12 Top-Rated Day Trips from Cancún

While most travelers to Quintana Roo stop at Tulum, those who keep driving south for a few more hours are rewarded with one of the best-kept secrets in all of Mexico: Bacalar Lagoon.

Located just a short drive from Playa del Carmen, Xplor Park offers numerous reasons for vacationers to drag themselves away from their resort for at least a half-day (though you could easily spend a day here).

A little farther east of Mérida and Chichén Itzá is the lovely colonial town of Valladolid.

Although far enough from Cancún and Playa del Carmen to warrant an overnight stay, the coastline to the north of Mérida is certainly worth visiting.

For those seeking a dose of colonial Mexico, Mérida, the state capital, is a delightful addition to a Mexico itinerary.

Just a 15-minute drive west of Chichén Itzá, Balankanché is an easy day trip that's well worth doing.

Another of the Yucatán peninsula's large Mayan sites, Cobá's ruins lie deep in dense bush country halfway between the Mayan Riviera and the Yucatan state capital, Mérida.

Just a short distance south of Playa del Carmen is Xel-Ha Park (Parque Xel-Há), a fun aquatic center named after the adjacent Xel-Ha Mayan site.

One of Mexico's largest islands - it's 45 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide - Cozumel makes for a great day trip for those staying at a resort on the mainland.

A highlight of any visit to the Yucatán Peninsula is plunging into one of the state's famous cenotes, a form of natural swimming hole unique to the region's porous limestone bedrock.