DETAILED
ITINERARY
Day
1. Fly to Mexico
Upon arrival in Merida, capital of the Yucatan,
meet your Tour Director, who will escort you to
your hotel. After check-in, your Tour Director
leads a walking tour of the city – once
the ancient Mayan city of T´ho. In addition
to the walk, you may decide to take a horse-draw
carriage ride along the Montejo Avenue, Merida’s
version of the Champs-Elysées.
Day
2. Merida – Progreso Beach
Discover the beauty of Merida on this morning’s
guided sightseeing tour. Admire the massive 16th-century
St. Ildefonso’s Cathedral, partially built
from the stones of Mayan temples destroyed by
the conquistadores. You’ll also see the
baroque Montejo House and the Government Palace,
with its interior walls adorned with a collection
of 27 mural-size paintings depicting Mayan history.
Your tour then continues on to the nearby Gulf
of Mexico port of Progreso, where you’ll
have the chance to take a refreshing swim. The
rest of the afternoon is free to explore Merida
on your own – browse the shops inside the
Public Market for some hand-made dresses, blankets
or the most popular souvenir, hammocks.
Day
3. Uxmal – Santa Elena – Campeche
Journey to the Mayan city of Uxmal. As you tour
with an expert guide, view the oval-shaped Pyramid
of the Magician, the Governor’s Palace and
the fascinating Nunnery Quadrangle. Then relax
over lunch and take a swim at the Mision Uxmal
Hotel. En route to Campeche, stop at the Mayan
village of Santa Elena, where you’ll have
a hammock and tortilla-making demonstration from
a local family. Arrive later in the Gulf of Mexico
coastal city of Campeche, a charming colonial
town with narrow streets and baroque architecture.
Founded by the Spaniards in 1540, Campeche is
still surrounded by remains of hefty defensive
walls and fortresses built in the 17th century
to protect it against pirates. On a walking tour
along the cobblestone streets, view the city’s
churches, parks and elegant 18th and 19th century
houses painted soothing pastel shades of blue,
pink, yellow, and green. You’ll also visit
the Land Gate bastion, where you’ll enjoy
a Sound and Light Show evoking Campeche’s
pirate history.
Day
4. Campeche – Chicanna
On your guided tour of Campeche, visit the 17th-century
Cathedral; the Church of San Francisquito, a wonderfully
lush piece of Mexican Baroque; and the Casa 6,
a colonial house containing several high-ceilinged
rooms crammed with colonial furniture and paintings.
Your tour includes a visit to the hilltop Fort
of San Miguel, home to the Museo de Cultura Maya,
an archaeological museum displaying artifacts
from throughout the state of Campeche. Your adventure
continues with a journey to the south of the state
of Campeche, arriving in time to lodge at the
Chicanna Ecovillage, a comfortable, ecologically
minded hotel complex near the Mayan pyramids of
Chicanna. Enjoy the afternoon relaxing by the
pool, strolling through the beautiful flower gardens,
and watching a big variety of birds. Here, you’ll
spend the night.
Day
5. Chicanna – Becan – Xpujil
– Kohunlich – Chetumal
Your full-day excursion to the unexplored Mayan
ruins of Río Bec begins in Chicanna. Its
name means “House of the Serpent Mouth”,
which is also the name of the most completely
restored structure at the site. This temple features
a fascinating doorway fashioned after a serpent’s
open mouth; other structures are accented by stone
carvings of imaginative monster masks. Next stop
will be Becan, which means “Ravine or Canyon
formed by Water”. Surrounded by a moat that
probably was meant as a fortification, it is the
most developed of the Río Bec sites and
has the largest structures, including temples,
plazas and a ball court. You’ll then visit
X-pujil ruins, which consist of three ornamental
towers which once were extravagantly decorated.
The excursion continues on to the archaeological
site of Kohunlich; clumps of date palms suggest
the area may once have been an oasis. The most
notable structure among Kohunlich’s rubble-strewn
mounds is the main pyramid, or Temple of the Masks,
which is decorated with carved faces, strongly
Olmec-influenced, that resemble masks. Hints of
red are still visible on these figures, which
are protected by thatched coverings. Afterwards
you’ll travel to today’s overnight
destination: Chetumal, capital of the state of
Quintana Roo.
Day
6. Cancun
Today you’ll journey to the tropical resort
of Cancun, home to sandy white beaches neighboring
the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean. Spend
the remainder of the day at leisure – try
a refreshing swim, shop in some of the colorful
boutiques that line the sidewalks, or explore
the local craft markets.
Day
7. Cancun
Enjoy a free full day of swimming and basking
on the sun-soaked shores of Cancun. Or, you may
want to participate on an optional excursion to
Isla Mujeres, a Caribbean island boasting palm-lined
beaches and crystal-clear waters, ideal for snorkeling.
The excursion includes a full day of relaxing,
swimming, snorkeling and shopping at the island’s
downtown area.
Day
8-9. Cancun Extension
Fly home on day 8 or extend your stay one more day and
relax on the sunny beaches of Cancun. |
