DK Travel : Cancún and the Yucatán

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has a special atmosphere and an immense variety of attractions, including some of the world’s best beaches and diving areas. The modern, glittering resorts of the east coast’s “Mayan Riviera” lie alongside charming old Spanish Colonial towns, sleepy Mayan villages, and the awesome remains of ancient civilizations.

800–950: Collapse of Mayan Civilization

In the relatively short span of about 150 years, Mayan civilization almost disappears, most likely due to a series of catastrophes – overpopulation, over-use of exhausted land, intensification of inter-Mayan wars, and drought. The southern city states are left deserted, and the Mayan writing system virtually disappears. In the north, the decline is later, and the cities are never entirely abandoned.
A Day in the Puuc Hills

Morning

Leave Mérida early in a rental car. Beyond the suburb of Umán, where you turn onto Highway 261, traffic thins out, and you’ll have an easy drive through woods and a few placid villages.

Stop at Yaxcopoíl for a quick tour of the hacienda, a remarkable vision of early 20th-century aristocratic life in the Yucatán. Beyond Muna the road enters the Puuc Hills, before dropping down again to Uxmal . Devote at least two hours to this site, keeping an eye out for iguanas as well as the architecture.

Recoup your energies by heading back up the road a little to the Restaurante Hal-Tun , for sopa de lima on the roadside terrace.

Afternoon

Head straight for Kabah to marvel at the monsters of the Codz Poop.

Further south, the “Puuc Route” turns off the main Highway 261 onto a lovely woodland road, with only a few other tourists, combis, tricycle carts, and the birds for company. Along the way are stop-offs at the Puuc sites of Sayil,Xlapak , and Labná. At the end of the road, descend into the netherworld of Loltún, refreshing yourself afterward in its café.

Go down to Oxcutzcab, and turn left for Ticul . Dine on poc-chuc at Los Almendros and take a stroll around the plaza to soak up some Yucatán country life before you drive back to Mérida.
A Two-Day Tour

Day One

Stay the night in Valladolid or, better, the little town of Pisté just outside Chichén Itzá, and get to the ruins as early as possible. Once inside, tackle the climb up the Castillo for an overview of the ancient city in all its majesty. Spend at least three hours around Chichén, then regain your strength with lunch at the charming Las Mestizas in Pisté.

In the afternoon, make a choice: if you’re interested in the ancient Maya, go up to Ek-Balam, or head into Valladolid for a wander around its plaza, San Bernardino monastery, and the dramatic town cenote. Before it’s too late in the day, head north to Río Lagartos (104 km/65 miles) to book a flamingo tour for the next morning. Stay at the Hotel San Felipe in San Felipe.

Day Two

The flamingos are best seen early, so you’ll need to be off around 7am. A 2-or 4-hour tour takes you into an exuberant, rare natural world, through broad lagoons and narrow creeks. Afterward, for lunch, have a ceviche at Isla Contoy on the water-front, or head down to Tizimín for steaks at the Tres Reyes on its broad Colonial square.

From Tizimín, turn westward through miles and miles of cattle ranches to reach Izamal. Here you can look out on the town from the monastery’s arcaded courtyard. The town’s golden colors are especially lovely in the warm, early evening light.
Acamaya

A secluded spot to get away from just about everything, set at the end of the bumpy beach road north from Puerto Morelos. There’s a small cabaña hotel and a camping site.
Acanceh

An extraordinary little town in which over 2,000 years of time are expressed, from its ancient Mayan edifices to a fine 18th-century Spanish church.
Acanceh

On one side of the square of this remarkable little town is an 18th-century church, while on another is a very ancient Mayan pyramid, perhaps begun around 300 BC.
Acanto Hotel & Suites, Playa del Carmen

Those looking for quality, privacy, and style – from newly weds to celebrities – can enjoy an exotic and environmentally friendly stay at this luxurious hotel. Each villa is resplendent in artistic decor, and fastidious attention is paid to the minutest detail.
Agua de Chaya

Another infusion, this one of the vegetable chaya (see Crepas de Chaya), best mixed with water and a little lemon juice.
Agua de Jamaica

Enormously refreshing local product – an infusion of dried flowers of jamaica (a kind of hibiscus), diluted to make a delicious tall drink.
Aguilar Bike Hire, Valladolid

From his ramshackle shop, former baseball player Antonio “Negro” Aguilar provides information, sells sports goods, and rents out cheap rooms and bikes at low rates.

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Hotel price categories

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