Chichén Itzá, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is estimated to have been built between 400 and 600 AD. It is the second most popular tourist destination in all of Mexico with over 2.6 million visitors per year! It’s not only an iconic destination for international travelers—domestic Mexican citizens make up the majority of its tourists.
So it’s no wonder Chichén Itzá can be a very challenging place to visit especially if you don’t love crowds or paying top dollar (like me!).
On my visit to meet up with Ellen and Tori in Playa Del Carmen, we decided that organizing a trip to Chichén Itzá ourselves was more our style. This option meant we experienced more freedom, less crowds, and more comfort overall. We ended up spending about the same amount as an organized tour—maybe even a little less!
In this post, I share the step-by-step planning and insider tips that went into visiting Chichén Itzá by our own design. I feel lucky and grateful that I had Ellen and Tori with whom to share the costs and this wonderful experience!
I’ve been writing about my trip to Cozumel for a few months now. At this point, it’s time to wrap things up by sharing all of the highlights in one big post!
My hope is this post serves as a starting place from which travelers contemplating Cozumel or planning a trip to Cozumel can further solidify their plans. Each section provides links to launch further into my lengthier posts about each aspect.
There’s even a little exclusive bonus feature highlighting more of my free beach access experience!
Enjoy this overview of highlights from Cozumel!
Cenotes exist all over the Yucatan Peninsula. A cenote (pronounced “sen-NO-tay”) is a sinkhole that formed when limestone bedrock collapsed and exposed groundwater below. They are typically quite beautiful and popular tourist destinations in Mexico. Locals also love to go to them to cool down from the hot Mexican sun.
Cozumel has one accessible cenote: Jade Cenote. Jade Cenote is located in a small, historic Mayan town called El Cedral. To access, you must take a tour or pay a fee to enter and explore on your own.
I found my way in by motorbike to check it out. The experience didn’t take long. I managed to avoid the crowds, and I got to see the cenote for what it is: Not exactly the one you want to swim in!
Diving in Cozumel Mexico was at the top of my list. The Great Mayan Reef (Mesoamerican Barrier Reef) occupies its surrounding waters and is the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere. It’s the second largest barrier reef in the world! The visibility is so good, divers come from all over the world to experience its spectacular biodiversity.
I was beyond bummed when my underwater camera stopped working the morning of my dive. I was not able to capture my experience diving the most popular dive site of all—Santa Rosa Wall. This drift dive is known for its beautiful colors, swim throughs, visibility, and marine life from big to small.
The dive ended up being my best dive experience ever—and a lesson in experiencing the moment. With over 60 dives logged at this point, to say this was my best dive ever is saying something! I even saw a spotted eagle ray which was the cherry on top! I am grateful that I at least have some low-quality video from my dive buddy to give a hint at how spectacular it was!
I heard that Isla Pasion, or Passion Island, is one of the major attractions in Cozumel. It’s known for its white sand beaches, clear turquoise water, and deserted island feel away from the main island.
I saw there were tours that went there when I initially researched the island. I wanted to find my own way there, however, so I immediately looked into self-guided access to Passion Island. The plan seemed simple enough especially since I would already be renting a scooter all week to get me to the taxi boat ride to the island.
What I didn’t realize was the tour groups that go there do not just show up to a deserted island. They show up to a bunch of integrated, resort-like amenities that I ended up stumbling upon—and benefiting from for no-cost. In the end, I had a really great time relaxing and enjoying the beautiful water and beach at Passion Island for a tiny fraction of the all-inclusive tour cost.
Punta Sur was by far my favorite place to visit in all of Cozumel. There was so much to do there including observing wildlife in the lagoon, climbing the lighthouse tower for epic coastal views, and snorkeling not one but two epic locations!
That’s right. In this post, I share two amazing snorkel experiences inside Punta Sur Eco Beach Park. One requires some swimming endurance and the other requires a short hike. Both are worth the extra effort to get there and you’ll save so much money not having to pay for a tour boat trip.
On top of it, you’ll get to indulge in the other amenities and experiences the park has to offer. If you have a scooter and your own snorkel gear and snacks, you’ll only spend about $20 and you can make a full day of it.
Growing up, my father used to talk about the Mayans and their culture all the time. He was a grade school teacher and annually taught a unit all about the Mayans. Despite so much education and awareness of the Mayans all my life, I never actually got to visit or see real Mayan ruins with my own eyes.
As a result, visiting Mayan ruins was a major bucket list item of mine for my first visit to Mexico. So of course I prioritized this for my first full day in Cozumel!
Cozumel has little hints of Mayan remnants all over the island. But there’s really only two places to go see it—El Cedral and San Gervasio. San Gervasio, however, is the most well-preserved and intentional archeological site of the two to see some of the Mayans remaining buildings.
The choice to see it self-guided not only saved me money, it also gave me the opportunity to see it at my own pace and without being herded around with a crowd!
I finally visited Mexico over New Years and managed to keep the cost down during this peak travel time. Mexico is not known to be an expensive country to visit. However, the price tag can skyrocket in an island cruise destination like Cozumel.
Not including travel insurance, I spent just over $1000 on 9 days in Cozumel, Mexico. That’s about $115 per day including airfare, accommodation, food, activities, transportation, and more.
I am quite proud of that price tag considering I did everything I wanted to do and even some things I didn’t know I’d do!
So how did I keep the cost down? Aside from travel points for my flights, many of the excursions and activities I did involved finding back ways to experience the same thing without the cost or bargaining my way to a better deal. Check out this full cost breakdown to understand how I spent my money in Cozumel.
The last two nights of my time in Costa Rica were spent in the city where it all started: San Jose. I purposely booked a relaxing stay with nice amenities so I could recoup from all the adventuring I’d done in the previous 2 weeks (best decision ever!).
It was time to sit back, relax, and take in some Netflix! Of course, the adventurer in me couldn’t sit still long. I had to get out and see a bit of San Jose. San Jose’s famous Central Market was the main attraction for me!
This 140+ old indoor market had everything I could possibly desire. I mention a few of its highlights but there’s one place in particular that had what I needed. This place had possible the most unique ice cream I’ve ever tasted made in 20 different ways. Read on to learn more as I close out my Costa Rica trip experience.
Many people go to La Fortuna to hike around Arenal, see La Fortuna Falls, spend a day at the hot spring spa, and more. All of these experiences require spending extra money for tours and access fees.
I spent just 2 nights in La Fortuna and managed to spend less than $55 the entire time there. The key? Find the right accommodation and don’t pay top dollar for hiking tours, waterfalls, and hot springs.
While staying low budget, I managed to enjoy clear views of Arenal Volcano, a garden labyrinth, a beautiful jungle hike, a swim at a secret waterfall, a dip in a natural hot spring, a cozy hostel stay, and some of the best food in town. These are my top 7 recommendations for a great, low-budget experience in La Fortuna.
Science and nature are mind-blowing sometimes. That is what I concluded after visiting Tenorio Volcano National Park in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica.
I went for the sky-blue-colored waterfall, Rio Celeste. I left with so much more including views of 3 volcanoes, gorgeous river views, and a science lesson in sediment mixing.
There's truly nothing like immersing yourself in nature and knowing it's there for us to witness and appreciate at any time. We just have to seek it out and keep on protecting it!
I had one night planned for the Nicoya Peninsula region. The reason? I was there for only one things—to snorkel Tortuga Island.
This was one of those destinations I researched very little ahead of time. I didn’t really know how I was going to snorkel these islands. I just knew they were snorkelable. And if I got as close as I could, I’d figure it out.
Figure it out, I did! I managed to stay overnight in a very inexpensive Airbnb with a lovely local family. And I believe I discovered one of the most accessible, low cost, and small group tours for snorkeling these islands.
I didn’t even know what I was going to get as part of this tour. But I ended up having an awesome time including plenty of underwater sightseeing in addition to quiet beach time with a fresh fruit feast.
The Santa Elena Cloud Forest is a magical hiking experience. It’s a cheaper, less touristy departure from the nearby Monteverde Cloud Forest entrance. I was able to walk the trails in near solitude and silence aside from the chirping birds and creaking trees.
What I loved about this reserve was its manicured trails depicted on a clear map from which you could choose your own adventure. Not a lot of time? You can pick a shorter path and b-line it for the observation tower for the best views in the park. More time? Take the longer route along Caño Negro.
With the beautiful canopy above, cool mountain air, I was easily enchanted by this place. The views of Arenal mountain on this fairly clear day were the cherry on top!
Did I want to fly over the Costa Rican cloud forest like superman? Absolutely, yes! This is why I came to Monteverde, Costa Rica—the adventure capital of the country. I was there to experience the longest zipline in Latin America from the unique angle of head first.
I’ve never done a major ziplining experience before—just shorter single ones back in the USA. I wanted to experience more beautiful rainforest but from a different perspective and with the adrenaline kick that ziplining provides. What I wasn’t expecting was the giant swing into the canopy below at the end. Yikes!
I did it anyway, in honor of my last swing in New Zealand almost 10 years prior. Overall, my zip-line experience with 100% Aventura was amazing—fast-paced, thrilling, and, most importantly, safe! And I got it all on video.
I am so glad I listened to the advice of a local on what to do my last day on the Osa Peninsula. Lynch, my dive master from the day before, recommended Corcovado National Park as a must see guided tour destination.
So I booked it straight away. I knew that guided rainforest walks are the thing to do while in Costa Rica. I just wasn’t entirely sure where I would do one. But then I learned that Corcovado National Park is considered “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity” by the National Geographic.
Referred to as the “crown jewel” of the Costa Rican park system, it was a tour of this 164-square mile conservation area or no tour at all for me! I ended up seeing everything from the endangered tapir and all four species of Costa Rican monkeys to the adorable coati and the iconic three-toed sloth.
This was hands down the best decision I made for seeing wildlife in Costa Rica!
You never know where chatting up a local may go. As a solo traveler, I really welcome my alone time on my trips. But sometimes being a solo traveler means anything but being on my own. Instead, it grants me the opportunity to meet others more fluidly and easily.
While diving Drake Bay, my dive master turned out to be a fun guide to a whole afternoon and evening of special experiences including a river swim and sunset bonfire on the beach.
I recount the story in this short post about the second half of my day. This was an off-the-beaten-path adventure around the Osa Peninsula after diving Caño Island.
Taking a little break from Costa Rica this week to bring you some extra content from my trip to Santorini!
On our last day in Greece, on the island of Santorini, Carolina and I decided to explore one last area. The Akrotiri peninsula includes a few nice highlights that are worth the bus ride down for part of the day.
We went to the red beach and to the Venetian Castle of Akrotiri. Both of these were free to visit. We had the option to also visit the Akrotiri Museum but we opted not to. Sometimes there are certain highlights that I choose to pass up on trips especially when they cost money. The fee and not feeling enthusiastic enough about the museum turned us away.
Otherwise we had a nice visit to Akrotiri before we departed for our next adventure in Sweden and Norway!
Caño Island is one of the best dive locations in all of Costa Rica. The best place to dive the island is from Drake Bay because of the inclusive experience, smaller groups, and closer access.
On the way out to Caño Island, we had a special sighting of spotted dolphins in the distance. Upon my return, the dive company fed us all lunch—something very unique and special compared to any other company I’ve dived with around the world.
I dove 2 sites and explored Caño Island in between. While one dive was long and filled with sharks and turtles, the other was short and filled with rays and eels. Although the dives were pretty normal the overall experience was unique. This is why I highly recommend diving Caño Island from Drake Bay.
The Drake Bay Hiking Trail is one of the best hikes I’ve ever been on! I saw giant bamboo, pretty flowers, white-faced monkeys, and so much more!
This hike was hot, sweaty, and wet—possibly more wet than you’d expect with a treacherous river crossing included! But San Josecito beach is the payoff. It’s considered one of the best beaches on the entire Osa Peninsula. The calmer waters here make taking a dip a complete delight.
From the amazing plants and silly monkeys to the dense jungle and sandy beaches, this trail is packed with a variety of sights, sounds, and something for nature lovers and animal lovers alike!
My first 2 days in Costa Rica were all about driving the 6+ hours to Drake Bay. Of course, I had to stop along the way to see some of what the west coast of Costa Rica had to offer.
These highlights turned out to be a great introduction for what was to come. From spotting my first bit of wildlife to sunset views and a waterfall—I was already living the Pura Vida life!
People warned getting out to Drake Bay would mean encountering bad roads possibly unfit for a simple car. But I managed to get there with no problem and enjoy the views along the way. I hope you, too, enjoy what I share as my Costa Rica adventure begins!
