Time difference Yucatán Peninsula
Mexico spans three time zones. As far as the Yucatán Peninsula is concerned, the states of Campeche and Yucatán are 7 hours ahead all year round (except for a one-week gap at the end of March and beginning of November, due to different time change dates). The state of Quintana Roo remains on summer time all year round. The time difference with France is therefore 6 hours in winter and 7 hours in summer.
Opening hours Yucatán Peninsula
To see / To do Yucatán Peninsula
Museum opening hours vary, but are generally Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Cenotes: daily, 9am to 5pm. Archaeological sites: 8am to 5pm (ticket office closes at 4pm). We recommend arriving at the sites as soon as they open, or at least before 10 a.m. (or after 3 p.m.), to avoid finding yourself in the middle of groups disembarking in tour buses around 10 or 11 a.m. The other advantage is that it's cooler than during the day. In any case, bring a hat, sun cream, mosquito repellent and plenty of water. You'll also need good shoes - flip-flops are best avoided when climbing the pyramids!
Enjoying yourself Yucatán Peninsula
Meals are eaten later than in France, rather like in Spain. Breakfast can be taken directly from the market or on the street corner, where there is no shortage of stands selling fresh fruit juices and salads(coktel de frutas). Breakfast can be taken until 10 or 11 a.m., depending on your profession. For those in a hurry, a few tacos to be devoured standing in the street around the puesto (street stall) that makes them will do the trick. La comida (lunch) is the main meal of the day. It's never eaten before 2 p.m., often at 3 p.m. and even later; it can go on forever. Popular restaurants known as fondas usually only open for breakfast and lunch, and close around 5pm. Cena (dinner) is not very common in country villages where, because of the late lunch hour, it sometimes consists only of hot chocolate and pan dulce. The habit of dining out in the evening is not particularly widespread, except perhaps in towns where European habits have been introduced.
Take a break Yucatán Peninsula
In town, cafés often open from Monday to Saturday as early as 7am, and close around 9pm. There are sometimes happy hours for cocktails in the mid-afternoon or early evening. On the beaches, beach clubs are open every day (apart from the very low season), from 9 or 10 a.m. until around 7 or 8 p.m., but sometimes much later when they are party venues.
(To) please yourself Yucatán Peninsula
The opening hours vary greatly depending on the tourist season, especially in the seaside resorts of the Caribbean coast. In the high season most shops are open every day with extended opening hours. In very low season, many establishments close. Shops generally open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm or 8pm in the cities, and from 8am to 6pm in the countryside. Shopping centres are open every day with later opening hours, often from 10am to 10 or 11pm. Souvenir shops also close late in tourist resorts like Playa or Tulum.
Get out Yucatán Peninsula
Mexico is a country that loves to celebrate life with music and parties. In the Yucatán peninsula, the seaside resorts of Cancún and Playa del Carmen are famous for this, and some people come here just to dance until dawn to the sets of international DJs. Cancún, in particular, is a dream come true for American students, who want nothing more than to forget everything during the spring break period in early spring. The idea is to take the pressure off their studies, away from their parents, in the tropics. A week of unlimited partying in a see, sex and sun concept, with unlimited alcohol! If you like big parties, now's the time to come to Cancún, but book your accommodation several weeks in advance. Outside this period, which runs from the end of February to mid-April, Cancún remains a very festive city, especially in the Zona Hotelera, as does Playa del Carmen (on the beaches and Quinta Avenida), with the atmosphere in the beach clubs from early afternoon onwards. Tulum is not bad either, but in a much more chic and/or bohemian style. Elsewhere on the peninsula, in big cities like Mérida or Campeche, the nightlife is much more authentic and Mexican, and much cheaper too, with quaint bars and cantinas where you can meet Mexicans and enjoy concerts by local bands, over shots of tequila or craft beers. In Mexico, people generally go out late, starting on Wednesday or Thursday evenings. On Fridays and Saturdays, the bars are packed.
