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Yucatan Explorer - biking tourStopping points of the tour
Cancun is a wonderful vacation spot with modern hotels, bars and shopping centers. One of the greatest attractions is the fabulous beach, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful ones in the world.
The majority of accommodations are located in the hotel area, which occupies the whole island. The main street is called Kukulkán-Boulevard. The beautiful lagoon, known as Nichupté lagoon, is located in the western part of the island, which is filled with numerous restaurants, marinas, shopping centers and golf courses. The lagoon is also perfect for those who would like to participate in diverse water sports activities. Cancun also offers numerous sightseeing possibilities to make your vacation unique. Visit the El Rey ruins - the largest archeological sight in Cancun - or the interactive aquarium with sea urchins, sharks, skates, see turtles, dolphins as well as many other sea creatures. The city congress center offers you a wonderful opportunity to admire local dancing and music, or you might also attend a bullfight in the Plaza de Toros. Those looking for cultural experience may find a visit to Museo del Aire Libre, Casa de la Cultura as well as Museo de Antropología quite interesting. Kukulcan Plaza with over 250 stores, numerous restaurants, bars, cafes as well as 2 theaters and a bowling alley is recommended for an ultimate shopping experience. Another favorite attraction of Cancuns visitors is Flamingo Plaza. The most modern shopping center is the city market by the sea. The colonial town of Valladolid is located in the north of Yucatan. It was founded in 1543 by Don Francisco de Montejo el Sobrino, whose uncle seized Yucatan. Today Valladolid is a popular place for an overnight stay and an overland drive junction point. It is located 38km from Chichen Itza and about 160km from Cancun. Visitors enjoy walking through the town lanes with their colonial charm or eating in a romantic restaurant. The central city park: Zocalo is especially popular among visitors. There is a lot going on here at night as well as during the day. Be sure to visit San Servacio Cathedral built in 1706 and Convento de San Bernadino Siena abbey built between 1552 and 1560 with its beautiful garden. Besides, it is certainly worth taking a drive to Dzitnup cenote only 7km away from Valladolid. Chichen Itza is one of the largest and best maintained ruin sites of Yucatan and it is located about 120km further to the East of Merida. It has been a significant economic, political and religious center for about 1000 years. One of the distinctive features, which became world's cultural heritage in 1988 and was successfully renovated, is the fusion of Maya and Toltec cultures, which is best reflected in about 30 m high pyramid of Kukulcan - also known as El Castillo. Besides, you should visit the ball court Juego de Pelota, which is surrounded by 8 m high walls, the group of 1000 pillars, Sagrado cenote where archeologists found numerous remains of sacrifices, the warrior temple Templo de los Guerreros with mask decorated pillars, El Caracol observatory and Convento de las Monjas. Twice a year - during summer and winter solstice - you can witness a unique performance: a shadow of a snake appears on the pyramid of Kukulcán in the twilight and seems to crawl down the steps. The cenote of Dzitnup is the most impressive underground nature formation only about 7 km to the southwest of Valladolid. Climb down the mysterious cave with a small, crystal clear lake and many stalactites and stalagmites. You can not only swim but also dive in this cenote. The daylight shines into the cave through a small hole, which gives this site its special charm, making the water sparkle in turquoise colors at noon. The legend says, the cenote was discovered when a pig fell through the hole in the ceiling and the owners started looking for it. That is why the Mayan named it "X-Keken" - which means "pig". Merida is the largest city on the Yucatán peninsula and at the same time it is the capital of the identically named state. It was grounded on the ruins of the former Maya settlement Ti Ho in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo. The "White City", owing its name to its light house facades, is waiting for you with numerous treasures. Enjoy the colonial flair and diverse activities in the historical center of this colonial town. The central city point is Zocalo. This place attracts not only the visitors but also the natives. There is a range of various sightseeing possibilities around this square. One of the most significant sights is the majestic cathedral, which represents one of the greatest and the oldest churches of Yucatan. It was established between 1561 and 1599 in colonial style and was placed in the eastern part of Zocalo. In the governmental palace, known as Palacio del Gobierno, you will have a wonderful opportunity to admire numerous paintings of the colonial period. You will find it on the northern side of Zocalo. The former bishop's palace Ateneo Peninsula, the city market as well as museums are also worth visiting. The Museo Regional de Antropología in Palacio Canton has exhibits found during excavations in Yucatan. In the national museum of popular art - the Museo Nacional de Arte Popular - one can find traditional Maya clothing, crafts, paintings as well as masks. In Mérida you will find an interesting selection of delicious food from Europe, Mexico and Maya cuisine. The hotels in Mérida will also satisfy any requests you might have. A visit to the market is strongly advisable for an ultimate shopping pleasure. You can find an outdoor market in the 63rd street - the Casa de las Artesanías. The fishers' town of Celestun was founded in 1719 and is located about 92 km to the southwest of Merida - in the west of Yucatan. Celestun, which can be translated as "painted stone", captivates by its unique nature. The biosphere reserve occupies an area of over 59.000 hectares and is a true paradise for nature lovers. Take a boat ride through the breathtaking mangrove forests to admire a variety of birds. You will find here up to 30.000 pink-colored flamingos alone - depending on the time of the year and the weather. Since flamingos are very shy, the tour boats have to be kept at a certain distance, so it is advisable to take binoculars with you. Apart from flamingos, this nature reserve also has numerous other kinds of birds, turtles and even two extinction kinds of crocodiles. But the flora also has much more to offer than the beautiful mangrove forests. The subtropical vegetation of Celestún features extraordinary orchids, palms and rare cactuses. Yaxcopoil is a former Sisal-hacienda from the 17th century that was once one of the most significant agrarian estates of Yucatan. At first it was a cattle ranch before it turned into a Henequen cultivation. Nowadays, daily tours are offered through the hacienda. Next to it, one can find a Maya museum, a souvenir shop and a snack bar. The main house has parlors, broad corridors with high ceilings as well as large gardens with colorful vegetation. The lobby has two oil paintings depicting the former owners of the hacienda - Don Donaciano Garcia Rejon and his wife Dona Monica Galera. Their descendants still own this estate. In the chapel of hacienda you will find an oil painting from a colonial period depicting a patron saint San Geronimo de Yaxcopoil. The Maya museum is situated in the so-called "Maya-room" exhibiting numerous pieces of ancient pottery and archeological relics of Yaxcopoil ruins located close to the hacienda. You will find other buildings on the premises, where you can see various machines and even a diesel motor from 1913. |
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