Road tripping in an old Volkswagen bus in Mexico, that’s a unique experience! In the Yucatán and Quintana Roo area many travelers rent a car to explore the area. And rightly so: the roads are excellent and it is very safe to drive in Mexico. But what could be cooler than exploring Mexico in its own Volkswagen bus ?! I’ve always dreamed of driving a private Volkswagen bus, so this was definitely the highlight of our trip through Mexico!
WHERE DO YOU RENT A VOLKSWAGEN BUS?
In Mexico you can easily rent your own Volkswagen bus , namely a Volkswagen Kombi from The Kombi Experience . Martin, the owner, owns several Volkswagen Kombis in different cool colors. We rented the Mandarina, an orange / red Volkswagen bus from 1979. The ideal of the Kombis is that you can sleep in the bus. This way you save another night and you can sleep in the coolest places in Mexico! The Mandarina even has its own kitchen where you can easily make your own tacos in the evening while you sit on the beach with a beer. Sounds good right?
To rent a Volkswagen bus from The Kombi Experience, you first have to get to Tulum. Your journey will probably start at Cancun airport. From the ADO bus station in Cancun you drive to Tulum in about 2 hours. You can also choose to take a taxi, but the ADO buses are also very comfortable. Once you arrive in Tulum you meet Martin. He will be happy to tell you how everything works, where you can go best, what great sights and routes are and where you can and cannot sleep. Martin is very passionate and loves his Volkswagen buses! Make sure you book the Volkswagen bus in advance through the website so that you know for sure that your favorite is available.
WHAT IS THE TRAFFIC LIKE IN MEXICO?
Like I said, the roads in Mexico are excellent. That means that there are good highways with few holes in the ground in the Yucatán and Quintana Roo area. There are not many roads in Mexico and the villages and towns are built around the highways. So it is very easy to go from A to B. You will therefore not need the navigation. If you still want to use the navigation, use the offline app Maps.meand make sure you download the offline map of Mexico in advance!
Mexicans drive very safely. With the Volkswagen Kombi you can be overtaken by the other traffic (the bus runs at a maximum of 75 km/h). Try to keep driving on the right side of the road as much as possible. The motorways in Mexico are very quiet. You will only encounter more traffic around the cities. The traffic rules are the same as with us in the Netherlands.
Keep in mind that you may encounter police checks on the way. Certainly if you drive a striking Volkswagen bus, you can be picked out for a drug check. Then just cooperate calmly and always stay friendly then the agents will also be friendly to you. In terms of maximum speed it is important not to drive too fast, the police checks this and also gives fines for this. On the highway you are generally 100 km/h and when approaching villages usually 50 km/h unless otherwise indicated.
OUR ROUTE + TIPS
We rented the Volkswagen bus in total for 4 days, so we were able to make a beautiful route through Mexico. This was our route:
Day 1: Relax on the beach near Tulum
At 2 PM the Volkswagen bus can finally be picked up! After Martin has told everything about the bus, the adventure can begin. First do some shopping for dinner and breakfast! You can then continue to Camping Chamicos in the Soliman Bay, about a 20-minute drive from Tulum. This is definitely the most amazing campsite you’ll ever come across! With your Volkswagen bus you can literally sleep 5 meters from the sea on the beach. Swim in the sea, cook your own tacos in the Volkswagen bus in the evening, drink a beer by the campfire in your hammock and enjoy the starry sky. You will certainly relax here!
Tip: Bring your own hammock so that you can hang it between the waving palm trees! That is the ultimate in relaxation!
Day 2: Drink a drink in palm trees near Akumal
In the morning you can make your own breakfast on the Volkswagen bus. For example, boil or bake an egg and eat it on the beach. In the afternoon you can visit Akumal, which is approximately a 20-minute drive away. Akumal is known for swimming with sea turtles. From March 2016, Akumal is officially a protected nature reserve. That means you can’t just swim with sea turtles. When you go into the sea with a guide, he will tell you everything about the rules and the well-being of the sea turtles. Are you going on a tour without a guide? Keep in mind that you are not wearing sunscreen in the water and that you are not getting too close to the sea turtles. This way you will not disturb the animals! You can park the Volkswagen bus at the parking places. Do not immediately take the first parking area there, if you drive a little further, it becomes slightly cheaper. You can also drive on to a great beach bar called La Buena Vida . Here you can drink a drink high in the palm trees and eat delicious food. A super nice experience! At the end of the day you continue to Valladolid where you can spend the night at Camping Xpokek , surrounded by nature near the center.
Tip: Order in Valladolid ‘Lomitos de Valladolid’, a typical dish of this region.
Day 3: Visit one of the seven world wonders and cenotes
With the Volkswagen bus it is easy to go to one of the seven world wonders, namely: Chichen Itza. Go back in time and enjoy all the beauty of this amazing maya complex. There are also some very nice cenotes in the neighborhood of Chichen Itza. With the Volkswagen bus it is only a 5 km drive to the Ik-kil Cenote. This cenote has a large hole with a deep cave and the water is 40 meters deep! Jump into the water and take a refreshing dip. Then leave with the Volkswagen bus towards the Samula Cenote, about half an hour away. This cenote again has a small hole through which beautiful rays of light enter the cave. In the afternoon you can drive back to Camping Chamicos so that you can spend your last evening and morning on the beach.
Tip: Try to go to Chichen Itza and the cenotes as early as possible to get ahead of the crowd! It can get very busy in the afternoon.
Day 4: Enjoy the peace and quiet at Camping Chamicos
Make a nice breakfast again, swim in the sea, relax in your hammock and enjoy the last hours of a fantastic time with your own Volkswagen bus!
All in all, the Volkswagen Kombi is a great choice for anyone who likes a unique night in sunny Mexico. Do you find it difficult to put together a route yourself? Martin is happy to help you further and has many routes ready for you.
Where to book?
Martin has three Volkswagen Kombi’s in different cheerful colors. The prices vary per season and are between 66€ and 150€ per night. If you book then you should definitely give Martin our greetings! Booking or checking availability can be done via the following links: Mandarina Kombi, Kiwi Kombi or Azulita Kombi.
Source: reismonkey.nl