When we visited Mexico, we knew we wanted to explore some Mayan ruins. Since we were staying in…read moreTulum, we visited some bigger ruins (like Coba), but not far from Tulum are the Muyil Ruins. The ruins are about 2 hours south of Cancun, and for us it was a 20 minute drive from Tulum. This is not like any of the bigger ruins that are overflowing with tourists and busses - we didn't see anyone else there for the couple hours that we spent exploring! We drove our rental car there, and the ruins are easy to find, clearly marked along the highway, and also easy to find using Google Maps. We parked near the entrance, and it seems like there is ample parking. There is a counter where you can pay for your admission to the ruins. One of the things I wish they handed out at Mayan Ruins are maps, but the ruins are small enough to explore on your own. The paths around the ruins are well-maintained, and there is signage around the property. I loved the ambiance of Muyil, as we walked around the jungle. The Muyil ruins date back to 300 BC, and it is very interesting to visit. It isn't a far walk to the first set of buildings, only a minute or so from the entrance of the park. The most impressive structure at Muyil is El Castillo. This is not as large as structures at places like Coba or Chichen Itza, but still very interesting. What a difference from the other crowded ruins we have been to. Although you can't climb on any of the bigger structures, it is nice to really absorb the visit without the crowds. The grounds are not very big, so you can cover the area in a short amount of time. However, we had a nice time walking around. It gave us some time to stretch our legs and get some fresh air, enjoy the jungle and ruins. For the kids, they weren't overly interested, but it was just the right length of time for exploring. You won't find bikes or bike taxis here, as it is not so commercialized or large as other ruins. It was very peaceful morning at Muyil. By the time we headed out, there was only one other group there, of a couple tourists that had driven their own car. Much different than other ruins like Coba or Chichen-Itza, where busloads of tourists are brought in. I recommend taking in the solitude, flora and fauna. We meandered around Muyil for a couple hours, even taking the path to the entrance to the lagoon, although the gate was closed. I would love to go back sometime and add a trip to the Sian Ka'an nature reserve. We simply didn't have time to add a Sian Ka'an tour this time. Tips for your visit: ~ Bring bug spray. The ruins are truly in the jungle and there were lots of mosquitoes! ~ I don't think you need sunscreen, as most of the walkways are through the jungle. ~ There are bathrooms by the entrance. ~ We did not see a gift shop or any items to purchase, although there were some shops across the highway, with foods and local crafts. They looked interesting but we didn't have time to stop.

You want off the beaten path? Want to get away from the tourists? Want to experience some amazing…read morethings? Read on. Thiey have Mayan ruins here. They have bats hanging from ceilings in caves and the bats are a few feet away from you. They have moderately poisonous snakes eating live birds a couple feet from you are walking. This is the real jungle and it's all around you. And best of all, and for a hefty fee (CASH ONLY, by the way, so take a lot), you can take a wild speedboat ride to a natural lazy river where you climb into the water and float along, unguided by anything but the natural current, for about thirty minutes, in lovely, briny water, among the mangroves, small fishes, and birds swooping in and out of the marsh around you. It's a surreal, wonderful experience. No rubber inner tubes, no lifeguards, no guides. Just you and the river and the fish and the birds. Very, very few tourists here. I hesitate to even review this place because I want it to remain real forever. Hopefully, only the adventurers will come here.

Cenote Museo Zazil Tunich was blessedly open later than most of the other cenotes but also off the…read moremain roadway so farther away. It was getting dark as we were leaving, and that made the road trip back to Cancún more difficult. A tour is included in the admission to this Cenote whether you want it or not (MX350/$21 per person). If you skip the tour you can go straight down to the cave cenote for a swim. Only one other couple was swimming with us at the time we went (around 5:30/6 PM). It felt much more relaxing and magical without other people disturbing the peace. I would recommend budgeting more time at this Cenote than we spent and taking advantage of the included tour. When leaving DO NOT follow driving directions to go left but backtrack the way you came back to the highway and Valladolid even though it's the longer route as this 'faster' route ends in a 10km unpaved bumpy road in the middle of nowhere.

It's a must if you are ever in Mexico, we had gone years an years ago during our trip to Cancun and…read moredid a day trip to Chichen Itza and it was a great tour filled with so much history. It's one of the 7 wonders of the world so its a must! It's a 79-foot step-pyramid with 365 steps to match the solar calendar. There are a lot of temples to check out locally. There is also a scared cenote nearby that is a mayan archeological site - Columbian Mayans made a lot of sacrifices into the cenote to the rain of god Chaac. Overall a good day to learn about the history, it was super hot before and it started thunder storming, and was a breathtaking experience

Beautiful experience soaking up the history and architecture of the place…read more Get a guided tour it's worth the extra $ to get the real history of the place It was hot and humid but there are shaded areas to find some relief when needed Out tour was 1 hour guided and 1 hour free time to wander around get some pics and slides and barter with the locals selling their hand carved and other merchandise of which there is no shortage, they take pesos , USD and some take credit cards or Apple Pay ' Well worth the trip

We set up airport transportation and the driver was early and professional! Clean and reliable safe…read moretransportation. I will use again! Thank you!

I had been to the Riveria Maya several times and when several of my friends decided to have a…read moreladies trip I suggested Playa Del Carmen. As I was the only one that had been to the area prior I wanted to organize a fun day trip to make 8 ladies all have a great day. With such a large group I knew we had to hire transportation and I was specific about where we wanted to go to please everyone. I started getting some quotes from some of the other more popular tour companies and they all quoted me for what had to be a 10 hour day and a set price. A friend had been to Playa Del Carmen a month earlier and told me about Genechi Family Tours and how he and his daughter had used their service and were highly impressed. I reached out and was contacted by Emy who gave a quote of 8 hours, 9 hours of 10 hours which was much cheaper than the other companies I had contacted! I liked the idea of starting with a 8 hour tour and having the option to add one of two more hours at a amazing rate! Communication was excellent and she picked us up bright and early in a big air conditioned van with waters for all. One in our group was celebrating a birthday and she was so thoughtful to give her a small birthday gift which made her day even more brighter! We wanted to make sure we stopped at three cenote's but I wanted them all different for the ladies so our first stop was TaakBi Ha Cenote which is a underground cenote with crystal clear water. Emy was so informative about the history of the cenote and she drove those backroads expertly! Out of the many cenote's I've been to in the past years of going to the Riveria Maya this was one of my favorites. The next stop was right nearby at Cenote Nicte-Ha. A open cenote and totally different. A few in our group love plants and this one had more of a lush jungle feel with Lili pads and greenery. After that we ventured to Akumal and stopped at the Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal. This is a library and school which runs strictly on donations and with four teachers in our group, we stopped by with a entire suitcase full of donations. Emy was so wonderful to help translate for us as our Spanish was ok but her English and Spanish was perfect. Emy was so wonderful that we treated her to lunch at La Buena Vida and loved hearing about her country. If your in Akumal and looking for a foot in the sand fun memorable place than go there! Trust me! After lunch and a little shopping our final stop was on the way back to the resort was at Cenote Azul. Another large cenote but one of the largest. Instead of greenery is was clear and beautiful and we met so many wonderful people! Emy was so accommodating to our group and took great care of us! We ended our day with a group hug for her and of course a selfie! We had a epic day which was only made better by Emy! Emy we will be back and give that nephew of your a hug from all of us!! Do yourself a favor and reach out to this company for a excellent rate and excellent service!

What a great experience. We didn't want to waste time or energy figuring out how to see cenotes by…read moreourselves. Tulum Bike tours came through with the transportation, the bikes, the historical/cultural knowledge and the insider info that allowed us to just enjoy the adventure. All of this at an amazing price point. The groups are small enough to ensure you get personalized attention throughout your trip. We chose the Jungle Bike Adventure but there's a great menu of options (which we will be back for on future trips).

It doesn't get any better than this!!! So my best friend and…read moreI took the Mayan Backroads Bike Tour and the Sian Ka'an Mayan Wetlands tour and both were top notch!!! Hugo was our amazing tour guide on the Backroads Bike tour. This tour was absolutely life changing!!! If you're thinking about doing it, stop thinking, and book it. This tour is worth millions. Frank and Hugo are priceless! I don't even have the words to describe! This tour is pure adventure! We biked, hiked, canoed, zip-lined, and ate lunch in a Mayan village. I am so thankful for this experience. Wear a hat, wear sunscreen, take bug spray, drink the lemonade, and have the time of your life!! The Sian Ka'an Maya wet lands tour is pure joy!! Frank took us out on this one and I could have stayed forever! Floating in the canals and learning more about the ruins and eco system was pure perfection!! This place is absolutely beautiful. It's what dreams are made of. Once again, it's worth every single cent!! I couldn't thank Frank and Hugo enough for being great hosts! They are definitely on my Christmas list!!

100% worth the 600 pesos/person for the boat ride/canal float experience. As of today's exchange…read morerate, that would be about $32 a person and worth every last peso. The lagoons are absolutely stunning and the canal that you float down is peaceful and crystal clear. The guides are fairly quiet but EXTREMELY knowledgeable if you ask them any questions. There are a few ruins around that you can get out and look at as well as they will tell you the history of the canals. Very interesting and informative. The thing my husband and I talk about and remember most of our Tulum trip is this experience. Good thing to know ahead of time however is the loooooong walk on the boardwalk back to the boat. Make sure you have a good pair of Keen sandals or something that are comfortable to walk about a half mile or so.

Excellent eco tour, great tour guides! Ask for Novia, she is wonderful. Food was excellent, very…read morenice butterfly oasis at the end.

Awesome small group tours. We saw so much and learned so much. Great driver and guide, both awesome…read morepeople. Very polite and courteous.

From the owner: Private Tours and Excursionsread more

During our vacation in Playa Del Carmen we booked a private tour with Living Dreams for a morning…read moreexcursion to Telum. Daniel Alvarez was our tour guide. We were picked up on time in a nice big clean car. Daniel was very friendly and was giving us history and information about the area during our ride. We parked and got on a tram to the main entrance. We entered the ruins with no issues as Daniel had all our tickets already. We were able to walk all the grounds and Daniel gave us all the amazing history and was able to answer all our questions- even the ones about the wildlife. When we retuned to the car he had a cooler with cold towels and a big variety of cold drinks for us. The excursion included lunch at a place of our choice and we asked for Daniel's suggestion as we wanted something local and not a tourist spot. He took us for some street tacos that were amazing! He was also kind enough to stop at a store so we could grab a few souvenirs and a mango stand for some fresh mango. Daniel was amazing and we will definitely use Living Dreams again and will be asking for Daniel!

Such a great experience. Claudia was so knowledgeable as a guide and Charlie was a great driver. We…read moretoured the Mayan ruins, swam with turtles and explored a private Cenote. Claudia took care of everything so we didn't have to get our own tickets or wait in lines. If looking for a tour Living Dreams Mexico is an amazing option.

My husband booked Carey tours for swimming with the whale sharks before our vacation in Riviera…read moreMaya. We got picked up on time from our resort, got to the boat and was served a little breakfast before we headed out. It was a rough day on the ocean (choppy), but an amazing day. We were supposed get two jumps in with the whale sharks. It was our lucky day! First we swam with a whale shark, then we got to swim with a Manta Ray! So great! Then they let us do another whale shark jump. In our group, my husband and I were the only ones who got to swim with the Manta Ray. They don't see them that often. After our jumps, they took us to isla mujeras for fresh ceviche prepared by the captain. We got to hang out in the Caribbean blue water. This was such a great experience!

We booked a Cenote tour with this company as an activity for a bachelorette party. The prices vary…read morebased on the group size. We ended up paying $125/person before tip. Our tour guide picked us up from our place of residence and we visited 3 different cenotes. The first one was a popular one called Gran Cenote which was beautiful! Our tour guide (I wish I remembered her name!!) was very nice and so much fun! She was engaging, knowledgeable, patient, and very accommodating. The second Cenote was tak-bi-ha. This was a cave with bats in it! The third cenote was a completely open one called Xunan ha. It was really fun to explore these different cenotes. They also provided snorkeling gear and we were able to snorkel in each of the cenotes. It was nice to have our guide guide us through the closed/dark areas of the cenotes with lighting. In the middle of the day we also had lunch at a local place. The food here was just ok and very greasy. Also several people in our group got sick later that day so not sure if there was an issue with the food or how clean the water was at the lunch spot...would be careful especially with drinking water here. Other than that we had an amazing time. I'm sure it would've been cheaper to go to these cenotes on our own but it was worth it to have this tour group organize everything for us, provide transportation, etc. Plus both our driver and your guide were amazing and made the day even more fun!