Yucatecan Honeymoon

Welcome to Mexico! Upon arrival at the Cancun airport, head to the rental agency to pick up your vehicle. Drive to your hotel.

Drive : Cancun airport - Cancun 20km (30min)

Departure for Ek Balam or "black jaguar" in Maya, ancient religious center of great importance in the region and including about 40 structures. All of the temples are accessible to visitors and allow them to get a good view of the city and the surrounding jungle. Ek Balam does not have the fame of Chichen Itza, yet it is a city full of serenity and mystery at the same time. There are few visitors and this is what makes it so charming. About 1500 meters from the city is the Xcanche cenote. To get there, you can rent bicycles or go on foot. On site, you will find a rappel, hammocks and a zip line, enough to have fun. Lunch is available at the cenote ecotourism center, surrounded by the jungle. You will participate in the temazcal ceremony and then you will take the direction of Valladolid, charming small city typically Yucatecan. Visit the Zocalo and its white cathedral. You will then get lost in the colonial streets of the city center, passing by the municipal bazaar and the San Bernardino convent.

Driving directions: Cancun - Ek Balam 175km (2h10) / Ek Balam - Valladolid 30km (30min)

Today, you will discover the marvelous archaeological site of Chichen Itza, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, and considered since 2007 as one of the "new wonders of the world". You will be immersed in the majesty of this site and the echo of its past glory. You will reach the Tsukan cenote to refresh yourself in its clear waters before reaching Izamal, "magic village". You will visit the Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua, whose atrium is the second in size after that of the Vatican. You will also be able to go up on the Kinich pyramid to have an impregnable view on this yellow city. End of the day in Mérida, cultural capital of Yucatán. City of one million inhabitants, it is famous for its cathedral and its paseo Montejo lined by the sumptuous residences of the old masters of the henequen. Walking through the colonial streets of the white city, you will feel the romantic and provincial atmosphere, witnessing a past rich in history and legends.

Driving directions: Valladolid - Chichen Itza 45km (45min) / Chichen Itza - Tsukan 25km (25min) / Tsukan - Izamal 55km (55min) / Izamal - Merida 70km (1h10)

After breakfast, departure for Yaxcopoil to admire an old hacienda that made the wealth of the peninsula in the past.
In the afternoon, you will leave for Uxmal, a city that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Located in the middle of the Yucatecan jungle, Uxmal means "three times built" in Maya. The architecture of this site is particularly faithful to the "Puuc" style with its geometric forms, its mosaics and its representations of the god Chaac, god of rain and thunder.
A few meters before the entrance to the site is the cocoa museum, Chocostory, where you can learn more about the use and importance of cocoa in the Mayan culture. You will have the opportunity to taste the cocoa and participate in a Mayan ceremony.
Return to Merida at the end of the day.

Driving directions: Merida - Yaxcopoil 35km (40min) / Hacienda Yaxcopoil - Uxmal 40km (40min) / Uxmal - Merida 85km (1h10)

After breakfast, you take the road to Mayapan. This ancient city was founded by Mayan insurgents from Chichen Itza and prospered for 200 years until it was plundered and its population massacred. Afterwards, you leave for Bacalar, famous for its seven-colored lagoon. Bacalar is a pearl of the Caribbean, close to the Belizean border, in the south of the Yucatan Peninsula. Bacalar is a small town known for its history and its natural wealth. The lagoon is made up of seven different cenotes, which gave it its name, and is about 42km long and 2km wide. Bacalar was an important commercial crossroads for the Maya, a real place of exchange between Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula. Stroll through the city center and visit Fort San Felipe, built in 1729, an example of the military architecture of New Spain, which experienced various battles and conflicts.

Driving directions: Merida - Mayapan 50km (40min) / Mayapan - Bacalar 300km (3h40)

Day trip to Bacalar. Famous for its lagoon of seven colors, you will discover it through a sailing boat tour. It is also possible to visit Fort San Felipe, built in 1729, an example of the military architecture of New Spain, which experienced various battles and conflicts. Finally, you will enjoy a romantic dinner on the lagoon to end the day.

This morning, you will head to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest in Mexico and located near Tulum. This reserve includes tropical forests, mangroves and swamps, as well as a vast marine area crossed by a coral reef. Its diversity of flora and fauna is impressive and it shelters for example jaguars, manatees, turtles, birds and dolphins. To reach it, you will pass by Muyil where the entrance of the site is. There, you will be able to go on a boat with a local guide who will accompany you in the lagoons. You will reach the channels created by the Mayans where you will put on your life jacket to let you be carried by the current sitting in the water. Continuation to Tulum, one of the jewels of the Riviera Maya and the only Mayan port known as such, which saw the arrival of the first conquistadors a few centuries ago. Tulum means "wall" in Mayan language, and it is indeed 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 thus leaves to see a breathtaking panorama on the beaches Paraíso and Maya, as much for its contrasts of colors as in its proximity to both the jungle, the sea and the city. Tulum combines paradisiacal beach landscapes and historical sites that have made it famous and popular with travelers.

Driving directions: Bacalar - Muyil 190km (2h10) / Muyil - Tulum 30km (40min)

Enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean or take the opportunity to explore the surroundings! Between the archaeological ruins of Tulum and Coba, the biosphere of Sian Ka'an, the lagoons of Punta Laguna and Kaan Luum, Akumal and its turtles, the cenotes and the parks of the Riviera Maya, the activities are not lacking!

Enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean or take the opportunity to explore the surroundings! Between the archaeological ruins of Tulum and Coba, the biosphere of Sian Ka'an, the lagoons of Punta Laguna and Kaan Luum, Akumal and its turtles, the cenotes and the parks of the Riviera Maya, the activities are not lacking!

Maybe it's time to say goodbye to Mexico and its beaches? Your stay is coming to an end. Departure from the hotel towards the airport of Cancun for your return flight.

By car : Tulum - Cancun airport 125km (1h45)