If you're coming to the Yucatan, there are many ways to get around and explore what the Peninsula has to offer. Depending on who you are or your desires you may want to visit our natural phenomena such as beaches, caves, cenotes or our world famous flamingos. What do you know about the Chixculub crater where the world of dinosaurs ended? How about our beautiful colonial cites or Mayan villages? We have everything that great vacations are made of.
The Convent Route is a day trip that will take you somewhat off the beaten path and into the heart of the Yucatan. Meandering through the country side of the west-central part of the state, you will visit Mayan villages and ruins, colonial churches, cathedrals and convents, courtyards and cenotes, all dating back centuries.
Fourteen miles from Kanasin is Acanceh (ah-con-KAY which means "moan of the deer"), where you will see an interesting combination of a Mayan Pyramid (the Grand Pyramid currently being restored), a colonial church and a modern day church all on the same plaza. Several blocks away are more ruins with hieroglyphs. Ask around for the Temple of the Stuccoes which is about four blocks away. Some gentle soul will point you in the right direction. If they actually take you there, you should tip him or her five or ten pesos.
Tecoh (tay-KO), five miles down the road has a gas station, a market and a very ornate church and convent dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption. The carved stones and altar along with the statues and painting are impressive. While you are there, you might notice that this complex is built on what appears to be a hill, but is really the base of a very large Mayan Pyramid.
Next on the route is Telchaquillo (tel-chah-KEY-yoh), a small village (don´t blink- you may miss it!) that has a small, austere chapel and a wonderful cenote in the plaza that you can visit.
Several kilometers out of Telchaquillo off to the right you will find the fantastic Mayan ruins of Mayapan. This walled city has 4,000 mounds of which six are in different stages of advanced restoration. Mayapan is the size of Chichen Itza, and you will find the buildings are replicas of the ones in Chichen. Visiting this site allows you to observe many mounds in their original state (covered with trees, shrubs, etc..) and to see others in transformation with the archeologists actually working on them. You will be viewing a real archaeological "dig".
Continue on eighteen miles to Tekit (teh-KEET), a large prosperous looking village. There you will find the parish of "San Antonio De Padua", with a large temple that houses many ornate statues of saints in their individual niches. The altar itself is very simple.
The next village is a little over four miles away, and it is a small one named Mama (mah-MAH). Mama is famous for its large beautiful bell-globed church containing a large garden, a well and a closed atrium along with frescos on the wall, statues of saints in the niches and a very ornate altar. It is believed this is the oldest church on the route.
Following the route for six more miles, you will next come to Chumayel (chu-my-EL) where the famous Mayan document "Chilam Balam" was found. Two and a half miles ahead is Teabo (tay-AH-bow), famous for its embroidered dresses and its impressive 17th century temple. Then on to Tipikal (tee-pee-CAHL), a small village with an austere looking church.
The final and perhaps most important stop on the Convent Route is Mani (mah-NEE) (seven and a half miles farther) where you will find a large church, convent and museum with explanations in English, Spanish, French and Mayan. Mani is a good place to have lunch or you can head on to Ticul to have lunch at Los Almendros.
To get back to Merida, head to Ticul, then Muna, then to Uman, then onto Merida.
If you want to stop here to do the Ruta Puuc the next day, you can stay in Ticul where there are several small hotels. This is a good departure point for the Loltun Caves on the Puuc Route.
An interesting tour that gives you an overview of the Mayan civilization awaits you just 50 miles south of Merida. Known as the Puuc (hilly) Route, the sites include Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labna and the caves of Loltun. Each of the sites has restored Mayan pyramids and other structures, covered with brush, tree and jungle, much the way early explorers and archaeologists found them.
LOLTUN
You begin the trip,by driving south to Uxmal. At Muna, turn left and follow the signs to Loltun. We like to start in Loltun. This way you can do a guided tour of the caves in the morning. Tours are the only way you can get into the caves.
LABNA
The next stop (18 miles down the road) will bring you to Labna, once a city of some 1,500 to 2,500 people, inhabited between 750 to 1000 AD. Presently 4 buildings are in a restored state. Notice the caretakers open thatched roof home as you enter the site. The palace at this site has 70 chultunes (water cisterns) that are not visible. There is also an artistically intricate arch at this site.
X-LAPAK
Ten miles down the winding road you will come to X-Lapak (shla-POCK) which means "unglued walls", a site of some 14 mounds and three somewhat restored pyramids. This site and Sayil are less restored and manicured so you can see what the sites looked like when they were discovered. Notice the many carved stones just laying around on the ground.
SAYIL
Eight miles from this turn is Sayil (say-YEEL), which means "The Place of the Ants". At the entrance you will see an outdoor museum under a thatched roof. Check out the huge stellar dating from 800-1000 AD. This site is home to a beautiful palace that included 90 bedrooms for some 350 people. From the top level of the palace you can see the church at Santa Elena and across the way a tiny ruin on the side of a mountain, which is called "The nine masks".
KABAH
Continuing on with the route, your next stop will be Kabah. You will have to turn right 5 kilometers out of Sayil at the "T" in the road. The road are very well marked. Kabah is famous for its "Palace of Chaac Masks" (Chaac is the Mayan rain god). Also here is the much photographed arch that is thought to be the center of the city and the entrance to the sacbe (white road or Mayan highway) that went to Uxmal.
UXMAL
Just a few miles down the road is Uxmal. The most "manicured" of the sites and last stop in this route, Uxmal means "the thrice built city" with the colossal "Magicians Pyramids", impressive "Governor´s Palace", intricate "Doves Temple" and the grand "Nuns Quadrangle".
The gate at Tecoh leads into what at first glance appeared to be a farmyard with a few outbuildings. After parking the car we were met by our guide - a Mayan gentlemen wearing white shirt, khaki.
Upon entering the cave we were struck by two facts - it was at least 10° F warmer in the cave and it was decidedly more humid. Immediately inside the entrance there was a fairly large colony of swallows. Their nests hung from much of the ceiling. According to the map and the guide there are 13 cenotes within the mapped portion of the system.
There are several places where hands and knees are the primary mode of travel. Other places require wading through the cenote.
After Tecoh proceed to check out Dzibilchaltun and its cenote - Xlacah (pronounced, I believe, Shlah-kah). Dzibilchaltun is approximately half way between Merida and Progreso and on our way back to San Benito.
Dzibilchaltun has the distinction of having been well on the road to decline prior to the arrival of the conquistadors, althought it was occupied for almost one hundred years after the coming of the Spanish. Having been founded in approximately 500 B.C. it flourished from about 750 A.D. to sometime during the 11th or 12th century.
The most notable feature to is the Temple of the Dolls. It is clear that the Mayans had a firm grasp of the sun's movements even early on. Annually, on the spring and fall equinox, the rising sun appears in the center of the east-facing door of the Temple of Dolls and shines out through the west-facing door.
The cenote is located at the western end of the site and is as clear a body of water you will find anywhere. It is over 45 meters (140 feet) deep at one end. There is one ledge that appears to have been created for the sole purpose of making the filling of your pots and ewers easy.
To get to Oxkintok, you drive south from Merida on the 180 towards Uxmal. Right before the turnoff to Uxmal, we found and followed signs to Oxkintok. Basically, the road ends where you turn left to Oxkutzcab, right to Uxmal, but straight ahead and up a hill to the destination.
The road climbs up and around a hill, which in itself was a treat! The first right turn is labeled with a small sign to the ruins. The road seemed to go on forever and is often littered with black and brown butterflies .
The ruins of Oxkintok have been only partially excavated. It seems to have been a lovely outpost city during the classic period of 750 to 1050 A.D., with four large plazas that all meet at El Castillo, a temple-like central building. You can easily climb to the top of El Castillo and treat yourself to a beautiful view.
One of the unique structures at Oxkintok is a spiral shaped rock sculpture. It may have been a place to collect water, or a place to worship. Its beauty is undeniable.
Another of the structures is called The Devil's Palace because it features a carved column planted in the ground that looks a bit like a devil or a skeleton. And there was even a building called Palacio Pop, which has something to do with tiles found in the building.
The next stop is the Calcehtok (KAL-say-tock) Caves. At Calcehtok, you will be let by one of the 75 grandchildren of the Mayan 'abuelito' who discovered these caves.
Exploring the Calcehtok Caves is a great adventure. You will enjoy visiting many large caves with vaulted ceilings, and listening to a 14-year-old guide tell us stories about his grandfather and the aluxes (ah-LOO-shiss) (Mayan elf-like creatures) who live in the caves. If you ask t to see 'the bones', and it will be quite a different trip. After an hour of sliding and climbing up ropes and steep cliffs,you will indeed come to a cave with ancient bones of people who had apparently died or been buried there.
This antique wooden buggy type cart pulled by the horse is the mode of transportation used on the almost-famous "Cuzama cenote trip." Traveling through the lush sisal plantations of the Yucatan with three wonderful refreshing cenotes as the goal of the trip, this day trip is something truly unique that you can do while visiting the Yucatan Peninsula.
The goal of this trip is to relax, enjoy the peace of the Yucatan countryside, and have a refreshing swim in three different cenotes...a perfect trip for a hot day! The first cenote, Chelentun (Chay-len-TOON), has the easiest access. The cement stairs and handrail make it easy to go down for a swim in the crystal clear water. After a swim and some photography, it is time to head back onto the truck and on to the next cenote.
This cenote, Chansinic'che (Chahn-seen-eek-CHAY), is a bit harder to get into. The first thing you will find is a hole in the ground and a ladder made out of the railroad tracks. Descend the ladder for about 10 meters or 30 feet and you are in another transparent cenote for another refreshing swim.
The next and last cenote is Bolonchoojol (Bow-lawn-chew-HOLE). This impressive cenote is the subject of MANY pictures used for publicity on cenotes in the Yucatan. The entrance is also a hole in the ground with a railroad tie ladder. The hole looks narrow but once you get down, you will find yourself in a huge, well-lit cavern with the crystal clear blue toned water of the cenote. In the middle of the cenote the stalactites have formed what looks like a huge tree.
To spend a day exploring haciendas, start out early by driving south from Merida towards Uman. Follow the signs to Muna on Highway 261. You'll come to a little town near Hacienda Yaxcopoil (YASH-coh-poh-EEL), which is Mayan for "the place of the green Alamo trees." You can recognize the hacienda by its beautiful arch, painted in a deep mostarza color. Park outside and walk through the arch, allowing your imagination to take you back hundreds of years.
Yaxcopoil is a hacienda where time stands still. Rather than renovating the buildings, the owner has simply arrested the decay. There you will see the large lounges and drawing rooms with high ceilings, walls with painted stencils, original mosaico floor tiles, and European furniture in every room.
Continue south on Highway 261. At the 182 Kilometer marker, you'll see the left turn signs towards Hacienda Temozon Sud.
You'll smell the sweet air and hear the birds of Temozon, the most palatial of the restored haciendas. The entrance leads up stairways, past the unique dolphin-head waterspouts, to the grand terrace.
This hacienda was chosen for a summit meeting between President Bill Clinton and Presidente Dr. Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico in 1999. If you're hungry, you can enjoy a delicious gourmet meal for a reasonable price.
Return to Highway 261 and continue south. After Kilometer 176, look for the signs to Hacienda Ochil (oh-CHEEL) on your right. Hacienda Ochil is every bit as historically interesting as Yaxcopoil, but with the added pleasure of several artisan workshops, a giftshop and a small hacienda museum.
Here you can watch master craftsmen teach younger artisans to work in leather, stone, metal, wood and henequen. Although most of the products are commissioned, you can purchase some of their work in the gift shop. If you're looking for a genuine henequen or a nice cotton hammaca, you can find them here at a reasonable price.
Ochil is a charming and intimate hacienda that houses an informal restaurant, a gift shop, the artisan workshops and a museum. The museum has many interesting photographs that trace the history and restoration of Ochil, as well as examples of products and artifacts from when the haciendas were in full operation.
One of the pleasures of Ochil is simply strolling around the grounds, enjoying the lush gardens. If you walk behind the restaurant and down the path, you will be pleasantly surprised by a half-hidden cenote. Depending on the water level, you may be able to walk inside under a ledge and see ancient Mayan handprints painted on the cave walls.
If you don't have time to spend a whole day exploring the haciendas, there are haciendas closer to town.
You can take a quick drive on Highway 180 out of Merida toward Cancun. Take the left turn towards Hacienda Teya (tay-yah). Teya has been renovated with a modern restaurant, large enough to accommodate tour buses and events such as weddings. They have conference rooms, a gift shop, a chapel, and many beautiful suites, but the mirrored ballroom with reflecting pool will really impress.
In the other direction and for a completely different experience, you can go south on Calle Itzaes past the airport. Get on the Periferico going toward Uxmal. Go past the Uxmal turn off until you see the sign for the Cuxtal Ecological Reserve on your right. Turn right at the second opportunity after that sign. If you have made the correct turn, you will immediately see a small sign for Santa Cruz Palomeque. Continue straight until you reach the town. The hacienda is on the left and is available for strolling around. The beautifully restored chapel is also open to visitors.
The Mayan people have inhabited the Yucatan for more than 2,600 years. As the years have passed and they have been invaded by the western world, it is interesting to know that they have preserved many of their rites and rituals.
When you drive through the Mayan villages as you wander the Yucatan, you may be wondering what goes on in these villages, what do they do everyday, how do they live? To get an inside glimpse into the lives of the Mayan people you must see the live theater presentation called "Seven Moments in the Life of the Mayas.
The wonderful accomplishment of this piece of theater is that it preserves some of the customs, rituals, folklore and mysticism of the people.Younger generations are learning the dances, legends and folklore of their ancestors. At the same time, the villages learn to appreciate and be proud of their culture.
The show is unique in its staging and scope. The setting is a natural one in a field in Ticopo, a village 21 kilometers from Merida on highway 180 from Merida to Cancun. 470 Mayans ranging in ages from four to 93 years of age participate in the show, which invites you to be a witness to the daily activities in their lives. At times, the show is traditional in presenting Mayan dances in costume. At other times, you almost feel invisible as you watch them laughing, running and playing. There is some acting involved, but very little. Most of the activities are everyday activities, being carried out by everyday people and you are watching.
There's a nice treat at the end. Throughout most of the show, a number of Mayan ladies are preparing a fire, and cooking handmade tortillas. At the end of the show, these are handed out to the audience.