Visiting the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico had been on my bucket list for a long time. After my road trip around the Yucatán, I believe it should be on everybody’s bucket list! It makes an accessible and varied trip for those who haven’t visited Central America, but also provides plenty of options for adventure and offbeat travel for the more seasoned visitor. This itinerary is for a full two weeks’ road trip around the Yucatan. It comprises 14 days of activities, leaving a day at each end of your two weeks for inbound and outbound travel. This means a fully packed two weeks’ itinerary, but the Yucatan definitely deserves this (and more!).
The Yucatán is very popular and consequently it gets crowded (and expensive!) during the high season. My simple solution was to travel in May, during the shoulder season. During this period, temperature rises (reaching 40˚C at times), but the real summer heat and the wet season are still 4 – 6 weeks away. Accommodation is a lot more affordable and available at short notice. And, perhaps best of all, popular sites such as Chitzén Itzá and Tulum are, though still busy, not overcrowded.
Day 1 – 2: Valladolid and surroundings
We arrived at Cancún airport on a toasty afternoon in May. Everybody I have spoken to about Mexico, either loves or hates Cancún. Since my husband and I are not so interested in the party scene, we skipped it and made the historic town of Valladolid the first stop on our itinerary for the road trip around Yucatán.
I was somewhat nervous about driving in Mexico given the many stories about roadblocks, corrupt and police officers, but our first experience of the Mexican roads was just fine. The highway from Cancún to Mérida, passing Valladolid halfway, is in good condition. We drove by two stationary police cars, but were waved on. The one lesson learnt from that first journey is that petrol stations in Mexico are scarce! The tank of our rental car was half full, which we thought would be plenty to take us to Valladolid, but the petrol level lowered very quickly, and no station was to be found on the highway! We reached Valladolid just in time to fill up in town. During the rest of our trip, we filled up at literally every opportunity. We were both so shattered upon arrival in Valladolid that we decided to pick up a meal at the local Burger King, check into the guesthouse and go to bed. Not exactly an authentic start of the trip, but we were so pleased to put our heads down after the long flight.
The next morning we could finally admire Casa Marlene in the daylight. This colonial townhouse has been perfectly maintained and stylishly furnished. The staff are very welcoming and the breakfast is tasty. We immediately felt at home in Mexico!
Ek Balam Archeological Site
Thanks to the jetlag, we were wide awake and ready to start exploring right after breakfast. Our plan was to drive to the archeological site of Ek Balam (the Mayan name translates as “Black Jaguar”). I could barely contain my excitement as this was my first time in Central America and my first time visiting a pre-Hispanic site. I was about to see Ancient Aliens for real! Ek Balam is the less popular sister of nearby Chitzén Itzá and we got there super early. This meant we found the car park empty and we had the site to ourselves for the first hour. We decided to immediately walk to the back of the site and climb the 30m high main pyramid El Trono to enjoy the 360˚ view in all peace and quiet.
The Ek Balam site is also home to cenote X’Canche (separate entry fee). We walked one kilometre to the cenote and decided to picknick nearby. I chickened out from swimming, since the water was pretty cold.
Cenote dipping & walking tour
Cenotes are a feature of the Yucatán. They are sinkholes filled with fresh water, often interconnected with tunnel systems. Some even link up with the ocean. In the pre-Hispanic time, they were closely connected to Mayan life, as a source of water, but also as a sacred site providing a route to the Mayan Underworld. Several 100s of cenotes are in the Yucatán, so given how typical they are for the region, we were keen to visit a few. We knew we needed to pick carefully though. I wanted to avoid the overcrowded ones, but still have a few facilities so we could safely swim and float.
We opted for Cenote Agua Dulce and Cenote Palomitas, conveniently located on the way back to Valladolid from Ek Balam. Both of these are pretty underground cenotes and suitable for swimming. You pay a small fee to enter the sites and life jackets, floating tubes and snorkeling gear are available for rent. The only other visitors (despite it being a Sunday afternoon) where a handful of local families. I braved the cold and took a dip in both, but we spent most of the time just enjoying the beauty and silence of the caves.
We returned to Valladolid in time to join the Free Walking Tour of the city centre at 1700. Of course, “free” is not really free as the guide will expect at the end! The 90 minutes tour was well worth this and I’m pleased we took the time to explore Valladolid rather than just using it as a base for other activities.
Chitzén Itzá
This is one of the most famous and most visited Mayan sites in the Yucatán. Many people describe it as a highlight of their trip. I personally wouldn’t bother if I was planning this trip again. The main pyramid, El Castillo, and the gigantic ballcourt are amazing, but the other structures don’t stand out compared to the many other sites we visited. Additionally, entry fees are steep (and given how poorly walking paths are maintained, it is difficult to see where that money is going to) and you get a lot of hassle from touts around the entire site.
Day 3 – 4: Mérida and surroundings
Izamal
From Valladolid, we headed in the direction of Mérida, making a small detour to visit Izamal. This town is dubbed “the yellow city” and as you drive through the streets, it becomes immediately clear why. A couple of partially excavated Mayan pyramids are in the outskirts of the town, but the best reason to stop in Izamal is the colonial architecture in the well-preserved city centre and the convent of San Antonio de Padua.
Mérida and the henequén trade
We stopped for the night in Mérida and spent the next day visiting the town. Accommodation options in the centre are plenty. In hindsight, I regret that we didn’t stay in one of the refurbished haciendas outside of town. Haciendas in the Yucatán are typically former henequén (sisal) plantations. Booming in the 19th and early 20th century, the henequén trade declined with the introduciton of syntethic fibres. However, the plantation estates are still there. Some are dilapidated, some are converted into gorgeous historic hotels.
Accommodation in haciendas is pricey, so we decided to just visit an old hacienda and have dinner there the next day. We opted for Hacienda San Pedro Ochil, a short drive from Mérida. Here you can see the old plantation equipment and wander around the grounds. The hacienda is beautiful and picturesque, but very simple – they don’t offer lodging or services other than the restaurant.
Day 5 – 6: Santa Elena
We spent the next nights at The Pickled Onion in Santa Elena. The owner extensively uses all the fashionable words in the advertisement, by presenting the guesthouse as an “eco-boutique B&B”. I’m of the opinion that running airco at full power in a straw hut can hardly be considered “eco”. That said, the welcome is friendly, the food is nice and accommodation options in Santa Elena are limited. We enjoyed our stay in Santa Elena. It’s a quiet, offbeat place as most tourists stay in Mérida and just visit the area for a day.
Mayan ruins on the Ruta Puuc
Driving the Ruta Puuc end-to-end probably takes an hour. We spent an entire day driving the “road of the hills”, visiting the five archaeological sites as well as some other attractions along the way. The road is paved and generally well-maintained. It is also narrow and you may need to stop and get out of the car to remove fallen tree branches!
The most majestic of the Ruta Puuc sites is Uxmal. We started here early in the morning, to beat the crowds visiting from Mérida and Cancún. The four other sites (Labna, Xlapak, Sayil and Kabah) are smaller, but all have unique features. Some say “save the best for the last” and finish at Uxmal, but we were keen to see that site during a quiet spell. The other sites do not attract many visitors anyway.
A fun addition to the day was the Choco-Story museum opposite the Uxmal ruins. When I first heard about it, I rolled my eyes as it has all the obvious characteristics of a tourist trap. However, after it had been recommended to us three times, we decided to give it a go. The museum is very well setup and fun to experience. The museum covers not only the discovery of cocoa and the production of chocolate, but also aspects of the Mayan civilisation. Additionally, the site operates as animal rescue centre housing animals in their natural environment, such as rescued illegal pets that cannot go back into the jungle.
Spanish heritage on the Convent Route
Our next day in Santa Elena was somewhat similar, but instead of exploring Mayan ruins, we went in search of Spanish and Christian heritage in the area. We visited small villages with majestic convents, churches and cathedrals. The roads were generally a bit wider than the Ruta Puuc and the jungle is less dense (so no stopping to clear the road). We visited the convent towns of Maní, Teabo, Chumayel, Mama and Tekit.
A bit of a drive, but a worthwhile addition to this day were the Mayan ruins of Mayapán. The site is about the same size as Chitzén Itzá and many buildings are modelled on Chitzén Itzá structures. Take your time to visit, as Mayapán is a different league compared to the tiny Ruta Puuc sites.
Day 7: Tracing pirates’ footsteps in Campeche
The next stop on our road trip around Yucatan was the walled harbor town Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico. The entire city centre is listed as UNESCO heritage site, because of the well-preserved Spanish architecture, complete with cobbled streets and the unique city walls. We stayed one night in boutique guesthouse Casa Mazejuwi, a historic building in the inner city. The Indian owners have decorated the house in an interesting mix of Mexican and Indian style and given a lot of thought to selecting each piece of furniture and artwork. We spent a good half day exploring the inner city:
- Walking around the inner city, walls and boardwalk
- Marvelling at the churches and cathedral
- Visiting “Casa 6”, a historic trader’s house
- Dining outside on a cobbled street. The prawns in coco are a local delicacy!
To break up the drive from Santa Elena, we made a short stop in Mennonite town Hopelchen. This is a relatively sizeable town and was a good opportunity for us to go to a supermarket and replenish our supplies for picknick. Whilst sitting on the central square for lunch, you can discreetly observe daily life of the Mennonite people as the come into town for shopping and trade.
The main archeological site close to Campeche is Edzná. We visited this site the next morning as it was on the way to our next stop, Palenque. Edzná scores high on my list of favourite Mayan ruins. The grounds are vast, and you can see a combination of both nicely restored buildings and wilder structures hidden away in the jungle.
Day 8 – 9: Ruins and waterfalls in Palenque
It’s a long drive from Edzná to Palenque (5 hours). We just wanted to get it over with, so we didn’t make a lot of stops. Seaside town Champotón was a good place for a late seafood lunch. I originally wanted to stop at the cenotes in Miguel Colorado, but decided against it since the drive was rather tiring.
We reached Palenque just before dusk. The hotel where we stayed was a bit run-down, but there is generally a good choice of accommodation close to the ruins. I recommend staying close to the site rather than in town (apart from the supermarket and petrol station, there is no reason to go there).
Palenque Archeological Site
Palenque is another extremely popular Mayan site, therefore getting up early and getting to the gates at opening time is important if you want some quiet time. Getting from the car park into the site was an ordeal as we were approached by touts and vendor at every step (the worst of the entire road trip around the Yucatán). I quickly lost the will to friendlily decline there offers and just marched on pulling my best resting b*tch face. Thankfully entering the site was like entering a different world and for the first hour everything was very peaceful.
If you like to explore sites in a lot of detail (like me), Palenque can take the best part of a day. Apart from the ruins, there are some nice jungle trails taking you to waterfalls and also an excellent museum displaying a replica of King Pakal’s tomb. Watch the Ancient Aliens episode before visiting!
Offbeat Mayan sites in Chiapas
A boat is the only way to complete the journey to the enigmatic site of Yaxchilán. Nearby Bonampak is famous for its colourful ancient murals. The drive to the sites takes about three hours one-way from Palenque. After the long drive the day before, we fancied a more relaxed day, so we decided to sign up for a guided excursion to the site. This was also the most affordable option since hiring a boat with just 2 people would be expensive. Also, the sites are in Chiapas, which is core Zapatista territory. We didn’t find any recent reports about uprisings and road blocks, but still preferred to have a driver who knows the road and not to be against the clock to return early. The trip to both sites is a long, full day, but worthwhile.
More time for your Yucatán road trip?
From Palenque, I was super keen to drive to highland town San Cristobal de las Casas, along the famous windy highway 199, and to also visit Sumidero Canyon. Unfortunately, time pressure got in the way. Even if you also don’t have the extra time this takes, just one more day in Palenque will allow you to visit some of the gorgeous waterfalls nearby and go for a swim. Misol-Ha and Agua Azul are the most visited and easiest to reach, but there are others such as Roberto Barrios and Welib-Ha.
At this point in the itinerary, we crossed the border to Guatemala to spend two days around Lake Petén Itzá and subsequently visit Belize. If you don’t want to cross the borders, you can drive onward to Calakmul, with minimal tracking back and pick up my road trip itinerary around Yucatan from there.
Day 10 – 11 – 12: Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve is a collection of many sites to visit. Xpujil is the best place to stay and the drive from Palenque is 4 – 5 hours. It is the only significant town on the road from Escárcega to Chetumal and has accommodation options of all kinds. We stayed in a guesthouse outside of town, which was pretty and comfortable, but the staff were weird and unhelpful. If you leave Palenque early, you will have time to visit a couple of the smaller Calakmul sites close to Xpujil on the same day.
We spent three days exploring the Calakmul Biosphere reserve and visited many sites. The main challenge was to bring some structure in our plans. We stopped at the tourist office in Xpujil and to our pleasant surprise the staff were extremely. They gave us a map of the biosphere and explained all about the sites and local handicrafts. Make this your first stop so you can make a plan before hitting the sites!
1st day: Calakmul & bat cave
Calakmul is the main site of the biosphere and visiting it properly takes a full day. We drove for half an hour to Conhuas, where the turnoff to Calakmul is. From there, a more exciting drive through the jungle begins and the road slowly degrades as you progress. We decided not to rush, but take our time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife (lots of birds, a local species of peacock and monkeys – no luck of seeing a jaguar!). Visiting the ruins (in a lot of detail) took us close to 5 hours. Remember that there are NO FACILITIES in Calakmul – no accommodation, no restaurant, not even a vending machine for a bottle of water.
Back on the highway, we decided to find a place for dinner locally, whilst we waited for the right time to go to the famous Bat Cave on the way back to Xpujil (“El Volcán de los Murciélagos”). The time depends on the sunset time and you ask the staff at Calakmul for details. The entrance is not signposted (look for a small driveway near km 105 on the left side of the road driving from Conhuas to Xpujil) and the car park is tiny. Two people with badges and t-shirt from the Biosphere will be there to give instructions, explain about the bat cave and also look after visitors’ cars. They will expect a tip when you leave.
2nd day: small sites near Xpujil
On this day, staying in Xpujil was a real advantage. We visited four small sites, dotted around close to the village (Becan, Xpujil, Chicanna and Hormiguero). They all have unique features, so I woulnd’t recommend skipping any! You need one, maximum two hours on each site.
The Tourist Office has got a comprehensive overview of all the sites and what there is to see. The only site we missed out on is Balamku. That’s still nagging me.
3rd day: Rio Bec & Laguna Bacalar
As you leave Calakmul and drive towards Chetumal, Rio Bec is a site not to miss. Driving to the site is impossible – you need a quad! The tourist office in Xpujil arranged a quad and driver, Humberto, for us whom we met in the closest village “10 de Septiembre”.
Rio Bec is a collection of three small sites hidden in the jungle. Its excavated structures are not as impressive as those on other sites I visited, but the rugged drive, remoteness and freedom to explore make it quite exciting. Humberto showed us various medicinal plants in the jungle and was great at spotting birds and snakes.
After reaching Chetumal and the coast again, we stopped at Laguna Bacalar. It wasn’t part of our original plan, but after several recommendations, we were curious to see Bacalar. The best way to see Laguna Bacalar if you have limited time, is to take a half day boat tour. We booked a tour a couple of days ahead, but it is easy to find a tour on spec in Bacalar village.
Day 13 – 14: Rounding up in Tulum
We opted for Tulum for the last couple of days of our road trip in Yucatan. We stayed in a budget seaside hotel with a few rooms, but Tulum offers accommodation options for all likings and budgets.
Tulum & Coba Archeological sites
Despite all the archeological sites we had already visited, we were not yet tired of ruins and planned to visit the ruins of Tulum and Coba in a day. They are very popular sites, so the best times to visit are either very early or very late. We drove to Coba first (the furthest away). For Tulum, we opted for an “after hours” visit at 1900. The entry price is doubled for the evening visits, but we shared the famous ruins with only about 20 other people.
If you haven’t had your fix of cenote swimming earlier in the trip, this is the time to go full circle and drive onwards from Coba to Valladolid. The road is lined with opportunities explore cenotes.
Sian Ka’an Reserve
For our final full day, we decided to make a day trip to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere and Muyil ruins. This is a full, active day involving a boat ride on the lagoons and floating in an old Mayan boat channel. We did this trip independently and the practicalities of it need a separate post! If you want an easy day, tour options from Tulum are plenty.
I enjoyed staying in Tulum, but when I spotted all the coastal resorts near Playa del Carmen, I thought they would have been a nice ending to the road trip around Yucatán. If you want to lodge in style before flying home, skip Tulum and pick a place in Playa. If you’re into diving, this is also the right time to include time for diving the cenotes or exploring dive sites off the coast of Cancún.
