Thursday, 23 April 2015

Valladolid

Valladolid is located 53km east of Chichen Itza and about 202km west of Cancun international airport. It is a small town with less than 50000 inhabitants. When making a trip to Chichen Itza it is usually a mandatory stop with most tours.
ARRIVAL
Entry into the town is by road. They have local buses coming in here from the bigger cities like Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Merida. There is lots of street parking so an easy city to get into and explore.
ACCOMODATION
There are several hotels around town but they are 3 and a half star at most. It would be wiser to stay at Chichen Itza near the site if you looking to spend a night or two in the region. I would recommend The Lodge at Chichen Itza
THINGS TO DO
Daytime: Exploring the town on foot to see the central town Square (Parque Fransisco Canton Rosado). The Catedral de San Gervasio is the main attraction in the town square, quite hard to miss this one. There is a Cenote Zaci within walking distance of the square as an options as well. The cool part of this town is the colonial style architecture which gives the town its character.

There are lots of souvenir shops around the central plaza as well. So when passing through its perfect to pick up some artistic wooden carvings, ceramics and clothing items.

Caution: A wooden item I had bought here actually had dry wood termites. The owner said it was treated wood and okay for customs. So look for small holes in the wooden carvings to be sure it is not home to these little guys. If you really want the wooden souvenir and unsure about termites, then buy it and place inside a plastic bag before placing it in a fridge for 24 hours. This will fix the problem.

If this is your hub for several days, then you can coordinate excursions around the area and really explore the Northern part of the Yucatan peninsula. There are many Mayan sites close by like Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Coba, Ake, and many more. Throw in the hundreds of Cenotes & caves where Scuba cave diving is possible and this might be your hot spot.

Night time: Lots of local restaurants around so some good food and drinks with the locals & tourists would merit a decent night here.

Town Square
Catedral de San Gervasio
WILDLIFE
Mosquitoes will be the main issue here but your next worst thing would be black scorpions (Las Alacránes) which are about 4 inches long but not poisonous unless you have an allergy. General rule is be careful with wet gear hanging outside or shoes as they provide a cool of area. Scorpions love this cooling zone. Also the showers will be an attractive location for them to cool off if there is water still around. They are uncommon but depending on where your lodge is it can be issue. Ants and cockroaches are also common but the latter works like a ninja and always out of your line of sight.
COSTS
The place is a small town and costs are low as well. Hotels can go from $20 US dollars to $60 per night. Entry to ruins are from $10-$20 US dollars. Food and Beverages will cost less than $15 US dollars a day.
CONCLUSION
It is a small town and good for a stopover or perhaps as your hub for discovering the Northern part of the Yucatan peninsula. If it is a HUB then you would definitely need a rental car to make your days more efficient travelling around. It is a cozy little colonial style town and it grows on you. Worth the visit and the experience. Locals are super friendly and very helpful.

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