I'll be lucky enough to have 4 days to myself next month on the Yucatan peninsula. I already have a rental car, the question is where to go! I expect Tulum is over-touristed, and I know that there are other Mayan ruins in the area. Anyone have thoughts of which to see, or any local guides they recommend? Thanks!
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Posted on Apr 16, 2011
4 Answers
You might also consider downtown Merida as well as the towns of Izamal and Valladolid. I've only experienced Yucatan on a bicycle, but can say the back roads are very empty and the little towns in-between the touristy stuff is interesting too.
Posted Apr 18, 2011
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Agreed! Merida is a beautiful city with a lot to offer. It would be a fabulous place to go if you haven't already!
Posted on Apr 26, 2011
All great suggestions, and I'm going to try to hit them all! (or at least most) My only-somewhat-crazy itinerary
Posted on May 03, 2011
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A local friend booked me a tour with these guys. They are local guides and have really cool trips - cultural and adventurous. I went on a day trip to Coba - the highest Maya pyramid in Mexico. They took us to several archeological sites, to a Maya village (Maya lunch included) and to their cenote (underground lake). I really liked the experience, especially in terms of authenticity. They seam to work closer to the local community and speak proudly of it.
I liked them more than the guide I've got for Chichen Itza, who kept complaining about the poverty in Mexico, instead of telling us about the history and culture of the place... The All Nature guide asked us for extra $ just ones, at the end of the day, when we were asked if we want to buy the pics of the day. Pretty decent.
I've visited: Tulum, Xcaret (a cultural fun park), Chichen Itza (but, it's a bit far and will kill a day of your trip), and Coba.
Posted Apr 17, 2011
Add a commentI'll actually be spending a few days at Xcaret, witnessing a recreation of "the voyage of the seven villages". But during the other days, I want to explore on my own, which means at least one archaeological site, and diving in a cenote. With relatively little time, I'd like to tend towards less touristy ruins, which might mean a bit farther afield - I'm ok with a couple hours of driving. I'm intrigued by Coba.
Posted on Apr 17, 2011
Any of the ruins may be over touristed but can be much better if you are staying in the area.. when we wanted to go to the ruins of Tulum, we stayed nearby and got up early and entered the area right when it opened. It was just us and a dog. It was awesome! Same with Chichen Itza - all the tour buses show up closer to noon since they are coming from places like Cancun. Made our visits much more enjoyable.
And make time for cenote visits!! Dzitnup was my favorite (near Vallodolid) - again, until the tour bus arrived.
Posted Apr 17, 2011
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