Updated November 2026 · By Terry Barkhuizen, NOM-08 certified tour guide (credential N012608). Entry rules and fees change. Confirm with official sources before you travel.
This is the starting point for planning a trip to the Mexican Caribbean. It covers what you need to enter Mexico, the fees nobody mentions, money, the seasons, and how to choose a base. It also links to our detailed guides for every part of the trip.
Trip-planning guides
- Trip cost – daily budgets and real 2026 prices
- Sargassum – when, where and what to do instead
- First time in the Riviera Maya? – the essentials in one page
- Best time to visit – month by month
- Cancun airport guide – arrivals, transport and departures
- Visitax explained – how much and how to pay safely
- Money, ATMs and tipping – pesos, cards and cash
- Hurricane season – dates, risk and planning
- What to pack – a guide’s checklist
1. Entry requirements
- Passport: you need a valid passport. Many nationalities, including U.S., Canadian, UK and EU citizens, don’t need a visa for a tourist stay. Others must get a visa in advance. Check your government’s advice and the Mexican consulate for your nationality.
- Tourist permit (FMM): at Cancun airport the paper form has been replaced by a digital process. Immigration records your entry and authorised length of stay when you arrive. Have your return or onward ticket and your accommodation details ready in case you’re asked.
- Keep your entry record (passport stamp or digital record) until you leave.
2. Fees to budget for
- Visitax: a mandatory Quintana Roo state fee for foreign visitors. It’s around 285–295 pesos (about USD 16) per person per stay in 2026, and you pay it online. Use only the official portal, visitax.gob.mx, because copycat sites charge more. Full details: our Visitax guide. Keep the QR code, as it can be checked at Cancun airport when you leave.
- Federal tourist and airport fees are normally already included in international airfares.
- Local fees: marine park bracelets, archaeological site tickets, cenote entry and hotel environmental fees are paid on the spot. See the “typical costs” section in each destination guide.
3. Money
- The currency is the Mexican peso (MXN). Pay in pesos – prices in dollars usually come with a poor exchange rate.
- Cards work in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Cash is essential for colectivos, many cenotes, small eateries, taxis and tips.
- Use bank ATMs inside banks or shopping centres. Decline “dynamic currency conversion” and choose to be charged in pesos.
- Don’t change large amounts at the airport.
4. When to go
Full details month by month: the best time to visit the Riviera Maya.
| Months | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December – April | Dry, sunny, most comfortable; peak season and prices (especially Christmas–New Year and Easter) |
| May – June | Hot and humid; fewer crowds; sargassum season usually begins |
| July – October | Hottest and wettest; hurricane-season peak (Aug–Oct); sargassum often heaviest in summer |
| November | Shoulder season – calmer seas returning, lower prices before the holidays |
Sargassum: the seasonal seaweed that washes ashore varies a lot from year to year, and 2026 was an exceptionally heavy year. If you travel in summer, plan beach-independent days – cenotes, Maya sites, Bacalar and the west coast of Cozumel – and check a live sargassum map before choosing a beach (see our sargassum guide).
Hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. See our hurricane season guide and our safety guide.
5. Where to base yourself
| Base | Best for |
|---|---|
| Playa del Carmen | Walkable town, central location for day trips, Cozumel ferry |
| Tulum | Ruins, cenotes, Sian Ka’an, a slower beach stay |
| Cancun | Resorts, nightlife, quick airport access, ferries to Isla Mujeres |
| Cozumel | Diving and snorkelling, quieter island life |
| Bacalar | Lagoon, slow travel, a summer escape from sargassum |
With a week, many visitors split their stay between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. With ten days or more, add Bacalar, or Valladolid for Chichen Itza.
6. Getting there and around
Almost every visitor flies into Cancun (CUN); Tulum’s airport (TQO) is an option for the south. Start with Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen or Cancun airport to Tulum, then see all options in Getting Around the Riviera Maya, including the Tren Maya.
7. What to pack
- Mineral sunscreen and a rash guard (and none at all for cenotes)
- Water shoes, a dry bag, a refillable bottle
- A hat and light long sleeves for ruins
- Insect repellent for land
- Copies of your passport and insurance details
Explore by topic
- Destinations – 10 in-depth destination guides
- Getting Around – airports, buses, colectivos, train, ferries, cars
- Cenotes – where to swim and the rules
- Wildlife & Nature – turtles, reefs and responsible encounters
- Safety – practical advice and emergency numbers