You should go to Oscar y Lalo...great seafood and situated on a cove so it's really nice to kayak in that area.

And/or take an overnight trip to Baccalar and rent a room on the Bay of Seven Colors. It is absolutely beautiful and romantic and quiet. You can also canoe or kayak or swim there.

Or try Punta Laguna, it's not far from Coba, pay for the family to show you around because they will bring you right to the monkeys. It's a protected preserve and I think everybody that lives in the village is family. Bring bug spray and your hammocks and food and you can stay overnight. It's very peaceful, you can swim in the lagoon and hear the monkeys. Don't forget to bring a picnic because there isn't anything around.

And as I'm sure you know, there are alot of cenotes around.

The waterways in Sian Kaan are beautiful. You can go in the back way (from highway 305 south), pay a fee, and they will take you out in a small boat through the waterways/mangroves. At one point you can get out and swim. The water is a mixture of fresh and salt. They'll also tell you a little history. It's good to hire a guide for that trip.

You should walk the beach at night...far down, almost into the biosphere, to see if you can find a turtle laying her eggs. The beaches are darker down there so there is a better chance to witness this amazing act. July might be a little early for that? It's almost a guarantee in August after midnight.

Have a great time! I absolutely love it there and you can't pay me to go into Cancun

The people are also so nice and friendly

If you decide to go to Sian Ka´an, definitely book a tour or take the water route. A lot of people just drive down the coastal highway and are really disappointed. It is all private property, even though it´s within the biosphere, so it´s not like a national park with trails. The waterways are beautiful.

If you decide to go turtle hunting, be sure NOT to bring a flashlight. The light will scare the turtles back into the sea. They will only make one trip onto the beach to lay eggs. If they return to the water, they will absorb the eggs into their bodies and not lay again until the following year.

When we were at La Conchita last Aug, we saw many turtles. Sometimes 2-3/night. You just have to be very quiet and let them do their thing. You can ask Poncho, the owner, that you're interested in seeing the turtles and he'll knock on your door if it's happening.

Sounds like you haven't seen the ruins of Muyil - south of Tulum along Hwy 307. That's a good day trip along with a walk along the boardwalk that's near there. There are 2 cenotes on the way also.

You could snorkle in Akumal Bay in Akumal where you can see sea turtles swimming as well as many fish. We hired a guide/snorkle boat to take us out. They were much better at figuring out where the turtles were.

Yalku Lagoon is another good snorkle trip. It's located in the most northern area of Akumal.

Have you gone out with the guys next door from La Conchita at Punta Piedra dive shop? They take a boat out to the reef and (I think) make a stop at Caleta Tankah (which you could also do on your own).

Chichen Itza is a great, but long, day trip. Ek Balam ruins are 30 minutes away from Chichen. And the town of Valladolid has a nice colonial square.

Thanks all for the great recommendations!

Hi! My husband and I stayed in the Casa Cenote for two nights in February in Tankah (just north of Tulum). After those two nights, we joined friends next door for the remainder of our stay in a rental casa. Just behind the Casa Cenote hotel and restaurant there is a wonderful cenote to snokle in. What's great is that it goes under the Casa Cenote property and comes out in the ocean so you can also tote your snokle gear and snorkle there as well - FUN! and afterward, the Casa Cenote Restaurant has great food and drinks and is wonderfully casual!

We also loved La Vita Bella at Tulum Beach...great pizzas and a wonderful beach for swimming. The Mezzanine is also a nice place to dine.

Akumal...we traveled up to Akumal several times to snokle at the main beach (saw lots of sea turtles) and really enjoyed the little shops as well as Lol Ha (the restaurant) and the children that were with us loved Lucy's (ice cream). Also in Akumal (not at the main beach) is La Buena Vida...great for dinner!

We took a trip to Playa del Carmen (about 40 minutes from Tankah) and took the ferry over to Cozumel which was about a 1/2 hour trip (we went on a Wednesday which was very crowded due to the cruise ships...plan for the days when the ships don't come in). Once we arrived in Cozumel we taxied down the road to Atlantis Adventures for a ride on a sub! It was great and for those who are worried about the cramped style...it was really quite spacious! Here's the link: www.atlantisadventures.com/tour_info.php…

That's all I have to add for now...I cannot wait to go back! Enjoy your trip!

-porterpup