The Yucatán Peninsula. A not-so-large projection that separates the Caribian sea from the Gulf of Mexico is home to numerous captivating places and experiences. Each is not like the other.

Cancun, Tulum, Playa Del Carmen, Valladolid, and other sites, even though all are located just hours drive away from each other, are so distinct that they all need to be treated as entirely separate adventures. Local cultures shape the way of experiencing each place.

Where are the parties?
What is family-friendly and what is not?
Do you prefer a nomadic or all-inclusive style of vacationing?
Are you looking to experience Mexican culture to its fullest, or is a bus tour that doesn't get close to knowing local's life enough?
Where to go?

All these questions naturally arise when one tries to battle an ocean of information and opinions while researching.

In this article, I will describe the differences, explain what to expect, and will help you to make your own unique and memorable adventure.

Table of content:

Cancun
Playa Del Carmen
Tulum
Valladolid (coming)
Merida (coming)
Progresso (coming)

Travelling to Cancun. Who is Cancun for?

For an in-depth overview of Cancun only - read our article here.

It is hard to imagine, but just forty years ago, Cancun had absolutely nothing. A virgin beach and untouched nature.

As the first to experience fast growth in the region and establish itself as the world's hottest tourist attraction nowadays, Cancun is a large, well-developed, and time-tested vacation destination for millions with an abundance of large resorts, all-inclusive hotels, and an ocean of entertainment infrastructure.

Being the first, Cancun had enough time to build itself up, which comes with two outcomes:

First, there is no lack of tourist-oriented activities. Hotels of all price categories imaginable are wary from Family-friendly to Adults-only and everything in between. Airport, Aquathemed parks, bus tours, and adventure parks are all there within a short reach. The accessibility, with close to no effort, is a huge advantage.

Second, since the entire city was built around tourism only, it lacks any cultural personality of its own. Even adventure theme parks, tequila testing houses, and stores largely lack any real essence and present a mostly superficial facade.

Who is Cancun for?

You want to release all levers of control and just be. You are okay with not visiting pyramids, cenotes, and other cultural attractions, or an organized bus tour is well enough for you. You like having everything within your reach, minimizing risks of things going wrong and maximizing comfort levels.

Your experience in Cancun is essentially an experience of the particular resort you choose to stay in. Surely you can take a day tour to Checheniza or even rent a car to touch on Tulum and Playa Del Carmen quickly, but inside Cancun itself, your vacation is bound to your hotel.
Regarding age, Cancun can be a good fit for groups of all ages.
In my view, travelling solo might make you lonely in an all-inclusive hotel. For solo travelrs, I recommend checking out Playa Del Carmen or Tulum.
Budget. A large variety of all-inclusive hotels makes Cancun budget-friendly.

Overall: you are right at the beach, the food is always in abundance, and everything is made so that nothing in this world can bother you.

Travelling to Playa Del Carmen.

For an in-depth overview of Playa Del Carmen only - read our article here.

Playa Del Carmen, a younger city, which just thirty years ago was nothing more than a small fisherman village with a population of five hundred, rebelled against motions that moulded Cancun into a perfect vacation destination for a hustle-free and resort-oriented experience. Instead, it fully embraced the culture of raves and parties, and at its peak, Playa became the world's hottest destination for those seeking to lose themselves in the loud music and dancing crowds.

Eventually, the intensity of the raves faded, and some parties moved to Tulum, leaving Playa to become what it is now - a more mature medium-sized city where nights are still hot but much more temperate.

Who is Playa for?

Even though Playa has various hotels to choose from, it is not on the level of Cancun, which is expected, considering the different purposes these cities developed with.
As said earlier, in Cancun, your experience is the experience of the resort you are staying in. In Playa, on the other hand, you are expected to venture outside of your hotel. The city is built around this experience. This is due to Playa's past being a party city. Everyone was constantly moving from one place to another as the city's hottest dancing spots changed through the night.
The tourists oriented part of the city, which spans around 5th avenue, is walkable and presents many restaurants, stores, clubs and bars.

With that said, at the current moment, Playa can accommodate people of all ages and interests. In Playa Car, a more luxurious neighbourhood in Playa Del Carmen, you can find yourself secluded from the city noise if parties are not what you are going for but at the same time do not wish to stay in a resort.

Travelling to Tulum.

We have an entire section of the website dedicated to all topics related to Tulum.

Hotel or Airbnb, where to stay?
What to see in Tulum?
How to get to Tulum?

For an in-depth overview of Tulum - navigate here.

While Cancun and Playa were raging with tourism, Tulum hid its beautiful shores under the shade of palms. With the advance of social media in the 2010s, this heaven caught the attention of the entire world. Magical Village Tulum, typically secretly visited by backpackers and hippies only, experienced an explosion of visitors not shared even by its older bothers: Playa and Canun.

By 2015, most people got tired of the superficial experiences of resorts. Tulum's mystery and mystical-like appeal offered a new type of getaway - one where you can dive into the otherworldliness of tropical nature with all your senses.

All-inclusive resorts make you relax and forget your day-to-day life by dulling your senses in the abundance of food, alcohol, entertainment, and convenience.
In contrast, Tulum wants you to feel and experience. From tastes, smells, and views to the interactions with locals and hotels, Tulum redefined how vacationing is done.

Who is Tulum for?

Since its mythical days, Tulum has changed quite significantly. Social celebrities turned this cute little village into the second Ibiza. Rustic and bohemian ambiance became a symbol of luxury. Tulum went from a relatively cheap destination to a very expensive one, symbolizing status. Nevertheless, even though much lighter now, the original frame of mysticism can still be found in Tulum.

There are no all-inclusive resorts in Tulum. Still, you can be perfectly fine not venturing outside of your hotel if it's in the Zona Hotelera. Read more on two distinct zones of Tulum here. Be ready to spend a lofty sum of money on eating in the restaurants thou.
Cheap vs Expensive. As it is clear from the above, one must be crafty to enjoy Tulum on a budget. It is possible but will require knowing where to stay and how to go around. On this topic, you can find more information here.
Visitors of all ages can find enjoyment in Tulum.
All Zona Hotelera hotels are free to explore for anyone, unlike all-inclusive resorts. No one will hang a bracelet on your wrist if you stay in one. At the same time, if you do not stay in any beach hotels, you might still enter and enjoy their restaurant, beach, or party event if there is one, albeit you will have to spend.

If anything, what separates Tulum from any other place, and the main idea that should influence your decision to travel there, is the village's ambience.

In conclusion:

From all-inclusive and easy mode Cancun to parties, bars, and busy nightlife in Playa Del Carmen to the natural ambience of Tulum's jungle, and finally, to cultural centers of Yucatan like Valladolid and Merida, the Yucatán Peninsula has flavours to satisfy any taste.

The decision comes to what it is you are looking for from your vacation. One thing is for sure when it comes to the Yucatán Peninsula there are no bad choices.

If you are decided on your trip to Tulum but do not know when to go or what places to visit, or how to get to Tulum, consider checking out the following arteries:

How to get to Tulum.

Where to stay? Zona Hotelera vs Pueblo.

Is it safe to go to Tulum in 2020/2021?

What is the best time of year to go to Tulum Mexico?

The best way to spend one day in Tulum. Perfect Tulum guide.

Thank you for your time,
For any questions related to Tulum, you can contact me using the form below.

Best regards,
Alex, your personal Tulum insider.