Valladolid, the perfect base
Posted on December 29, 2022
Want to explore the interior of Yucatan? Valladolid is the perfect base! In addition, the colonial city itself is also a real gem. A place where, unlike the rest of Yucatan, you can still experience authentic Mexico. In this mini guide, we give you five tips to make the most of your stay in the interior of Yucatan.
Stay & tips
After a lovely stay on Isla Holbox, we left for Valladolid after arriving back on the mainland. From Chiquilá, it’s about a two-hour drive. We stayed for three nights in this lovely Airbnb, right in the centre of town. The Airbnb is very modern and also well closed off from the street by a high fence, this gives a safe feeling. In the garden, there is space for a car and there is also a plunge pool. We immediately fell in love with this accommodation.
Our ultimate tip:
– Look carefully where you can or cannot park your car. The yellow lines indicating this have faded in many places in the city. However, the ban still applies. Our car was almost towed away….
Wander through the colourful centre of Valladolid
The centre of Valladolid, has colour, lots of colour! As far as we are concerned, wandering through the city then is a party in itself! Besides facades in all colours of the rainbow, the city has incredibly nice boutiques and restaurants. You will find them on the colourful Calz. De Los Frailles. There is also plenty to see in the central square, Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado. Sit on a bench and enjoy everything around you.
Restaurants
You can find a Mexican food stall on every street corner in this colourful city! Want a little more security because you’re travelling with an allergy? We can recommend the restaurants below:
– Paparazzi: here you eat meat and fish from the grill and delicious Italian dishes
– Las Campanas: an authentic Mexican restaurant serving traditional food.
Fancy a nice ice cream? Then don’t forget to stop by Wabi Gelato. Every day they have different and special flavours of ice cream!
Chichen Itzá
From Valladolid you can reach one of the wonders of the world in just 45 minutes: Chichén Itzá. Make sure you get there early because the most famous Mayan temple in the world is visited by more than 1.2 million people every year! It is therefore advisable to purchase tickets online in advance. Upon arrival at the parking lot, several guides are waiting. Look for a registered guide, so you will not only see beautiful buildings, but you will also learn the story behind Chichén Itzá and much more about Mayan culture.
Izamal
Combine your visit to Chichén Itzá with a visit to the yellow city of Izamal. The city is just an hour's drive from Chichen Itza. Now you're probably thinking, those are probably just a few houses that are yellow... Nothing could be further from the truth, literally every building in the colonial center is yellow! And also in different shades. Unfortunately, it is unknown why the city is yellow! Wander around and enjoy the lively city on a terrace.
Cenotes
The most beautiful cenotes in the Yucatan can be found in the Valladolid area! A cenote can be described as a large pool of clear freshwater. There are more than 3,000 cenotes in the Yucatan. We visited Cenote Suytun and Cenote Oxman ourselves. The first cenote is known for its well-known platform on which many Instagram snapshots have already been taken. Cenote Oxman is known for its lianas. For both cenotes, keep in mind that a visit is not as idyllic as many photos portray. A life jacket is mandatory for swimming in the cenotes, it is also very busy at many times and it feels more like a subtropical 'indoor' swimming paradise.
Rio Largatos
After much deliberation on a rainy day, we decided not to go to the pink lakes Las Coloradas (about which we heard mediocre stories) but to the adjacent fishing village of Rio Largatos. From the village you can take a boat trip through the UNESCO biosphere reserve. Together with Rio Largatos Adventures we sailed the mangrove areas and saw crocodiles, beautiful flamingos and special birds! Although it is still an hour and a half drive from Valladolid to Rio Largatos, we have not regretted our choice for a moment.
