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US $ are widely accepted on the Yucatan Peninsula, especially in the tourist areas around Cancun and Playa del Carmen but I prefer to use the local currency, the peso, since it is the currency of Mexico and also because you tend to get a better exchange rate when using the peso.
I bring some small US bills to use to tip the taxi/van driver and bellboys before I get to an ATM machine and to use as a backup if my ATM card doesn't work. Then we go and find an ATM, this website has a list of some options, I usually stop by the Scotia Bank at the corner of 5th Avenue and Juarez and have never had a problem using it.
The only time I've used my credit card is to book tours through the hotel and I imagine some of the more expensive restaurants also accept them. Make sure before you sign the credit card slip that the type of currency is marked or you make end up being scammed, see my warning tip. Leave a Comment
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 Mayalum by Dabs
Located at 10Esq. Calle 2 Nte.
email mayaluum@hotmail.com Leave a Comment
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When you stay at an All-Inclusive hotel you seldom use money but you´d better tip the maids and waiters to get a better service from them even though tips are suppossed to be also included. It´s vital to have a fairly good amount of $1 bills for a week stay. $2 per day for the maid, $4 for the waiters and so on. Then, bring at least $50 in one dollar bills. Leave a Comment
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 by Maria_75
This is a good place to use as a base for exploring the rest of the Yucatán peninsula. Hop on a ferry and after half an hour you are at the island of Cozumel. Here you can find some of the best snorkelling and diving in Mexico, and some say of the whole world. In Tulum you can find some great ruins overlooking the sea and the beach. Three hours drive takes you to one of the most magnificent maya ruins; Chichén Itzá. It might be a long and bumpy ride, but believe me; it's worth it!
There are also plenty of cenotes, underwater wells, around. You can find both small and large, crowded and lonely. Tour organizers can take you on all kinds of trips around the area. There are two big "theme parks" nearby, one is Xcaret and the other is Xel-Ha. Other places nearby are Aktun Chen, the Sian-Kaan reserves and the ruins at Cobá. You could go on an organized tours to all of these places, but you could also just take the bus and go by yourself. Leave a Comment
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 The show at Xcaret by whitneyone
The candles given to the crowd only adds to the ambiance of the whole night.
After intermission there is a history of dance and music in Mexico. It's a long show. It's an amazing show with a cast of HUNDREDS and live music too! Leave a Comment
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Puerto Aventuras describes itself as: "the only gated community resort on the Mexican Caribbean coast." Now, I don’t know exactly why you need to be "gated" in one of the most tourist-friendly areas of the world--it seems a little excessive. Some web sites and travel agencies say it is "in" Playa Del Carmen, which is wrong--it is about 35 minutes outside of town, halfway between Playa and Akumal. Puerto Aventuras is basically a very large oceanside retirement community for Americans and Germans (yep, the old WWII vets living side-by-side), which also hosts several lavish all-inclusive resorts, a marina, golf course, and some nice restaurants and shops. Don’t get me wrong, the setting is absolutely stunning, the grounds and roads are superbly well kept, and everybody is really happy. But this type of place (with gates) never make me feel safe but instead make me feel trapped inside. Locals have nicknamed Puerto Aventuras "Gringo Town" (gringo meaning white person) and say it is "very American." I agree. I had a great time staying on a resort here but I’d rather hang out with the locals, they’re generally nicer than the foreigners. You could literally live in Puerto Adventuras for years and not learn anything at all about Mexico. Leave a Comment
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 The winner celebrating with
his sculpture by Maria_75Leave a Comment
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We were not able to get on the Fat Cat catamaran tour as it was fully booked for our entire stay and after I got home I checked alltournative's website and you can get a 10% discount for booking online.
The only downside to this is the weather, the closer you are to the vacation, the more accurate weather forecast you can get so you know if it will be a good day for your trip. Leave a Comment
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 Not a bad place to be
stranded! by whitneyone
You can walk to just about everything, but there's plenty to do if you rent a vehicle and venture out!
This ship looks VERY close to shore, doesn't it? Well, it was stranded on a sand bar and stayed there for three extra days, much to the joy of the local merchants! Cha Ching!
I loved waking up, opening the doors and being warm! Leave a Comment
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 Iguana Vogue by whitneyone
At Tulum, which is a set of Mayan ruins on a cliff overlooking the ocean, dating back to the 13th century, it's very alive with Iguanas!
Click on the photo, you can't miss him! Life goes on everywhere, even amid the ruins. Leave a Comment
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