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Private Journeys

Self-drive Mexico: Discover the Yucatan Peninsula

13 days from £1,900pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Mexico

  • Tulum

Overview & Highlights

The Yucatán peninsula has a decent road network suiting independent drivers who want flexibility to explore the multitude of Mayan ruins and colonial towns. Car and hotels are pre-booked.

Mexico is ideal for independent exploration by self-drive car hire, particularly in the Yucatán peninsula and along the Caribbean coast. Your point-to-point itinerary planned out for you, with hotel reservations made in advance and maps provided, so you can explore the Mayan ruins and colonial towns at leisure..

Here, you’ll find vestiges of the once supreme Maya civilisation. Sites replete with temples and pyramids festooned with sacred carvings were, once abandoned, swallowed up by a rapacious jungle but are now gradually being revealed. The best known sites, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Tulum are easily accessible; smaller, less well-known sites are always close to minor roads and with your own car you can explore at will.

You’ll also visit graceful Spanish colonial towns with their friendly Maya inhabitants. Markets, restaurants and entertainments flourish here. 

At your beach hotel base on the soft-sand Caribbean coast at tranquil Tulum village there is time to laze on the beach and take part in water sports or visit nearby resort towns.

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  • Discover the colonial cities and ancient ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula
  • Drive and explore the region at leisure, stopping off whereever you wish en-route
  • Relax on the white sandy beaches of the Caribbean

THE UK’S NO. 1 SPECIALIST IN TRAVEL TO LATIN AMERICA

Sophie

Sophie Barber

Travel Expert

Talk to our experts
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What our clients say

  • Most memorable experiences: “Kaieteur Falls. Angel Falls. Both a wonderful experience. The holiday was described accurately, and your staff were always extremely helpful. I am pleased to have done it…

    PJC, Swindon
  • Cuba is a fascinating country and JLA have pulled together a fantastic trip with excellent local guides. It exceeded my expectations and I do hope to return one day.

    AES, Eastbourne
  • The whole trip was excellent and the tour leaders knowledge and personality enhanced it.

    VH, Torpoint
  • The trip of a lifetime. It was a great privilege to be able to visit somewhere as unique as The Galapagos. There are two things that we most appreciate about…

    AF, Alderley Edge
  • Overall the Tangara trip was well structured, if a little hectic moving on every two nights. It achieved its main objectives and we saw fascinating parts of South America that…

    TE, Cirencester
  • It was our first experience of small group travel, and although on balance we prefer independant travel, to cover as many countries as we did, we couldn t have done…

    CS, Seaford
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Our Expert's Opinion

This self-drive holiday provides an economical way to enjoy the Caribbean coast at your own pace while staying in some of the most luxurious haciendas. If you're looking for style, character, luxury amenities, and excellent service, this is the holiday for you. With your own car, you'll have the freedom to visit lesser-known highlights of Mexico, such as underwater sculptures, cenotes for swimming, or driving the Puuc Route with a picnic and a good guidebook.

Sophie
Sophie Barber Travel Expert Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

Inspired by this trip

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

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Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Millie
    Millie Davies - Travel Expert

    Having caught the travel bug as a child, Millie has travelled all over Latin America before making her home in Buenos Aires for 3 years.

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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