“Take life with a grain of salt, a slice of lime, and a shot of tequila.” – unknownÂ
Mexico is known for its sun, sand, and cocktails, and they offer no shortage of each throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico is also known for their warmer temps, and nothing beats the heat like a nice cold (adult) beverage! While we love exploring all of the incredible adventurous locations Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula has to offer, you will most likely find us lounging pool side or beach front with a few lime soaked beverages.  After all, who doesn’t love lounging on the pristine beaches of Riviera Maya with an ice cold margarita in hand? Fortunately, there are lots of tempting tequila concoctions found in all corners of the Yucatan.
With so many unique and tasty concoctions to choose from, the decision of what to drink can be an overwhelming one.  In honor of National Tequila Day which were celebrating on Monday, July 24, 2017, and we’re dedicating our first Friday Five  countdown to five drinks worth the flight.
Without further ado, here are five drinks tequila lovers must try on your first or next trip to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula:
Mr. Sanchos Beach Club is our favorite destination to spend an afternoon on the beautiful island of Cozumel. Â This fabulously fun beach club is just a short cab ride from port (about 15 minutes), and features a swim-up pool bar, beachfront dining, and a water park.
Mr. Sanchos is a great way to spend an afternoon enjoying the crystal clear waters of Cozumel.  They are known for their selection of frozen flavored margaritas (try the strawberry or peach for something different), but the mango and tamarindo margaritas are the specialty of the house and they come in at number five on our list.  These margaritas are the perfect way to beat the heat!
When it comes to size – Mr. Sanchos wins.  Guests are able to order their margaritas in either Yarda or Superyarda.  The Superyarda is worth ordering for the plastic-wear alone which is very similar to what you would find at Señor Frogs and makes for a great souvenir.  These delicious Superyarda Margaritas were incredible, and they were the perfect way to enjoy the heavenly beaches of Cozumel.
The streets of Playa del Carmen are filled with a variety of options to eat and drink the night away – literally. We had a few ups but mostly downs when it came to dining in Playa, so when we came across Blue Lobster, we were pleasantly surprised. The reviews online are mixed, and we can understand that like many of the establishments we patronized in PDC service can come and go. However, Blue Lobster’s location is one thing that doesn’t change. Their curbside dining offers full immersion into the Playa nightlife, and great opportunities for people watching.
After we were seated at our first floor table for two, we immediately ordered the Blue Margarita. This intoxicating full-size beverage did not disappoint which landed it a spot on our countdown at number four, and we kept them coming. These margaritas were the strongest we’d experienced on this particular trip, and they were also the brightest thanks to the drinks’ signature illuminating ice cubes. One thing also worth noting is that Blue Lobster offered the most affordable drink selection during our time in PDC.
Our experience at Blue Lobster was a great one, and if you find yourself in Playa del Carmen – we hope you’ll stop in to sample the drink menu.
Fusion is a bar and boutique beach club located in the heart of Playa del Carmen’s beaches just off the corner of 6th Street. The staff here is friendly and eager to please. A perfect example of their willingness to do anything to satisfy their customers is when we requested one of the many televisions inside the bar area to be changed so that we could view the Penn State game. Not only did they change the channel on one of the three televisions, but they changed all three of the televisions to the game AND installed a fourth television just so our group could watch the game! We cannot express enough that we never asked for this to be done, and it was never discussed with us. The staff did this completely on their own, and they certainly made our afternoon. No joke, the staff at Fusion went above and beyond, and that is why we continue to return.
During our time at Fusion, we enjoyed many tasty Grand Margaritas directly on the beach and in the bar. Fusions take on this popular Mexican beverage goes down smooth, and it has just the right combination of tequila and lime for our liking landing it at number three on our list. You are also given the option to choose between their wide and unique selection of tequilas. This was a refreshing change as it is not the norm in Playa. Future patrons be warned, after a few Grand Margaritas – finding your way back to your hotel may be a challenge!
If you find yourself off the grid in our favorite coastal town of Tulum, Mexico, you must make your way to Encantada Hotel, Restaurant & Bar. Encantada is a boutique beachfront hotel located just south of the picturesque Mayan Ruins of Tulum along Beach Road, and here you will find paradise along with some of the freshest cocktails in the Yucatan, and the view isn’t too shabby!
We fell absolutely head-over-heals truly, madly, deeply in love with the blissful town of Tulum. This slice of paradise is home to the most amazing mango margaritas we have ever tasted. These heavenly margaritas land firmly at number two on our list, and they feature the freshest organic and locally sourced mango juice, the finest tequila, a tamarind spiced rim, and a slice of fresh mango all served in beautifully hand crafted glassware made by local artisans. We still find ourselves day dreaming about these yummy cocktails and the hotel’s stunning views!
If your schedule permits, we highly recommend you take advantage of happy hour which is offered at Encantada daily from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. If you are lucky, Jose will be behind the bar, because no one makes a margarita like Jose!
Casa de los Sueños is located in the southern tip of our favorite Caribbean Island, Isla Mujeres. This superior boutique hotel is also home to a spectacular outdoor bar and restaurant overlooking the ocean. The service here is out of this world, and the venue features live music – in case the view wasn’t enough #GoodVibesOnly. We cannot say enough good things about the establishment itself which is why we’ve dedicated a separate post entirely to Sueños.
If you’re looking for a drink that is miles away from ordinary, this is it! Although the hotel’s “happy hour” sign brought us in, Sueños’ margaritas and incredible customer service are what we stayed for! Our official kiss goodnight from Casa de los Sueños was one last drink recommended by our spectacular server, Gonzo, called the Mexican Bulldog. This drink fit for a king/queen combined the hotel’s regular margarita and an ice cold Corona and takes the cake at the top of our list – there can only be one! Sueños’ margaritas stand alone as simply the best margarita we’ve had in Mexico to date. However, the addition of the Corona is what sets this apart from any other margarita in Mexico in our opinion! We hope that you will have a chance to visit Sueños on your next trip to Isla Mujeres because some drinks are just worth the flight!
A special thanks to our friends at Casa de los Sueños who have generously shared the recipe to their two most popular margaritas. If you try these at home, we hope you’ll have one very happy hour!
If you do find yourself in Playa del Carmen, we highly recommend you check out the town’s Tequila Museum as well as the attached retail store which features an incredible variety of unique tequilas.
There you have it – five drinks we think are worth the flight. Â We hope your found our tasty tequila countdown helpful on your first or next trip to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
As always, have fun and travel safe.  Cheers!
What drinks do you think are worth the flight? Have you had the chance to enjoy any of these delicious beverages? Are there any drinks or destinations you’d like to see added to future lists? We’d love to hear what you’ve found on your travels!
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