Yet another part of our road trip to Yucatan (see Yucatan Road Trip – Enjoying the Drive and Yucatan Real Estate Discovery Trip Part 1 – Beachfront Luxury in Progreso) – a stop at a beautiful colonial Mayan town – Valladolid.
Valladolid is one of the Yucatan’s best kept secrets and a excellent little day (or even two-day) outing for those enjoying Mexico retirement in Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Tulum or Merida. The town is located about halfway between Playa del Carmen and Merida (about an hour and a half from either) and somewhat closer to both Tulum and Cancun. It is also a half hour drive away from the famous pyramids of Chichen Itza.
So, what is there to do in Valladolid? First of all, when we arrived just walking through the town, enjoying the beautiful scenery of colonial architecture, old churches (there are many of these considering the size of the town, not to mention a large old convent), picturesque sidewalk cafes the beautiful town square and people simply relaxing and enjoying life.
Of course, the cafes and restaurants are not just for looking at. We enjoyed a fine meal of delicious Yucatan dishes at a restaurant that is only partially indoors; it is under a “palapa” or thatched roof shelter. The meal was a platter of all the various traditional local dishes. Delicious! I can’t tell you what the meals were called, but I can tell you that I enjoyed it fully. The restaurant also sells bottles (to take home) of a locally produced anise liquor which the area takes pride in.
Right next to this restaurant is a “cenote” – a pool of fresh water at the entrance to the area’s underground caves. There are cenotes throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, but Valladolid has several especially beautiful ones that are also ideal for swimming in.
Another charming part of Valladolid is the Mayan culture. Walking through the streets, you are as likely to hear Mayan spoken as Spanish. Besides food, the Mayan people offer shops of hammocks, blankets, handicrafts, hand-made sandals, traditional clothing (such as the famous “guayabera” which is an ideal somewhat formal shirt for hot weather) and much more. In some cases, the workshops where the items are made are at the back of the store itself!
Since Valladolid has not been discovered by any large-scale tourism (especially not international) it retains a very distinct local charm, and, what’s more, the prices for everything from a delicious dinner to a guayabera shirt are very, very low!
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