"Alan S" wrote in message
news:vpbg331ge1kah14itp24ns4qmouksbb1k3@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 1 May 2007 22:42:04 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
> wrote:
>> This is similar to what we did a couple years ago. I've been able to
>>hang out down there for longer periods, but we were only able to spare a
>>week for that trip. If you turn south from the airport you come to the
>>Cancun bypass very quickly. The toll road to Merida and the highway from
>>Cancun to Tulum are couple of the only places in Mexico that I'll
>>willingly
>>drive after dark. By the time we got to Valladolid it had been dark for
>>quite awhile. The hotel El Meson del Marques is right on the main square.
>>Valladolid has quite a bit of charm in its own right. Just across the
>>street
>>from the hotel is one of best places to pick up local craft items from the
>>people who made them. The Mayan ladies are mostly selling traditional
>>dresses and other needlework, but you can also pick up hammocks there.
>>Valladolid has a nice small traditional mercado. There's also an
>>interesting
>>cenote there that you can walk in.
> Thank you for that excellent report. I'm going to be trying
> something similar, but I'm limited to four nights and public
> transport or taxis.
>
> I was thinking of staying (as a single senior, I'm not a
> back-packer) arrival night in Cancun and the other three in
> a small town like Valladolid and doing day trips or tours
> from there. Any suggestions on other towns with character
> but reasonable ( = aircon and pool) hotels?
I'm not the best person to ask about hotels. Most of my travels in
the region have been in a motorhome. There are a lot of towns with character
in the region, but most of them don't have the sort of hotel that would have
a swimming pool. The cenote in Valladolid is a popular swimming hole. The
Hotel Caribe in Merida has a pool in an unlikely spot on the second or third
floor. Some of the more upscale hotels near Chichen Itza may have pools.
With your time frame and choice of transportation I'd suggest traveling
light and moving around a bit instead of using any one place as a base. The
town at Chichen Itza, Piste, is nice enough for a place whose main industry
is tourism, but I wouldn't call it a town with character. I like Valladolid,
but personally I'd get bored there if I stayed three nights in a row. You
have enough time that you could get into Merida or spend a night on the
coast. Izamal is another town with character to consider.
In addition to visiting the ruins of Ek Balam I'd also suggest
visiting the village of Ek Balam just past the ruins. Most of the homes are
built on a traditional Mayan pattern, with minor modern improvements.
Another site to consider is Dzibilchaltun, a bit north of Merida. The
archaeological site suffers from having been plundered for its stones and
overly aggressive restoration, but there's an excellent museum there. The
cenote there is another popular swimming hole for the locals.
TB
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