Afsar family holiday — Mexico + Belize, Dec 13–25, 2026

All seven of us · two route options below — please pick one

Flights are booked: Toronto → Cancún Sun Dec 13, 9:40 am · Cancún → Toronto Fri Dec 25, 7:40 pm (both direct, Flair). Everything else is cancellable and waits on the family's pick.
MEXICO BELIZE Caribbean Sea Cancún land Dec 13 · fly Dec 25 Playa del Carmen Dec 13–16 · Xcaret day Bacalar both options, twice Chetumal car parked during Belize days San Pedro both options · the reef Belize City (Option 2: change to the van) Cayo Option 2 · 2 nights · jungle, ruins over the Guatemala border Dec 24–25 Valladolid Chichén Itzá Dec 25, 8 am · before the buses Tulum ruins + Dos Ojos · Dec 16 stops
minivan (both options) boats Option 2 only: van to Cayo, then back to the border on Dec 22

Shared by both options

Dec 13Land 1:55 pm, drive 1 h to Playa del Carmen · 3 nights
Residencia Mejia · CAD 299 for the first 2 nights (3rd night to confirm)
Dec 14Xcaret park all day — Ilhan turns 3
Dec 16Drive south with Tulum ruins + Dos Ojos cenote stops; sleep in Bacalar
Casa CheJum · CAD 194
Dec 17Morning in Chetumal, park the car, afternoon boat into Belize (Tue/Thu/Sun boat — Thu Dec 17 confirmed day)
to Dec 24Back in Mexico: Bacalar, the seven-colour lagoon · 2–3 nights depending on the option
Casa Caribe · CAD 384 for 2 nights
Dec 24Drive to Valladolid (about 3¾ h inland), evening in the old town · 1 night
Ecohotel Shalom · CAD 245
Dec 25Chichén Itzá at 8 am — 90 quiet minutes before the tour buses — then 2¼ h to the airport, fly 7:40 pm

Option 1 — San Pedro, the long island stay

One base, four nights on the reef · two travel days

Dec 173:30 pm boat Chetumal → San Pedro (1½ h)4 n
18–20Reef days — snorkel trips, Hol Chan, the island
Dec 21Boat back to Chetumal, collect the car, Bacalar by lunch

Island stay: Paradise Suites ≈ CAD 1,330 for 4 nights, two apartments (the best price found on the island; cancelling costs half).
Boats for all seven, round trip: MXN 18,060 ≈ CAD 1,350.
One check pending: the first boat company sails Tue/Thu/Sun, so the Monday Dec 21 return needs the second company to confirm its days. If no Monday boat, this becomes 3 nights (back Sun) or 5 (back Tue).

Option 2 — San Pedro + Cayo jungle

Reef taster, then inland Belize · four travel days · more variety, more motion

Dec 173:30 pm boat Chetumal → San Pedro (1½ h)2 n
Dec 18Full reef day — snorkel trip, Hol Chan
Dec 19Water taxi to Belize City (runs all day, every day) + van 2 h to San Ignacio2 n
Dec 20Xunantunich ruins — the hilltop looks across the river into Guatemala · cave tubing for everyone over 40" (Ilhan sits out with one adult)
Dec 21Van 4 h north to the border, walk across, collect the car — Bacalar gets a third night

San Pedro, 2 nights: ≈ CAD 670 (the same two-apartment rate). Cayo, 2 nights: CAD 650–1,000 (whole homes for 7, free cancellation available).
Boats + water taxi + vans + border fees for seven: ≈ CAD 2,000 (van quotes for 7 still to confirm).
No boat-day risk on the way back — the return to Mexico is by road, any day.

Being confirmed before anything is booked: both boat companies' December days by phone (one publishes Tue/Thu/Sun; the other's days are unpublished) · safe parking for the car in Chetumal · the van quote for 7 people, Belize City ↔ San Ignacio ↔ border. Guatemala itself is out this trip — Nana and Dada's passports need a consular visa for it — but Xunantunich's view across the border is the next best thing.

Every stay is held on free cancellation where offered. Reply with Option 1 or Option 2.