You may have heard about the recent crimes against Uber drivers in Cancun, so here is my safe transportation options in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun.
Please note: I have been going to this area for years and I now also own a condo in Tulum. I absolutely love this region, and I am aware of potential dangers, but I have always stuck to my safety pre-cautions, and have never had any issues. Please check out my Is Mexico Safe post to read about them!
ALSO NOTE : I do not go to Cancun. So I don’t have a ton of info for safe taxis there.
Is Uber Safe to Take in Cancun?
First and foremost, the war between rideshare companies and taxis has existed in almost every place they are introduced to. It is not surprising at all to hear taxi drivers attacking Ubers, or that tourists are getting caught in the crossfire.
While I personally would LOVE to be able to take Ubers here, I will not for probably a year or more, because we all know very well NOT TO MESS WITH TAXIS.
The taxis here may or may not be involved with cartels, and that’s even more reason not to mess with them.
So, that’s my opinion. Wait until things cool off a bit (if ever) and choose one of the other options below.
Also, Uber is only currently in Cancun. We heard it might be coming to Tulum next though. And while I really hope Uber will be one of the safe transportation options in Tulum, I doubt it will be for a while.
SAFE TAXIS IN TULUM and PLAYA
A taxi in Tulum from Centro or La Valeta to the beach is only 14 minutes-ish but costs $25 each way…….
The thing that sucks about not being able to use Uber, is that taxis are expensive, and not always safe. It has been said that some taxis will pick you up, then more people will get in the car or will be hiding in it, and will then mug you, usually at gun point. I have only heard this a few times in Playa though.
Great news though! There are specified “safe taxis” for tourists! If you need to take a taxi, get one from a hotel, or use one of these approved, safe taxi services. You can order it by whatsapp and they speak English. Be sure to ask the cost first!
Here’s my safe transportation options for taxis:
FOR SAFE TAXIS IN PLAYA
whatsapptaxi central 52 984 197 0814
Radio taxi english 52 984 316 3751
FOR SAFE TAXIS IN TULUM
Flash Taxi Tulum 52 983 125 4891
Private Safe Transportation Options in Tulum, Playa, and Cancun
If you don’t want to even bother with taxis, especially to and from the airport (which I wouldn’t recommend anyway because it’s expensive AF), here’s a couple of safe private transportation options:
BOOKAWAY : is a safe, easy to use platform that will give you all of the options for private transfers, including shared shuttles. or private cars. You can also book your bus tickets (ADO is safe).
TurismoChannel: Is a local tour company that I’m now friends with, and they also provide safe, reliable, top notch transfer services from the airport, to sites, and in between the cities. You can book literally anything through them as well from tours to rental cars! If you want a bit of a discount, please DM them on IG and ask for Vanessa, and mention that Alyssa sent you !
Is it Safe to Rent a Car and Drive?
Personally, i rent cars and drive by myself all the time. Just obey the speed rules AND! Pay close attention to the one way streets (which are mostly all of them), because the police WILL try to fine you if you go the wrong way!
Other than that, don’t keep valuables in the car, lock it, be super careful on dirt roads, and get the insurance. Also driving in Mexico has a general stereotype of being crazy, but it’s really not that different from the U.S.
Many rental companies online advertise like $14 a day, but this is a lie. They will all try to make you pay an additional $20-50 per day for a “mandatory Mexico insurance”.
Usually I rent cars through my friends at Turismo Channel because they include the insurance. Rates vary by season but it’s usually around $40-50 per day. Again, you can DM Vanessa (@turismochannel) and if you mention me she’ll likely help you out since she’s one of my good friends here!
Speaking of insurance, please make sure you get Travel Insurance for your trip, in case of any cancellations or injuries!
Bike Rentals in Tulum and Playa
My current main mode of transportation is via a cute bike I bought in Tulum for about $175. In playa I also rent bikes and I love it! Biking is safe but obviously be careful with traffic, especially at night. Try to get a bike with a light on it!
Tulum Bike Rentals:
There are bike rental places EVERYWHERE so I’m not going to list them all. I will tell you that you shouldn’t pay more than 100 pesos per day ($5).
Roads are bad here and there’s not really any bike lanes so BE CAREFUL!
Playa Bike Rentals:
I recommend using BiciPlaya , which you use through an app. The app isn’t super amazing, but it’s easy enough to figure out and use, you just need to make sure you have data to lock and unlock the bike.
There are BiciPlaya stations all over Playa, so you just ride to where you want to go, park it at a station, lock it, and get another one when you leave!
Scooter and ATVS
I also love scooters! Especially in Tulum where the beach is a bit far from the town. Rentals can be pretty pricey, but you can attempt to negotiate.
It should be around $35 per day….which is almost as much as a car…so if you’re trying to go far, like to cenotes or Chichen Itza…just get a car.
I found a guy in Tulum who will bring you a scooter and pick it up and also offers weekly discounts, you can contact him at: +52 55 4010 6519 . Please tell him the travel blogger girl named Alyssa sent you
