Valladolid is slightly off the beaten path for the average traveler and is the perfect place to experience authentic Mayan culture. This charming colonial city is in the center of the Yucatán Peninsula, 160 km (99 miles) east of Mérida, 40 km (25 miles) east of Chichen Itza, and 150 km (93 miles) west of Cancún. I found one of the strangest parts about Valladolid was how the city straddles the time zone line. Valladolid is in the Central Time Zone (CST); however, as soon as you head west outside of town, the time changes to the Eastern Time Zone (EST).
Due to the inland nature and longitudinal orientation, Valladolid experiences a tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 33°C (91°F). This part of the Yucatán experiences tropical rain, along with the hot and predominate trade winds for most of the year. The tropical weather is hot and dry with modest to high humidity.
Rainy season is from June through October and associated with the Mexican Monsoon, drawing warm and moist air inward from the coast. The best time to travel here is from November through March. I traveled here in January and experienced the perfect weather, hot afternoons with cool nights and an average temperature of 31°C (or 87°F).
Visitors have the option to cool off from the midafternoon heat by taking a swim in one of the many sacred cenotes around Valladolid. Cenotes are sinkholes that have resulted from the collapse of limestone bedrock, exposing groundwater; and the Yucatán is home to more than 6,000 of them! Cenotes are especially important to Mayan culture. More often than not, the fresh water from these sinkholes were the life force of the Mayan people. They would not have been able to live and sustain a society without it, at least life would have been far more difficult. Some of the best cenotes in the Yucatán can be found around Valladolid.
Directly in the center of town is Cenote Zací, which only costs 30 MXN to enter the park and take a swim. Not far outside of town is Cenote Suytun, this is probably Mexico’s most iconic cenote thanks to Instagram. For more adventurous types or those with older kids, check out Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman for their rope swing. However, the fancier types or those just looking for the perfect date night should stop into Cenote Zazil Tunich, for a 3-course dinner with a Mayan ceremony as part of its Xibabla Night Tours.
Scattered around México are small towns designated as a “Pueblo Magico” (or Magical Town), Valladolid received this designation on August 30th, 2012. This designation is awarded to the Mexican communities that have retained their original architecture, traditions, history, and culture. This has helped to preserve the diverse indigenous cultures around the country along with the very things that make México so beautiful. This level of diversity has also helped to create a wide range of cuisine.
The authentic Mayan experience of Valladolid is the perfect place to dig into the depths of Mayan flavor and one of the best ways to get to know a new culture. Corn and beans are a staple of both the Mayan and Mexican diet. Corn, (or maize in Mayan) is especially important to the culture of the Mayan people, as they believe that they were created from the crop. It is used as a staple in almost every meal with tortillas, tamales, and the native drink atole all made from corn.
Valladolid is specifically famous for their regional dish Lomitos de Valladolid; a pork loin sliced into small cubes then stewed with tomatoes and onions, served covered in tomato sauce and accompanied by a sliced hard-boiled egg. The locals have mastered the techniques, of my favorite Mayan dish, cochinita pibil, plus it’s some of the best in the Yucatán. Cochinita Pibil is pork marinated in lime and seasoned then wrapped in a banana leaf and slow cooked in a píib, or a Mayan oven which consists of a hole in the ground that is lined with hot stones. The most intriguing dish was the Relleno Negro; turkey stewed with paste charred chilis and veggies, giving it the emblematic black coloring and served with a hard-boiled egg.
Most tourists of the Yucatan only stop into Valladolid for a day trip enroute to the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site Chichen Itza, and sometimes the less visited site of Ek’ Balam. However, it really is worth it to stop in for a few days. Most people miss out on the charming colonial compact town center, colorful homes that line the streets, and the historic colonial Iglesias (or churches) scattered throughout town. Not only is Valladolid one of the most beautiful cities in the Yucatán, but also the most authentic.
The city was established by the famous Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo’s nephew in 1543 but was relocated to the present-day location in 1545. Valladolid was rebuilt on top of a small Mayan settlement name Zací. The Mayan buildings were dismantled, so that the Spanish could reuse the stones and foundations to build the new colonial town that was to be named after the capital of Spain.
Spend Hours Exploring Valladolid
Valladolid is one of the safest cities in Mexico. It is packed full of cobbled stoned streets, cute coffee shops, restaurants with delicious local eats, and even better street food. My favorite restaurant was Las Campanas where I was able to get a 3-course meal and a non-alcoholic drink for only 320 MXN (or $16). Las Campanas overlooks the main square, on the corner of 180 and 295 in the shadow of Iglesia de San Servacio (or Church of San Servacio) at the edge of the Zócalo.
Every night there is a dance performance in Parque Principal Francisco Cantón (aka the Zócalo) around 530 pm. The presentation can feel a little touristy, but that’s exactly what it is. Traditional Mayan dancers are dressed in vibrant colors, showing off the native dance of the Yucatán, Jarana (pronounced Harana).
Getting to Valladolid is simple and straightforward. There are two options, take the Oriente bus, which is a large collectivo bus, or the more direct ADO bus. The collectivo is the cheaper of the two, but it really does take a long time. I took one of these from Mérida to Cancún, an 8-hour bus ride that was supposed to be 4-hours. Because of this, I’d highly recommend taking the ADO. The cost difference to the amount of time on the bus does not even out.
I thoroughly enjoyed the hostel I stayed at named Mamachá. It was only a five-minute walk from the Zócalo and just around the corner from the ADO Station. The prices are on the lower end compared with the other hostels around the city. I slept in two different beds and felt they were some of the better mattresses I’ve slept on in throughout my stays in hostels. Plus, the vibe was chill and I met a lot of great people.
Valladolid was by far my favorite stop in the Yucatán Peninsula. It reminded me of a smaller version of Mérida, as both are well preserved colonial cities with a relaxed vibe. However, Valladolid has far less people and everything is much more accessible without transportation. In contrast to Mérida, every place I ate at was worth mentioning and the sunsets generally turned the sky into a canvas. What made these sunsets unique was the vibrant colonial colors that complemented the sky as the sun sank behind the horizon. I would highly recommend this city for everyone, backpackers and families alike. So, next time you find yourself planning a trip to the Yucatán, do yourself a favor and spend a few days in Valladolid. You will not be disappointed.
The Why and How to Ek’ Balam:
I highly recommend taking the time to explore the less visited archeological site of Ek’ Balam. It is one of the last archeological sites that still allows visitors to climb the pyramids! I did this for my birthday and would recommend anyone that dreams of doing so to stop in for a visit. Around 800 AD, Ek’ Balam was believed to be home to more than 20,000 inhabitants. The site is especially notable for the preservation of the plaster on the tomb of king Ukit Kan Lek Tok’, who was buried inside the largest pyramid of the city. Entrance to this site is a little steep with a fee of 381 MXN, plus another 85 MXN for the state fee, totaling 461 MXN. The site has its own cenote, X’Canche Cenote and costs an additional 170 MXN. The entrance fee includes a bike rental, so that visitors do not have to walk the kilometer in and back out. X’Canche Cenote is worth the visit if you haven’t checked out the other picturesque cenotes around Valladolid. There are three options for getting here.
- Collectivo Taxi – These wait in front of the ADO Station until full. Then they make the journey more affordable for everyone. This can be most difficult for solo travelers, if there’s a group of two ready to leave and another group of two walks up and fills the collectivo, then too bad for the solo individual.
- Solo Taxi – These drive around town constantly looking for anyone who needs a ride. It is possible to do this after getting a group of four people together. However, it is more expensive than just taking the group to the option above. The driver may explain that going by collectivo means that the driver won’t wait for the group when you go inside. It is for this reason that I also recommend taking the group to the option above as the collectivos will constantly be out front of the archeological site until the site is closed for the night.
- Rent a Car – This is by far the most expensive of the options, but also the most convenient. With this choice you’ll have the ability to check out other archeological sites, cenotes, towns, or cities close by. Nothing is out of reach with a rental car, plus it opens the opportunity to go to a beach for the afternoon.
How to get to Chichen Itza:
Everyone should stop into incredibly preserved ancient city of Chichen Itza, one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World”. The city of Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place most people have heard of. If you only have time to see one site of Mayan ruins, then this is the one! Be sure to get here early, being named a World Wonder has brought people, and lots of them! I highly recommend arriving for open at 8 am. The crowds will be a fraction of the size earlier in the morning, especially before the tour busses begin arriving around 930 am. Plus this is before the heat of the day really begins to escalate. Entrance to the site costs 453 MXN, however there is a state fee for 80 MXN bringing the total to 533 MXN. My next article will be a complete guide on this ancient city, so stay tuned and in the meantime, below are the four ways to get to Chichen Itza.
- Collectivo – A collectivo is generally a white minibus and are used all over the country. These depart from the small station on Calle 46 between 37 and 39. These only cost 40 MXN with the first one leaving at 7 am. If you can’t get the first collectivo, then I recommend taking the next option.
- ADO bus – Taking the ADO bus costs the same as the collectivo minibuses (40 MXN). However, they run consistently instead of filling up with passengers first. The first bus departs at 730 am and runs every half hour.
- Take a Taxi – It’s up for debate on which will be cheaper, this or a rental car. If you have a group of four or can get a group together, then rent the taxi for the morning as this will save you money rather than going solo. However, this is probably the least recommended of the options.
- Rent a Car – Renting a car gives you flexibility. This allows visitors to plan the day around what they want to do. This option might be on the pricier side, however having the flexibility to drive over to Ek’ Balam and/or a few Cenotes to really take advantage of the day.
