Yucutan

Overview

There is so much to do on this leg of the journey that we will need to get together to discuss how long we have for the Yucutan. The basic idea is to start at Palenque, travel well into the Yucutan and visit a few places, and end up at Cancun. The ticks to the left of each heading refer to whether accommodation is booked and whether all things to do have been detailed.

Good transport information is available at http://www.ticketbus.com.mx/ .

Areas covered by this leg

Day 6, Thursday 2nd November PM - Day 7, Friday 3rd November PM - Palenque

The Maya ruins of Palenque

Background

Palenque has been recommended to me as the best site for Maya ruins in the whole of Mexico and we simply must visit it, even though it is far away from the rest of the sites in the Yucutan. Set in thick jungle screeching with insects, Palenque is strongly linked to the lost cities of Guatemala while keeping its own distinctive style, and though it's not large - you can see everything in a morning - it is hauntingly beautiful. The town of Palenque is of little intrinsic interest to visitors and is best viewed simply as a base for exploring the ruins and waterfalls in the nearby hills. Alternatively, since there are a number of camping sites and cabañas near the ruins, we may not stay in town at all.

Before we get here

If time is on our side, we should try to visit Agua Azul, 64km South of Palenque or Misol-Háa, 18km from Palenque. These sites are on the road that takes you to San Cristobal.

Maya Ruins

Getting to the site is no problem. Two combi services, Chambalu and Otolum, both on Allende between Hidalgo and the main street, run at least every 15 minutes from 6am to 6pm (US $0.70) and will stop anywhere along the road. The ruins are in a national park (daily 8am-5pm; archeological zone daily 8am-4:30pm, US $3.70 including museum) and guided tours are available from the entrance. Arrive early and climb the temples in the morning mist if you want to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Apparantly, you can also bathe in the crystal-clear cascades of the Rio Otolum after visiting the tomb of a Maya ruler deep beneath the Templo de las Inscripciones. These are within the site of the ruins.

Waterfalls

There are nearby waterfalls at Agua Azul and Misol-Há. Sample custs are US $14.50 for an all-day trip to these two places. Agua Azul is 64km before Palenque . The whole area is exceptionally beautiful, with dozens of lesser falls above the developed area. If it's safe to walk upstream, you'll come across a perilous-looking bridge over the river and eventually you'll reach an impressove gorge. Higher up, the swimming is safer too. Misol-Há is 18km from Palenque and has a 25-metre waterfall which provides a stunning backdrop to a pool that's safe for swimming.

Accommodation

I think I've booked a room at Rakshita's at El Pachan. I had to make quite an embarassing phone call to some person that didn't speak any English. He definitely realised that I want a cabana on 2nd November for one night for three people. Some information on the site is available here. Contact number is 52 916 100 69 08 (possibly Chato's Cabanas on 52 916 341 4846). I've also been informed that Chato's Cabanas might be nicer, so perhaps we'll just see if we can go there instead when we get to El Panchan.

At the resort, every night at Restaurante Don Mucho's you will enjoy a fabulous show, along with dinner. Traditional Mexican music, Andean music, Cuban son, Drumming and Fire show. Groups like Eco Andino, El Rojo, Los Mismos, play for nightly dancing. In addition, visiting artists from all over the world often share their unique sounds with us.

El Panchán, Carretera Ruinas Km 4.5, Palenque, Chiapas. From Cancun, take 307 south toward Chetumal and then turn east on 186 to Escárcega. Continue on to Catazajá and then take 199 south to Palenque.

Location of El Panchan

Transport

Busses:

• Mérida - 4 daily; 9 hours (departures via Campeche at 8am, 9am and 11:30pm)
• Cancún - 5 daily; 12 hours (first class)
• Also busses to Chetumal, Playa del Carmen, Mexico City (2 daily; 17 hours!), Tuxtle, Occosingo, San Cristóbal.

http://www.adogl.com.mx/en/index.htm: Villahermosa - Merida Terminal:

DEPARTURE CITY 	DESTINATION 	        HOUR 	M 	T 	W 	T 	F 	S 	S 	PRICE 	TRAVEL TIME 	BUS
Villahermosa 	Mérida Terminal 	20:45 	Sí 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	$424 	8:00 hrs. 	Volvo
Villahermosa 	Mérida Terminal 	22:45 	Sí 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	$424 	8:00 hrs. 	Volvo
Villahermosa 	Mérida Terminal 	23:30 	Sí 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	$424 	8:00 hrs. 	Volvo
Villahermosa 	Mérida Terminal 	23:30 	Sí 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	$652 	12:00 hrs. 	Volvo

Also need to check Mayab, Maya de Oro, Cristobal Colon, ADO.

The main nearby transport hub is Villahermosa (15 daily; 2.5 hours) and it may be easier to get there and change for our onward journey. Onward travel will be to Mérida during the afternoon/evening. From the main terminal in Villahermosa to Palenque is only a couple of hours by first class air conditioned bus.

Day 7, Saturday 4th November AM - Day 9, Sunday 5th November AM - Mérida

Cathedral at Merida

Although the "White City" is the largest on the peninsula - alive with music and Sunday markets - it retains a tranquil charm. Every street in the centre boasts a colonial church or mansion, while the plazas are alive with market stalls and free entertainment. You can live well here and find good beaches nearby, but above all it's the ideal base for excursions to the great Maya sites of Oxmal and Chickén Itzá.

Plaza Mayor is the hub of the city's life, particularly in the evenings. The plaza is ringed by some of Mérida's oldest buildings, dominated by the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, built in the 16th century. Noteable places to visit include the Cristo de las Ampollas (Christ of the Blisters) church, Museo MACAY; the finest art museum in the state, the Casa de Montejo; a palace built in 1549, the Palacio Municipal and Palacio de Gobierno. North and east of the plaza feature a number of similar places. The Paseo de Montejo is a broad boulevard lined with trees and modern sculptures by Yucatecan artists.

Mérida's huge, main market is for most visitors a major attraction, and Mérida is probably the best place to buy the most popular souvenir of Mexico, a hammock. Good restaurants, juice bars and a bakery are plentiful in the centre of Mérida.

Every evening, you'll find the streets buzzing with revellers enjoying a variety of free entertainment. Typical performances might include energetic and fascinating dances, big-band music, marimba , classical music conerts and open-air performances of traditional songs and music. Sunday is probably the best day to se the Plaza Mayor because vehicles are banned from the area and street activities take over all day. There are a number of mariachi nights in hotel bars and salsa dancing in nightclubs. Many big hotels also have video bars and discos. There are also hard-drinking cantinas for the hardcore. In the evening, dance to big band music of the 40´s in Santiago Park on the corner of Calle 59 and 72 at 9:00 pm (a site said this for their Wednesday itinerary).

Useful websites are at http://www.cultur.com , http://www.yucatantoday.com/ and http://www.cityview.com.mx/ .

Car Hire

We will be picking up a car at Merida Centro, Calle 60 No. 486 D on 55 and 57 Av Paseo Montejo, Merida. Pick up is at Sun, Nov 05, 2006 at 10:00 AM and it's a Crysler Atos. The cost for this is US $287.62. Full details are available here. With a car, there are loads of places we can visit inbetween towns should we have lots of time to spare. These include Izamal, Valladolid.

Accommodation

We are staying at Luz En Yucatan. This is an apartment with a sitting room with fold out double futon, (and to which a cot can be added), kitchenette/dining area, bathroom, bedroom with king size bed, cable TV and AC. The rate is $650 pesos per day for two persons plus an additional $70 pesos per day for the third person, daily total to be $720 pesos, app $67 US. The accommodation confirmation is available..

Calle 55 #499 x 60 y 58, Mérida, Yucatán, México 97000. Telephone: 011-52-999-924-0035. When you stay at Luz En Yucatan, you are only three blocks from the main plaza, or zocalo. A twenty minute drive brings you to the beach at Progreso and other beaches on the Gulf of Mexico

Day 9, Sunday 5th November - Day 10, Monday 6th November - Chichén Itzá AM

Maya ruins of Chichen Itza

Visit the most famous Maya site, with its vertiginous temple, Chac-mool figures and dramatic, snail-shaped observatory. Also, try to see El Castillo,

It is, by far, the most visited of all Maya sites and lies conveniently along the main road from Mérida to Cancún. It's perfectly feasible to visit as a day's excursion from Mérida to the coast, but an overnight stop is worth considering. The rough guide goes into great detail about the site itself, but noteable statements include the fact that one reason it's fascinating is because of its divergence from Maya tradition, ability to climb the main pyramid and see the entire area, area where human sacrifices may have been made, the 90 metre ball court (the loser may have gotten decapitated!), and series of tombs.

If longer than a day is spent here, it is worth visiting Valladoid, a town about 40km eastwards. Valladoid has the Cenote Dzitnup, which is reached by descending into a cave, where a nearly circular pool of crystal-clear turquoise water is illuminated by a shaft of light from an opening in the roof. A swim in the ice-cold water is a fantastic experience, apparantly. There is another pool, the Cenote Samula which has the roots of a huge tree stretching down into it.

Note Go to light and sound show

Onwards Travel

Cenote Samula

If longer than a day is spent here, which is reached by descending into a cave, where a nearly circular pool of crystal-clear turquoise water is illuminated by a shaft of light from an opening in the roof. A swim in the ice-cold water is a fantastic experience, apparantly. There is another pool, the Cenote Samula which has the roots of a huge tree stretching down into it.

If we have time to spare, it is worth visiting Valladoid, a town about 40km eastwards. Valladoid has the Cenote Dzitnup. I'd especially like to visit Cenote Dzitnup (akak X'Keken) which is open from 7am - 6pm. It is reached by descending into a cave, where a nearly circular pool of crystal-clear turquoise water is illuminated by a shaft of light from an opening in the roof. A swim in the ice-cold water is a fantastic experience, but take a sweater as the cave is pretty cold. Also, there is the Cenote Samula which is as impressive and has the roots of a huge tree stretching down into the pool. Address: West on route 180 from Valladolid. Directions: Go west on Calle 39 or Calle 41 from the town center. They merge into 180. There is a sign to the cenotes several kms out of town to the left. Additionally, it might be nice to visit the flamingo colony at Río Lagartos or go to the beach at San Felipe. Coba's nice and on the way to Tulum too.

Accommodation

We are staying at Dolores Alba. I said we'd arrive at about 3pm, but I doubt it matters if this changes. The address is"Km 122 free road Merida-Cancun", 3 km East of the Chichen Itza ruins. The booking confirmation is here.

Day 10, Monday 6th November PM - Day 11, Tuesday 7th November AM - Tulúm

Coast of Tulum

One of the longest, whitest sandy beaches in the Caribbean, with turquoise water and candlelit cabañas near ancient ruins.

Tulúm is 130km south of Cancún and is one of the most picturesque of all Maya sites - small, but exquisitely poised on fifteen-metre-high cliffs above the impossibly turquoise Carobbean. If you want to take time out for a swim, you can plunge into the Caribbean straight in front of the site. Limitless further possibilities for a dip are strung out down a rough road to the south that runs along the beautiful and deserted-feeling coastline.

The site itself is surrounded by walls and features, among other things, many murals in side the main temple, the Castillo at the highest point of the site, looking across the site and water and many other temples.

Most of the local accommodation are situated right on the sea. There are opportunities to go on cavern snorkelling and nature tours, including kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, horse rides and cycling trips, or you could just enjoy Tulum's beautiful beaches.

Map to hotel

Things to do here include:

• The Tulúm Mayan Ruins: Carretera Cancun-Tulum Km. 133, Tulum 77500, Mexico, 011-52-987-2-09 72 (4/5 on TripAdvisor)
• Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve: Highway 307, Tulum 77781, Mexico, 52-984-87-12499 We felt this was the highlight of our vacation to Playa del Carmen, which is 60 miles to the north of the start of the Biosphere area. We went on a full day tour with Sian Ka'an Info Tours who are a non-profit making organisation promoting the ecology aspects of the biosphere. The hardest part was getting on the tour - the commercial tour sellers don't seem to promote such tours and we couldn't initially find the Tour Operator's Office - its really close to Tulum ruins at the traffic-lights just to the north on the main road. We did the boat tour that others have described - through the mangrove swamps around the lagoon to the fresh water lake, the ruined temple complete with resident bats, and the floating down the river in crystal clear water on our backs. We also were lucky enough to rare West Indian manatees as well as many types of heron, hawks and other sea-going birds. All our questions were enthusiastically and knowlegeably answered by our bilingual guide. We also swam in a fresh water cenote, learned how mangrove colonises the shoreline, saw rare orchids in flower and hunted for massive land crabs. A great day out if you enjoy that sort of thing. (CeSiak tours are apparantly good too) (5/5 on TripAdvisor).
• Abyss Dive Center: Tulum-Cancun Highway | At the entrance to the Tulum ruins, Tulum 77710, Mexico (5/5 on TripAdvisor).
• Xibalba Dive Center: Avenida Tulum Entre Satelite Y Geminis, Tulum 77780, Mexico (5/5 on TripAdvisor)
• Lucky Fish Diving: Tan Kah Bay 16, Tulum 77780, Mexico (5/5 on TripAdvisor)
• Punta Laguna Nature Reserve: Approx 10 km from the Coba ruins to the north. Punta Laguna is part of a 5000-hectare nature reserve called Ma'ax Yetel Kooh. Tucked away in the jungle where Yucatan meets the neighboring state of Quintana Roo near the Gulf Coast, sits Punta Laguna, a small Mayan village where roosters and pigs have the right of way and the smoke from women making tortillas over an open fire filters through the thatched roofs of their houses. Guided tours through some of the jungle trails reveal a wealth of exotic plants and animals, as well as partially buried pre-hispanic ruins. Punta Laguna was a wonderful adventure! We met a nice couple from Seattle that told us to go! Thanks to them we made the drive and truely had a wonderful time. Here you can get a tour guide or walk yourself. They had rock climbing and conopy tours over the Lagoon if you paid for the tour. We decided to take the tour on our own...we were not disappointed. There is much to see if you take your time and a handy map at the bottom of the hill (follow the street on foot that you entered on ...). The map gives you a GENERAL idea of what lies in the jungle. I use general because when you take the path to the right it splits a million times. I was a little uneasy at one point about getting lost....my wonderful boyfriend reminded me that all we had to do is go back to the lagoon and follow it around. Smart guy....not so smart girlfriend... (5/5 on TripAdvisor)

Accommodation

We are staying at the Cabañas Copal eco-hotel. It's worth remembering that there is no electricity here. Check in time is 3pm, although I've sent an e-mail asking them to keep the hotel even if we aren't there for 3pm. Just a quick word of warning - We consider Copal to be a clothing optional facility. You are welcome to be nude on the beach, on the sandy terraces, and among the cabañas.

Directions: To drive from the Cancún airport, take the highway south until you reach the crossroads leading to the Tulum hotel zone. You will see a sign for Boca Paila and also a plaza on the right side with a large San Francisco Supermarket. At the stoplight, turn left, heading toward the sea. Once the road forks, turn right. Cabanas Copal - You will see the reception for Cabanas Copal next to the road about 1/2 km from the fork in the road. Maya Spa - You will see the driveway just past the Cabanas Copal reception. Azulik - You will see the driveway a few metres farther from Maya Spa driveway. Zahra - You will see reception on the left and a small convenience store on the right. Parking is beside the convenience store.

Day 11, Tuesday 7th November PM - Day 12, Wednesday 8th November - Cancún

White beaches of Cancun

Our transport link to Cuba, Cancún, has lots of things to do. It doesn't seem so much of a cultural place but very busy and exciting. Its highlights are its striking modern hotels, hectic nightlife and high-energy entertainment including parachuting, jet skiing, scuba diving and golf. It appears to be a suitable base to explore some of the beaches on the East coast. We should definitely try to visit downtown during the day to see some of the 'real' Cancun where the locals live. In the evening, we'll go out in the hotel zone.

Activities

• Snorkeling and Diving: The reefs in the bay between the Hotel Zone and Isla Mujeres lie in shallow waters. Tropical Fish, Colorful Corrals, barracuda, rays and much more is to be discovered
• Boat Tours: Take a tour into the Mangrove Forrest. Don’t forget to bring Mosquito repellant.
• Cruises: Take a cruise to Isla Mujeres, Cozumel or Contoy (a bird sanctuary)
• Submarines and Glass-bottom boats
• Watersports: Just about anything you can imagine

I'm sure we'll find hundreds of ways to spend our money on generic touristy activities here.

Nightlife

As we will have thoroughly refreshed ourselves after the relaxing time at Tulum, we'll be larging it up in this evening. A good thread on nightclubbing in Cancún is available at http://cancun-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g150807-i8-k819335-Overview_of_clubs-Cancun_Yucatan_Peninsula.html Information on bar/club crawls is at http://cancun-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g150807-i8-k783220-Best_bar_tour-Cancun_Yucatan_Peninsula.html The nightlife is excellent there's a club for all tastes, Coco Bongo for a busy cheesy loud night, The City for pure dancing and excellent floor shows with many locals attending, for a a club with a more upmarket feel and fantastic aircon with branded drinks go to Bulldog. I strongly advise we go to Coco Bongo - it looks insane and really different. Senor Frog's also looks good if we can fit that in too.

Accommodation

Grand Royal Lagoon. Don't expect this hotel to be at all cultural. It's in the Hotel Zone, i.e. touristy area as this will make a nice base for our evening (of course during the days, we can get some culture). Out of the hotels in the Hotel Zone, this does seem like one of the better cheaper ones. They might even provide unlimited food and drinks for a small fee and have bar tours organised. Reviews are here. CONFIRMATION # 514986, ONE ROOM FOR 3 PERSONS $60 USD TAXES INCLUDED AND BREAKFAST.

Car Hire

We will return the car at Cancún airport at Wed, Nov 08, 2006 at 07:30 PM.

Onwards Transport

Looking at the Click Mexicana website, the flights from Cancún appears to be at 14:05-17:10 and 20:40-23:45.

GPS Locations

• Palenque: 15:37:35N, 92:45:04W
• Palenque Ruins: N1730.627 W9159.431
• Merida: 20:59:12N, 89:36:25W
• Pisté (very close to Chichen Itza): 20:42:26N, 88:35:07W
• Chichen Itza Ruins: N2041.016 W8834.376
• Chichen Itza (just south of) Sacred Well (cenote): N20.68600 W88.56910
• Tulum: 20:13:17N, 87:28:07W
• Tulum Ruins: N2012.885 W8725.728
• Cancun: 21:31:25N, 87:02:52W
• Cancun Hotel Zone: N2108.093 W08644.881
• Cancun Airport: N2102.467 W08652.530