I thought I’d be up and down the coast of Quintana Roo living my best life during my six-week trip to Mexico, but the sargassum said otherwise. If you’re planning a trip to Mexico during the months of May to September,  it’s best to travel to the pacific side if you want beaches that aren’t plastered in seaweed. But, if you didn’t do your research (like me) and spontaneously booked a round-trip ticket to Cancun, you can still enjoy a summer holiday in the water and away from the icky green. Despite this area of Mexico being super touristy and super expensive, I had a wonderful time!

I stayed in Tulum for three weeks, so I didn’t follow an exact itinerary since most of my trips were from Tulum. And while the Caribbean side of Mexico is developed enough to make getting around easy for newbies, planning a route that makes sense is a bit tricky since transportation here is actually really expensive.

I think one month in Quintana Roo is enough time to stay before moving to another state in Mexico. If I didn’t stay in Tulum for so long and had only four weeks to travel, here’s what I would do.

This guide is perfect for you if…

1.) You don’t want to do anything of importance

2.) You don’t want to rent a car

3.) You’re broke

Locations

I just wanted to chill. No sightseeing, no strenuous activities, just me poolside with a fat margarita. If there was no sargassum, I would have stayed in a lot more cities in Quintana Roo– and it would have made the route easier to travel. Luckily, I prefer spacing out my trips rather than jumping from city to city every two days, so I am satisfied with the eight cities I visited. For four weeks, I recommend spending time in Cancun, Tulum, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Bacalar, Isla Holbox, Valladolid, and Isla Cozumel to maximize your time in the water while dodging the seaweed.

*I excluded Merida because it was too far (for me), but I really regret not going and would definitely add the city to your list if you can!*

Cancun (2-3 days to start and end your trip)

You’ll land in Cancun, so two days is more than enough to get over the jetlag and say that you’ve been to Cancun. It’s the Las Vegas of Mexico, so it wasn’t my favorite for obvious reasons. I stayed in the Hotel Zone upon arrival and Downtown before my flight home. The Hotel Zone is great for doing all of the flashy things and day drinking, while Downtown is more relaxed and walkable for backpackers.

There’s not much to do in Cancun except go to expensive clubs in the Hotel Zone because all of the cool nature-y things can be done literally everywhere else. I will say, during saragassum season, the beaches aren’t as bad compared to Playa Del Carmen and Tulum (actually, I barely noticed the seaweed).

Isla Mujeres (4 Days)

Cancun offers boat tours and excursions to Isla Mujeres for about 60 USD. In my opinion, it’s best to stay on the island for a few days because there’s more to it than a one-time snorkel trip or booze cruise. While there is little seaweed, the main beach on the northside of the island is very family-friendly, which is not my vibe. I didn’t do much while here, mainly just swimming at the beach and walking around. I also went to a turtle sanctuary for about 80 pesos. You can snorkel and swim with the whale sharks on this island as well. I stayed on both the north and south part of the island. While there’s more to do on the north, the south is a lot prettier and less touristy.

Valladolid (3 Days)

(Yes, I know this is in Yucatan…)

Instead of taking a day trip from Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Tulum to see Chichen Itza, staying overnight in Valladolid is hands-down the better option. The town is small and walkable and if you’re only in Mexico to party, Valladolid will probably be the most cultured part of your trip, if we’re being honest. The collectivo (the small, white buses locals use) to Chichen Itza begin running at 7 AM from the center, the BEST time to go before it gets packed and hot. Valladolid also has quite a few cenotes that are much cheaper than the ones near Tulum. Cenote Zaci was only 30 pesos to enter and it was one of the better ones I’ve seen my entire trip. I stayed in Valladolid for only two days, but I should have added an extra to see the other cenotes.

Tulum (5 Days)

You guys know that I hated Tulum, but it still deserves a hefty chunk of your itinerary because there is so much more to do compared to the other locations on this list. The more popular cenotes, like Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, and Casa Tortuga, can be accessed from Tulum, as well as a few lagoons. If you’re a neoliberal faux-spirituality type person, Tulum is the perfect place to surround yourself with like-minded individuals. If you’re balling, you can stay at the Hotel Zone, but most of the broke backpackers delegate themselves Downtown, where I did a bulk of my partying. The beach is awful during sargassum season, so be sure to pick a hostel with a pool. You can also access Cenote Encantado in the Hotel Zone from a few hotels for about 5 USD if you’ve maxed out your cenote budget.

Bacalar (3 Days)

Bacalar is known for its seven-shaded blue lagoon (which is, unfortunately, losing its vibrant blue colors as of recently). The town itself is sleepy and peaceful, and I’m glad I went before it becomes Tulum 2.0 in five years. I took a boat tour from my hostel to see the lagoon (I don’t like kayaking), but I don’t think they took me to the really nice part of the lagoon, which is my own fault for not shopping around for lagoon tours in the area. Prices in the town are cheaper as well, so you can eat good without the guilt.

Isla Cozumel (4 Days)

From Playa del Carmen, you can take the ferry to Isla Cozumel. The island is known for its A1 snorkeling and diving. Unlike Isla Mujeres, Cozumel is HUGE, so unless you rent a car or a motorbike, you will be confined to the city center (an hour away from the beach by foot) as there is no public transportation. I stayed in Cozumel only two days, but if I had a motorbike, I would have loved to stay longer. I ended up paying fifteen dollars for a local to take me around the island on his motorcycle (because I don’t have my driver’s license to rent anything). You can take day trips to other islands, but I didn’t because again, lazy. It’s a tad quieter than Isla Mujeres and there’s not much of a hostel scene, but it’s still a great place to relax and be clean.

Playa del Carmen (2 Days)

I didn’t stay overnight because there was no need. The beach was terrible and it was just another, but more walkable, tourist trap. The good thing, there are tons of bars and restaurants that are more affordable and easily accessible than Tulum, meaning if you make friends you don’t have to put in effort into meeting up like you would in Tulum. Honestly, I’d only stay here to go shopping, do laundry, and get my life together before transitioning to the next city because it’s very foreigner-friendly.

Isla Holbox (5 Days)

I intended on staying in Holbox for only five days, but ended up on the island for eleven. Everyone you meet will either love or despise Holbox. Holbox, like Tulum, is obnoxiously gentrified and even more expensive. But, nowhere I’ve been on Earth (yet) had that unexplainable magic Holbox has. While I had to survive on canned tuna and 25 peso tacos to afford to stay for so long, it is the people that made this my favorite place. Holbox reminds me of planet Neptune; dreamy, romantic, and chaotic all at the same time, but in a good way. The beaches were THEEEE best I’ve seen in Quintana Roo– absolutely no seaweed whatsoever. If you go during the summer season, you can swim with the whale sharks (which I later discovered is much cheaper to do in Isla Mujeres) (and of course, I don’t have photo evidence). You also need to change hostels every few days to avoid doing the same thing with the same people over and over and over again.  I can’t fully describe Holbox, you just have to go yourself. Go to the ocean at night after boozing on Hot Corner (where the entire island goes to drink without restrictions), look up at the stars, and back down at the ocean and you will appreciate everything in life that led you to that very moment. Swim naked in the ocean. You should definitely save Holbox for the end of your trip.

Budget

Let’s get this out of the way… Quintana Roo is expensive as FUCK. I came to Mexico to not spend money, but instead, I spent the most money in a single country I’ve ever spent. Unless you have lots of money, Quintana Roo is the last place you should backpack in Mexico, and trusttttttttt, I learned the hard way. I spent like 1,800 USD for almost two months. I don’t know how because I don’t check my bank account. I didn’t order from bars every day and rarely ate out (beyond the street food), so I’m pretty sure most of my money went to inflating hostels and transportation. For one month, you can probably get by with 1000 USD if you penny-pinch. The only big purchase I made was the whale shark swimming activity in Holbox, but other than that, most of my excursions were no more than 20 USD.

Getting Around

I used mainly collectivos because everywhere I go I have terrible experiences with taxis. ADO is the main bus company, but you can catch collectivos for half of the price. Luckily the locals are really nice and will offer you rides if they see you standing in the middle of the highway. I hitchhiked a few times, just use your judgment.

Eating

The best (and cheapest) way to experience authentic Mexican cuisine is by eating the foods sold by locals at their stands at night or the taquerias. I’ve always loved Mexican food, so I was in paradise (for a week, after that my stomach collapsed from all of the picante…), buying homemade tamales, gorditas, and quesadillas for less than two dollars. It is also the best way to support the locals, as a lot of cafes and restaurants in Quintana Roo are foreign-owned.

Booking Hostels

Hostel prices change every day. In Nicaragua, I was able to show up and find a hostel for no more than 8 USD, but in Quintana Roo you NEED to book at least two days in advance to get the cheapest price. An example; I booked at a dorm at Che Holbox Hostel & Bar for 17 USD a night a few days prior, but when I went to extend the day of, the price jumped up to 40 USD a night. Wtf????

I like visiting social hostels, so here are a few of my favorites…

The Yak Lake House – Bacalar

One of my favorite hostels from this trip, The Yak Lake House, is located right on the lagoon (not the nicest part, though), which is worth the extra price because you’d have to pay to access the lagoon regardless. I loved this hostel because it had actual grown-ups instead of drunk 19-year-olds, but it was still very social. I felt like a sophisticated adult here.

Nomads Hotel, Hostel & Beach Club – Isla Mujeres

Nomads Hotel, Hostel & Beach Club was one of the nicest hostels I have ever visited in my traveling life, and it was so cheap! It’s also extremely bougie, and if it weren’t for its cleanliness (and the fact that at this point of my trip I desperately needed to shower in a clean, warm shower that actually worked), I probably would have checked out due to the stuck up staff members (not-so-long, but still significant, story), but truthfully, I came and stayed for the aesthetic.

Straw Hat Hostel & Roof Top Bar – Tulum

I didn’t stay overnight, but spent many nights partying here while in Tulum. Of course, it’s the same party every single night, but it’s good for a sporadic night out when you don’t want to change into decent clothes and you pre-game before.

Che Holbox Hostel & Bar – Isla Holbox

Che Holbox Hostel & Bar is one of the many Che hostels in Mexico. Travelers from other hostels gather here at night, especially on Sunday Funday, so it’s not necessarily the place to relax. By day 5 I memorized the entire playlist in the exact order and the entire 7-day, afternoon activity schedule. For a party hostel, it’s surprisingly really clean.

Safety

Quintana Roo is generally safe, but there are issues with the cartel. As a woman, I felt more unsafe in other locations (the sexual harassment here is actually kind of respectful… I laughed more than I cringed).  Aside from petty crime, use common sense as you would anywhere else.

Don’t buy drugs

I don’t do drugs, but I’m not against them either. There’s a 35/65 chance you’ll get set up if you buy anything beyond weed on the street, so just find a trusted drug dealer so you don’t end up bribing a cop.

Don’t put your drink down/ watch the bartender make your drink

This should be common sense, especially if you’re a woman, but spiked drinks can still lead to sexual assault and/or robbery.

Don’t be dumb

Seriously, don’t walk around with your iPhone out at 2 AM (well, there’s a curfew now with COVID-19, so maybe this isn’t currently an issue), and you’ll be good. Honestly, Mexico is surprisingly safe, I kind of wanted a little danger.

Stay off of the main street in Tulum at night

I didn’t follow my own advice because I was constantly on the streets drunk during prime shooting hours. The cartels are beefing and there have been a few cases of deadly shootings of tourists who were sadly in the way. I am so lucky I didn’t witness any of this with my own eyes, but luck is exactly what it is-

Wear your helmet

This sounds minor, but if you rent a motorbike (especially without a license), make sure you have your helmet (and mask) on because the cops can be petty and fine you.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay in Quintana Roo. Would I have gone to another part of Mexico? In a heartbeat. But, the ease of travel and wonderful tourist infrastructure made this the vacation I needed this summer!