The Yucatan peninsula is so vast, and full of surprises and hidden gems throughout. If you’re visiting Cancun, or Tulum, here is an easy guide to taking a day trip to the Coba ruins, and the city of Valladolid.

Visiting the ruins of Coba should be high on your to do list, and so is sneaking a visit to the Sutyun Cenote. Coba itself is a large region prominent for being an ancient Mayan city. At its peak of civilization, Coba had an estimated 50,000 inhabitants, its current population is less than 1500 people.

Getting there

While there are plenty of guided tours and day trips organized by agencies, the easiest and most flexible route is actually driving yourself. The trip to Coba from Cancun is a little over 2 hours by car, and from Tulum it’s only 45 minutes driving. Check out more things to do in Tulum here! 

The ADO bus is an extensive bus service connecting much of the largest cities and attractions in the Riveria Maya and beyond. There are first class buses and second-class buses, with the main difference being entertainment on the bus, air conditioning (mostly provided on first class buses), and better in-bus bathrooms. Check the schedules for departures here: http://www.ado.com.mx

Coba Ruins

First stop – Coba. But the greatest hidden gem, as you’re coming up to Coba, are the two lagoons that sandwich the archeological area – Lake Coba and Lake Macanxoc. The more prominent one is the Macanxoc Laguna. The water laguna extends on the side of the main road and makes for a beautiful postcard view. There’s a small wooden viewing area, where you catch the sun on the horizon of the water.

Only minutes away from the Laguna deck, is the entrance to Coba’s ancient ruins. The entry fee is only 50 pesos, and there are plenty of guides if you wish to hire one for the walk. Now that’s important, the walk. The ruins are massive, and quite far from the entrance. You have 3 ways to get there. First, is opt to walk 25 minutes to the main site and another 25 minutes back. Secondly, is renting a bite for 45 pesos and shrinking that travel time to about 15 minutes each way, and it’s honestly much more enjoyable that way. The third option is to hire a bike- taxi, or someone to bike for you. The taxi can take up to 3 people and is $5 for each way, a great option for those who just want to enjoy the ride and save the workout for climbing.

Onto the climbing part. The main ruin is the ancient pyramid, or the Nohoch Mul Pyramid, which is a strong, steep, 130 steps upwards. The 42 meter/(137 feet climb knocks the breath out of you, but the view is absolutely worth it.

There are other great sites other than the Pyramid that you can visit as well, thankfully no more climbing. One of which is the Xiabe, or the Crossroads Temple– named for being located at an intersection of three different sacbeob and known for its round edges. Sacboeb, the plural Mayan word for sacbe, are raised paved roads.

You’ll probably want to make a quick pit stop on the way out of Coba and onto the next adventure. There’s a delightful boutique hotel, with an in-house Starbucks and restaurant. The hotel is called Aldea Coba: an escape resort and if you’re actually looking to spend the night in Coba this would be a great option.

Suytun Cenote

While exploring the Coba area, you’ll be close to the greater Valladolid province. The best next stop, and one of the most unique sites in Mexico, if not the world – is the Suytun Cenote. The word cenote itself is derived from the Yucatec Mayan word dzonot, which means well. A perfect description of the natural sinkholes that cover the Yucatan. Suytun is remarkably different than other cenotes, in that it has an opening that allows for gleaming sunlight to creep in. And not just that, it has a photogenic walkway and swimming is also permitted.

Driving gives you freedom – and if you follow our recommendation you’ll see why as you drive further into the Yucatan and spend the rest of the day in the city of Valladolid.

Valladolid

A city with a population of 45,000 inhabitants, decorated with colonial buildings, and colorful streets. There’s a theory that the name Valladolid derives from the Arabic expression Ballad Al-Walid, referring to an Umayyad caliph by name of Al-Walid I. But the history there is complex to follow. What we do know, is that the Mexican Valladolid, is named after the de facto capital of northwestern Spain – Valladolid.

What to do

As you enter the town, you’ll be greeted by the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena, which was built in 1552. The convent is located in the neighborhood of Sisal, and is a little quainter than the bustling city center.

The convent has a large garden at its entrance where the vibrant Valladolid sign sits.

If you’re feeling hungry, Taberna de los frailes is a perfect place to grab a bite. The ambiance is amazing, tropical, cool tones, bright yellow walls and a large net for mosquitoes! (major win for the net).  Make sure to order the local fish dish – Sis-Ha. They also served locally brewed cervezas called La Ceiba. Another locally recommended vegetarian restaurant is Yerbabuena del Sisal, but it was closed when we visited.

Onto to the busier part of town, walk down the famous Calzada de Los Fraoiles – literally a 16^th century street built to connect Sisal with downtown Valladolid. The strip is pedestrian friendly, with bike rental shops, a few cars passing by the cobblestone street and many colonial facades.

You’ll also get a chance to walk by an old Mayan House, or Casa Maya, an old home that was restored to reflect Mayan culture through the use of stonewalls and other materials found locally.

As you get closer to the city center, keep in mind visiting the Casa de Los Venados. There are daily tours at 10 a.m, 11:30 a.m and 1 p.m. A suggested donation of 100 pesos is encouraged by the tour guides, but you can leave what you see fit for the hour tour. And quite frankly, it’s worth it.

Wander through the private estate that was purchased in Valladolid in 2008, and is now a wondrous place for contemporary and Mexican folk art. The collection is massive – with over 3000 pieces to enjoy and learn about.

Back to city center – in the middle of town is the Iglesia de San Servacio. A beautifully large structure, which was originally built in 1545. It has since been demolished and rebuilt to face Rome.

Across from there is the Francisco Cantón Rosado park, where many locals hang out on some interestingly shaped metal benches. The park was built in 1900, and the fountain in the middle is a tribute to La Mestiza or woman of mixed races – a result of the historic fusion of Mayan and Spanish cultures.

The area is filled with shops, restaurants, tour agencies and a whole lot of architecture.

Grab an ice cream in the blistering heat at Wabi Gelato where they serve their secret flavor Mamey – the ingredients are unknown, but you can quickly taste the hints of papaya. They also serve a delicious dark chocolate flavor with chili flakes!

The takeaway here is that there’s much more to do than an all-inclusive trip to Cancun. Venture out into the pueblos of Mexico, and discover the Yucatan – much of it remains quite authentic to the region and is just ready to be explored. If you decide to stay overnight and are wondering, what is the best hotel to stay in Valladolid, then here are our suggestions:  Hotel Posada San Juan is a boutique hotel only minutes from the centro and Hotel Casa Bamboo is a gorgeous boho-chic hotel also right in the heart of the city.

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