Public transport to El Cuyo from Cancun, Playa, Tulum, Valladolid, Merida and Holbox is simple (if a little time consuming) once you know how…

All buses for El Cuyo go to and from Tizimin, and pass through Colonia Yucatan, so wherever you start your journey, you’ll have to change buses at one of these two places.

From Tizimin (Colonia Yucatan):

• Buses from Tizimin stop in Colonia Yucatan in the centre of town in front of the ice cream shop, near the ‘sitio de taxis’ and across from the park (there’s no bus station)
• Noreste – These large buses cost 75-85$ (time-dependent) from Tizimin to El Cuyo and 40-50$ from Colonia to El Cuyo. They have air conditioning and are relatively comfortable (bags go underneath). The Noreste bus station in Tizimin is around the corner from the ADO bus station – both are on the crossroads of Calle 46 with Calle 47.
• Tickets for Noreste buses can be bought in advance at the bus station in Tizimin, or at the shop/ice cream parlour by the bus stand in Colonia – or you can pay the driver as you get on.
• The minivan service between Tizimin and El Cuyo also picks up in Colonia Yucatan. It costs 70-80$ from Tizimin and 40-50$ from Colonia (paid to the driver when you get on). The minivans are faster than the Noreste buses but not as comfortable. The stop in Tizimin is by the Bodega de Mexico, one block from the Tizimin bus stations.
• Please note that the Noreste bus is more reliable than the minivan service, which is occasionally late – or just doesn’t arrive (as it will wait until there are at least 9 people on board before it sets off).
• If you arrive at Tizimin and you’ve missed all the connections, taxis are available from outside the bus station. A taxi for up to 4 people should cost around 550$.
• If you arrive at Colonia and you’ve missed all the connections, there may be taxis available at the ‘Sitio de taxis’ in front of the bus stop. A taxi from Colonia usually costs around 250$.

From Cancun:

Once you arrive in El Cuyo, to get to your accommodation you can either walk or take a moto-taxi. For information on the moto-taxi, please see the blog on ‘Getting around El Cuyo‘.

• The journey is in two stages, Cancun to Colonia Yucatan and then Colonia Yucatan to El Cuyo.

Cancun to Colonia Yucatan

• There are two bus companies that go to Tizimin – Mayab and Noreste. They have ticket booths next to each other inside the Cancun bus terminal.
• Check with the ticket seller that the bus stops in Colonia Yucatan centre (very occasionally they don’t pass through). Also, very occasionally the buses have a change at Kantunilkin. Check when buying your ticket.
• Buses cost approximately $150 and leave Cancun bus station at:
  • 03:30, 06:00, 09:00, 10:30, 12:30, 13:00, 14:30, 15:30, 16:50, 18:50
  • Sometimes they have AC.
• Get off in Colonia Yucatan at the ice cream shop in the centre – approximately 2.5 hours into the journey.
• Remember that the time in Cancun in winter is one hour behind Yucatan (Colonia Yucatan and El Cuyo are in Yucatan. 6am in El Cuyo is 5am in Cancun) so you gain an hour when travelling.

Colonia Yucatan to El Cuyo

• See information in the ‘From Tizimin / Colonia Yucatan’ section above for times and prices.
• The last bus to El Cuyo goes through Colonia Yucatan at about 18.30pm.

From Playa del Carmen:

There is one bus direct from Playa del Carmen to Tizimin, leaving at 16:30, but it arrives much later than the last connection to El Cuyo.

As such, you are better to leave early and go via Cancun – the journey is in 3 stages:

1. Playa del Carmen to Cancun – Take the Playa Express from Calle 2, between Avenida 15-20. They leave every 10 minutes, take just over an hour and cost approximately 40$ (starting 05:15 and finishing at 23:15). Alternatively, take the ADO from the main bus station (you can check times and prices on the ADO website)
2. Cancun to Colonia (see Cancun section for times and information)
3. Colonia to El Cuyo (see Tizimin/Colonia section for times and information)

To get to El Cuyo within the day using public transport, ideally, you’d leave Playa by 9am – so that if anything goes wrong, you have time to find alternatives. 

Alternatively, you can also go via Valladolid. So the journey is in 4 stages, Playa del Carmen to Valladolid (you can check times and prices on the ADO website), and then follow the instructions below from Valladolid.

From Valladolid:

You need to travel from Valladoilid to Tizimin to El Cuyo. Arrive in Tizimin before 6pm to get the last bus to El Cuyo. Ideally, you’d leave Valladolid by 4pm.

To get to Tizimin, you can either:

1. Take the Oriente bus from the ADO station (Calle 39 & 46). Buses are relatively frequent, but you may have to wait for up to an hour. They start at 5.30am and the last one leaves at 9pm. They cost 35$ and they arrive in Tizimin near the bus and van stations for El Cuyo
2. Alternatively, you can take the taxi colectivos (shared taxis). They leave from their station on Calle 40, between Calle 37 and 35 and go as soon as there are 4 people – usually leaving every 15 minutes. They start at 4.30am and finish at 10pm. They usually take 10 minutes less time than the ADO buses, but the drop point in Tizimin is near the central square, approximately 10 minutes walking from where you get the bus/vans to El Cuyo. They cost $40.

The journey takes about an hour (50 minutes in colectivo taxi). For your ongoing journey, please see ‘From Tizimin’.

From Tulum:

• The journey is in three stages –
  1. Tulum to Valladolid
  2. Valladolid to Tizimin (see top of page)
  3. Tizimin to El Cuyo (see top of page)
• Tulum to Valladolid – Take the ADO bus (from the bus station on the main road through Tulum town) to Valladolid. These buses take 1 hour and 40 minutes. For schedules and prices, check the ADO page.
• Remember that the time in Tulum in the winter months is one hour behind Yucatan (and once you arrive in Valladolid, you’ll be travelling through Yucatan) so you gain an hour when travelling. 
• Note that to get a connection to El Cuyo, you’d ideally leave Tulum on the 12:30 bus which gives you extra time in case something goes wrong.

From Holbox:

• The journey is in three stages –
  1. Holbox to Chiquila
  2. Chiquila to Colonia Yucatan 
  3. Colonia Yucatan to El Cuyo 
• Holbox to Chiquila – Take the ferry to Chiquila from Holbox. For schedules and prices, please check holboxeno.com.
• Chiquila to Colonia Yucatan – Take the bus going to Tizimin, but buy the ticket just to Colonia Yucatan. There are now four a day, leaving at 5.30, 7:30 and 13:30 (not on Sundays) 16:30. It costs between $100-200. Get off at Colonia Yucatan approximately 1 hour 45 minutes into the journey. (Timetable updated 23/02/2022)
• Colonia Yucatan to El Cuyo – see information at the top of the page. Remember that the time in Holbox in the winter months is one hour behind Yucatan (and once you arrive in Colonia Yucatan, you’re in Yucatan) so you gain an hour when travelling.

For information on travelling by car, CLICK HERE

For information on transfers/taxis, CLICK HERE