All seven of us · one route, settled with Mum's notes · one choice left to make: the beach finale
| Dec 13 | Playa | Land 1:55 pm, drive 1 h · 2 nights Residencia Mejia · CAD 299 |
| Dec 14 | Playa | Xcaret park all day — Ilhan turns 3 |
| Dec 15 | Valladolid | Drive 2 h, cenote swim on the way · 2 nights Casona del Negro Aguilar, 9.3, CAD 406 · or the splurge: Posada San Juan, 9.5 with breakfast, CAD 2,080 |
| Dec 16 | Valladolid | Chichén Itzá at 8 am — 90 quiet minutes before the tour buses — afternoon in the old town |
| Dec 17 | Bacalar | Drive 3¾ h · 2 nights Casa Caribe · CAD 384 when priced — re-checking for these dates |
| Dec 18 | Bacalar | Lagoon day — sail the seven colours |
| Dec 19 | Cayo | Short hop to Chetumal, park the car, van across the border — 4–5 h to San Ignacio (243 km) · 3 nights whole homes for 7 ran CAD 325–500 a night when priced Oct 17 |
| Dec 20 | Cayo | Xunantunich ruins — the hilltop looks across the river into Guatemala · cave tubing for everyone over 40" (Ilhan sits out with one adult) |
| Dec 21 | Cayo | Second jungle day — river, iguana sanctuary, or just the pool |
| Dec 22 | Beach base | Back across the border, collect the car, coast road north (Tulum ruins stop if energy allows) |
| 23–24 | Beach base | Beach days — the one choice below |
| Dec 25 | Fly home | Easy morning, drive to the airport, fly 7:40 pm |
Three nights where nobody cooks, orders or pays for anything · prices read Oct 18 for Dec 22–25, all seven of us, 2 rooms
| Pick 1 | Holiday Inn Club Vacations Royal Haciendas, Playa del Carmen — beachfront, two ocean-view suites, guest score 8.5 | CAD 3,389 |
| Pick 2 | Ocean Coral Riviera Cancún, Puerto Morelos — beachfront with a waterpark, suites on the waterpark side, score 8.2 | CAD 4,129 |
Both totals include taxes. These two are the best prices found but their cheap rates showed no free cancellation. If we want a refundable hold instead: Iberostar Waves Paraíso (score 8.3–8.5) CAD 4,694 or Sensira Resort (7.8) CAD 4,795, both free cancellation and pay at the hotel.
Cheaper, with Playa's restaurants and beach clubs on the doorstep · same dates, same seven
| Pick 1 | Pelicano Inn, Playa del Carmen — on the beach, breakfast included, score 8.4 | CAD 1,485 |
| Pick 2 | Casa de las Flores, Playa centro — breakfast rated 10/10, score 8.7 | CAD 1,423 |
Saves about CAD 2,000 against Choice A — but add dinners out for seven, three nights running, in peak week.
Our own kitchen, groceries instead of restaurants · same dates, same seven
| Pick 1 | Angelina 28 Beachfront Family Apartments, Puerto Morelos — on the beach, 2-bed apartment with kitchen, score 8.6 | CAD 926 |
| Pick 2 | Casa Colorines, Puerto Morelos — whole house with pool, rated 4.92 on Airbnb | CAD 1,173 |
Cheapest of the three and the kitchen cuts the food bill — cereal breakfasts and some home dinners. Pick 1 passes the small-kids test (beachfront); Pick 2 trades the beach for a private pool.
The small-kids test: staying in town means packing the beach bag, finding bathrooms, and trailing back for showers and naps — every day. Beachfront means walking out of the room to the water and back up for a nap in minutes. Both picks in A are beachfront; in B it's Pelicano Inn; in C it's Angelina 28.
| A · all-incl. | B · hotel | C · Airbnb | |
| Flights — booked and paid | 3,186 | 3,186 | 3,186 |
| Rental car 12 days + fuel (car quoted Oct 5, not yet booked) | ≈495 | ≈495 | ≈495 |
| Stays before the beach — Playa 299 · Valladolid 406 · Bacalar 384 · Cayo ≈1,200 | ≈2,290 | ≈2,290 | ≈2,290 |
| Beach base, 3 nights (Pick 1 of each choice) | 3,389 | 1,485 | 926 |
| Xcaret day (adults 194.55 each at the official advance price; under-5 free; child rate to confirm) | ≈1,100 | ≈1,100 | ≈1,100 |
| Chichén Itzá (kids free) + cenote stops + Bacalar lagoon boat | ≈770 | ≈770 | ≈770 |
| Belize days — van for 7 (quote pending), tubing + ruins day with lunch & entries, border fees | ≈2,490 | ≈2,490 | ≈2,490 |
| Chetumal parking, 4 days | ≈60 | ≈60 | ≈60 |
| Food not already included (200/day family rate; C lower — the kitchen) | 1,800 | 2,400 | 1,800 |
| Total | ≈15,580 | ≈14,280 | ≈13,120 |
| Dada's target: 10,200 — over by | +5,380 | +4,080 | +2,920 |
Where the ≈ lines can still move: the Belize van and parking are unquoted, the Cayo home has a 975–1,500 range, and the tubing day assumes six of us go. If we also skip the lagoon boat and hold food tight, C can land near 12,000. The two fixed facts: flights are paid, and December beach prices only go up from here.
Nothing new is booked until the family picks. Reply with A (all-inclusive), B (beach hotel) or C (Airbnb home) — and name the Pick if you have a favourite. Beach prices were read Oct 18 and move daily.