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Beyond Cancún
Tropical islands, Mayan ruins and colonial cities wait just outside Cancún.
Most visitors head to Cancún to kick back on its white sand beaches and explore its vibrant nightlife. But there’s even more to do just outside the city. Here are four day trip ideas for all types of travellers.
STEP INTO HISTORY
The colonial city of Valladolid, one of the first Spanish settlements on the Yucatán Peninsula, lies roughly midway between Cancún and the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá. It’s a great place to stop for an authentic Yucatecan lunch followed by shopping for handcrafted souvenirs, such as intricately woven hammocks sold in the main plaza
by ladies dressed in embroidered huipiles (traditional shifts). Be sure to venture over
to the cobblestoned Calzada de los Frailes (Pathway of the Monks), which leads to a beautifully restored colonial-era neighborhood filled with historic homes and the 16th-century San Bernardino de Siena monastery. It also branches off to side roads that lead to several dramatic caves and cool freshwater swimming holes called cenotes.
by Maribeth Mellin
EcoColors
011-52-998-884-3667; ecotravelmexico.com
tickets, AU$214*
a person, price includes transportation from Cancún
Garrafón Natural
Reef Park 011-52-998-849-4748 ; garrafon.com
tickets from AU$115
a person
8 JANUARY 2017