Pyramid, Archaeological site

Chichén Itzá is the most famous Mayan archaeological site in Mexico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World. At the same time, it is expensive, touristy and full of souvenir sellers. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t leave it out of an itinerary around Yucatán. We arrived by car from Valladolid at around 9.30 am. There were already quite a few people there, but we didn’t have to queue at the ticket offices, and…

Cave, Lake

We’d read all sorts of things about the Ik-Kil cenote – that it’s too touristy and has lost its charm because of its proximity to Chichén Itzá. I disagree. It’s a beautiful cenote! We arrived around midday after visiting Chichén Itzá. There were already quite a few people there, yet we didn’t have to queue for even a minute; we got changed without any trouble and even had a lovely swim in the cenote. Ik-Kil isn’t a hidden gem known only to…

Cave, Lake

My girlfriend was particularly looking forward to visiting Hacienda Oxmán. She knew about the cenote from a film, in which it was said to be a magical place whose waters would help couples conceive a child. I was mainly expecting a quieter alternative to Ik-Kil. I was wrong about that. Subjectively, it felt even busier here, but we’d still recommend a visit. [btn "Book a car hire in Cancún" https://www.booking.com/cars/airport/mx/cun.en.html…

Cave, Lake

Most people recognise Suytun Cenote from the iconic photographs of the stone jetty in the middle of the cave. We, however, were surprised not only by its beauty, but also by the pleasant swim and the significantly smaller number of people than we had expected. [btn "Book a trip to Suytun Cenote: GetYourGuide.com" https://www.jdoqocy.com/click-6486361-15065626?sid=p-yucatan-suytun&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.getyourguide.com%2Fcs-cz%2Fcenote-suytun…

Sandy beach, Salt Plain, The Cove

Las Coloradas is a small town in the north of the Yucatán Peninsula, known for its salt flats with pink water. We were almost equally captivated by the beautiful Cancunito beach and the town’s very local atmosphere. What’s more, you can also go on trips along the Río Lagartos to spot flamingos and crocodiles. We arrived by car at around 2 pm after visiting the Suytun cenote. It was enough for a basic tour, but next time we’d set aside more…

Tourist town

Valladolid was originally just a stopover on the way to Chichén Itzá. In the end, we were really impressed by it, and looking back, I do regret that we didn’t stay an extra night. It wasn’t just the colourful houses that caught our eye, but the whole way the city functioned. Clean streets, historic buildings housing lovely shops selling fashion and local produce, and restaurants in peaceful courtyards. In the evening, the area around the main…

Tourist town

Mérida is the capital of the state of Yucatán and the best base from which to explore its western part. People don’t come here for any single major attraction, but for the combination of colonial architecture, Yucatecan cuisine, evening cultural events and trips to Mayan ruins, cenotes or haciendas. We did not visit Mérida ourselves during our trip, so unlike other places, we are not reviewing it based on our own experience. However, we’ve…

Sandy beach, Island, Resort

Holbox is a narrow island off the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula , known for its shallow waters, long sandy beaches, mangroves, bioluminescence and whale shark watching trips. The island forms part of the Yum Balam protected area, and instead of cars, people mainly get around by bicycle and golf buggies. Geographically, Holbox is not located in the state of Yucatán, but in the neighbouring state of Quintana Roo. Nevertheless, we have…