Tulum & the Yucatán: Cenotes, Mayan Ruins and Caribbean Sand

The Yucatán is turquoise sea on one side and a jungle full of sinkhole cenotes on the other, all stitched together by Mayan history. This guide bases you in Tulum: the only Mayan ruins perched over a Caribbean beach, the cenotes worth the drive (and the ones to skip), a day trip to mighty Chichén Itzá timed to dodge the worst heat and crowds, and the laid-back Valladolid town in between. I cover the rental-car-vs-colectivo call, the sargassum-season reality, and the taquerías where the cochinita pibil is the real deal.