Stay : Autotour From Bacalar Lagoon to Holbox Island
Embark on a self-guided tour following the traces of the Amerindian heritage, from the remains of the Mayan civilization to the traditional Mexican culture. The tour takes you through all the aspects that make the Yucatan Peninsula a unique region. From the ancient Mayan cities of Uxmal and Calakmul to the lively cities of Tulum and Cancun, passing by the picturesque villages of Valladolid and Celestun, you will discover the richness of a heritage with influences from all over the world. Finally, you will live an enchanted interlude on the island of Holbox and its paradisiacal white sand beaches.
Summary of the stay
Possible departure at these times
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CLIMATS DU MONDE MEXIQUE
12 days
From 2199 € to 2999 €
Detail of the stay : Autotour From Bacalar Lagoon to Holbox Island - 12 days
Day 1: FRANCE – CANCUN
Steps: Cancún
Meeting of the participants at the airport. Boarding formalities and flight to Cancun. Arrival in Cancun the same day. Welcome and assistance for your car rental. Drive to your hotel, night at the hotel.
Day 2: CANCUN - TULUM - BACALAR
Steps: Cancún, Tulum, Laguna De Bacalar
Breakfast at your hotel. Departure to Tulum. Tulum was founded in the 6th century during the Old Mayan Empire. It means "wall" or "fortification". At that time, the city was surrounded by walls that defended the three land fronts while cliffs protected the sea front. The only Mayan city built by the sea, its buildings are less imposing than in the other Mayan cities but, bordered of long beaches of white sand of the Caribbean, Tulum is in an exceptional framework. The temples of Tulum were noticed by the Spaniards while they were sailing along the coast under the orders of Juan de Grijalva in 1518. Tulum is a place whose beauty has amazed for hundreds of years. Then we will go to Bacalar, or the lagoon with seven shades of blue. Night at your hotel.
Day 3: CHIMNEYS
Steps: Laguna De Bacalar
Breakfast at your hotel. Free day. Bacalar is a preserved and authentic place that offers to your eyes a surprising scenery where the color of the water changes according to its depth, passing from marine blue to turquoise. The lagoon is dotted with pontoons and swings that overhang the water. You will discover several cenotes of which the cenote azul, an immense well of water with open sky or the cenote Cocalitos. Night at the hotel.
Suggested excursion:
- Visit the lagoon by kayak.
Day 4: BACALAR - CALAKMUL
Steps: Laguna De Bacalar, Calakmul
Breakfast at your hotel. Discover the site of Calakmul, one of the most ancient and important Mayan cities. Its ruins are located in the middle of the jungle, in the 3rd largest biodiversity reserve in the world: the Calakmul biosphere (13,839 km²). This site, thanks to its geographical situation, is preserved and little tourist. You will have the opportunity to discover the temples of the city or to go up to the top of the pyramids which offer an impregnable view on the luxuriant forest, its fauna and its flora. Night at the hotel.
Day 5: CALAKMUL - CAMPECHE
Steps: San Francisco Campeche, Calakmul
Breakfast at your hotel. Road to Campeche. Campeche is the only walled city in Mexico, declared World Heritage by UNESCO. You will be able to walk in the heart of the Historical Center, with its numerous paved streets and old colonial houses. You can discover the Cathedral and the magnificent Malecón avenue located on the seashore. Possible stop for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Night at the hotel.
Day 6: CAMPECHE - UXMAL- MERIDA
Steps: San Francisco Campeche, Mérida, Uxmal
Breakfast at your hotel. Departure to Uxmal. The archaeological site of Uxmal is considered by some as one of the Seven Wonders of the World because of its location in the middle of an exceptional natural setting. Continuation to Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, which has preserved the charm of a provincial town where you can still ride a horse-drawn carriage. Night at the hotel.
Suggested excursion:
- Visit the hacienda Sotuta de Peon. You will understand how the haciendas of henequén functioned at the end of the 19th century, which allowed the Yucatán to build an immense fortune. The guided tour is fun and very informative, since the entire process of exploitation and production of henequén has been recreated, from the harvesting to the manufacture of ropes through the stages of defibration and compression of the fiber. The movements inside the hacienda are done on wooden platforms pulled by mules, a system that was used in the past to transport the henequén inside the property.
Day 7: MERIDA - CELESTUN - MERIDA
Breakfast at your hotel. Leave for Celestun, to discover the pink flamingos and a multitude of birds. You can also visit a lagoon and a mangrove with its cenote. Prepare yourself to live a breathtaking morning, an immersion in nature. You can also visit the village of Celestun, a small picturesque fishing village on the Gulf of Mexico and take a swim in the ocean. The area has been classified as a natural park to protect the wildlife and its natural habitat: aquatic birds, tropical fish... Return to Merida. Possible visit of the city, its Cathedral, the Plaza Mayor and the covered market offering articles made of sisal fiber, notably hammocks but also embroidered huipils, jewelry and weavings. Night at the hotel.
Day 8: MERIDA - IZAMAL - CHICHEN ITZA
Steps: Mérida, Izamal, Chichén Itzá
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive to Izamal, nicknamed "the yellow city" for its ochre walls and white ornaments that you can see on the facades of the convent or the chapel. Road to Chichen Itza. This ancient city, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers more than 300 hectares and was founded around 540 AD by Mayan tribes who arrived from the south. Throughout its history, which spans almost a thousand years, the city was embellished by the contributions of different peoples. Maya and Toltec left the imprint of their vision of the world and the universe. The extraordinary fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico makes Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatan. You will be able to contemplate, accompanied by your English-speaking guide, the pyramid of Kulkulcan, the temple of the warriors, the tomb of Chac Mol, the famous sacred cenote (place of sacrifices) and the field of the game of pelota. Night at the hotel.
Day 9: CHICHEN ITZA - VALLADOLID - CHIQUILA - HOLBOX
Steps: Valladolid, Chichén Itzá, Isla Holbox
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive to Valladolid. Known as the "heroic city", Valladolid is a charming city with a colonial influence. In its past, it was the battlefield between the Spaniards and the Mayans and keeps some traces of these events that give it a proud and rebellious side. You will be able to visit the monastery of San Bernadito de Siena, one of the most beautiful of the Yucatan; the street "Calzada de los Frailes" with its very colored facades or the market of the craftsmen with its typical Mexican products. Then we will go to Chiquila. A ferry is available from Chiquila to Holbox, a small peaceful island in the Yucatan. Night at the hotel.
Day 10: HOLBOX
Steps: Isla Holbox
Breakfast at your hotel. Free day. The jewel of Holbox is certainly its coastline with its white sandy beaches where some fishermen's boats are placed in the shade of palm trees. In the warm waters surrounding the island lives an underwater fauna rich in diversity: whale sharks, turtles, rays, tropical fish ... At the southwestern tip of the island is the place called "Punta Coco", a place to observe flamingos that dive by dozens in the water in search of fish. The richness of Holbox is also linked to its population and its values of well-being and zenitude. You will be surprised by the street culture of the island with large artistic frescoes painted on the concrete and its brightly colored facades that give the impression of being in an open air gallery. Night at the hotel.
Day 11: HOLBOX – CANCUN
Steps: Cancún, Isla Holbox
Breakfast at your hotel. You take the ferry to return on the mainland. Drive to Cancun. Return of the vehicle to the agency at the airport of Cancun. Check-in formalities and take-off for France. Dinner and night on board.
Day 12: FRANCE
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