Mexico: Maya Ruins & Cenote Adventure

Arrive at Cancun Airport and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy a bus drive while we transfer  to Tulum (2 hours) and if lucky get in time for our first sunset at Tulum beach. Enjoy  your first authentic Mexican meal. Bienvenidos! 

Enjoy a privately guided bike tour of the ancient Maya city of Coba where an estimated  6,500 structures remain to be excavated. Along the way, an expert tour guide will  unravel the mysteries of the ancient Maya by discussing their engineering,  architecture, and societal structures. After lunch, enjoy time swimming at the Kaan  Luum lagoon; our first cenote abierto; one of the three types of cenotes that we have in  Mexico and that we will see during the trip. 

An early start allows for a visit to Chichen Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the  World, before the crowds arrive from Cancun. Here, a guide will dive even further  into the ancient Maya world and explain all about Chichen Itza’s most famous ruin,  the stepped pyramid known as El Castillo or the Temple of Kukul’kan. We will have a  chance to observe the Ik kil cenote abierto. 

We will have lunch at a traditional restaurant where we will be able to experience local  women making tortillas, and we can try different traditional plates like cochinita pibil  and el lechón, prepared using a Mayan pit-style oven that’s made in the ground. 

Then, head to the mysterious yellow city of Izamal for a guided tour and to visit its  magical Franciscan monastery. The second largest atrium of the world. Izamal is  called the town of the three cultures and we will be able to explore this town in  oxcards to see its beautiful pyramids. 

After a long day of exploring ruins, relax while we drive for 1 hour to Merida, get a  delicious dinner and rest for tomorrow’s adventures. 

Known for its large population of flamingos, Celestún is a large salt-water lagoon  awash with pink birds. The area is well protected and preserved by local people as well  as the local authority, ensuring that it remains the ideal habitat for the 2,000 or more  flamingos and hundreds of other species of birds that flock there. Arriving at Celestún,  enjoy a boat ride into the lagoon that also has various cenotes (sinkholes) under the  surface that create springs in the water. Celestún is home to an abundance of flora and  fauna, including red mangroves, many fish, prawns and alligators, some or perhaps all  of which you will see from the boat. 

In the afternoon, explore Merida’s historic city centre. The city was founded in 1542  by the son of Conquistador Francisco Montejo, who was from Mérida in Spain, and  gave this capital city of Yucatán state its name. Start in the main square of the city  (Zócalo), visiting all four corners, exploring the oldest Cathedral in the Americas, the  Government House with paintings by Fernando Castro and the Municipal Palace.

While we visit the historic city centre, we will have a chance to try some sorbets and  trompos (traditional tacos al pastor). 

Explore two ancient Maya archeological sites with the benefit of a guide. First, visit  Uxmal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the famed Pyramid of the  Magician – a rounded pyramid with a mystical and mythical foundation story. 

After touring Uxmal’s ruins and some free time for lunch at a chocolate museum  (choco story); we will learn the process of making chocolate and try some of this  delicious product. In addition to that, we will be able to see some rescued animals  like monkeys and jaguars. After lunch, head to Kabah, a smaller Maya site home  to the Palace of Masks. Returning to Merida, if there is time left, we can enjoy the  rest of the evening at leisure. 

We will depart early to visit the natural reservation of “El Corchito.” We will take a  guided boat tour to explore several cenotes that we can swim in and enjoy the flora  and fauna of this magical place. After lunch we have a couple of options: Either, we  visit the largest port of the world in Puerto Progreso or visit Chicxulub, allegedly the  place where the meteor that extinguished the dinosaurs and created the cenotes  landed. On our way back to the city, we will visit the markets of Lucas de Galvez,  artisan markets and food farmers in the Santiago neighborhood. Notice the market’s  seasonal fruits and vegetables, sombrero stalls, hand-made hammocks and religious  articles. Peek into the tortilla factory to see a staple of Mexican cuisine in the making. 

Return to the vans and head down Paseo de Montejo, the main thoroughfare into  the city, modeled on the Champs-Elysees and lined with trees and large colonial  houses, once the city homes of rich Hacienda owners. 

In the morning, head to the Ek Balam Archeological Site for a privately guided bike tour  of its ruins nestled within lush jungle. Take the chance to swim and cool off in Cenote  X´canche, which is also located in Ek Balam. At X’canche we will be able to canopy  and rappel down to the water. After visiting this cenote, we will head to a different type  of cenote, cenote cerrado (closed cenote) just in time for dinner; where we will have a  buffet style dinner, and if lucky a yucatecos dance show. After a long day of swimming  in cenotes, enjoy a 2 hour bus ride back to Tulum for a good night of rest. 

Day 8-10: Days at leisure 

Take the time to relax and enjoy the beauty of Playa del Carmen beaches for the last few days.

On our last day, we will transfer to the Cancun area and stay in a hotel close to the  airport, get covid tested and have one last delicious meal. 

On departure day, transfer to Cancun International Airport for onward flights home. We  hope you enjoyed your time in Mexico and safe travels.