carmen and want to do some fun outdoor activities other than just the beach -although they have that here as well. Xcaret is a privately owned nature-based “theme park” that allows you to see wildlife up close, swim in cenotes, rivers, and underground caves from one end to the other, and do more excursions such as snuba diving, snorkeling, sea-treks, swimming with dolphins, etc.

Personally, we did the 3 different paths for swimming in the rivers and went through the “zoo”-type nature walk through the park to see the different animals. My mom and little brother did the sea-trek and my boyfriend and I did the snuba diving as our underwater adventure. Ended the night with a show and a bus ride back to our hotel!

Pictures from Tulum and Xcaret & Tips below:

Tips:

-When booking your excursion to XCaret, you can find services from your hotel or timeshare to pick you up on the bus and drop you off. Our booking came with transportation and lunch!
-Bring your own water shoes and sunscreen (Or you will be purchasing a lot when you are there) They have a beach if you aren’t into walking around the park and just want to lounge around.
-There are many restrooms, showers, and changing stations so be sure to bring extra clothes/swimsuits and a towel!
-To me, the best bang for your buck is the snuba diving excursion. (Similar to scuba diving except you don’t have a large tank on your back, but rather a long tube to connect your oxygen to the tank above you). It takes about an hour after getting your gear. You get the fun 15 minute boat ride out into the ocean, depending on the amount of people you may get your own guide-which we did, and it’s a personal experience down there. *NOT for those who are afraid and can’t breathe in and out through their mouth*
-Get the “photo pass” thing. It’s a bracelet that you wear which you can activate at any of the “photo spots” located around the park and in the water! It takes pretty good photos in the best places, and you don’t have to worry about lugging a camera with you everywhere. At the end, you get all of your photos online with the code on your receipt!

Helpful Info:

Address: Carretera Chetúmal-Puerto Juárez Kilómetro 282, Solidaridad, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
Website: http://www.xcaret.com/