I've got 2 weeks and I fly into/out of Cancun. How can I
get back to Cancun from Tikal? Can I go through Belize?
Anyone suggest a good route with anygood stopovers on the
way?
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To Tikal:
Once in Cancun, get shared taxi to bus station. Get bus to
Chetumal, Mexico. Get Batty Bus from Chetumal to Belize
City. Change bus to Belize/Guatemala Border. Shared taxi
(or bus if it is there) to Flores/Santa Elena Guatemela.
From Flores see Tikal, arrange with travel agent or guest
house for transportation.
Going Back:
Option 1: Turn around and go back
Option 2: Take bus (on really bad road) to Bethel. Take
shared boat up river to Mexican Border. Note: From here
you can also hire a boat to Bonompak and Yachitlan if you
have time and the money. At Mexican Border, either take
the bus, if it is there, or get everyone together and rent
a truck and driver to take you to the highway. Hitch Hike
to Palenque or wave down a 2nd class bus or shared taxi.
See Palenque. Take bus back to Cancun (try the overnight
bus, so you can sleep). If going by way of Chetumal, get
off the bus at the airport cross roads, it'll save you a
trip to Cancun town. If you have time, go to Merida, or go
to Tulum (or Chitzen, or Coba, or Uxmal, there's alot to
see on the Yucatan).
Two weeks is plenty of time to make this loop. I've done
this route, and many different variations of it about six
times (thanks to those super cheap charter flights from
Minneapolis to Cancun during the winter and early spring).
Cookie is somewhat right but your suggestion is the way to
go to Palenque and Tikal. On the way back you can catch a
bus from Flores directly to Chetumal Bypassing Belize City
(which is a hell hole). From there it's a about 4 hours to
Playa del Carmen. If you stay in playa del carmen stay at
las ruinas in a hamaca. Also go to Tulum and stay there in
a hammack also. Tulum rocks. If in Playa you gotta go to
Chizen Iza. Blow off Belize City Just get thru belize asap
its expensive as hell. I've done the exact trip your about
to take and I now have been living in Guatemala for 3
years. Good Luck
Cookie is somewhat right but your suggestion is the way to
go to Palenque and Tikal. On the way back you can catch a
bus from Flores directly to Chetumal Bypassing Belize City
(which is a hell hole). From there it's a about 4 hours to
Playa del Carmen. If you stay in playa del carmen stay at
las ruinas in a hamaca. Also go to Tulum and stay there in
a hammack also. Tulum rocks. If in Playa you gotta go to
Chizen Iza. Blow off Belize City Just get thru belize asap
its expensive as hell. I've done the exact trip your about
to take and I now have been living in Guatemala for 3
years. Good Luck
It was a time saver, plus we got to see Tikal from the air,
and that's something. I recommend Aviateca (Guatemalan
airline) over Aerocaribe (Mexican airline, rather sloppy). I
think neither of these two airlines goes 7 days a week,
but between them every day is covered. You could get a
morning flight to Tikal (Flores), and then when it's
time to leave try one of the overland routes to get back to
Cancun. Cookie's Option #2 sounds like a great adventure to
begin with and a good way to see Palenque too. (As I
remember, the Aviateca flight to Flores continues to
Palenque, so that's another option if time is short.)
By the way, my opinion is that Tulum is a drag, but I know
I'm in the minority on this one.
Also by the way, I think 3 days and 2 nights at Tikal itself
is sensible, followed by one night in pretty Flores. Happy
trails!
I just remembered, it was the Aerocaribe flight that
continued to Palenque.
We flew Aviateca back to Cancun and that's how we came
to experience both of these airlines and found Aviateca to
be a noticeably better outfit, and that's my story!
Could you give me more info on the trip from Flores to
Bethel and then onward to Yaxchilan. Is it easy to
organise, how much did you pay to rent the boat, how long
did it take, Did you share the costs with fellow travellers
or is this an unusual trip for travellers?
Thanks for helping.