Mexico, the ultimate dream destination for Americans and Canadians. A land of sun, sea, rich culture, and food so good (and so spicy) that will steal your heart, and then send you sprinting to the nearest bathroom.
I pictured love in the air, mariachi bands under my balcony, red roses flying (courtesy of my husband). At least, that’s what I expected.
The Mexico I knew was pure telenovela, Antonio and Raquel, Ana Cristina and Alejandro Aldama, endless love, drama, and passion.
Instead, my trip turned into a wild mix of adrenaline, chaos, and a few nightmares tossed in just to keep things spicy.
Not exactly romantic… but definitely unforgettable.
Where we stayed:
We booked our trip through WestJet Vacations and stayed at the El Cid Resort, a 5-star hotel that promised luxury and relaxation. However, we were surprised by how pushy some people were about tips, from the shuttle driver to the porter, both reacting rudely, yelling and even slamming a door, simply because we hadn’t yet sorted out local cash (and apparently, the Canadian dollar didn’t cut it).
And there we were, a great start to our vacation.
El Cid: Booked for Romance, Checked in with Reptiles
El Cid Resort was beautiful, luxurious, peaceful, and surrounded by nature, a little too much nature, as I soon found out.
Apparently, the hotel is built on a mangrove reserve, home to a variety of protected wildlife, including crocodiles. Yes. Real, living, sharp-toothed crocodiles. This little detail was somehow not mentioned in the brochure.
One morning, we headed out for breakfast, and one of the hotel workers greeted us with a big, cheerful smile. He was clearly having a great day. “Guess what?” he said, “I saw a crocodile at the hotel gate this morning!”
I froze. “The gate of this hotel?” I asked, hoping for a “no, no, somewhere else”
But no, he proudly showed me a photo on his phone. “Yes, right here!”
He looked at me, waiting for a reaction, probably something like “aww, how cute!” Instead, I was one “Oh hell no” away from fainting. And then, because the trauma wasn’t over, he pointed to a nearby pond and said, “Look over there, there’s a mama crocodile with her baby” I looked, I gulped, I mentally packed my bags. The fence between us is basically a football net.
At that moment, I turned to my husband, the man I had trusted to book this vacation, and said: This is the first and last time I ever let you plan anything for me.(if I survive)
Then I started walking back to our room, literally on tiptoe, that’s when I noticed the crocodile warning signs posted everywhere. But in that moment everything clicked, “Maybe he was trying to kill me.”( he’s been watching Dexter nonstop lately)
I turned to him and said, “Listen, if you have regrets and want to start a new life, we can just divorce. You don’t have to kill me, especially not like this!” I felt terrible. keep thinking, how on earth was I supposed to survive two whole weeks in this hotel? Ah, I didn’t tell you yet, my husband had booked us a full two-week vacation here. He was having the time of his life laughing at me, of course.
Crocodile? Dragon? Nope… Just an Iguana
The next day, my husband went ahead to the lobby, and I followed a few minutes later down the garden path. That’s when I saw something huge on the grass. I froze. A crocodile? A dragon? My heart was racing, I genuinely thought I might have to fight for my life.
Then, two kids ran by, pointed, and shouted, “Look! An iguana!” They ran at it like it was a Disney character, while I stood there, panicking quietly and feeling deeply ashamed. In my defense, I’m a Mediterranean girl, the only reptile I’d ever met was a tiny lizard.
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, completely blew me away.
You see it in photos, sure, but nothing prepares you for standing in front of El Castillo, the towering pyramid at the heart of the site. It’s massive, intimidating, and weirdly mathematical.
Our guide proudly pointed out that the pyramid has 365 steps, 91 on each of its four sides, plus the top platform, one for every day of the year. The whole thing is basically an ancient calendar carved in stone.
Then our guide asked us to clap our hands in front of the pyramid.
I was confused, then we heard it: The echo came back sounding like a bird chirping. Not a random bird either, it mimicked the call of the quetzal, a sacred bird in Mayan culture, often associated with the gods.
There is more, our guide also told us about the equinox shadow phenomenon. Twice a year, during the spring and fall equinox, the setting sun casts shadows along the pyramid’s staircase that create the illusion of a serpent slithering down the steps. It connects with a carved snake head at the base, representing Kukulkan, the feathered serpent god.
Do you remember that whole “the world is ending in 2012” panic? That came from the Mayan calendar, which marked the end of a cycle, not the end of the world. Mayan were very advanced in architecture, math, and especially astronomy. I remember one circular building called El Caracol, which they used as an observatory. They tracked the stars and planets with mind-blowing accuracy way before telescopes, apps, or even telescopic eyebrows.
The is also the famous ball court, the site of the ancient Mesoamerican game that makes soccer look like a tea party.
The court is massive, and up on the tall stone walls are small stone rings , the “goals.” the players had to somehow get a heavy rubber ball through those tiny holes, with no hands, by the way. Only hips, elbows, knees.
I looked up at the height of the ring and wondered if the guide is just making up stories. He said “ the best player on the winning team was sacrificed to the gods.” I wispered to my husband: This is the Mayan version of the evil eye: you’re so good at what you do, you don’t just get envy, you get death by ritual sacrifice. Winning wasn’t just dangerous for your ego. It was dangerous for your existence.
It was truly impressive learning about the Mayan civilization, their knowledge, their rituals, their incredible architecture. The entire site was huge, filled with history, beauty, and mystery at every turn. After soaking in all that ancient wisdom (and sweat), we wandered through the rows of souvenir vendors that adorn the paths around the ruins.
Valladolid
After the intense energy of Chichén Itzá, we made a stop for lunch in the colonial town of Valladolid. We visited the peaceful Plaza e Parque Francisco Cantón, right in front of the historic San Servacio Church.
In the middle of the plaza stood a In the middle of the plaza stood a nice fountain, surrounded by those classic white circular benches, the kind that we use to see in old Mexican series. The whole place had a slow, nostalgic vibe.
The Church of San Servacio was actually built using stones from Mayan pyramids that the Spanish destroyed after the conquest. It was amazing to know they recycled sacred pyramids into a church.
Cenote Zaci
Cenote Zaci is a hidden gem right in the heart of Valladolid, and it’s one of the most unique cenotes in the Yucatán. It is partly open to the sky and partly inside a cave, it is wild, deep, and surrounded by lush green vines, rocks, and birds that fly across the opening. The walls are covered in moss, and the water is so clear it feels like glass, until you realize it’s very, very cold.
Playa del Carmen
We always seem to make friends wherever we go, and Mexico was no exception. One of our new Mexican friends from the hotel offered to take us to Playa del Carmen, and of course we said yes. She dropped us off at a little shop she swore made the best and most authentic hot chocolate.
My Mayan Hot Chocolate Sacrifice
The shop’s name was AhoCacao,
It sounded heavenly… until I realized it was spicy hot chocolate. Thick, rich, full of chili pepper, a drink straight out of the ancient Mayan recipe book.
Now picture me, standing there in the humid Caribbean heat, sipping a hot, spicy, thick drink like a champion. I wanted to die. That was a real sacrifice. Looks like sacrifices never end in Mexico, first the ball court, now this. But honestly it tasted amazing.
We strolled down Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue), the famous pedestrian street lined with shops, restaurants, bars, and souvenir stores stacked from floor to ceiling with hammocks, skulls, tequila shot glasses, and T-shirts.
From there, we made our way down to the beach, and that’s when the energy picked up again. There was a live show happening right on the sand, dancers, fire performers, music, and a crowd of people cheering. The vibe was magical, tropical, a little chaotic basically very Mexico.
We stayed until late, completely absorbed by the music and the salty night air. When our legs finally gave up on us, we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel, sunburned, exhausted, and absolutely thrilled.
Tulum
One day we rented a car from the hotel for a full day in Tulum. Before the ruins, we stopped at Gran Cenote (open, bright, clear, with areas for snorkeling, caves, and sometimes turtles), and Casa Cenote ( more peaceful), The distance between the two is 14Km, and both were recommended by our friend. These cenotes are magical, crystal clear cold water, and lush greenery that gives you a full relaxation.
Tulum Ruins
The ruins are built right on cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, so the setting adds a dreamy charm to the place. There are so many but the most important are:
El Castillo (The Castle): This is the star. Perched on the cliff, this temple is the one you’ve seen in postcards, standing like a guardian overlooking the waves.
The Palace: Sizeable dwellings for Mayan nobles.
Temple of the Frescoes and Temple of the Descending God, these smaller temples are full of Mayan artistry, carvings, and spiritual symbolism.
The Sea
This is what we call swimming with ruins, and not just any ruins, but ancient Mayan temples rising in the background, with iguanas sunbathing on the sand like they own the place. It was something special.
The sea in Tulum was perfect, turquoise color, so clean it almost made us emotional. We looked at each other and said, “This is the real Caribbean!”
It was a huge contrast to the beach at our hotel, where the water was greenish and full of seaweed. Every morning, we’d see staff raking the shore just to keep up with it. Maybe it’s the October seaweed season. We couldn’t resist the view, so we ran straight into the water like kids on summer vacation.
Xel‑Ha:
Very close to Tulum is Xel‑Ha, a breathtaking natural water park whose name in Mayan means “where the waters are born.” And honestly, once you’re there, it feels like every river, cenote, and fish in the Yucatan really did start right here.
The park is a magical fusion of coves, cenotes, rivers, mangroves, and forests, all tucked into one lush paradise. It is full-on adventure for all ages.
You can snorkel with colorful fish in clear lagoons, jump off cliffs into deep water, zipline over the jungle, or hike scenic trails through the trees. There is also a lighthouse, where you get a 360° view of the whole area, followed by a massive waterslide down into the blue.
What makes Xel‑Ha so magical and unique is that nature does the entertaining. You feel like you’re inside the jungle and somehow everything is both peaceful and thrilling at the same time.
That day, I started feeling sick. Was it the heat? The humidity? or my very active imagination, the kind that turns every rustle into a dinosaur and every stick into a snake. So, I left my brave husband to swim with the fish while I headed back to the hotel like a dehydrated drama queen.
Seems you have a great time in my country, Mexico.
You are most than welcome anytime.
Pavel
Thank you. I had such a wonderful time in Mexico (except for reptiles part lol) you should be so proud of your country. I’d love to return again someday to explore more.