Let’s play a little word association game – when we say Mexico, you think what? Chances are, you’re probably thinking of sun, sand, water, or maybe margaritas. All great answers. But all focused on just one of Mexico’s gems – the beach.

Take The Yucatán peninsula for example. With unrivaled beach destinations like Tulum, Cozumel, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, etc., it’s easy to stick to the sandbox (albeit, a beautiful sandbox) and miss out on all that’s happening inland.

On our last trip to The Yucatán, we had the chance to leave the coastlines behind and explore the rest of the peninsula. And boy, is there a lot of ground to cover – from the bustling city of Mérida to ancient Mayan ruins and Spanish haciendas, we wanted to see it all. 

Today, we’re sharing a few snaps from our adventures off the beaten path. Hope you enjoy this little glimpse of inland Mexico. Who knows? Maybe it'll inspire you to add a few days to your next beach vacation! 

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First stop: Mérida, the capital city of The Yucatán. We picked up a few bikes and took to the streets, just soaking in the bright pastels, graphic signs, and Spanish colonial architecture. All it takes is a few blocks for this town to win you over. 

Next up, we headed about an hour outside of the city to visit the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal. The ruins are quite impressive – even with a few hours of exploring, you'll only have just scratched the surface. If you go, be sure to get a guide to show you around. The place came to life with his stories and tidbits about the Mayan people and their culture. 

No visit to the Yucatán would be complete without a few agave fields and maybe a cenote or two. In fact, they pretty much go hand in hand. After walking through the agaves, you'll be on the hunt for a cenote to cool off – it can get pretty toasty.  

And last up, a little downtime at the haciendas. These palatial estates once were centers of industry during Spanish colonial times and have now been converted to resorts. It's here that we had a chance to savor the laid-back lifestyle of the Yucatán. With hammocks at every turn, it didn't take long to sink into this relaxed mentality.  

And don't want to leave you hanging on hotels... For Merida, we stayed at the Casa Lecanda, a relaxing oasis from the hubbub of the city. For the rest of our travels, we stayed at the Hacienda Temozón and Hacienda Santa Rosa. Can't recommend these places enough! 

Casa Lecanda

Hacienda Temozón

Hacienda Santa Rosa

We were sold on the Yucatán when we first set foot on those white sandy beaches. And now that've we seen the rest of the peninsula, we're total goners. Next time you find yourself in the area, try to add a few of these spots to your trip. You won't regret it!