Yucatan Express
3 exhilirating days

Description

Day 1: Cancun/Riviera Maya – Ek Balam – Izamal – Merida

Pick up by English speaking driver/guide and transfer to Ek Balam. The archeological site is built up of several temples, two large palaces and a pyramid in the center of the city. The enormous dimensions of its buildings are particularly striking. The complex is surrounded by two walls. Walk through this site and admire the Acropolis an amazing structure with a length of 480 ft. On top of the acropolis stands a massive pyramid with very well conserved frescos and representations of gods in stucco figures. We continue to the city of three cultures, Maya, Mexican, and Spanish, where Bishop Diego de Landa built a convent over a Maya temple. Climb the firebird pyramid for a breathtaking 360° degrees view over colonial Izamal and it surroundings. Late afternoon arrival in hotel Hacienda Merida.

Day 2: Merida – Uxmal – Celestun – Merida

The city tour begins on the Zocalo (main plaza). We will visit the oldest cathedral of Yucatan, the Governor’s Palace, with the stunning murals painted by local artist Pacheco, and the city founder’s former residence, casa de Montejo. Transfer to Uxmal. The place name is pre-Columbian and it is usually assumed to be an archaic Maya language phrase meaning built three times. Uxmal holds some of the most complex and beautiful examples of the regional Puuc-style architecture, and its magnificent pyramids and structures make it a popular tourist destination. Visit the pyramid of the dwarf, the nunnery, the ball court and the governor’s palace. Your journey will continue to Celestun, a quiet fishing village at the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of pink flamingos are a fascinating sight during the boat tour in the lagoon. Many other water birds will join the fantastic spectacle: e.g. cormorants, pelicans, ducks, frigate birds. Enjoy the beach while observing pelicans diving into the shallow water of the Gulf of Mexico. Return to Merida late afternoon arrival at the hotel.

Day 3:  Merida – Chichen Itza – Cenote – Cancun

Transfer to Chichen Itza. Dominating the center of Chichen Itza is the Temple of Kukulkan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as “El Castillo” (the castle). This step pyramid has a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the four sides to the temple on top. Along the south wall are a series of what are today exposed columns, although when the city was inhabited these would have been supported an extensive roof system. On our way back to the Caribbean coast you can refresh yourself in a cenote, a water sinkhole. Arrival late afternoon in your accommodation.