Lounging on a beach with a tropical drink at a resort in Cancun or Tulum makes for a great escape from the frozen tundra. That's why so many Americans _ myself included _ head to the Yucatan, that peninsula at the southern tip of Mexico that splits the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Sunshine is abundant. Thoughts of snow melt with the warmth. Relaxation rolls in with each wave.
But I've also ventured beyond the popular Yucatan beaches. During my last trip, I stayed in Merida, a landlocked city with a rich Mayan and colonial history. On day trips from there, I found places with more locals than tourists, I searched for alligators and flamingos, swam in caves and bumped down remote roads that led to shockingly pink waters, where river and the Gulf of Mexico meet.
Each of these off-the-beaten-path places is alluring in its own way, and visiting them is surprisingly easy. In fact, some of the locations I've explored _ all hidden oases of the Yucatan, within an hour or two of Merida _ can be easily experienced during a day trip from the Yucatan's Caribbean side. As for the beach chair back at the resort with your name on it, well, it'll be waiting for you.
