Location: Cancún
Day 1 - 29 Jan 2020
Cancún
Content: How to get to Valladolid: From Cancún: if you just arrived from the airport you have to take a bus or taxi to Cancún town first. From there the easiest and cheapest way to get to Valladolid is by ADO bus. If you are doing a road trip around the Yucatán peninsula (we are also making an itinerary of the whole trip), you might be arriving from Isla Holbox. In that case you take the boat back to the mainland and hop on the ADO bus there, close to the jetty. You can either book your tickets online (on their website) or at the ADO bus station. They are usually not sold out, but if you want to be sure you can do it 1 or 2 days beforehand.
Location: Valladolid
Day 1 - 29 Jan 2020
LE MUUCH HOTEL
Content: Where to stay: You can either choose to stay in a studio apartment in the city center using Airbnb (like we did), or go for one of the hotels. We recommend staying in a hotel with a pool, so that you can relax a little bit after coming back from a day of exploring. This one was recommended to us by friends and is close to the downtown and all of the highlights.
Location: Valladolid
Day 2 - 30 Jan 2020
Valladolid
Content: Valladolid is very different from most other places in the Yucatán peninsula. You can clearly see the rich culture and everywhere you go you’ll be reminded of the colonial history. One of the most picturesque areas is this cute street: Calle de los Frailes. The houses are super colorful, the street is decorated with flags and there are plenty of nice places to eat or shop! Go (relatively) early, when the street is quiet and the light is good! Stroll down the street and enjoy the cuteness!
Tresvanbien (Empanadas argentinas y delicatessen)
Content: On of those cute cafe/restaurants! Have a coffee or lunch here and enjoy the view of the street from your table!
Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado
Content: Valladolids park is the center of the city. Around it are many restaurants from where you can look over the park. Also nice, grab a snack from one of the many vendors in the park, and eat it on one of the white ‘love chairs’.
Iglesia de San Servacio
Content: Right in front of the park you’ll find Iglesia de San Servacio. Take a picture or take a look inside. Just make sure you cover your shoulders and legs (up to the knee).
Cenote Zaci
Content: For most cenotes you have to rent a bike/scooter/car, but cenote Zaci is within walking distance of the city center! You can have a drink or lunch at the restaurant right on top op the cenote or go down an take a dip.
Mercado Municipal de Valladolid
Content: One block away from the cenote is a local market where you can find fresh produce, clothes and other little things. It’s nice to stroll through it, and maybe buy some fresh fruit (really cheap too!)
Convento de San Bernardino de Siena
Content: This convent is one of the oldest colonial buildings in the state of Yucatán. You can visit it during the afternoon if you want to take a look inside, but it’s also worth a visit at night! Every night there is a light show outside the convent and a video about the history is shown (English version at 9:30pm).
Location: Valladolid
Day 3 - 31 Jan 2020
Valladolid bike rental
Content: Rent a bike in one of the many places that offer them. Today you’re going to visit some cenotes and get some exercise in the process! The first stop is about 15-20 minutes by bike, so leave between 8:15 and 8:30. I
Hacienda Cenote Oxmán
Content: We read cenote Oxmán opened at 8, but it actually opens at 9. However, we were allowed to go in at 8:45 since we were there so early, so it can pay off to go early anyway and wait a little bit. The cenote can get busy, so we definitely recommend going as soon as it opens. This cenote is really cool. You can look down into the pool from above and once you descend the stairs it’s even more beautiful. There are lots of vines hanging down, and you can jump into the water using a rope. Included in the entrance fee for the cenote is a ‘day pass’ for the pool. So if you want you can stay for a while, use the sun beds and the pool.
Cenote Xkeken
Content: Cenote Xkeken is a beautiful cenote with nice blue water and a small hole in the roof so some natural light can shine into the cenote. There are also stalactites and vines hanging down, which makes this cenote feel really special!
Location:
Day 3 - 31 Jan 2020
Cenote Dzitnup
Content: Cenote Samula (or Dzitnup) is also one that needs to be on you itinerary! It’s a big cave with beautiful blue water at the bottom, and a small stone island on the side. When you go around moon, a beam of sunlight shines though the hole it in the roof of the cenote, which makes it magical. It is during the middle of the day though, so when we were there it was rather busy.
Location: Valladolid
Day 4 - 1 Feb 2020
Valladolid
Content: The cheapest way to get to chichen itza is by collectivo. They’re mini vans that drive around everywhere in Mexico. There are designated stops where they depart from, so ask around (for example at the bus station) when and where they leave from. Then take the first one that goes in the morning, in our case it was at 7am. If you don’t want to take the collectivo you can also take a taxi of course, or rent a car.
Location: Chichén-Itzá
Day 4 - 1 Feb 2020
Chichén-Itzá
Content: Chichén-Itzá, one of the modern wonders of the world! Regardless if you’re into history or not, this is something you cannot skip in your trip to Valladolid. Like I said before, go as early as possible. The ticket office opens at 8, but people are already lining up from 7 or earlier. Especially if you care about taking pictures with no other people, because it will get busy fast. Go to the pyramid first, take some pictures and enjoy the sight of an actual wonder of the world, and then explore the rest of the temple complex. Take your time and enjoy strolling around for a few hours, and then get back to the parking lot (which will be incredibly busy by then, you’ll be extra happy you got there early!).
Location: Valladolid
Day 4 - 1 Feb 2020
Valladolid
Content: After a morning full of exploring in the sun, get back to your hotel and take it easy for the rest of the day. Enjoy the pool, relax and reload for another day of exploring tomorrow.
Le Kaat
Content: A really nice vegan place. We are not vegans or vegetarians, but we loved the food here! Nice vibe and tasty food.
Location: Valladolid
Day 5 - 2 Feb 2020
Valladolid
Content: Rent a car or a scooter (we chose the scooter) and prepare for a day of adventure!
Cenote Suytun
Content: First stop of the day is cenote Suytun. The best moment to visit (if it is the right time of year, mind you) is during the afternoon when a beam of light hits the plateau in the middle of the cenote. It must be a beautiful sight and would make for a stunning picture, but you will be queuing up to take your picture in a few seconds with people breathing down your neck. Our advice is: go early or at the end of the day (it closes at 5pm). You won’t see the light beam but it’ll be a much more pleasant experience.
Location: Cancún
Day 5 - 2 Feb 2020
Ek Balam
Content: This temple complex is much less well known than Chichén-Itzá, but definitely worth a visit. You’re not allowed to clime the temples of Chichen-Itzá anymore, but here you still can. Be careful though, the stairs can be very steep and people falling and dying is exactly why they closed it. But still, the views are beautiful!
Location: Yalcobá
Day 5 - 2 Feb 2020
Cenote Palomitas
Content: The further you go from Valladolid, the emptier the cenotes will be. This one is much less well known than the previous ones, but very beautiful nonetheless. And it feels much more special when you’re in one of those huge, silent cenotes all by yourself. They had tyres which you could use to float around in, and we enjoyed the cenote for more than an hour all alone!
Location: Temozón
Day 5 - 2 Feb 2020
Cenote Xcanahaltun
Content: This cenote blew us away. Like the previous one, it’s not well known at all and we saw only a few other people. It’s huge, it has little sand islands in the middle and a hole in the roof so the sunlight shines through (if you want to see the sun beam, visit before 14:30). The water is beautiful, and there are many little fish (that will nibble on your toes haha). Absolutely breathtaking.