lpchester

Hi all,

I am working on an itinerary for Mexico in December 2018. The goal is to go for 10 days and we are mainly looking for cultural (Maya) activities, combined with some nature or active activities. When we are on holiday we want to see as much as possible, so in general we are used to an active schedule and have no need for a lot a lot of days of relaxing. We have no need for beaches or for fancy clubs at night. As we have only 10 days we want to limit our travel time and don't mind to spend some money on (for example) local flights.So far I have the following: we fly to Cancun from Europe. We go to Valladolid for a few days (including Chichen Itza). We continue to Merida afterwards. In Merida we fly to Villahermosa and from there we plan to visit Palenque.

Some questions from my part to people who have visited this area before:

1. My itinerary is a bit stuck at this time. Will I be able to fill 10 days with interesting activities in the schedule above or should I add another location? I could just fly back to Cancun from Villahermosa (Cancun is the easiest way to go back to Europe). I wanted to visit Antigua but all flight go via Mexico City so I would lose a day there. Is this worth it? I could also add Mexico City but in my head Mexico City is a very very busy (and even dangerous?) city: is it worth it to add this to my itinerary as I am looking mostly for culture and nature?

2. Should I add a location near Cancun (or Cancun itself?) or is this not worth it?

Additional side note: I will probably not come back to the region the next 10 years or so, so I would like to see most highlights from the region

Thanks in advance for all the replies

hopefulist

I would save Guatemala for another trip - Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Tikal and other Maya sites, maybe another area for hiking or caving if you have time. We enjoyed Valladolid (don't miss Ek Balám!), Mérida, and Palenque; there's enough to do in those areas if you enjoy visiting Maya sites. You could consider adding San Cristóbal de las Casas - makes more sense than adding Antigua imho. Another option that would add something different would be to head north to the gulf coast (San Felipe, maybe?) to see the flamingos or to fish for tarpon.

My photos with blog, travelogue, and review links on the main pages are below - 2010 was the year for these stops in México. Happy trails!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

baldone

I'm not well versed on the Yucatan; there's probably a couple posters here that could fill an entire 12 night itinerary there.
As far as Mexico City, it is not dangerous, at least not where you'd be going as a tourist. Cultural activities could include the Museo De Antropología (world-class), Teotihuacan, Templo Mayor (both Aztec, not Maya), some really good restaurants and more museums than you'll have time for.

lpchester

Thanks for the replies all. I haven't read a lot about San Cristóbal de las Casas, why is this worth visiting?

kja

If your interest is in Mayan culture, you might visit Campeche rather than Villahermosa on your way from Merida to Palenque. Campeche itself is an interesting little town, quite different than Valladolid or Merida, and although Edzna is not one of my favorite Mayan ruins, the two tiny museums of Mayan artifacts in Campeche hold some treasures.

And you might want to get a copy of the Moon Guide -- the cost will be nominal in comparison to the cost of your trip, and it will provide you with a wealth of information.

baldone

It's probably the most Guatemala-ish city in Mexico, if that makes sense. Strong indigenous influence. Fairly easy to get to from Palenque, and along the way are the falls of Misol-ha, Agua Azul, and Aguas Claras, tho the latter aren't falls, but a pleasant rest stop. Don't know how many tours stop there. The falls of El Chiflon near Comitán are worth a visit. It will be cool in December. I think Aeromar flies from TGZ to CUN for your return trip.

hopefulist

Lots of people compare Antigua to San Cristóbal de las Casas - beautiful colonial cities with strong indigenous presence and interesting villages to visit. You can check out the San Cris/Mérida photo set linked in Post 2 to get an idea.