The plans
My wife and I felt strongly that we wanted to experience more than just the resort life in Mexico. With several members of the family who spoke Spanish well, we were less intimidated by getting away from the tourists. Language proficiency was not needed in the tourist spots but very helpful when leaving the main strips. Everyone seemed very patient and happy to hear us try to speak to them in their language.
Our plan was to spend about half the time on the beach and half in the jungle and ruins. We spent the majority of our time at the beach farther south. The waves were better in Cancun, but the swimming and snorkeling was better south of the reef. The kids liked being able to have both experiences.
Here was our itinerary:
Sunday: Playa del Carmen
Monday: Akumal
Tuesday: Akumal (but Half-moon Bay)
Wednesday: Tulum
Thursday: Valladolid
Friday: Ticopo
Saturday: Cancun
Sunday: home