Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula: Mayan Ruins & Cenotes

Sitting on a stretch of white sand beach along the Mayan Riviera, Playa del Carmen bursts with energy and international travellers. Strolling the pedestrian Quinta Avenida takes you past seemingly endless shops, bars and restaurants with the beach and blue sea just beyond. We welcome you to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and invite you to embrace the landscapes, history and incredible food that this region has to offer. ...more ...less

Arrive to Cancún airport at any time and transfer to the hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head to a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner with new friends.

TRANSPORT: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

ACTIVITY: EVENING Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

At the first glimpse of the massive pyramid at Chichen Itzá, you'll see why photos can't properly do it justice as you appreciate the sheer size and craftsmanship. Duck between the shade of trees to escape the blazing sun and explore what was a massive Mayan city, one of the most important in the region in its heyday. Jungle surrounds the site along with giant sinkholes in the limestone called cenotes, leading to the vast network of underground rivers, all of which played an important part in the cosmology and daily lives of the Maya inhabitants.

Travel inland for a guided tour of Chichen Itzá archaeological site before enjoying a delicious typical lunch nearby. Continue to the town of Valladolid and set off on a CEO-led orientation walk before enjoying a free evening.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: EVENING Marvel at Valladolid’s colonial buildings, which includes a 16th-century convent of San Bernardino of Siena, and the San Gervasio Cathedral. Walk through the streets of town with your CEO and smell the delicious aromas from the street food vendors. Opt to sample some delicious treats and get to know this vibrant Mayan town.

ACTIVITY: Join up with a local expert and learn about the history of Chichén Itzá and the beliefs and rituals that defined this ancient Mayan civilization. This dramatic site includes a 30m (98 ft) high temple, known as the Pyramid of Kukulcan, famous for its balustrade of 91 stairs up each of the four sides, a ball court with a grandstand, and towering walls. Visit the highlights of the site including the famous Castillo, the ball court, the cenote, and the Nunnery and then transfer to nearby Pisté for lunch at a local restaurant.

In many ways life at a working ranch (hacienda) mirrors what it would have been like hundreds of years ago, using traditional techniques in agriculture and raising livestock. The harvesting of henequen, a type of agave plant known locally as "green gold" is important in all sorts of practical ways as the fibres are used to make ropes, twine and even local spirits.

Head east across the Yucatan Peninsula to a living hacienda, our base for the next few days. Dig into a traditional and delicious local meal of Cochinita Pibil and other regional delicacies before taking a tour of the facilities. On the walk, learn about the history of henequen production and its uses before some free time to relax before dinner.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Learn all about the traditional techniques of the preparation of cochinita pibil, one of the region's most beloved and delicious dishes. The method involves marinating pork in citruc and adding annatto seed which gives it a deep red colour, before then wrapping it in a banana leaf and slow-roasting it underground beneath a hot fire. Not into pork or meat? No problem, there are plenty of other delicious local delicacies available.

ACTIVITY: Wander the hacienda grounds on a private tour with the staff. Sip on a welcome drink, learn the history of the ranch, see all of the work being done to keep everything running smoothly, visit the rope making factory, and a nearby cenote for some optional swimming.

FREE TIME: Spend the remainder of the afternoon on your own at the hacienda enjoying the amenities and the beautiful natural surroundings.

Pedaling through the jungle, you'll approach a giant hole in the earth filled with clear blue water that beckons you to take a break from the heat in the cool, fresh water. This part of the Yucatán is littered with these iconic landmarks that were so sacred to the Maya and serve as the perfect way to cool off and swim. The nearby city of Merida serves as the capital city of the Yucatán and embodies a unique cultural heritage of the indigenous cultures and the Spanish who settled here in the 1500s.

Full day excursion to the cenotes, cycling between them and swimming with lunch. Take a short city tour of Merida en route back to the hacienda in the evening.

TRANSPORT: Sit back and enjoy the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle as you travel from the hacienda to the Santa Barbara Cenote Complex.

ACTIVITY: Head out in the morning from the hacienda into the jungle to a state reserve that is full of cenotes, natural sinkholes in the earth that were sacred to the ancient Maya. Cycle between 3 of them and swim in the crystal clear water to cool off from the heat before a delicious lunch, then continue to Mérida in the afternoon.

TRANSPORT: Sit back and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle as you travel back to Merida from your cenotes excursion for your city tour with a local guide.

ACTIVITY: This afternoon you will embark on a short city tour of Mérida with a local guide. This vibrant capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán is rich in Mayan and colonial influences. See the city's focal point Plaza de la Independencia, the fortresslike Mérida Cathedral, and the white limestone Iglesia de la Tercera Orden as you learn the layout of the city.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal may not be as well-known as Chichen Itzá but they are similarly spectacular and with less visitors. If you're looking for something more active, then perhaps a kayaking trip in the Celestún Biosphere may hold more interest, the choice is yours. Flexibility is the order of the day for you to experience the Yucatan on your own terms.

Choice of guided tour in the morning, both options with lunch. Return to the hacienda in the afternoon with time to relax and enjoy the surroundings on your own.

ACTIVITY: Option 1: Visit the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, almost as spectacular as Chichen Itzá, but far less well-known. Enjoy a guided tour of the archaeological site, see the Pyramid of the Magician, and visit nearby Kabah, one of three neighbouring sites.

Option 2: Dip those paddles in the water and Kayak in the Celestún Biosphere. This wetland happens to be the winter home of flocks of flamingos and other bird species that migrate here. The biosphere is also the hatching ground for endangered sea turtles.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Once your morning activities come to an end, you will return to the hacienda and enjoy free time on the grounds to relax or cool off in the pool.

What was once a small unknown town on the Mayan Riviera has now become the next big thing. The ruins themselves are one of the very few Mayan site lying along the coast, and in its day Tulum was an important outpost for trade and for strategic positioning. The azure blue water and white sand beaches make it one of the most beautiful places you have ever seen.

Travel across the Yucatan from Mérida to Tulum and take a guided tour of the ruins. Enjoy a free evening to choose from one of the many great restaurants or join the CEO at their local favourite.

ACTIVITY: The Maya built the ancient seaport of Tulúm in the late 13th century. Located some 130 km (80 mi) south of Cancun, this picturesque site features a number of limestone structures protected on three sides by a 7m (23 ft) thick wall. Visit the ruins and admire the impressive array of structures in a picturesque setting overlooking the aquamarine waters.

FREE TIME: After checking into the hotel in Tulum, you will have free time to relax and grab some dinner on your own.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Meaning "The Place Where the Sky is Born," the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is one of the most beautiful places along Mexico's Caribbean coast, designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site for its vast biodiversity and wetlands. Explore by boat along a network of canals dug out by the Mayans and search for wildlife like monkeys, crocodiles and tropical birds. Cool off in the the crystal clear water of one of the canals as you float past Mayan ruins and mangrove forests.

Full-day tour of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere reserve by boat. Return to the hotel in the afternoon and enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening and final night out with the group.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is one of Mexico’s most important protected areas due to its diversity in bird and animal species. The Reserve uses ecologically responsible technologies, including systems for wetland waste management, rainwater collection, and solar and wind energy generation to protect the environment. Visit the reserve and take a boat ride across the lagoon before hopping into the crystal clear water of one of the canals. Next, enjoy nature's lazy river as you float past Mayan ruins and mangrove forests, letting the current slowly bring you down stream.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, return to the hotel and spend free time on your own before dinner this evening with the group.

The adventure finishes today, and you can depart at any time.

ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.