If you’re looking for a more fun way to get from Cancun to Merida but you don’t want to ride a boring and straight toll-road, MotoTravel has you covered!
Once you’re past Nuevo X-Can on the Quintana Roo – Yucatan border there are quite a bunch of options for more fun and adventurous routes.
I’ve been to Merida from Cancun a few times, and every time I took a different route. For a mid-week roadtrip I followed a rural route to Merida through the Northern part of Yucatan and spend a few days in Merida before heading back via a more southern route. Along the way to Merida I passed through several small and developing towns with old Spanish era churches and squares. Some with a market, others with just some shops.
Both ways I was surprised by how nice the area is. With small towns scattered everywhere.
On the way back I passed through more small towns, some seemed mostly abandoned until you hang around for a few minutes and notice that people DO live there. They’re just quiet towns. Again a number of them have old Spanish era ruins in them, some of the towns have small shops and town squares. One even had a circus set up. Most of the towns really take you back to simpler times where the biggest shops are one or two small convenience stores that act as the main supermarket, vegetable market and hardware store. It’s all super basic and usually old/worn out as if time literally stood still for the last 40 or so years.
More often than not the people are surprised to see foreigners passing by, which can lead to some fun encounters. I usually don’t go looking for people to talk to, but in the shops usually you get some questions and curious looks about where you’re going or why you’re there.
Check out the routes below if you’re looking for an alternative from the toll road.
