How To Get Here

Your Journey to Na’atik

The Yucatán Peninsula has several international airports, receiving flights from all over the world. The majority of Na’atik students fly in to Cancun, the region’s largest airport, which is between three and four and a half hours away from Felipe Carrillo Puerto depending on traffic and how you make the journey. In December 2023, the new Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto airport began receiving flights from Mexico City and other Mexican cities, with flights from the US and Canada beginning in late March 2024. This new airport is less than an hour away from Na’atik. There are also international airports in Chetumal, Cozumel and Merida within travel distance.

Traveling in the peninsula is safe, although as always when traveling abroad, it is best to have a clear travel plan and to use common sense when traveling alone or at night.

By Bus

From Cancun Airport

This is the most popular option and is both safe and affordable. The journey is relatively simple, but does require changing buses in Playa del Carmen.

ADO provides buses direct from the aiport terminals to Playa del Carmen, and tickets can be purchased at their sales booths in the arrivals areas of the airport. ADO runs a fleet of clean modern coaches, all tickets have assigned seating and you can expect a comfortable and air conditioned journey. There is often even a movie (in Spanish) playing as onboard entertainment. Buses leave regularly and are very reliable. Tickets are around $15 USD and the journey is just over an hour. You find more information about ADO busses and timetables on their website.

Upon arrival at the bus station in Playa del Carmen you will then need to purchase a ticket to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, which will cost around $8 USD. This service is provided by MAYAB, a regional bus company. These buses do not have assigned seating and may sometimes require standing during busy periods. The journey takes around two and half hours, and we will arrange to meet you at the station here in town.

ADO has recently begun adding direct service between Cancun and Felipe Carrillo Puerto to their timetable, however these are currently mostly late night services. If this changes we will update this page with the new routes and guidelines.

Since classes typically start on Monday, plan your trip so that you will arrive in Felipe Carrillo Puerto no later than 9 p.m. on the Sunday before. This will give you time to settle in with your host family and get a good night’s sleep. If your flight arrives after 4pm on the Sunday we advise that you spend the night in, Tulum or Cancun and complete the journey the following morning.

While we recommend arriving earlier, if you are arriving at your airport at midnight or later we suggest booking a hotel nearby in Cancun or Tulum before completing your journey down to Felipe Carrillo Puerto the following day. Please be aware that bus services may have stopped running by the time you are through security and customs. In this circumstance you can take a combi van or taxi from outside the airport to either Cancun or Tulum. Taxis are more expensive, but faster. If you choose to go by combi van, it will drop off passengers at their respective hotels first.

Please have a way to get in touch with us on your way down so we can arrange to meet you when you arrive.

From Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport

There is an ADO minibus service between the airport and the bus station in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. This is a new service, and the schedule is being updated regularly, you can find details on the ADO website. The service takes just under an hour. Otherwise you can take the ADO from Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport to Tulum town center. This bus takes 25 minutes and costs 290 pesos (a little more than 15 dollars). In Tulum you can then catch the Mayab bus from the same station to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, this journey takes around an hour and costs roughly 100 pesos.

We expect more connecting buses to be available from this airport as 2024 progresses and will update this section once we have the information.

Na’atik Transfer

If you wish to avoid the hassle of waiting in line for bus tickets and changing in Playa del Carmen or Tulum, we also offer airport pickups in our comfortable and spacious modern minivan. We will meet you at your airport and then drive you in comfort down to Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The journey takes around 4 hours from Cancun traffic dependent. Bottled drinking water will also be provided. The journey from Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto airport takes around one hour. You will be dropped off directly at your homestay family, where a team member will be waiting to welcome you.

If your party is the only arrival on the day we will arrange to pick you up based on your predicted flight arrival time, leaving from Cancun airport at no later than 4pm Cancun time or 7pm from Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto airport. If multiple parties book transfers on the same day we will pick all parties up at the same time, this will be communicated at the time of booking.

Cancun and Cancun airport pickups are charged at $250 USD. If you also want to book a return transfer, we offer the round trip at a discounted rate of $420 USD.

Tulum and Tulum airport pickups are charged at $100 USD one way or, if you also want to book a return transfer, we offer the round trip at a discounted rate of $180USD.

We also offer transfers between Playa del Carmen and Felipe Carrillo Puerto at a rate of $150 USD one way and a discounted round trip cost of $$275.

We may be able to offer pickup and drop off at other locations in the peninsula, quoted on an individual basis.

If you have any questions about your private transfer needs, please contact the team at mas@naatikmexico.org.

By Train

The Mexican government is currently building a trainline connecting towns, cities and airports across the peninsula, including Felipe Carrillo Puerto. As of mid-march the line from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen is in operation, with three trains running daily. The onwards line to Tulum, Tulum Airport and Felipe Carrillo Puerto is expected to be operational before the end of the summer.

If you are landing at Cancun Airport, you can choose to travel to Playa del Carmen by train, and then take the Mayab bus from Playa del Carmen on to Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Train ticket prices are currently lower than for the corresponding bus route. Please note that you would need to take a taxi between the train station and bus station in Playa del Carmen, as they are q

You can view timetables and purchase tickets at the Tren Maya website. The website is available in English or Spanish. Both standard and first class tickets are available with seat selection included for both classes, however if you are not a legal Mexican resident, it is important to buy an International ticket, rather than a National, Local or Special ticket. It is is also important to ensure that passenger information on the ticket matches the ID you will be carrying.

This page will be updated throughout the year as this exciting regional development continues.

Rental Car

If you wish to have your own wheels, we suggest you rent a car at your arrival airport and drive down. The highways are good and have improved a lot in recent years, however there is a lot of traffic and we recommend keeping an eye out for people passing/overtaking unexpectedly. We recommend you drive during daylight hours. The drive from Cancun takes between three and four hours depending traffic. Be sure to be on the lookout for topes – speed bumps – identified by yellow diamond signs with two or three black bumps. There aren’t any unannounced topes on the highway, but the ones at the entrance to Tulum and just south can take you by surprise. Also be aware that the rental car costs stated online generally do not include the cost of required insurance.

Driving directions from Cancun Airport (also available on googlemaps)

1. Head south on highway 307 to Playa del Carmen and Tulum

2. To Playa is about 45 min, to Tulum is another 45 min. and to Carrillo about 1 more hour.

3. About 1 hour south of Tulum, you’ll know you’re entering Carrillo when you see the Pemex gas station on your right. Highway 307 is Avenida Benito Juarez in town.

4. Keep going straight. Go through 1 set of lights, straight through the traffic circle, pass another Pemex gas station on your right, through another set of lights and go about 3 more blocks.

5. Turn LEFT at the DOMINO’S Pizza onto Calle 57

6. Go straight at the stop sign

7. Na’atik is 2.5 blocks on the right

The drive from Tulum-Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport takes around 45 minutes, using the same instructions as above, turning right out of the airport and then following on from point 3.

Contact mas@naatikmexico.org for more information or if you have any questions about travelling here.