From Mexico City to Yucatan

 

1°) Milan - Mexico City

1 °) Milan - Mexico City
Discovering one of the most diverse countries on the continent, a mixture between grandiose landscapes, made of tropical forests, mountains, white beaches. Large metropolis alongside majestic archaeological centres or communities are very distant from our uses and costumes, with their own ceremonies and beliefs.
Mexico strikes from every point of view: historical, ethnic, religious, cultural and folkloric.
The region of Chiapas, in particular, surprises the visitor for the beauty of landscapes and spirit of its people, beside the most impressive archaeological site of the country: Palenque.
The tour was organized perfectly with Clipper (then failed), with excellent organization and at the most competitive price. Each area was visited with a different local guide in small groups at most 6-8 people.
To avoid major tour operators with groups of 50 people: the time that we used for some visits, they undertook for the toilet break.
Also avoid visits during the summer rains which can be torrential and sometimes Palenque is not even visitable.
Even sea residence was expected in a resort run by Clipper in Puerto Morelos: small size and perfect organization, excellent cuisine and splendid beach, although the sea was beautiful up to 5-6 meters from the shore then instead presented at bottom a carpet of algae that gave the sea a dark colour.

1°) Milan - Mexico City
Flight via New York to Mexico City with arrival in late evening, overnight at Casablanca, good first category a few steps from the Paseo Reforma, comfortable and affordable.

2°) Mexico City

Visiting the city with monuments: the beautiful Cathedral (which annually sinks a few centimetres because of unstable foundations), the Zocalo, the enormous main square of the city, with the Sagrario and the National Palace.
You visit the famous temple Mayor, and then we move on to three cultures Plaza, where with just one glance you can admire archaeological remains, a particular period between colonial and modern.
Moving in the metropolis, is simple thanks to huge and orderly streets, reaching the eight lanes. Sunday traffic is fairly low, but this week is something frightening.
Then we go to visit the National Museum of Anthropology, one of the largest in the world, immersed in the immense Chapultepec Park, the green lung of the city.
The sky is a beautiful blue and the temperature pleasant, despite guides read before departure, which spokes of Mexico City as one of the most polluted cities on the planet (and certainly it will also be), with gray sky always out of sun.

3°) Mexico City (surroundings)

What is more surprising in Mexico City is located 50 kms from the city: the splendid temples of Teotihuacán.
The archaeological site (fully restored) covers a vast area dominated by the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon (the view from the top is unique), separated by long Avenue of the Dead, where stood the holy atzech city between second and the seventh century AC, when it was inhabited by over 200000 people.
Along the way back you visit the Our Lady of Guadalupe Sanctuary, a art-church, one of the most venerated of Mexico and destination for many pilgrims.
To end the day, we make a stop in picturesque floating gardens of Xochimilco, where on board of characteristic flowered boats, we navigate the channels of the ancient city, between typical Mexican concerts and stalls selling food.

4°) Tuxtla Gutierrez - San Cristobal de Las Casas

We transfer to the airport and fly to Tuxtla, the capital of the state of Chiapas and continued until the Sumidero river.
The Sumidero canyon, which can be visited using motorboats on the river, over the centuries creates his path through mountain creating vertical walls up to 1000 meters and entirely covered with tropical vegetation.
We continue to San Cristobal, along the Ano's road, so called because of the 365 bends that are facing the long uphill, interspersed with many bumps (a real pleasure...).
Budget at the hotel (3 stars of poor quality, old rooms, breakfast a la carte). The hotels in San Cristobal, apart from a 4 stars, are all quite simple.

5°) San Cristobal de Las Casas and surroundings

Alarm at 7am. The first thing that strikes is the temperature: the early morning reaches 4 - 6°C and at 11am rises up to 30°C.
San Cristòbal, located in a valley at 1700m high, is one of the most beautiful colonial cities of Mexico, with its churches, elegant villas and the Spanish market, one of the most colourful Mexican food market with exotic and beautiful handicrafts objects.
Nearby we visit indigenous communities of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan, where time seems to stand still (they are the famous "Indians" but did not say this word in front of them because it represents an offence). These villages have not consecrated colorful churches, where performing their very special rites .

6°) Agua Azul falls - Palenque

We start with destination one of the natural wonders of Chiapas, the waterfalls of Agua Azul, which can be reached through a long journey of 4 hours in the middle of a beautiful nature, surrounded by a lush jungle still intact. I do not recall having crossed countries during the journey.
Agua Azul falls are not comparable to the great Niagara falls nor for quantity of water taken, nor for the jump which is only a few meters. The charm comes from the nature surrounding, the clarity of the turquoise colored waters and white rocks that emerge from them. You can safely swim, the water in some places is low and shape of natural pools, with little attention you can swim until the main waterfall, which is long one hundred meters, and you can even go underneath the flush and then sit behind the waterfall and admire the unique spectacle of water that falls in front of your eyes, while you are at dry.
Around there are paths with walks, leading to many viewpoints and smaller waterfalls but for this no less fascinating, there are picnic tables and a restaurant specialized in river fish .
We proceed for another 2 hours with a stop to another waterfall, Misol Ha, then we get accommodation at Mission Palenque, a beautiful lodge immersed in nature.

7°) Palenque - Merida

By early morning we visit Palenque (and I recommend to do it soon, otherwise the heat and crowds could ruin the visit).
The archaeological area of Palenque, surrounded from exuberant tropical vegetation that has hidden this wonders for quite some time, is considered by many as the most beautiful of Mexico. This site marks the zenith of the Maya's architecture.
You can visit beautiful pyramids, as the Temple of Inscriptions, from which you can admire a beautiful view of the main palace with the astronomical tower to reach the Temple of the Cross, very suggestive. It would seem that many buildings are still hidden by jungle.
We continue until at Villahermosa, and then fly to Merida, in Yucatan to do accommodation at the Hotel Casa del Balam, very intimate and distinctive, in the center of the city.

8°) Uxmal

Departure for the archaeological site of Uxmal, reachable from Merida in more than an hour .
In this region climate is very hot and the humidity is quite high, a little annoying, we also encounter the first clouds that will not last more, but to be honest, those few times that the sun disappears behind the clouds are a real pleasure .
Uxmal is very beautiful and less crowded the most famous Chichen Itza: you can visit the Indovino Pyramid, 30 metres high and accessible by a steep stone staircase, so steep that it is difficult to see other steps downwards; from the top you can admire all the archaeological site in its width.
Then we proceed to visit the convent of nuns and the Governor's Palace, a magnificent building considered by experts the greatest example of Mayan culture.
Going back to Merida, in the late afternoon we walk a little in this beautiful city, known as the "White" (because of the clothes worn by its inhabitants) where we visit its beautiful cathedral and city hall.

9°) Chichen Itza - Mayan riviera

Two hours of drive separates Merida from one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world: Chichen Itza.
Impressive is the Pyramid of Kukulcan, known as "El Castillo". With few steep steps you reach the top of the pyramid from where you can admire all the site in its width: the Temple of a Thousand Columns, Caracol, the observatory where the Maya have developed astrology science, and the playground of Pelota.
After the visit we continue the long journey to the Mayan Riviera and Puerto Morelos, a small town about 40 kms from Cancun.

10-14°) Mayan riviera

In 1997, the Mayan Riviera is starting to develop and along the coast between Cancun and Tulum rise up to a dozen resort.
The best location for the sea are Puerto Adventuras and Akumal, where the reef in some points is very close to the beach, and Playa del Carmen, where the blue sea continues for several meters from the shore.
In Puerto Morelos, the sea is beautiful up to 5-6 meters from the shore then on the bottom, instead, it presents a carpet of algae that gives the sea a dark colour.
The resort of Clipper is very small and intimate, unlike the huge hotels then built; kitchen is excellent and presents a varied buffet despite village contained not more than 100 customers.
With the help of an employee we rented a car with driver for a day (100 U.S. dollars - 3), to visit the surroundings: the first short step in Playa del Carmen, and then forward until marine park of Xel-Ha, where the morning arrives relatively soon.
At this time the park is beautiful and almost desert, we will take advantage to do some snorkelling and some bath in the lagoon. We leave around noon, when the park is unfortunately crowding up, and we continue towards Tulum, the only walled Mayan city built on the sea. The archaeological site is beautiful, as well as the ruins for his incredible position, with the main building, El Castillo, at peak on the ocean, and a small beach where you can make a refreshing bath: here you can truly say that I have done a... plunge into the past!
We continue with the stop in a cenote, cavity of crystal clear and refreshing water, and then for a swim in the beautiful bay of Akumal.