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.

Uxmal

Some kids love Mayan ruins; others don’t. But one that most frequently scores a hit is Uxmal. Not only does it have lots of steps and temples for running around, but its clefts and stones are home to huge numbers of iguanas, which sit stock still until surprised, then dart off with sudden alacrity. Some are giants as big as crocodiles, but they’re all harmless no matter how scary they may look.
Uxmal

A hugely atmospheric city with some of the finest Mayan buildings, in the Nunnery Quadrangle and the Governor’s Palace .
Uxmal

The pyramids, palaces, and quadrangles of this dramatic ruined city have a special elegance and beauty, and are regarded by many as the pinnacle of ancient Mayan architecture.
Valladolid

The Spanish capital of eastern Yucatán, founded in 1545, has at its heart one of the most charming of the region’s colonial plazas – wonderful for people-watching – overlooked by the tall white cathedral. Valladolid is celebrated for embroidery, and the square is a good place to buy the white, flower-patterned huípil dresses and tablecloths. Around the town there are many more fine old Spanish churches and houses, and just four blocks from the plaza you can look down into the dramatic pit of Cenote Zací, once Valladolid’s water source.
Valladolid Craft Market and Bazaar

Valladolid’s semi-official handi-crafts market has some very fine embroidery, as well as more production-line goods. The nearby bazaar is a quirky collection of shops around a food court (see Places to Eat).
ValladolidValladolid

Valladolid combines distinguished colonial architecture with the easygoing atmosphere of a Yucatán market town. Whitewashed arcades and 17th-century houses surround the main plaza, and among the town’s many churches is a fine Franciscan monastery (seeManí Monastery). Right in the middle of the town is a huge cenote, which once provided all Valladolid’s water, and nearby at Dzitnup are some of the Yucatán’s most spectacular cenotes for swimming.
Valladolid’s Main Plaza

Mayan women from the surrounding villages display their beautifully bright huípiles (traditional dresses) and other embroidery on the railings of the Parque Principal.
Van Cleef & Arpels, Cozumel

One of the longest-established and most prestigious of the jewelry companies on the Malecón, Cozumel’s seafront, known for classic designs with high-quality gems.
Villa Rolandi, Isla Mujeres

Modest-sized hotel on the western side of Isla’s Laguna Macax, with its own beach and boat landing stage, and superb views across to Cancún. No children under 13 are admitted – honeymoons are a specialty. Each balcony has a Jacuzzi.
Village Fiestas

Every village and town in the Yucatán also has its own fiesta, when the streets are covered in bright garlands, work ceases, and music is heard non-stop. To find out when any are due, ask in tourist offices, look out for posters, or check local papers.

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under US$20
- US$20-$45
- US$45-$80
- US$80-$130
- over US$130