Yucatán - 2020

Cancun

On our annual trek of the Yucatán, we usually stay one week at the Omni Resort in Cancun and another week exploring a new area of the Yucatán. Keeping to our tradition, this year we first visited the Omni and afterwards spent nearly a week in the south, near the Belize border.

Waking up in the morning to sunrise is always special at the Omni. 

Although the resort has several restaurants that offer breakfast, we favored the beachside cafe. 

Part our the day is spent under a palapa reading and enjoying the warm Caribbean water. 

Going back to the same resort year after year has its advantages - we were pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of bubbly and sweet treats in the room on one of the afternoons.  



On one of the evenings, they hosted a special and elaborate dinner on the beach. 

Staying in shape at the resort is easy - if you come early in the morning, you have a pool like the one above, all to yourself to lap swim. They also have a gym that we utilize in the afternoons.



One of the locals enjoying a morning on the beach. 



After a week of being pampered, were ready to begin exploring the southern part of Quintana Roo. We rented a car and drove south to Mahahual, a trip of about 4 1/2 hours.  



Mahahual is a sleepy town along a stretch of beach. We stayed at a small hotel, the Balamku Inn, outside of town, on a bumpy, dirt road. By happenstance, the inn was managed by a friendly Dutch lady.



The main drag of Mahahual consists of small shops and hotels, while the beach side mostly has restaurants and bars.



We had great chicken tacos and ceviche (raw fish, octopus cured in citrus juices and spices) at one of the beachfront restaurants. With an ice cold Bohemia beer, there's little that can beat it.  



Above is the dirt road in front of the Balamku Inn. 



Although the Balamku Inn offered a delicious breakfast, they served no other meals. Fortunately, our Dutch hostess directed us to a restaurant nearby, the Travel In', run by her husband. Good food and reasonably priced wine.



After several days in Mahahual, we drove westward to Bacalar, a small town along Bacalar Lake. The narrow but long lake is a bright blue and turquoise color. 



I got up one morning before breakfast and was treated to an impressive sunrise.



Lengthy docks are needed at the lake due to its shallowness.






Although we had a traditional Mexican lunch at a mom & pop restaurant, we opted for a place nearby our hotel called Rapsodians for dinner. It's a vegan restaurant that offers very tasty meals. 



We decided to spend the last night of our trip a little closer to the airport in the coastal town of Playa del Carmen. But along the way there, we stopped in Tulum. The main part of town is right along the highway, but most hotels and restaurants are by the beach, along a tree-lined street.   




Our balcony had a peek of the ocean, but you had to look hard. We had breakfast on the balcony, then packed our bags and returned the car at the airport. Another adventure in the Yucatán had concluded.