Haciendas & Mayan Culture

Day 1: Cancun Arrival

Welcome to Mexico! Upon arrival at Cancun airport, your driver will take you to the rental agency for the recovery of your vehicle where a English-speaking person will be waiting for you to welcome you and guide you for your first steps in Mexico City. Drive to your hotel. Drive time: Cancun airport - Cancun 20km (30min)

Day 2: ¡Welcome To Yucatan!

Valladolid, Chichén Itzá. Cenote X'canche, Zona Arqueológica De Ek Balam, Xkopek, Parque Apícola, Cenote Zaci, Cenote Dzitnup. This morning, head to Valladolid, a little typical charming yucatecan town. It is proud of its name of "Magic Village of Mexico", for its unique features, its historical richness, its culture and its gastronomy, as well as for its pre-Hispanic and colonial buildings, its very strong customs and traditions and for its inhabitants who make them endure. Visit the Zocalo and its white cathedral. You then get lost in the colonial streets of the city center, passing by the municipal bazaar and the convent of San Bernardino. In the same historic center is the cenote Zací, a few streets from the central square, semi-open and offering a space for bathing and spirituality out of the ordinary. With its hanging vines, the atmosphere is quiet and the place shaded. You continue your journey by visiting two of the most beautiful cenotes of this region, those of Dzitnup (X'keken and Samulah), entirely enclosed in caves, and which will offer you the freshness and surprise of places such as these. At the end of the day, you will reach Chichen Itza where a sound and light show will await you, if you wish, at nightfall. Car trips: Cancun - Valladolid 165km (2h) Valladolid - Chichen Itza 45km (45min)

Day 3: Marvels Of Yucatan

Izamal, Chichén Itzá, Merida. Yokdzonot, Kukulcán, Pirámide Kinich Kakmó. Today you will discover the wonderful archaeological site of Chichen Itza at the opening to avoid the crowds, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, and considered since 2007 as one of the "new wonders of the world". You will soak up the majesty of this site and the echo of its past glory. Continue to the cenote of Yokdzonot to refresh yourself and participate in an original and traditional cooking class of Yucatec gastronomy. After lunch, you head to the "magic village" of Izamal. You will visit the Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua, whose atrium is the second largest after that of the Vatican. You can also climb the Kinich pyramid to have a breathtaking view of this mustard yellow city. End of the day in Mérida, cultural capital of Yucatan. City of one million inhabitants, it is famous for its cathedral and Paseo Montejo bordered by the sumptuous mansions of the former henequen plantation owners. Strolling through the colonial streets of the White City, you will feel the romantic and provincial atmosphere, testifying to a past rich in stories and legends. Car trips: Chichen Itza - Yokdzonot 25km (25min) Yokdzonot - Izamal 55km (55min) Izamal - Mérida 70km (1h10)

Day 4: Ruta Puuc, A Concentrate Of Haciendas!

Merida, Uxmal. Yaxcopoil, Museo Del Chocolate Yucateco, Mucuyché, Parador San Antonio Mulix, Cenote Kankirixche. After your breakfast, you will take the road to the hacienda Yaxcopoil to visit the remains of this former colonial residence, authenticity guaranteed! Then head to the village of Mucuyche where you will start your tour with a visit to the hacienda and then refresh yourself in the two cenotes Carlota and Azul Maya. In the late afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit the Cocoa Museum and its Mayan ceremony dedicated to the god Chaac (god of rain and thunder), which also has a small zoo where you will have the chance of seeing some endemic species of the region such as the jaguar. Car trips: Merida - Yaxcopoil 35km (40min) Yaxcopoil - Mucuyche 25km (30min) Mucuyche - Uxmal 50km (45min)

Day 5: Uxmal, Mayan City In Puuc Style & Hacienda Sotuta De Peon The Survivor

Uxmal, Ekmul, Sotuta De Peón. Cuzamá, Ruinas De Aké, Tixkokob. Early departure to visit the site of Uxmal and its monuments with typical architecture such as the quadrilateral of the nuns or the governor's palace. (Possibility to climb to the top of a beautiful Mayan pyramid and have a view of the Yucatec jungle). After lunch, departure for the hacienda Sotuta de Peon, the last active hacienda in the Yucatan. You will then be able to learn the secrets of making henequen fiber through an atypical visit since you will be in a horse-drawn cart. After refreshing yourself in a cenote at the end of the tour, you will resume your journey towards the hacienda Ticum to enjoy a good cocktail by the pool. Car trips: Uxmal - Sotuta de Peon 65km (1h05) Sotuta de Peon - Hacienda Ticum 80km (1h10)

Day 6: Coba And Its Lagoon

Coba Grutas of Balancanché, Ake. Departure in the morning for the site of Coba, magnificent archaeological site in the middle of the Yucatec jungle to finish in beauty and height by climbing one of its very high pyramids. Suggestion: Lunch near the site at the Coqui Coqui restaurant and walk along the lagoon. You will reach Tulum, the only Mayan port known as such, which saw a few centuries ago the arrival of the first conquistadors. Tulum combines landscapes of paradisiacal beaches and historical sites earning it a reputation and a flawless craze on the part of travelers. Car trips: Hacienda Ticum - Coba 195km (2h20) Coba - Tulum 55km (1h)

Day 7: ¡Hasta Luego! Back To Cancun

Cancun, Coba. Akumal, Playa Del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Sian Ka'an. Maybe it's time to say goodbye to Mexico and its beaches? Your stay is coming to an end. Before reaching the airport and depending on your schedule, you can visit the ruins of Tulum. Tulum means "wall" in the Mayan language, and this is the case since it has one of the most beautiful vestiges of this civilization. You will discover this ancient city perched on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, like an ancient fortress, and therefore lets you see a breathtaking panorama of the Paraíso and Mayan beaches, both for its contrasts of colors and in its proximity to the jungle, the sea and the city. You then go to one of the beaches below and enjoy a moment of relaxation. Depart from the hotel to Cancun airport where you will leave your rental car and catch your return flight. Drive by car: Tulum - Cancun airport 125km (1h45)