Maybe you don’t even know where Belize is, but after seeing photos of its magnificent islands you will want to take a direct flight to Central America to discover this wonderful paradise in the Caribbean.

Discover these two wonderful Belizean islands and what the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico hides for you, cenotes, the wonderful Bacalar lagoon and one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

Welcome to Mexico and Belize:

1. Best time of year to visit Mexico and Belize
2. Basic tips for Mexico and Belize
3. Two week Mexico and Belize itinerary
   1. Days 1 to 3: Playa del Carmen (Mexico)
   2. Days 4 to 6: Tulum (Mexico)
   3. Days 7 and 8: Bacalar (Mexico)
   4. Day 9: Chetumal (Mexico)
   5. Days 10 to 11: Ambergris Caye (Belize)
   6. Days 12 and 14: Caye Caulker (Belize)
4. Daily budget Mexico and Belize
5. Where to stay in Mexico and Belize
6. What to do if you have more days in Mexico and Belize

Official exchange rate by country:

• Official exchange rate 1EUR = 21.12 Mexican Pesos
• Official exchange rate 1EUR = 2.23 Belize Dollars

Best time of year to visit Mexico and Belize

Cancun enjoys a tropical climate that is by definition very variable. It rains heavily in Cancun during some times of the year. However, just because rain is forecast for one day doesn’t mean your day at the beach will be ruined. A brief, heavy downpour may be accompanied by hours of sunshine, or it may rain in some parts of Cancun while tourists enjoy the blue sky just a kilometer away.

However, the European summer, July-September, is when there is the greatest risk of hurricanes. The weather in Belize is not far from that of Quintana Roo.

In short, December-April is the ideal time to visit Cancun since the climate is more pleasant, the humidity is lower. The biggest disadvantage is the crowds.

Basic tips for Mexico and Belize

As always, common sense and a desire to explore, but keep these points in mind if you are going to visit Quintana Roo and Belize

• Sargazo: The sargassum season in the Riviera Maya is usually from May to November, although it can vary depending on the climatic and oceanographic conditions of each year. They are algae that stink quite a bit and leave the beaches very dirty.
• Security: They are generally very touristy places and there is no security problem, I was walking day and night anywhere and I always felt safe. Quintana Roo is by far one of the safest regions in the country. The same thing happens in the Islands of Belize.
• Car rental: I wanted to rent a car and they cost me a lot for 1 or 2€ but then they add 40-50€ per day for insurance! Be careful, don’t get ripped off!
• How to get to Belize: The easiest thing is to take a boat from Chetumal to the Keys, visit them and return or continue by land to Guatemala.
• Visas for Belize: For European citizens there is no payment of fees but be careful when leaving if you stay for more than a week (when I was there) you had to pay a departure tax of 20USD, but it seems that they have removed it.

Two week Mexico and Belize itinerary

Although I consider that the Quintana Roo region is too touristy, it was a good trip, especially being able to add Belize to this itinerary.

Days 1 to 3: Playa del Carmen (Mexico)

There are buses that go from CUN airport (Cancun) to the main cities every hour. From there I arrived to Playa del Carmen. Playa del Carmen is a good base to go see different places on small day trips in the region.

You should not miss Chichén Itzá, one of the 7 Wonders of the modern world, the excursion usually includes a visit to a cenote, a traditional food place (lots of beans) and the city of Valladolid.

If you have good weather there are some magnificent beaches where you can relax. If you want cheap food and better than what you will find in the tourist places, stay away from Fifth Avenue. On Avenida Benito Juarez there are a lot of high-quality street stalls.

Days 4 to 6: Tulum (Mexico)

Tulum has become the Bali of Mexico, full of hipsters and digital nomads from richer countries settled in this quiet little town in the Mexican Caribbean.

There are quite a few things to do in Tulum in two or three days. My recommendation is to rent some bicycles and go see different cenotes and ruins. The Cenote Calavera is the one I liked the most, in most of them you have to pay an entrance fee. Of course the Ruins of Tulum, although it is not necessary to always see everything.

The beaches are somewhat far from the center but are also very accessible by bike or public transport. Although Tulum is the area that receives the most Sargassum.

Days 7 and 8: Bacalar (Mexico)

Bacalar is located about 4-5 hours from Tulum and is an idyllic place where tourists do not usually arrive due to the distance from Tulum and Cancun. However, it is by far my favorite place. It has a beautiful turquoise blue lagoon.

The Bacalar Lagoon is also known as the Lagoon of the 7 Colors, as it has seven different shades of blue. This is due to the different depths of the water. Inside the lagoon there are three cenotes, whose waters overflowed and created a single lagoon.

Day 9: Chetumal (Mexico)

Chetumal is nothing more than a stopover for travelers heading to or coming from Belize, you have not missed anything here if this is not the reason for your visit. I can recommend the Las Quekas restaurant that was recommended to us and little else. It is a nice walk at night when the heat is no longer overwhelming and the temperature is pleasant.

To get to Belize you have several options and they are usually on alternate days since two different companies operate the routes that have a monopoly on ferries to Belize. Here is the link to one of them and when I went they left at around 8 in the morning from the port.

Days 10 and 11: Ambergris Caye (Belize)

Arrival in paradise, the Belize keys are small atolls of white sand with colorful cabins, what you see in shipwreck movies.

You won’t want to do anything but eat chicken and beans, the local specialty fry jacks and drink cold beers. It is a place where people walk barefoot and walk around in swimsuits all day.

Both Ambergris and Caulker are two perfect places for diving. You will be able to see nurse sharks and blacktips as well as turtles.

Days 12 to 14: Caye Caulker (Belize)

Caye Caulker is even a smaller version of Ambergris. There are no paved streets here and the entire island that you can explore from top to bottom in 30 minutes is beach and sand.

There are several beach clubs where you can relax and sunbathe, Lazy Lizard is my favorite. Also, if you want to spend a little money and go diving or take a flight in one of the most exclusive places in the world, you can go to the Blue Hole. Although the dive won’t cost you less than €400 and they don’t usually go every day.

To return to the mainland there are ferries to Belize City every 2-3 hours and one every day to Chetumal. If you are heading to Guatemala you can prepare your transfer to Flores from Ambergris or Caye Caulker.

Daily budget Mexico and Belize

Both countries are very different but both can be had at a good price depending on the activities you are going to do. The expensive thing about Mexico is the transportation and the expensive thing about Belize is the activities and getting to the Islands. Leaving this aside, being there in peace is not expensive at all.

Accommodation: In Mexico for €10 you have hostels that are really good, in Belize they go up a little more due to the limited supply that there really is.

Food: There are a lot of street food places everywhere where you can eat tacos for €1-2 and in Belize there are many street stalls with chicken or Fry Jacks for €3-4 and they tend to be very large portions.

Transportation: It is usually expensive in Mexico, around €20-30 for short trips of 3-4 hours… If you are flexible with the hours you can get better prices. The boat to Belize is about €70 for a single trip.

Leisure: It depends a lot on what you are going to do, some places like Chichen Itzá are better to see on tour because of how far away they are, but you can reach many cenotes by bike, bus, etc. In Belize, being a destination for travelers from the United States, all Prices are usually very inflated.

Where to stay in Mexico and Belize

After a month in the Balkans, we return to the hostels where you get something you pay for and pay less than in Europe.

• Why Not Rooftop // Playa del Carmen (Mexico): It is a full-fledged party hostel, they have another one in Mirissa and it is great for making friends. It has a pool on the rooftop and is on the main street. Very clean rooms and bathrooms.
• Mayan Monkey Tulum // Tulum (Mexico): Without a doubt one of the best hostels in the world. The common area is simply brutal, they do free dance classes, yoga in the morning and cocktail classes in the afternoon. Pool and common area and the beds are pod style. Extremely clean and good vibe.
• EEK Balaam // Bacalar (Mexico): A very homely hostel in Bacalar, with a very backpacker vibe, well priced and very familiar. Somewhat far from the center but great to meet other travelers. Close to many places with well-priced food.
• Hostelito Chetumal // Chetumal (Mexico): Perhaps the only hostel in Chetumal. Very well located in the center and 15 minutes walk from the port. It has everything you need within 5 minutes, in addition to the pool, it has a very quiet common area.
• Sandbar Beachfront // Ambergris Caye (Belize): I think the only hostel in Ambergris Caye, it is 10 meters from the beach, you can use their paddleboards for free, it has a pier in front of it for swimming and the bar is very good.
• Tropical Oasis // Caye Caulker (Belize): It is literally a cabin, with four beds and a hammock, for €10 you can’t ask for much more, cold water and lots of sand. But you leave with a very good Robinson Crusoe vibe.

What to do if you have more days in Mexico and Belize

I did not have the opportunity to visit Belize City, although they say it is a little dangerous, it is always worth stopping to discover a little more of the country and get away from the tourist places. I will definitely have to return to Mexico to explore the rest of the country since I was only in Quintana Roo.