Solo female travel Mexico: what it’s like to stay in Cancún, Tulum & Playa del Carmen on your own

If I haven't made this clear yet, I love both, solo and slow travel, and my favourite places are usually those that make it easy to combine the two. The Yucatan Peninsula is the perfect example, where one can enjoy exploring beaches alone and feel like that a more laid-back rhythm of life is possible. The Mayan Riviera taught me how to slow down, trust myself, and reconnect with my body and intuition. There are multiple blog posts out there about top things to do in Mexico, in today's post I thought I would share my experience more from a slow- and solo travel perspective.

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The reality of solo travel in the Riviera Maya

Let's start with safety and comfort, as a solo female traveller this may be something that concerns you the most. All three areas, Tulum, Cancún and Playa del Carmen felt pretty safe for me to explore alone. Given you stay in the touristy areas and practise generic safety precautions, you are not likely to run into any issues. The hotel/hostel stuff I came across were super friendly and helpful, and made sure I felt safe travelling alone. Learning some Spanish before your trip can always be useful, but most people speak great English, so your trip is likely to run without smoothly without language barriers. If you are travelling alone I would highly recommend staying in hostels, or at least go with guided tours, this way you can meet and hang out with others, and also get around and see attractions safely and comfortably. One thing I would definitely avoid doing is walking alone at night, even though these areas are safe, at night it can be creepy and uncomfortable. But during day time I did many walking trips alone (you know I love to stay active even on when I travel), and I felt very comfortable. As always, I was travelling off-season, so things were a bit more quiet than normally, but even then there were enough people and fellow travellers around for me to feel safe. If you are craving recharging long beach walks, spending time by the beach drinking coconut water and journalling, you will love this part of Mexico. I found so much joy in the small everyday moments here. Of course, there are sightseeing to do, and attractions to visit, but the Yucatan peninsula really does feel like a place where you can just take a break, relax and rewind. There are other solo travellers around, so if you crave connecting with others there are many experiences you can share.

I had some of the best solo dining experiences in Mexico, most places are pretty laid-back, no-one is looking strange if you sit alone. If you are still scared of dining solo, make sure you check out my top tips on the topic in this blog post!

The best time to visit Mexico

The main season is considered November-April, this is the time when the weather is dry and sunny aka best for beach days. BUT. If you prefer exploring in shoulder season May and October can be great times to visit too. This is when you are less likely to be surrounded by other tourists. I personally ended up visiting in October and I loved the atmosphere. If you prefer slow travel and less crowds, this is a great time to travel solo around here. The rest of the months can be rainy, which can mess with your plans, but if you are feeling adventurous and ready to take your chances, who am I to hold you back? :)

And now, let's get into the details of each location and why I would recommend them for a solo trip.

Solo travel Tulum

We're talking beach yoga, boutique stays and sipping coconut water on the beach. If you want a break to nourish your body, mind and soul through health practises, may that be a simple beach walk or a relaxing back massage. Tulum is the perfect place for the soulful and slow traveller. Nature and humans coexist beautifully around here, and there is an invitation for you to be more conscious and mindful of how you look after yourself and your environment. If you want to take your time to reflect, Tulum will welcome you with open arms. Tulum is busy enough without being overwhelming, so can be the perfect solo travel destination in Mexico. Here come some of my favourite spots/ things around Tulum.

Note 1: one thing that you have to be prepared for is that power cuts can happen in Tulum area, so check with your hotel/hostel if they have their own generator for these times!

Note 2: Tulum and parts of the Riviera Maya offer many spiritual or ceremonial experiences, including cacao and ayahuasca ceremonies. If you feel drawn to explore these, take time to research the facilitators, understand the setting, and make sure you’re in the right emotional and physical space. These practices can be powerful — but they’re not a casual tourist activity. Always prioritise your safety and trust your intuition.

Sand in your toes, sun on your skin and wind in your hair: this is what visiting the Mayan Riviera feels like

Green juices and morning yoga, just what the doctor ordered

Many accommodation options around here have gyms, so it is easy to look after your fitness even when you're far away from home. The jungle views are just a plus!

Azulik Uh May, may be a taxi ride away from Tulum, but is definitely worth a day trip! It is the prefect spot to relax and enjoy the crossover of nature and architecture!

The Azulik water garden

Solo travel Cancún

I have to say, Cancún may have a reputation for being too touristy and mainstream, but if you are new to solo travel, it can offer a great start. To visit this part of Mexico, you would end up flying to Cancún more likely anyway, so you might as well explore it. I actually had a great experience here travelling solo: it is well-connected, offers reliable public transport and beautiful marina and beach views. Since I went in shoulder season the beaches were more quiet and the prices more budget-friendly. I had a great time and have lots of pictures to prove it, including some of my tips and recommendations for fellow solo travellers.

I can highly recommend staying at Mezcal Hostel, it has private rooms so perfect for solo travellers who want both, company and space

The touristy areas are well-kept and organised, I enjoyed my daily walks here

Cute little marina spot for a solo dinner dat and 10/10 customer service. I always find that people are kinder to me and more attentive when I dine solo

A unique and spiritual experience, I visited a local catholic church (Santuario Maria Desatadora de Nudos) that was built within the jungle. The area is so peaceful, and even has a little cafe to relax in. I can highly recommend visiting it, even if you're not a religious person, this place feels very calm, yet up-lifting. The white ribbons you see on the photo are prayers, all written by visitors (yours could be up there too)!

Solo travel Playa del Carmen

This is the area for the social solo traveller. If you love a city with good nightlife, buzzing energy and liveliness, you will love Playa del Carmen. Of course if at any minute you want to connect with nature you can always take a beach walk or take a day trip to a nearby cenote. Cenotes are crystal-clear sinkholes carved into the limestone jungle. For solo travellers, they’re perfect places to cool off, reset, and feel completely connected to nature. Some are open and sunlit, others cave-like and mysterious. Each one feels like its own little world. This is certainly the most unique trait of this part of the country, there are lots of them that you can visit for free and enjoy, others might be guarded and you have to pay a fee to visit them. Most hostels I have come across offer daily trips to these, so if you don't want to go alone, this is a great way for you to hang out with others. Taking photos at this breathtaking spots will be much easier!

Smaller cenotes like this are to be found everywhere and are free to enter

Visiting Playa del Carmen during the Dia de los muertos was another beautiful experience...

...even though you have to factor in for some storms to hit in shoulder season!

An experience in Playa del Carmen actually reminded me how sociable solo travel gets to be. I visited a local restaurant (El Fogón, I can recommend) that was always full and buzzing, hoping to have dinner. There were no free tables, so the waiter asked me if I mind sitting with others. Of course I said 'Not at all' and within minutes I found myself chatting to fellow travellers, who even kindly ended up paying for my dinner. I had a nice time, great company and another reminder that solo travelling gets to be social! You end up being more open minded to connect with others, than if you already travelled with company.

One of my favourite things I did solo in Playa del Carmen, a glass-boat tour trip to a close by island San Miguel de Conzumel. After the experience I even had some free time to walk around in the charming, little town of the island and grab a bit.

Laid-back spots left, right and centre to enjoy the sun or a good book!

Travelling through the Riviera Maya reminded me why I fell in love with solo travel in the first place — the freedom to follow your own rhythm, to say yes to the unexpected, and to reconnect with yourself in the quiet moments between adventures.

If you’ve ever dreamed of solo female travel in Mexico, let this be your sign to go. From Tulum’s sunrise beaches to Playa del Carmen’s friendly cafés and Cancún’s turquoise calm, there’s a kind of magic here that meets you exactly where you are.