Honestly, I was originally a little disappointed that we picked this area of Mexico for our couple’s getaway.
I really don’t love “touristy destinations” and this area of Mexico is one of the highest-visited areas by Americans in the world.
I was concerned that our experience would be filled with crowded buffets, drunk backpackers, trashed beaches and clubs blasting party music.
While that is definitely what this area of Mexico offers, we spent most of our time on the water and had some of the most incredible experiences.
Quintana Roo is one of Mexico’s 32 states, and I want to share some of the coolest water activities we experienced, while there!
1. Cenotes
Cenotes are surface connections to subterranean water bodies.
Cenote water is very clear, because it is often rain water filtering from the ground.
There are many different types- from ones with a tiny hole opening, horizontal entrances, or high vertical walls, and Mexico has over 6,000 of them!
Some of the best cenotes in the world are in this area of Mexico.
Cenote Ik Kil was so much fun! I don’t love that you now have to wear life vests at all of the cenotes, but it is probably because stupid tourists do stupid things and I am sure there have been accidents.
This is a special cenote because there are crazy vines hanging from the top, an area for jumping into the water, and there is a fun buffet restaurant there, just outside.
This cenote is very close to Chichen Itza, and it is very popular to do on a combined tour with Chichen Itza.
I loved this Cenote and it was so fun that we had it almost all to ourselves, since we arrived just an hour before closing.
There is a pathway that goes out into the center and depending on the level of the water, sometimes it is completely under the water!
I loved all of the amazing stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
Outside, a woman makes fresh tortillas.
It’s a less touristy feel than Ik Kil, but it is extremely popular with Instagrammers and Bloggers.
2. SCUBA Diving
Dan and I were originally SCUBA certified while living in Costa Rica and I had honestly never once had a good experience SCUBA diving until I went to Mexico.
For some reason, we seemed to always have terrible weather, rough ocean conditions, or just plain bad luck seeing ocean life.
That was not our situation at ALL in Mexico.
It was the best diving of my life, and I finally overcome my complete crippling fear of using a regulator underwater!
Lionfish are overpopulated right now in Mexico and are killing all of the ocean life.
So it is actually legal (and encouraged) to hunt these poisonous fish!
At first when Dan told me he was going lionfish hunting, the idea didn’t sound so great to me.
But the local dive shops confirmed that this was a good thing to do to protect underwater life.
Dan went 30 meters (90 feet) deep on this dive and ended up killing several lionfish that the guide then made into ceviche.
Cozumel is my favorite place I have gone SCUBA diving in my life! I almost didn’t go because there are strong drift currents here, and that freaked me out, but I am SO GLAD I WENT!!!
We saw SO many cool animals. I wish we had better pictures, but we are still learning how to use our gopro so all of the pictures look 100% blue.
The underwater life was INCREDIBLE in Mexico!!! Especially in Cozumel.
Cozumel looked like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. We swam through the most vibrant coral I have ever swam through.
We saw nurse sharks, turtles, rays, and millions of fish.
There is diving for all types of levels in Mexico- from beginner to advanced.
3) Whale Shark Watching
This was hands down one of the coolest experiences of my entire life.
I hated that there were so many boats that went out there, disturbing the animals and giving a less “authentic feel” but they are actually very restricted, and limited on how many can go out each day and at what time.
And the second I was under the water gliding through the ocean with these magnificent creatures, nothing else mattered.
I actually cried in my mask, it was so amazing.
It is so impressive how the captain knew exactly where to go, and the guide knew exactly how to find them.
4) Cave Diving
While prepping for our trip, I read a lot about underwater cave diving, but I just assumed we wouldn’t do it because I was still terrified of regular diving with a regulator in my mouth.
After so many good experiences diving with Good Vibes Diving, I realized it was the now or never for taking it to the next level.
Mexico is one of the best places in the world for this sport, and I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity.
It was honestly a very frightening experience for me. I don’t love how you can’t communicate under the water.
I don’t know how there is no quick escape route.
I don’t love the feeling of breathing oxygen through a tube.
At one point I freaked out and we had to do an emergency ascent into the bat cave.
But that is why you go with awesome guides that know what they are doing, and listen to yourself, and never go past your abilities with diving.
This was an INCREDIBLE experience. Probably not the sport that I will spend the rest of my life doing, but a thrill that I loved!
And Mexico is the place to do it.
5) Beaches
To be honest, I didn’t really want anything to do with the beach experience in Mexico.
They were full of sweaty tourists dripping in oil, spilling their drinks in the water and muddying up the beautiful color.
I found it upsetting to see so many boats gurgling gross oils into the blue water, although I do love the rap music all of the party boats blast haha.
There was a ton of seaweed all over, leaving an unpleasant odor, and although the sand is super white, it was littered with rubbish.
But there are a lot of ways to enjoy the beach! I went for a run along the boardwalk in the morning, we saw the Mayan ruins in Tulum, and we rented scooters and rode them around the coast on Cozumel.
For the type of travel experience I like to have, on-land Quintana Roo was not my favorite experience.
I don’t like to be surrounded by tourist prices or a ton of tourist trap activities.
I like to see the locals in their cultural environment, not trying to sell things.
Cancun was full of too many drunk partiers throwing up. Tulum had too much trash and backpackers. And there was English and tourist prices everywhere.
But under the sea was a different experience, and THAT is what I fell in love with in Quintana Roo.
The animals that continue to do their own thing, minding their own business. They made Mexico so worth it for me!
And of course all of the street tacos. 🙂