OK, rented a car; HELP,where do we go?

[gebo]

Rented a car at the port. Thought maybe drive to Akumal for lunch, where, I don't know. What else should we plan? Will want to go slow, mom broke her hip 4 months ago. Tulum sounds too rugged, any other ideas?

[Zeno]

Rented a car at the port. Thought maybe drive to Akumal for lunch, where, I don't know. What else should we plan? Will want to go slow, mom broke her hip 4 months ago. Tulum sounds too rugged, any other ideas?

 

1. Absolutely go to Akumal BEACH (left side of the highway driving south) - a number of decent restaurants and good quality well-priced t-shirts are available at the Super Chomak Grocery Store. There are also a couple of other nice little shops. The beach is VERY nice.

If anyone in your group snorkels, they will be VERY happy in Akumal - good snorkeling in the bay (turtles!) and if you drive further along the road that goes through the town, you will come to Yal Ku lagoon - good snorkeling ESPECIALLY for children and the in experienced (small admission charge)

 

2. Unless your mom is in VERY bad shape, go to Tulum - lovely ruins in a fairly small area. The ground is uneven in areas (so MAKE SURE that if mom goes she has sturdy, stable shoes on) but most of the area is grassy and there is no climbing to speak of (except if you want to go down to the beach). I just wore sports sandals the last time I was there (I have bad knees) and I was fine.

At Tulum parking /shoppingarea (by the highway), look out for the Voladores (Indians who regularly do a spinning ritual for donations there). Also from the parking/shopping area, there is a tram that takes you to the actual ruins. TAKE if for mom's sake - it is only about a mile walk but you don't want her walking this far in the heat. There will be a ticket booth beside the shopping area, near the Voladores performance area. Note your tram ticket is a RETURN ticket - so save it.

[DRD51]

Gebo,

 

I would be interested to know where you rented the auto and how much?

From what I have read on these boards Akumal is a lovely place and many places to eat. On a previous cruise we did the Tulum ruins and they were very nice. The view of the ocean and beach were the best!

Thanks for any info your can provide about the rental!

[rotomu]

LolHa restaurant is right on the beach in Akumal, your mom can watch from the restaurant while you snorkel straight out from the restaurant-a great place to see the sea turtles. Good beach type food, great mango margaritas. Super Chomak grocery store is a half block away, nice souvineer selection. Couple of nice shops across the street by the arch, nice jewelery and goodies. Short walk to Lucy's-great home made ice cream in fresh made waffle cones. Mnago is my favorite. The flavors change by the day. Drive another 1/2 mile away to La Buena Vida, great beach bar with good view of Half Moon Bay. Sit at the swing bar and enjoy the view. Or walk down the beach on HMB and enjoy looking at all the great condos/homes there. Or she can watch while you snorkel at YalKu, very near LaBuenaVida. Driving is a breeze down the 307, 4 lane divided highway. Just beware of the topes (LARGE speed bumps) near the towns. Stay off your cell phone while driving, it's a $100 fine. Get Laura's maps of the Riveria Maya-they are cheap and a wealth of information http://cancunmap.com/

[smitty1147]

DRD51,

 

We rented a car from Ace Car rental and there Kiosk was right by the pier. They had some cars there ready to go. We ended up with a 4 door Nissan with air conditioning which came in handy in mid-June. It was a 5-speed so be prepared for that. There were also a lot of Jeep rentals right there on the pier also. We payed $60 for the car and the extra insurance. Make sure you get all of the insurance possible. I hope this helps. Have fun.

 

P.S. Tulum is awesome and wasn't that rugged at all. You must snorkel at Akumal. It was the highlight of the day for me.

[DRD51]

Smitty1147,

 

Thanks for the great information. Will look into this.

 

drd51