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syndi_cation

Apr 10, 2007, 10:08 AM

Post #1 of 8 (1717 views)

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too many ruins?

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Hello all,

I am planning my second trip to Mexico with my husband and 16 year old daughter. Our plans are to see Mayan ruins and shop and eat our way through the towns and market places we find along the way. Okay..okay, it's mostly my plans 'cause the rest of this group seem to be content for me to make plans and they just follow along. Anyway, I have a question: Is trying to do several ruins in one trip of just 7 days too much? Do you think my family will be screaming, "No more ruins!" If I fit in, oh I don't know, maybe 5 or 6? We're flying in from the northeast and it seems the best way is to come through Cancun for the fastest flights. My plan is to rent a car and travel across to Uxmal and then return to Cancun. Stops along the way are Chichen Itza (stay 1 night), Santa Elena (stay 2 nights), Merida (stay 2 nights), and Valladolid (stay 1 night)...then return to Cancun for flight home. Is this a doable itinerary? Or too much in too little time?

I appreciate your input..thanks to all,
Cindy

Jim in Cancun / Moderator

Apr 10, 2007, 12:27 PM

Post #2 of 8 (1700 views)

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Re: [syndi_cation] too many ruins?

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Of course it depends on what you and the family members like and what you are like. Sounds doable to me and as well as seeing lots of piles of stones (what non-ruiners call them!) you will see a lot of the countryside, small towns and people. I once took a tour out of Merida through the Puuc Route and it was an all-day deal but interesting. The only problem is that they saved the best for last (or at least the biggest--Uxmal) and so there was no time, interest or energy to do it justice. Have fun and enjoy the past and the present of the journey.

yucatandreamer

Apr 10, 2007, 12:40 PM

Post #3 of 8 (1694 views)

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Re: [syndi_cation] too many ruins?

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So you plan to see the ruta puuc(including Uxmal) Chichen Itza, ek Balaam from Valladolid and Dzibilchaltun from Merida I am guessing. Do you plan to include Coba or Mayapan or any others? I would actually go the other way to Ek Balaam then on to Chichen. If you stay the night at Chichen or Valladolid and see Chichen early in the morning then you can either stay another night and see the cenotes(Ilkil) and relax for a day. Other than that I would make a base in Merida as Santa Elena is only a pretty wide spot in the road and you would be limited as to shopping or eating. You can see the ruta puuc in two separate days driving from Merida(Most tourists do it in one packed day) If you do stay in Santa Elena, it will be peaceful and we have a friend who just opened a new restaurant there(her name is Valerie Pickles and I have no idea what the restaurant is named but it is on a hill, ask at your hotel) Dzibilchaltun has a nice and worthwhile museum but it is closed on Monday. It will take a morning to see and you can then travel on to Progreso for beach time and fish lunch or dinner. I don't think you have packed in too much but I do think that you need to take pictures of the ruta puuc ruins with their names or you will forget which one was which--you will remember the others well enough. So 2 nights in Cancun and that depends on your flight arrangements, 1 or2 nights in Chichen area and 3 or more nights in Merida. If you find that you have seen all you can stand by then you can skip Dzibilchaltun and do the ruta puuc in one day. That will give you time to buy a hammock and a panama hat or whatever. (Merida is a whole lot of fun on Saturday night and Sunday.)

Depending on the time of year, the ruins are brutally hot and for some just another pile of rocks, so I do advise going slow, take sunscreen, water, and a hat. Read up on the ruins you are going to so you will recognize a ball court when you see one. If this is one of the first times to see Mayan ruins, you might find it worthwhile to get a guide to at least one of them. They are better educated than in the past and can really add to your knowledge and enjoyment. Yucatan Today has a web site and can give you many suggestions on what to see ( www.yucatantoday.com ) Pick up one of their magazines from your hotel once you are here. It has wonderful information and good maps. Many, but not all, respected places advertise and receive mention there. It is the best place to start looking.

syndi_cation

Apr 12, 2007, 7:34 AM

Post #4 of 8 (1654 views)

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Re: [syndi_cation] too many ruins?

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Thanks so much for your input! I wrote to this forum thinking that too many ruins may be too much. I fear the family may view all as 'just another pile of rocks' by the end of the 3rd or 4th day. I am thinking of paring it down to a few ruins plus beach time and a cenote or 2. Even though I really wanted to see Merida this time, I think I'll stay on the eastern half and hope the family will choose to go again another time to do the western side of the penninsula. So, I've changed my route to go to Tulum for a few days and then Valladolid and then back to Cancun.
Thanks again and I enjoy reading all the forums here..glad I joined..Cindy

tonyburton

Apr 12, 2007, 8:41 AM

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Re: [syndi_cation] too many ruins?

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If you are going to Tulum, do NOT miss the archaeological site of Coba; it is out of this world (ruins, flora, fauna) and (in my opinion) much more interesting for teenagers or young children to visit than Tulum or most other sites on the peninsula.

smokesilver

Apr 12, 2007, 9:15 AM

Post #6 of 8 (1639 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] too many ruins?

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I must heartedly agree with Tony on Coba. Remember that a great deal of walking is required at Coba because it is so large. It will be an excellent example of the Mayan 'sacbe' which were built connecting Coba with Chichen Itza & other Mayan ruins. And you can climb Nohuch Mul.

yucatandreamer

Apr 12, 2007, 9:55 AM

Post #7 of 8 (1635 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] too many ruins?

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We have been to over 30 ruin sites in the Yucatan peninsula- and just scratched the surface. We have never been to Tulum though we have stopped there twice. Both times, once 25 years ago, there were too many other people. This last time the number of tour buses was horrifying, one day I may see it but I am going to have to get there early. Coba is also busy but it is big enough to hold a crowd. Renting the bikes is a great way to see it(we didn't and wished we had). The first time we went we were alone at the site, now it is bustling with people and guides. Coba is a wonderful site and there is so much more to see than I ever saw the first time. This last trip to Quintana Roo, we also stopped in at the ruin at Xel ha, I didn't know it was there until we drove by it. I really enjoyed it and walking back to the cenote with its small ceremonial area was interesting, as was the fossilized seabed that it was built on. We were alone at the site so were able to feel like explorers. Ek Balaam(outside of Valladolid) is just starting to get busy and is popular with the crystal and Mayan cosmo-vision crowd. It would be well worth a visit now. Chichen is magnificent but so overrun with tours that it has a Disneyland feel after about 10:30 am when the buses from Cancun and Merida start to arrive. From 8:00am to 11:00am is the best time to explore. There are quite a few cenotes worth seeing in the Valladolid area, Ik kil, Dzitnup(not the name of the cenote but the name of the town) both toward Chichen. There is a newly opened group of cenotes on private property to the east of Valladolid. They are called Suytun, t'puhay and Sta. Rita and are located at 7 km carretera libre. I have not been to these newly available cenotes, but they sound o.k. and the pictures were nice.

tonyburton

Apr 12, 2007, 10:42 AM

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Re: [yucatandreamer] too many ruins?

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You make many very good points. In order to avoid some of the crowds, it is definitely best to visit archaeological sites as early in the day as possible (or as late in the afternoon as possible in some locations). The pleasures of doing so more than repay any additional expense you might incur by choosing to stay overnight as close to the site/s as possible.