Going to Mexico for the first time in Feb.

Looking for a mix of beach & culture. Can anyone suggest a (very) good
hotel in either of these places. Beach view, etc is a must.
Not too fond of the all inclusive stuff with so many potentially good
eating and drinking places around.

Staying for 2 weeks in total but plan to move around. Not necessarily
locked to these locations but should be reachable from Cancun
where we fly in/out.

Any suggestions are welcomed.

knut

knut
  The only reason to be in Cancun is the airport!
  Be sure to visit Merida,  and Valladolid.  Take the bus.  Having a car
in either is more trouble than it's worth!
  In Valladolid,  the Hotel Meson de Marquez is the place to stay.  It
has a great restaurant!
  You can hire a cab in the town square,  right across the street from
the hotel to visit the nearby ruins of Ek Balam.
  Try to visit Merida on a Sunday,  when they close off vehicles from
the city center.  You'll love the place!
  For beach bumming,  I'd recommend Tulum,   just to get far away from
Cancun!
  For visiting ruins,  rent a car,  or find a small group with a van.  
  If you go on any daytrips with a large bus group,  you'll find
yourself in a long line all day,  for anything there is to do!
  The Yucatan is a special place,  with the most polite folks (the Maya)
you'll find in Mexico!
                                                  Don

http://www.donlampson.com

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         There really isn't a mixture of beach and culture in that area. The
beaches are just about all Americans and Europeans with a smattering of well
off Mexicans. Local families tend to stay away from the few open beaches
because many of the tourist's have very casual ideas about clothing that
they find unacceptable. Probably about the most diverse place left would be
Isla Mujeres. Xpuha is one of the last open beaches and you see some locals
in the area between the Robinson Club and the Copa Cabana.

       Cancun is full of tourists. Playa has become a smaller version of
Cancun, but it's a pleasant small city when you get out of the tourist
district. Cozumel is great if you're a diver or enjoy fishing, so-so if
you're out there to ride the submarine and mostly a boring tourist trap for
everyone else. The beaches are made from sand shipped from the mainland.
Tulum is a study in contrasts. It has been a long time favorite for budget
travelers and counter-culture folks. The Mexican section of town is very
poverty stricken. There are some nice little hotels along the beach.

 Can anyone suggest a (very) good

     Define very good? My personal favorite in that area is Paamul. It's
mostly an RV park with a nice little cove, a dive shop, a restaurant, and
some rooms and cabanas on the beach. The rooms are what I would call rustic.
The place is moderately priced and nothing fancy. What you meet there is
mostly expat's staying long term, a few Mexicans and some travelers. It's
easy to see the nice places along the coast from there. For something a bit
more upscale I'd look at Akumal.

      With that sort of time you can see some of the archaeological ruins in
the area, along with some of the other sights, and Merida, as well as
spending some time on the beach.

TB

TB