CAN(WE GO BACK)CUN

Last month my family and I took a trip down to Cancun, Mexico. This was the second time I’ve been to Cancun and definitely will not be the last! After the five hour flight and an hour car ride to our hotel, we finally arrived. We stayed in Playa del Carmen at the Secrets Maroma Bay Resort. The entirety of it was so unbelievably beautiful. The grounds were lush and filled with palm trees that soared up high into the sky. The white sand treaded for miles and was continuously greeted by the crystal clear water of the Caribbean Sea to produce the perfect napping soundtrack, which I greatly appreciated. As soon as we walked into the resort we were greeted with champagne, which was a great indication as to how the rest of our trip would be like… 🙂

After checking in, we were escorted to the rooms. As soon as the door to our room opened it was hard to pay attention to anything other than the view. We got settled and decided to head to dinner. On the menu tonight: Brazilian food. The food was amazing! Never have I ever been so full in my life. However, imagine not eating a fulfilling meal for 10+ hours and you’ll understand why we went to bed as happy campers. Through the course of our week we spent most of our days relaxing and lounging near the beach or pool. Despite that, we still took a day to leave the resort and do some exploring. Before I blab on about those adventures here are some photos of our time spent at the oh so beautiful resort.

Swimsuit: H&M | Cover Up: Stella Laguna Beach

(this guy was the besttttt!!)

Swimsuit: Victoria’s Secret | Cover Up: Forever 21

We were so happy with our stay at Secrets! Aside from the absolutely breathtaking resort which was so visually appealing, everyone at the resort was so friendly and helpful with any questions we had and made sure our stay was as perfect as it can get!

On our day out we took a tour to check out one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Chichén Itzá. This landmark has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Unfortunately we could not make the trip last time we were in Cancun, so I had to make sure we went this time. The tour on the archeological site took about two hours but every moment was so interesting and educating. It was really satisfying to know that what I learned in my middle school history courses is still relevant. The site was beautiful and learning about the Mayan’s and the lives they lived was really mind-blowing. Dominating the center of the site stood the Temple of Kukulkan – it was every bit as tall, and every bit as beautiful as I imagined. Of course we had to take a jumping photo just like we did in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa a couple years ago!

After our tour of the archeological site, we headed to lunch in this cute little village where we got a taste of the culture, trying authentic Mexican food and meeting with some locals.

Top & Shorts: H&M | Belt: Nordstrom | Purse: Urban Outfitters

After we toured the Mayan Ruins we went to one of the most breathtaking scenic spots I’ve seen – Cenote Ik Il. This place was unreal. The photos will never do justice to what can only be described as one of the coolest experiences of my life. As I made my way down the stairs into the open cavern I was at a loss of words. After hours of walking in the crazy heat at Chichén Itzá, I could not wait to jump into the refreshing, crisp water. My sister and I took a flight of stairs up about 25 feet and jumped into the dark water. Not going to lie… when we got to the top of the stairs the jump seemed pretty scary.. but there was a line of people waiting for us to go so we couldn’t waste time contemplating the jump. It was now or never. We held hands and 3, 2, 1.. suddenly I was under the water and could feel the fish touch me as I swam back to the top. It was such an adrenaline rush! I spent some time in the water, floating on my back and staring up at the beauty of this place. It was so tranquil and peaceful, I never wanted to leave!

By the end of our tour we were exhausted and ready to get back to the resort. Our bus ride back was about 2 hours but most of it was spent looking through the photos we took that day followed by a nice nap. As we arrived closer to Playa del Carmen, we were woken up by the classic “Tequila” song. Keep in mind almost everyone on the bus was asleep, everyone suddenly woke up only to find our tour guides wearing sombreros, dancing and singing, with tequila bottles and limes in hand. They began dancing across the aisles of the bus giving everyone a tequila shot. Everyone was dancing and laughing and making the most of our last few minutes – this was the last hoorah of the day and it was epic! I highly recommend anyone who takes a trip down to the Cancun area to do a tour and check out both of these sites because they truly were unforgettable and a must see! You don’t want to miss it.

As per usual, here are my save, spend, and splurge suggestions, travel edition. I suggest to keep your expensive sunglasses at home and go buy a couple cheap pairs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost or broken my glasses on a trip and so happy it wasn’t my designer ones. H&M and Forever21 both have a great selection of fun and hip cheap sunnies. When it comes to spending, you can’t go wrong with a great bathing suit. Personally, I love Victoria Secret’s swimwear line – they have such a huge selection for every body type out there. As for splurging, I would definitely invest in a nice camera or a GoPro. My sister brought her GoPro along and we have some amazing footage and photos. It may be a price to pay but the memories will last forever!