Yucatan inland: our BEST places

From Laguna Bacalar we decided to continue more into the Yucatan interior to get to know a bit of the not-so-touristy Mexico. Originally I wanted to see the Mayan ruins of Calakmul, but in the end I had to admit that an X hour drive through the jungle on unpaved roads would be unnecessarily demanding. Both energetically and, most importantly, time-wise. So I incorporated completely different ruins into plan 2, plus a few more interesting places on top, so in the end a much more convenient version, and mostly to the satisfaction of everyone involved :)

Eventually our home base was the town of Oxkutzcab, where we spent two nights at Hotel Puuc. We can only recommend it: good location, clean rooms, parking, great pool, excellent breakfast in the restaurant next door, and all for almost nothing. A room with two double beds cost us only about €28/night. Oxkutzcab itself was great - no tourist glitz, no bars and restaurants crammed in next to each other, no special prices for gringos etc. For us, really ideal days spent, which looked something like this:

• Breakfast at Restaurante D'licia Turquesa
• excursion (see below)
• half a splash by the pool
• evening market in the square and tasting
• a meal for a few chups at a stall (preferably huge portions + smiling locals)

If you would like a different accommodation, please be aware that there is not as much choice in this area as on the Riviera, but here are some of my tips:

• cheaper: Posada el Jardin - well rated rooms with prices around €32/night
• more expensive: The Lodge At Uxmal - very stylish, beautiful accommodation

Tekax city:

1) Ruta Puuc

Most people come to this area for this one reason - to ride the Ruta Puuc. It is actually a 41 km route that takes you through several important sites of the Mayan civilization. Puuc translates to "hill", as the local landscape here is slightly rolling, whereas the rest of the Yucatán is more of a plain. Puuc also refers to a style of decoration carved into limestone, which can still be seen on some of the facades of temples and more ornate buildings at archaeological sites.

The most important places on Ruta Puuc are Uxmal, Kabah and Labna. Also on the route are the two smaller ruins of X´lapak and Sayil + the caves of Loltún, where Mayan ceremonies took place. It was pretty clear that we wouldn't be going around everything, after all, what can we say, all Mayan ruins look pretty similar to us as laymen. The entrance fee to Uxmal seemed unnecessarily exorbitant (let's face it, 495 MEX isn't exactly low), so our choice fell on the second largest - Kabah, and we certainly weren't disappointed.

Of course, the area includes a lot of stairs, so we didn't even bother with a carriage, but it's not huge. The most beautiful building is definitely Codz Poop or also the Palace of Chaak Masks, which is decorated with beautiful mosaics of the Mayan rain god Chaak. There are more than 250 of them in total and each mask is made up of 30 carefully stacked stones, which as a whole makes for a truly impressive spectacle. On a practical note, parking at the Kabah is free, you'll be offered a guide, which is of course not compulsory, and a separate entrance fee here works out at 70 MEX (cash only).

2) Choco Story

As I wrote, we skipped Uxmal, but there is another interesting place nearby - a chocolate museum connected to an animal shelter. It falls under the concept of Choco Story, whose museums can be found all over the world, e.g. in Prague or Belgium, France, etc. However, this Mexican branch is special because you walk around in the fresh air and get information about the cultivation and processing of cocoa beans from the exhibitions located in wooden huts.

Well, since cacao trees are actually grown in Mexico, you will be able to see these trees with your own eyes. Next, you'll take part in a Mayan ceremony and taste real hot (and especially bitter) cocoa, which you can then flavour to your liking with cinnamon, achiote, chilli or sugar, because the drink itself is not sweet at all.

I also mentioned the animal shelter - please don't expect dogs... Choco Story works here as a rescue station, so be careful it's not a zoo. All the animals here (jaguars, monkeys, deer, parrots, crocodiles) needed human help, they are not just locked up here, but they will probably never return to the wild. The area also includes a nice playground, as a big plus for families with children. Admission comes to 165 MEX for an adult (can be paid by card), there is no parking fee, or more info on the official website here.

3) Mayapan ruins

If I had to choose the best Mayan ruins according to personal preference, Kohunlich from the last article and Mayapan would be on the top of the list. I am no historian, so my main criteria is (in)overcrowding, followed by the attractiveness of the structures from a lay perspective, the amount of admission fees, and also the (in)possibility to climb the pyramids. All in all, the almost crowded Mayapan with its 65 MEX entry fee was a really cool choice.

The largest Mayapan temple is the Kukulcan pyramid or El Castillo, which has 9 floors and measures 15 metres in height. Climbing it is quite a chore, considering the lack of stairs and the extreme heat, but try to take it easy. From the top, you'll have a really spectacular panoramic view of the rest of the complex. 

4) Hacienda Yaxcopoil

In the Czech Republic, people visit castles and palaces, in Mexico people go to see Mayan ruins and haciendas. The literal translation of hacienda is "homestead with land". In practice, they are really colonial rural settlements dating from the 16th century, often associated with premises for processing various agricultural crops (sisal, cocoa, coffee, cotton, grain...). Today, haciendas are often converted into luxury hotels, restaurants or venues for cultural events such as weddings, concerts, celebrations, etc. We knew that staying in a hacienda was completely pointless for us, since we were only going to sleep in a hotel room anyway, but I didn't want to miss a tour of this architectural gem.

After googling and comparing all the options, I was most interested in Hacienda Yaxcopoil located south of Merida. The visit is simple. You park for free, pay an entrance fee of 150 MEX/adults, then you get a copy with information + a map, and then it's up to you to explore the area at your own pace. There are beautifully decorated lounges and private rooms, and the hacienda also includes an adjacent sisal factory (= textile fibre, which is extracted from the agave plant). Or at least what's left of it, see photos below.

5) Homún cenotes

For this article, I chose the area around Homún and Cuzamá, which is known for its large number of cenotes. You will literally run into them at every turn, which can be a bit of a problem - you won't know which one to pick first :) Anyway, the advantage of the cenotes there is that they are not overcrowded at all, and you can swim here for a fraction of the price of the Riviera Maya. And to make sure we had a somewhat leisurely and unhurried time, I also booked accommodation in Homún right away, specifically the stylish cabins with a fridge and coffee maker at HostPal Cabanas Santa Cruz. The price of €40/night included access to two cenotes (+ pool). 

Now, on to the programme. I had originally booked Cenotes Santa Bárbara, where for the price of I think 350 MEX you can visit three cenotes, between which you can be transported by horse-drawn carriage or rent bikes + lunch was included. We ended up reconsidering the situation due to the deteriorating weather, and partly because this was our first experience with this cave bathing. So at first we wanted to check it out and get Kobliha's reaction, so we wandered into the Yaxbacaltun cenote (a completely random choice). The entrance fee comes to 50 MEX and life jackets are included. Just past the ticket office is a sort of mini-zoo with rabbits, chickens, pigs and crocodiles, followed by a relaxation area with hammocks and then a descent down a steep staircase to the cenote.

The water here is much cooler than in the sea, Bacalar lagoon or hotel pools, but on a hot day such cooling is not a bad thing. As for water fun: there's a wooden jump at the back of the cave, and from the main platform you can swing into the water on a rope like Tarzan. For me, the biggest attraction were the fish that nibbled the dead skin on our feet :) All in all, a great experience. 

In the Santa Cruz cenotes, where we were staying, we didn't even take a bath because of the really bad weather, but at least we checked them out in the morning, when only puddles were left after the rain. The first cenote is semi-open with a gradual access via a stone staircase, the second one is completely enclosed in a cave where no daylight can penetrate. Watch out for the very steep stairs here. There is also a restaurant and adrenaline lovers might enjoy the zipline (extra charge). Photos of the accommodation and cenotes of Santa Cruz as follows:

Continue straight to the next article, to the capital of Yucatán - Mérida and trips in the surrounding area. 

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