The great Mayan ruins of Tulum, Coba and Chichén Itzá, one of the new seven wonders of the world are a day trip from Villa Caracol. Chichén Itzá is probably the most famous and best restored of the Yucatán Mayan sites. Get there as soon after 8 am as you can to avoid the crowds.  Make sure you have a full tank of gas and fill up where you can. We manged to arrive at the toll booth with tank empty.  Not the first tourist to be in this predicament it seem. There was a guy with gas for sale right there.

And after the heat of Chichén Itzá, 17 kms towards Merida is Cenote Yokdzonot.  It’s an eco-development by the local women who have turned their beautiful cenote into a lovely space with a restaurant with embroidered table cloths and local menu. Highly recommended for eating and swimming.
http://cenoteyokdzonot.weebly.com/home.html

Tulum with its imposing location atop the rugged coastline has idyllic beaches .

Coba has the feel of Indiana Jones, being set in the jungle with the huge pyramid, No Hoch, which you can climb for magnificent views above the treeline.

Sian Ka’an Bioreserve – The Sian Ka’an (“where the sky is born”,  pronounced see-an caan) is a 1.5 million acre bioreserve and is named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. It covers 10% of the land in Quintana Roo and 100 km of coastline. Hundreds of species of birds, fish, plants, and other wildlife – many endangered – call this reserve home. There are also 27 Mayan ruins (unexcavated) linked by a unique canal system. This is one of the last remaining undeveloped stretches of the North American Coast and is nature in its rawest form. Several kinds of tours, including bird-watching and kayaking trips are offered through the visitor’s centre. Other privately run tours also exist. Plan on using a tour company to view this natural wonder, as the roads are not always passable without 4 wheel drive. Fishing for bonefish is also popular. Located approximately 1.5-2 hours from Puerto Morelos.