How many nights Santa Elena / CI / Valladolid?
#1
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How many nights Santa Elena / CI / Valladolid?
Hi all. We have 5 nights between leaving Merida and arriving Puerto Morelos with 4 nights booked in Santa Elena and 1 night booked at Mayaland Chichen Itza. If we stick with this plan, I assume we would do something like:
Day 1 - pick up hire car, drive Merida to Santa Elena via (maybe) Sotuta de Peon.
Day 2 - Uxmal & Chocolate Museum.
Day 3 - cenotes near Abala / San Antonio Mulix.
Day 4 - Ruta Puuc and / or Loltun caves.
Day 5 - drive to CI, via (maybe) cenotes at Cuzama or Homun. Sound & Light show at CI.
Day 6 - enter CI early to beat day-trippers, drive to Valladolid for lunch, continue to Puerto Morelos.
Do you think this is too long in Santa Elena? If so, we could do 3 nights SE, 1 night CI and add a night in Valladolid so we would have the opportunity to visit Ek Balam and / or the cenotes at Dzitnup. Is this a better balance?
To put this in context, we will be towards the end of 5 weeks in Mexico with our 12 year old in tow, we will have spent 4 nights in Merida and we generally prefer slow travel.
Day 1 - pick up hire car, drive Merida to Santa Elena via (maybe) Sotuta de Peon.
Day 2 - Uxmal & Chocolate Museum.
Day 3 - cenotes near Abala / San Antonio Mulix.
Day 4 - Ruta Puuc and / or Loltun caves.
Day 5 - drive to CI, via (maybe) cenotes at Cuzama or Homun. Sound & Light show at CI.
Day 6 - enter CI early to beat day-trippers, drive to Valladolid for lunch, continue to Puerto Morelos.
Do you think this is too long in Santa Elena? If so, we could do 3 nights SE, 1 night CI and add a night in Valladolid so we would have the opportunity to visit Ek Balam and / or the cenotes at Dzitnup. Is this a better balance?
To put this in context, we will be towards the end of 5 weeks in Mexico with our 12 year old in tow, we will have spent 4 nights in Merida and we generally prefer slow travel.
#2
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Definitely "add a night (or even 2)in Valladolid so we would have the opportunity to visit Ek Balam and the cenotes at Dzitnup." Charming city. Kid will like climbing the pyramid.
In driving from Valladolid to Puerto Morelos, you should also visit Coba ruins (bikes, pyramid to climb), the spectacular beach at Tulum, and swim with huge turtles and rays in Akumal. Floating the Mayan canals as part of a boat trip (from Tulum) into the Sian Ka'an biosphere is also recommended.
I would arrange the trip so that your sightseeing at ruins was in the cooler mornings and the very hot afternoons were spent at a cenote or at the beach. However, IMO a whole day at a cenote could get boring.
In driving from Valladolid to Puerto Morelos, you should also visit Coba ruins (bikes, pyramid to climb), the spectacular beach at Tulum, and swim with huge turtles and rays in Akumal. Floating the Mayan canals as part of a boat trip (from Tulum) into the Sian Ka'an biosphere is also recommended.
I would arrange the trip so that your sightseeing at ruins was in the cooler mornings and the very hot afternoons were spent at a cenote or at the beach. However, IMO a whole day at a cenote could get boring.
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I believe you answered your own question... and would follow through with that, especially if you like slow travel.
Also, if you travel from Valladolid to Puerto Morelos, you have the choice of taking the new quicker highway (toll) or the older longer one through Coba and Tulum.
Also, if you travel from Valladolid to Puerto Morelos, you have the choice of taking the new quicker highway (toll) or the older longer one through Coba and Tulum.
#4
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I liked Valladolid, you could stay a night or two there, with a car you can drive to Rio Lagartos, and visit Ek Balam (you pass it on the way back). I also have not visited but would love to next trip, Casa de los Venados in Valladolid, they have a tour daily at 10am and are supposed to have a terrific collection of local folk art. Not sure what the donation or admission is.
#5
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Unless there are more than in Santa Elena or you plan on doing some serious hiking (watch for snakes) there's not a lot to do there. Not only are restaurants, stores etc etc limited but the town IMHO isn't all that attractive.
Again, maybe there's more than I realize.
Again, maybe there's more than I realize.
#6
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For my interests, I wanted 2 days for the Ruta Puuc – one day en route from Merida to a B&B near Santa Elena, seeing some sites that day, and another day afterwards to complete my tour of the sites in time to drive about 2 hours before nightfall. I spent time at Uxmal, the Loltun Caves, 3 of the smaller sites of the Ruta Puuc, and a few lesser sites (including what I thought to be a really cool "nature walk" on the grounds of the Flycatcher Inn). I would have liked more time in the area, but not that much more; for context, I travel solo and HARD.
I loved Valladolid and was glad I gave it 2 full days (including time at Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam, and the Cenotes Dzitnup). As others are noting, lots for your 12-yr-old to enjoy in that area -- (including climbing at Ek' Balam and the cenotes Dzitnup and the big one in Valladolid itself).
Hope that helps!
I loved Valladolid and was glad I gave it 2 full days (including time at Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam, and the Cenotes Dzitnup). As others are noting, lots for your 12-yr-old to enjoy in that area -- (including climbing at Ek' Balam and the cenotes Dzitnup and the big one in Valladolid itself).
Hope that helps!
#7
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Thanks for the replies. I'll arrange to drop a night at SE and add a night at VL. I think something like this would work -
Day1-pick up car early, drive to SE via Sotuta de Peon and /or Abala cenotes.
Day2-uxmal and chocolate museum.
Day3-ruta puuc and/or loltun caves.
Day4-drive to CI via Cuzama / Homun cenotes. CI sound & light.
Day5-CI early, then to VL, dzitnup cenotes.
Day 6-ek balam and on to Puerto Morelos.
Day1-pick up car early, drive to SE via Sotuta de Peon and /or Abala cenotes.
Day2-uxmal and chocolate museum.
Day3-ruta puuc and/or loltun caves.
Day4-drive to CI via Cuzama / Homun cenotes. CI sound & light.
Day5-CI early, then to VL, dzitnup cenotes.
Day 6-ek balam and on to Puerto Morelos.
#9
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If no time for Cenotes Dzitnup on Day 5 we will make time on 6 - we have all day to get to PM.
I think I read it is best to go around lunchtime while all the day trippers from Cancun are at CI - is this correct? If so, on Day 6 we could leave our luggage at VL, head to Ek Balam in the morning, return to VL for Dzitnup & lunch, then hit the road mid-afternoon.
Of course nothing will actually go to plan when you have a 12 year old in tow...
I think I read it is best to go around lunchtime while all the day trippers from Cancun are at CI - is this correct? If so, on Day 6 we could leave our luggage at VL, head to Ek Balam in the morning, return to VL for Dzitnup & lunch, then hit the road mid-afternoon.
Of course nothing will actually go to plan when you have a 12 year old in tow...
#10
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I agree, that looks like a good plan. We did a road trip through that area a few years ago and visited Valladolid for just a couple hours - I really wished we had spent more time there, so I am glad to see that you are.
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