Lucie & Rhys´s Honeymoon Adventure: Week 47 - Caye Caulker, Bacalar, Tulum (Belize, Mexico)

Our last day on Caye Caulker was very laid back. When we woke it was drizzling so we had a relaxed morning in the cabana, making the most of having our own little flat. After lunch we headed to the Split (a platform area at the north of the island) for a swim. Rhys headed back to the room while I stayed watching the world go by and reading my book before having a last wander around the village and the little artisanal and ice cream shops.

We headed to the port for the 9:45am boat and were confused to find that the next boat wasn’t until 10:30am. It wasn’t until after we’d bought our ticket that we realised there was another water taxi company a few piers up. It didn’t really matter though, in the hour we had to wait Rhys saw a barracuda steal a fisherman’s catch from his line and something with a big fin and we saw a dolphin who must have jumped completely out of the water about 20 times right near the pier. The boat ride was uneventful and before long we were in Belize City where we caught a taxi to the bus terminal and managed to jump straight on a bus headed to Chetumal, just over the border. It was another easy crossing and within a couple of hours we were in Mexico, our last Latin American country.

Our first stop was Bacalar. Once we got to Chetumal we tried to get a combi to Bacalar but the taxi driver informed us we were too late and the only way to get there was by collectivo. It turned out to be a blessing, there were already people in the car waiting so we went as soon as we arrived and got there in no time at all. We stopped at the tourist office and then found our way to a hotel on the lake shore where we ended up checking in to a tiny caravan in the garden. We didn’t even have a full size bed, sometimes it’s good that we’re both on the small side. After dropping off our bags we headed back into town to wander along the lake shore before stopping for cheap Mexican food, tacos, gringas and burritos, then heading back to our caravan. The lake itself is stunning, the white sandy bottom means that the water reflects the sky and shows up as turquoise as the brightest Caribbean sea. The lakeshore is lined with little docks and reed beds and there are lots of little boats zipping up and down.

After relaxing in the gardens at the lakeshore for an hour or so the next day, we headed into town where we caught a taxi out to Cenote Azul. The Yucatan region of Mexico is famous for it’s cenotes so we intend to see as many as we can. The cenotes are formed by an underground river system that flows under the whole peninsula and are basically flooded caves and sink holes. From the surface Cenote Azul appears to just be a small lake surrounded by forest. Once you jump in though you realise that the water is remarkably blue and the sides of the lake are sheer rock faces, you can’t see the bottom and the water is so clean, it’s a bit eerie really. After a swim we stopped at the restaurant at the side of the cenote for a few drinks before calling a cab to take us back into town. We ate lunch then headed out again to walk along the lakeshore to a the Fortress de San Felipe Bacalar which was completed in 1729 after the town was repeatedly sacked by pirates in the 17th century. The ruins aren’t spectacular but there were some nice views of the lake. Our next stop was at a little public beach area where we swam in the warm crystal clear waters before heading back to our caravan just as it started to rain.

We left Bacalar early the next day and caught a bus to Tulum a couple of hours further north along the coast. We’d heard great things from other travelers about Tulum and were expecting to find a backpacker friendly beach town. In reality the town is about a 3 mile taxi ride from the beach. The town itself is a stretch of buildings lining a busy main road. There are lots of souvenirs shops and in amongst them some gems of boutique artisanal shops, lots of restaurants and the odd cocktail bar. It’s not pretty but it’s functional. We found a decent hotel with a huge bed and after finding out that Rhys’s mum has booked a last minute trip to come out and see us, booked in for 4 nights to wait her arrival. There is a real lack of budget hostels in town and even after being here for 4 days I don’t think we would have stayed at any of the other options. The first day when we arrived we just had a quick explore and dinner before heading to bed.

Our first full day in Tulum, Rhys spent the morning online making plans for his mum. At lunch time we headed out, grabbed a smoothie and a croissant at the bakery and caught a cab to the ruins by the beach. Once we were dropped off we were overwhelmed with the swarms of tourists and tour buses. The ruins are located next to a huge purpose built food/souvenir area and it was horribly busy and very very hot. From the car park you have to walk about a kilometre along a road to get to the ruin entrance and when we got there the queues were so long that we decided to come back another day - only later did we find out it’s free for Mexican’s on Sundays which explains why it was so chaotic. Another kilometre or so down the road and we reached a turnoff for a public beach. It was stunningly beautiful despite the crowds. The sand is powdery and white as white and you’ve never seen a more azul sea. We spent the next couple of hours beach crawling - short walk, swim, sit, drink, repeat. After a taxi back to town we grabbed cheap taco dinner and turned in for the night.

We were up early the next day for a 7:15am bus to Coba, an hour away. We arrived at the archaeological site just after opening and hired bikes at the entrance to save us walking for miles in the heat as the buildings are all pretty spread out. As we were among the first in the park we pegged it to the furthest and most famous temple first where we could take photos with no one else in. The bike ride itself was great, along little wooded tracks with the sound of birds all around. Once we got to the Nohoch Mul pyramid we climbed the 42m up the stairs to the top for awe inspiring views of the surrounding jungle, the pyramid is taller than any at Chichen Itza and is similar in style to those at Tikal. We spent the next hour dawdling back to the entrance through the other building clusters with the highlight being the ball courts, spotting lots of lizards and butterflies on route.

After we’d finished with the ruins we headed to the car park entrance where we’d been told we could buy tickets and arrange a taxi to some nearby cenotes. The cab driver dropped us at the first cenote, Multan-Ha and arranged to pick us up later at the third cenote. We were blown away, it was one of the most spectacular sights we’e seen since we’ve been away, a huge underground cavern with no natural light and a crystal clear, bright blue pool. As we were a bit short on time we only had a quick swim before heading out for the 3km walk to the next cenote, Choo-Ha. Choo-Ha was far shallower with an abundance of stalagmites and stalactites and the odd bat, the water was so clear and still that I couldn’t even see it and stepped straight in with my shoes on. After Choo-Ha we headed to the last cenote, Tankah-Ha. This was the only one where we saw other people, not as impressive as Multan-Ha it was still beautiful with deep blue water and little cat fish swimming around. We stayed there for about an hour swimming, snorkeling and floating in rubber rings before it was time to find the taxi to take us back to Coba to catch the 1:30 bus back into Tulum. As it had been an early start we had a relaxed afternoon. Rhys stayed at the hostel to sort things for his mum’s visit and I wandered around the shops stopping at a couple of little cafes.

Seeing the crowds pour into Coba as we left at both the ruins and the cenotes made us realise how important it is in this area of Mexico to be up early to beat the tours. We were in a taxi back to the Tulum ruins by 7:30am and after the kilometre walk, were at the ticket office when it opened at 8am. Once in the site we hurried to the main temple only to find it was closed off for conservation. The whole site was far more manicured and prescriptive than any Mayan site we’ve been to so far. You can’t climb the ruins and there are roped off areas everywhere. That doesn’t take away from it too much though, with the turquoise sea shining in the background it’s still quite a sight. It’s small scale compared to Coba with small compact buildings built mostly after 1200AD. We walked around for an hour watching the hundreds of iguanas as much as the ruins themselves before heading back to the beach.

Shade is hard to come by unless you want to pay at one of the beach clubs but we found an ideal spot between two little palm trees and set up camp. Rhys walked the length of the beach twice giving me time to chill and read. After a couple of swims and a lot of sun we decided to head back into town just as the weather started to change and the clouds drew in.