Celestun – Ek Balam – Cenotes – Valladolid – Chichen-Itza – Izamal – Becal – Edzna – Campeche – Balam-ku – Calakmul – Uxmal
The Best of Yucatan + Calakmul...
This is one of our recommended tours. We will visit the Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve, the archaeological sites of Calakmul, Balam-Ku, Edzna, Ek-Balam, Chichen-Itza and Uxmal, the cenotes Xcanahaltun, Ik-Kil, Kankirixche, Homun and Cuzama, the Pueblos Magicos of Izamal and Valladolid, and the cities of Merida and Campeche.
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Ria Celestun - Real de Salinas - Celestun Beach
9:00 a. m.: We leave the city of Merida for the Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve, a multicolored paradise just 95 km away, west of the state capital. Upon arriving at the fishing community of Celestun, we will board a boat to take a tour of the estuary. The Ria Celestun Reserve, with an area of 60,000 ha, is the favorite place for thousands of flamingos to feed and rest. Flamingos are white or greyish at birth, the pink color is provided by the carotenoids present in the mixture of their diet. We will also be able to observe other species of birds, such as cormorants, herons, frigates and storks. Get your camera ready!
Inside the mangrove, we will visit an area with dead trees, known as the "petrified forest", and a fresh water spring where we can swim and refresh. Mangroves are vital to the coastal zone; they protect from hurricanes, provide shelter for migratory birds and are growth areas for hundreds of mollusks, crustaceans and fish.
We continue to the town of Real de Salinas in Campeche, where in addition to the ruins of the old salt-producing hacienda, we will find evaporation ponds or "pools", as in Las Coloradas. The pink color of the water is due to the high concentration of halobacteria and microalgae that live in high salinity waters.
We will return to Celestún beach, in Yucatán, to eat and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
Night in Mérida.
Inside the mangrove, we will visit an area with dead trees, known as the "petrified forest", and a fresh water spring where we can swim and refresh. Mangroves are vital to the coastal zone; they protect from hurricanes, provide shelter for migratory birds and are growth areas for hundreds of mollusks, crustaceans and fish.
We continue to the town of Real de Salinas in Campeche, where in addition to the ruins of the old salt-producing hacienda, we will find evaporation ponds or "pools", as in Las Coloradas. The pink color of the water is due to the high concentration of halobacteria and microalgae that live in high salinity waters.
We will return to Celestún beach, in Yucatán, to eat and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
Night in Mérida.
DAY 2: Ek Balam - Xcanahaltun Cenote - Valladolid
7:00 a. m. Breakfast at the hotel.
8:00 a. m.: We leave the city of Merida towards the amazing archaeological site of Ek-Balam, which means in the Mayan language “black or dark jaguar”. Of the 45 constructions of this walled city, the most important discovered so far is the Acropolis (30 m high), built by King Ukit Kan Lek Tok "the father of the four flint fronts", who was buried in that very place.
1:00 p. m.: We continue our journey to the Xcanahaltun cenote, where we will float calmly in its turquoise waters, while contemplating the formations inside the cavern. In the Yucatan peninsula, rainwater seeps into the ground and forms underground rivers that erode the limestone rock, giving origin to the caves of the cenotes. A wonder of nature!
In the afternoon we will go to the city of Valladolid, founded on the ruins of the Mayan city of Zaci, which means “white hawk”. Time to try the typical food of the region; the "lomitos" are a true delight. After eating, we will walk through the main square and we will visit the church of San Servacio and the convent of San Bernardino de Siena.
Night in Valladolid
8:00 a. m.: We leave the city of Merida towards the amazing archaeological site of Ek-Balam, which means in the Mayan language “black or dark jaguar”. Of the 45 constructions of this walled city, the most important discovered so far is the Acropolis (30 m high), built by King Ukit Kan Lek Tok "the father of the four flint fronts", who was buried in that very place.
1:00 p. m.: We continue our journey to the Xcanahaltun cenote, where we will float calmly in its turquoise waters, while contemplating the formations inside the cavern. In the Yucatan peninsula, rainwater seeps into the ground and forms underground rivers that erode the limestone rock, giving origin to the caves of the cenotes. A wonder of nature!
In the afternoon we will go to the city of Valladolid, founded on the ruins of the Mayan city of Zaci, which means “white hawk”. Time to try the typical food of the region; the "lomitos" are a true delight. After eating, we will walk through the main square and we will visit the church of San Servacio and the convent of San Bernardino de Siena.
Night in Valladolid
DAY 3: Chichen-Itza - Cenote Ik-kil - Izamal
6:30 a. m.: Breakfast at the hotel.
7:30 a. m.: We start our journey very early to head towards the Archaeological Zone of Chichen-Itza, in the Mayan language "on the edge of the well of the Itzaes." A World Heritage Site by UNESCO and since 2007 a wonder of the world, Chichen-Itza was founded by the Itzaes in the 9th century AD, but invaded by the Toltecs at the end of the 10th century. Perhaps this strong cultural influence is the reason of the constant representations of Kukulkan, the feathered serpent.
At noon we will visit the Ik-Kil cenote, in Mayan "the place of the winds." Ik-Kil is an open-air cenote 60 meters in diameter, surrounded by the abundant vegetation of the area. To reach the water level, you have to go down a ladder 26 meters from the surface. If you like diving, this is the place! Time to swim, eat and rest.
We continue to the beautiful colonial city of Izamal, which has been declared a Pueblo Magico "Magical Town" and where everything is colored in yellow. We will visit the Convent of San Antonio de Padua, founded in 1549 by the Franciscans and we will walk through the squares and streets of the center to reach the pyramid of Kinich Kak Mó "fire macaw with a solar face" in Mayan, one of the largest in Mexico. At night we will return to Merida.
Night in Mérida
7:30 a. m.: We start our journey very early to head towards the Archaeological Zone of Chichen-Itza, in the Mayan language "on the edge of the well of the Itzaes." A World Heritage Site by UNESCO and since 2007 a wonder of the world, Chichen-Itza was founded by the Itzaes in the 9th century AD, but invaded by the Toltecs at the end of the 10th century. Perhaps this strong cultural influence is the reason of the constant representations of Kukulkan, the feathered serpent.
At noon we will visit the Ik-Kil cenote, in Mayan "the place of the winds." Ik-Kil is an open-air cenote 60 meters in diameter, surrounded by the abundant vegetation of the area. To reach the water level, you have to go down a ladder 26 meters from the surface. If you like diving, this is the place! Time to swim, eat and rest.
We continue to the beautiful colonial city of Izamal, which has been declared a Pueblo Magico "Magical Town" and where everything is colored in yellow. We will visit the Convent of San Antonio de Padua, founded in 1549 by the Franciscans and we will walk through the squares and streets of the center to reach the pyramid of Kinich Kak Mó "fire macaw with a solar face" in Mayan, one of the largest in Mexico. At night we will return to Merida.
Night in Mérida
DAY 4: Cuzama Cenotes - Homún Cenotes - Free afternoon in Merida
7:00 a. m. Breakfast at the hotel.
8:00 a. m.: We start our journey to go to the town of Cuzama, within the Ring of Cenotes, there we will board a “truck” (cart pulled by a horse), which will take us along the roads that were used to transport henequen in the haciendas. We will visit three cenotes; Chan-Ucil "little mosquito", Chak-Zinik-Ché "house of the red ant" and Bolon Chojol "nine mouse holes", where we can swim, dive and devote ourselves to the contemplation of these wonders of nature. The word cenote (ts’ono’ot), means in Mayan “cavity with water”.
We continue to the town of Homun, with more than 300 cenotes registered so far. There we will repeat the relaxation therapy in three more cenotes; Balmil, Hool-Kozom and Bebelchen, all of them of closed type. The caves of the cenotes are formed slowly by the dissolution of the limestone rock soils (karstification) and the fall of their walls and roofs.
The Ring of Cenotes, a State Geohydrological Reserve since 2013, is aligned with the shape of the crater of a meteorite that fell 65 million years ago, near Chicxulub, Yucatan. The Cuzama and Homun cenotes are located within it. In the afternoon we will return to the city of Merida.
Night in Mérida
8:00 a. m.: We start our journey to go to the town of Cuzama, within the Ring of Cenotes, there we will board a “truck” (cart pulled by a horse), which will take us along the roads that were used to transport henequen in the haciendas. We will visit three cenotes; Chan-Ucil "little mosquito", Chak-Zinik-Ché "house of the red ant" and Bolon Chojol "nine mouse holes", where we can swim, dive and devote ourselves to the contemplation of these wonders of nature. The word cenote (ts’ono’ot), means in Mayan “cavity with water”.
We continue to the town of Homun, with more than 300 cenotes registered so far. There we will repeat the relaxation therapy in three more cenotes; Balmil, Hool-Kozom and Bebelchen, all of them of closed type. The caves of the cenotes are formed slowly by the dissolution of the limestone rock soils (karstification) and the fall of their walls and roofs.
The Ring of Cenotes, a State Geohydrological Reserve since 2013, is aligned with the shape of the crater of a meteorite that fell 65 million years ago, near Chicxulub, Yucatan. The Cuzama and Homun cenotes are located within it. In the afternoon we will return to the city of Merida.
Night in Mérida
DAY 5: Becal - Edzna - Campeche
8:00 a. m. Breakfast at the hotel.
9:00 a. m.: We leave the city of Merida for the town of Becal in Campeche, a place where the elegant “jipijapa” hats have been finely made for many years, that is the name of the palm with which they are woven by artisans in the shade of small natural caves.
We continue our journey to the south to enter the wild region of Los Chenes and discover the impressive Archaeological Zone of Edzna, which in Mayan means "House of the Itzaes". We will recognize the features of Peten architecture in the buildings of what once was an important regional capital.
At the end of our visit, we will go to the walled city of San Francisco de Campeche, where we will pause for lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the Fort and museum of San Miguel and at the end we will go up to the Fort of San Jose el Alto, from where we will be able to imagine the battles against the English pirates.
Night in Campeche
9:00 a. m.: We leave the city of Merida for the town of Becal in Campeche, a place where the elegant “jipijapa” hats have been finely made for many years, that is the name of the palm with which they are woven by artisans in the shade of small natural caves.
We continue our journey to the south to enter the wild region of Los Chenes and discover the impressive Archaeological Zone of Edzna, which in Mayan means "House of the Itzaes". We will recognize the features of Peten architecture in the buildings of what once was an important regional capital.
At the end of our visit, we will go to the walled city of San Francisco de Campeche, where we will pause for lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the Fort and museum of San Miguel and at the end we will go up to the Fort of San Jose el Alto, from where we will be able to imagine the battles against the English pirates.
Night in Campeche
DAY 6: Balam-ku - Bat Cave - Conhuas
7:00 a. m. Breakfast at the hotel.
8:00 a. m.: We leave Campeche heading for the jungle area in the southeast of the state until we reach the Archaeological Zone of Balam Ku, which in Mayan means “Temple of the Jaguar”, next to the town of Conhuás. On the facade of the House of the Four Kings, we can admire stucco reliefs painted red of surprising quality. Jaguars and anthropomorphic figures seated on amphibian animals, all on a frieze 17 meters long and almost 2 meters high. Time to eat.
In the afternoon we will visit the cave of the bats, to witness the wonderful spectacle of the departure of thousands of these animals with the last rays of the sun. Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes per hour. Often, they consume the total number of insects equivalent to their body weight each night, helping to keep insect populations in check, which makes them indispensable to the ecosystem.
Night in Conhuas
8:00 a. m.: We leave Campeche heading for the jungle area in the southeast of the state until we reach the Archaeological Zone of Balam Ku, which in Mayan means “Temple of the Jaguar”, next to the town of Conhuás. On the facade of the House of the Four Kings, we can admire stucco reliefs painted red of surprising quality. Jaguars and anthropomorphic figures seated on amphibian animals, all on a frieze 17 meters long and almost 2 meters high. Time to eat.
In the afternoon we will visit the cave of the bats, to witness the wonderful spectacle of the departure of thousands of these animals with the last rays of the sun. Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes per hour. Often, they consume the total number of insects equivalent to their body weight each night, helping to keep insect populations in check, which makes them indispensable to the ecosystem.
Night in Conhuas
DAY 7: Calakmul – Campeche
6:30 a. m. Breakfast at the hotel.
7:30 a. m.: We will start our journey very early to enter the Campeche Petén towards the Archaeological Zone of Calakmul, within the largest Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican tropics. Calakmul, which in Mayan means “Two Adjacent Mounds”, has more than six thousand structures - most of them covered by jungle - and was in its time, the largest regional capital in the entire Mayan area. The visit of its pyramids and stelae is restricted to the central area, between the song of birds and the flight of countless butterflies. A mesmerizing experience.
At noon we will return to Campeche. Time to eat.
In the evening we will visit the hexagon of the Bastions and the Sea and Land Gates of the once fortified city, we will walk through the gates of the Plaza de la Independencia and visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Night in Campeche
7:30 a. m.: We will start our journey very early to enter the Campeche Petén towards the Archaeological Zone of Calakmul, within the largest Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican tropics. Calakmul, which in Mayan means “Two Adjacent Mounds”, has more than six thousand structures - most of them covered by jungle - and was in its time, the largest regional capital in the entire Mayan area. The visit of its pyramids and stelae is restricted to the central area, between the song of birds and the flight of countless butterflies. A mesmerizing experience.
At noon we will return to Campeche. Time to eat.
In the evening we will visit the hexagon of the Bastions and the Sea and Land Gates of the once fortified city, we will walk through the gates of the Plaza de la Independencia and visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Night in Campeche
DAY 8: Uxmal - Kankirixche Cenote - Yaxcopoilx Hacienda
7:00 a. m.: Breakfast at the hotel.
8:00 a. m.: On our way back to Yucatan, we will visit the Archaeological Zone of Uxmal, which in Mayan means "three times built". Uxmal, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is considered the most important city in the Puuc region, where the buildings are decorated with Chac "God of Rain" masks. We will visit the Pyramid of the Magician, the Quadrangle of the Nuns and the Governor's Palace.
To cool down a little bit after visiting Uxmal, nothing better than to immerse ourselves in the crystalline waters of one of the 7,000 cenotes that are estimated to exist in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Kankirixche cenote in Abala, where we can also admire stalactites, stalagmites and columns that have taken a long time to develop. The cenotes are wells of water called ts'onot "cavern of water" by the Mayans.
Finally, after relaxing, we will go to Yaxcopoil Hacienda, where we will take a tour of its facilities and we will get to know a very important part of the recent past of Yucatan, inscribed in the henequen haciendas. The henequen or sisal, was for many decades the engine of the peninsular economy. Time to eat. In the afternoon we will return to the city of Merida.
END OF OUR SERVICES
8:00 a. m.: On our way back to Yucatan, we will visit the Archaeological Zone of Uxmal, which in Mayan means "three times built". Uxmal, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is considered the most important city in the Puuc region, where the buildings are decorated with Chac "God of Rain" masks. We will visit the Pyramid of the Magician, the Quadrangle of the Nuns and the Governor's Palace.
To cool down a little bit after visiting Uxmal, nothing better than to immerse ourselves in the crystalline waters of one of the 7,000 cenotes that are estimated to exist in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Kankirixche cenote in Abala, where we can also admire stalactites, stalagmites and columns that have taken a long time to develop. The cenotes are wells of water called ts'onot "cavern of water" by the Mayans.
Finally, after relaxing, we will go to Yaxcopoil Hacienda, where we will take a tour of its facilities and we will get to know a very important part of the recent past of Yucatan, inscribed in the henequen haciendas. The henequen or sisal, was for many decades the engine of the peninsular economy. Time to eat. In the afternoon we will return to the city of Merida.
END OF OUR SERVICES
Our tours can start and / or end, at the Mérida and Cancun international airports or at the hotel where you are staying. Please request a personalized itinerary.
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