Yucatan Travel Guide 

Important Things To Know

Currency

The currency in the Yucatan is Pesos. 

Norwegian Prima in Yucatan Mexico for the first time (photo via Yucatan’s Ministry of Tourism) (Photo Credit: Yucatan’s Ministry of Tourism)

National Languages

The Yucatan Peninsula is situated in south-eastern Mexico, and the official language of all of Mexico is Spanish. But most of the inhabitants of the Yucatan Peninsula also speak Yucatec Maya, the closest surviving language to the original Mayan language. 

Climate And Weather

A tropical climate awaits you in the Yucatan. It gets really hot from March through May, particularly in the interior where the Mayan ruins are found. 

The months of June through October can be pretty rainy and humid. It cools off from November to February. 

Water In Yucatan

Even the locals don’t often drink tap water here. The water in restaurants and hotels is purified, and bottled water is available almost everywhere. We discovered that the tap water is not necessarily harmful, it just doesn’t taste great thanks to old water pipes. 

Ask for a "botella de agua" (pronounced "bot-AY-a de AG-wa) when you’d like to order bottled water. 

When To Visit The Yucatan Peninsula

The best time to plan your Yucatan trip is in the cooler months, from November to February. The months of March and April are also good options, although it starts warming up quite a bit then. 

Avoid traveling from June to November though. The rainy, muggy weather isn't great for outdoor activities. And most of the best activities here are outdoors. 

Best Places To Stay In The Yucatan Peninsula

• Merida is the Yucatan capital city, as well as the largest city in south-eastern Mexico. Due to its colonial past, we discovered many historical places of interest on our walking tour. We also discovered some really good food and a variety of top-notch (and even some quirky) hotels, too.
• Cancun is a famous tourist hotspot in the Yucatan. It didn’t take us long to see why. Its beautiful beaches and party pedigree are exactly what one looks for on vacation. It can get a bit crowded, but we felt that the jovial atmosphere and excellent resorts more than made up for it.
• The resort district of Riviera Maya is found to the south of Cancun and lies within the state of Quintana Roo. After a day of swimming and snorkeling, you can look forward to delicious food in the selection of top restaurants.