Finding the serenity hiding in Mexico's party peninsula

Hundreds of thousands of tourists are attracted to the white sands and turquoise waters of destinations like Cancun and Tulum Robyn Wilson goes in search of quieter shores

- Robyn Wilson

It's a long, pothole-riddled road ahead and I'm fresh off the plane following an 11-hour flight from London to Cancun - the perfect conditions for a three-hour drive to reach a small, remote fishing village in the north of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.

Locals assure me the trip to El Cuyo will be worth it. Particularly, for anyone wanting to experience the quieter side of Mexico’s coast during its busier months. After several warnings from friends saying I should avoid the peninsula altogether due to overtourism, I’m on a mission to discover less-frequented spots. If I can find them.

In recent years, tourism figures have rocketed in Mexico and the country’s picture-postcard Yucatán peninsula, with its turquoise waters, golden sands and endless supply of delicious tacos, has borne the brunt of that with 2.4 million visitors (roughly the size of Houston, Texas) in 2023 alone – a figure that was up 34.2 per cent from 2018, according to the state’s tourism figures.

By the time I hit the road at 11am, it’s a hot and sticky 30C. I rapidly navigate my way out of one of the region’s hotspots, Cancun – famed for its resorts, nightlife, and throngs of spring breakers – and start down one of only two roads to El Cuyo.

It doesn’t take long for signs of city life to fade away. Sparkling developments give out to small villages; little roadside shops pop up with the odd vendor selling piles of fruit; a local peddles down the road on his bike, unfazed by the dog snapping at his heels alongside.