Mexico, Cancun

Discovering the Yucatan with a seaside stay

Welcome on arrival and assistance with car rental. Accommodation at your hotel in Cancun.

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Cancun Airport 4* (or similar)

Breakfast in your hotel.

Departure for Valladolid. Colonial Valladolid, in the heart of the Yucatán, has retained all its provincial charm and colonial flavour. The center of the city is the Francisco Cantón Rosado park, where the San Gervacio church stands. In fact, Valladolid boasts seven churches from this period: the splendor of its colonial riches has earned the city the nickname of "Sultana of the Orient".

Ek Balam, meaning "Black Jaguar" in Mayan, is a site lost in the jungle. Here you'll discover a huge 31-metre-high building that was covered with earth by its inhabitants when a Mayan group was about to invade their city. As a result, it is extremely well preserved. Discover what was once a majestic religious, political and economic center.

Refresh yourself in a magnificent Cenote just outside the site. We'll take you on board a rickshaw.

On to San Felipe, a small fishing village which, despite technological advances, still maintains its customs, as their houses are still made of wood, decorated in very colorful tones.

Overnight at your hotel in Rio Lagartos.

Route: 260km - 3h20

Hotel: El Perico 2* (or similar)

Breakfast in your hotel.

Rio Lagartos is located in a lagoon and is part of a nature reserve, with more flamingos than inhabitants, making it an ideal place for birdwatching. You'll have the opportunity to take an early morning boat trip (8 a.m. max) to discover the many species of birds and the large colony of flamingos as they wake up. The freshwater of the river mixes with the saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico.

Then head for Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, which has retained the charm of a provincial town where you can still ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Visit the municipal palace, the Zocalo and the covered market selling sisal fiber articles, hammocks, embroidered huipils, jewelry and weavings. And then there's the Montejo House in a very peaceful area, where it's very pleasant to sit out on the terrace for a refreshing drink.

Overnight at your hotel in Merida.

Route: 215km - 2h30

Hotel: Maison del Embajador 4* (or similar)

Breakfast at your hotel.

Departure for Cuzamá for an extraordinary adventure. You'll have the opportunity to take a ride aboard a "Truk", a horse-drawn wagon that travels along railroad tracks. During this tour, you'll visit three charming cenotes where you can take a swim.

Return to Merida and afternoon at leisure.

Overnight at your hotel in Merida.

Hotel: 4-star Maison del Embajador (or similar)

Breakfast in your hotel.

Visit to the 17th-century Hacienda Ochil, whose architecture and stucco decorations have been lovingly restored.

Visit to the Uxmal site, a monument representative of the Puuc style, whose pinkish limestone cladding lends it a singular beauty. See the Round Pyramid of the Soothsayer, the Governor's Palace and the Nuns' Quadrangle.

Overnight at your hotel in Uxmal.

Hotel: Uxmal Resort 3* (or similar)

Breakfast in your hotel.

Depart for Izamal, an ancient religious center dedicated to the supreme Mayan god, Itzamna, and the sun god, KinichKakmo. You'll visit the magnificent town of Izama. All the houses, stores and churches are painted golden yellow, earning it the nickname Yellow City ("La Ciudad Amarilla").

On to Chichen Itza, one of Mexico's largest and best-preserved sites, where spectacular ruins stretch over 300 hectares. The main monuments are the pyramid of Kukulkán (also known as El Castillo), a game of palms and the temple of the Jaguars.

The Sacred Cenote, a huge natural well, gives access to the underground water table some 20 metres below. This is where the Maya used to make offerings to venerated gods.

Discovery of a cenote, a cave with crystal-clear waters fed by underground rivers, a sacred place for the Mayans, with the possibility of a bathade to cool off.

Overnight at your hotel in Chichen Itza.

Hotel: Puerta Chichen 4* (or similar)

Breakfast in your hotel.

Departure for Playa del Carmen and return of vehicle. Take a cab to your all-inclusive hotel.

Hotel: Bluebay 5* (or similar)

Free day to enjoy the hotel's facilities. All inclusive.

Hotel: Bluebay 5* (or similar)

Free day to enjoy the hotel's facilities. All inclusive.

Hotel: Bluebay 5* (or similar)

Free day to enjoy the hotel's facilities. All inclusive.

Hotel: Bluebay 5* (or similar)

Free day to enjoy the hotel's facilities. All inclusive.

Hotel: Bluebay 5* (or similar)

Free day to enjoy the hotel's facilities. All inclusive.

Hotel: Bluebay 5* (or similar)

Enjoy the last moments before your private airport transfer.

This tour includes Cat C car rental from day 1 to day 7 with unlimited mileage included, full coverage car insurance with no deductible including third-party liability of 35,000 pesos, 2nd driver and 24-hour telephone assistance.

You will be met by a local representative at Cancun airport.

The car will be returned to you in Playa del Carmen. A transfer is included on the last day.