Yucatán road trip for those going the extra mile

Bacalar, Sian Ka’an, Calakmul, Xpujil, Campeche, Edzna, and Izamal are some amazing destinations in Yucatan if you want to go the extra mile!

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Have you already visited Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Chichén Itzá and Valladolid? Do you want to explore the part of the peninsula that only few tourists get to visit? Then please keep reading! 😉

I’d like to share with you one of my last road trips through the Yucatán peninsula in which I purposely avoided the tourist-crowded places. Instead, we got to drive deep into the Mayan jungle, visit smaller beach towns, and get to enjoy archaeological ruins and natural wonders most don’t get to see (but wish they did!).

Below you can find the high level summary of the amazing destinations in Yucatan you’ll get to explore with this road trip:

Stop #	Main Places/ Photo Summaries	Sleep in…
1	Sian Ka’an	Tulum
2	Bacalar Calakmul	Bacalar
3	Campeche & Edzna	Campeche
4	Mérida Area (Izamal, Celestun, Uxmal, Ruta de los Cenotes, Mayapan ruins, Sisal)	Mérida

You can find a list of my top 5 road trips in all of Mexico here!

Sian Ka’an: where heaven is born

The Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve is full of natural beauty, clear waters, along with many species of birds, animals and plants. It also hosts archaeological ruins.

Sian Ka’an (pronounced see-AHN KHAN) comes from the two Mayan words: Sian (to be born) and Ka’an (heaven). For this reason, Sian Ka’an is known as the place where heaven is born.

The natural spectacle created by the vegetation and the lagoon system is unmatched. The waters there are crystal clear, and become a mirror of the sky, hence its name, the door to heaven.

The activities you can expect to experience in Sian Ka’an are the following:

• Mangrove exploration via boat
• Bird watching, such as eagles
• Crocodile & manatee watching
• Floating on the mangrove river (do not wear sunscreen, please, as this will hurt the animals and plants)
• Enjoying the beach – an isolated one, away from the Tulum crowds

Benjamin Gonzalez Teh is a local Mayan guide that helped me through my journey. He can be reached via email ([email protected]). Let him know you read our article 😊

Travel with Iván

Sian Ka’an is a stone-throw’s away from Tulum. Boat tours of the area start off in Muyil. There is a longer boat tour to Punta Allen, but it is generally more expensive and the boat ride is 1.5 hours. In my opinion you will get more out of the boat tours from Muyil.

Bacalar and its stunning lagoon

Bacalar is a pueblo mágico in Quintana Roo characterized by its beautiful lagoon and its cenotes. Its lagoon is known as the “lagoon of seven colors,” due to the shades of its crystalline waters, which are the result of the combination of coral diversity and underwater flora.

There are many reasons Bacalar will sweep you off your feet.

First of all, those amazing, jaw-dropping views of its beautiful lagoon of seven colors and its amazing cenotes.

Second, its stunning sunrises. Yes, it’s worth waking up early and starting your day paddling or simply enjoying the show the sun & lagoon put on.

Third, it’s true pirates of the Caribbean history will take you through its pirate canal and the town’s fort.

Lastly, its small, charming square will make you feel like ending each day sitting in one of its benches enjoying an ice cream.

Calakmul and Xpujil

Calakmul is one of the most amazing, less explored Mayan archaeological sites in México. Near present day Guatemala, it was one of the Mayan major cities during the Classic period.

Today, this is an amazing place to visit for those who enjoy the roads less traveled. Both the archaeological site and the tropical rain forest surrounding it are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

This is a place in which the structures are still one with the jungle. Trees are growing within the structures, and you will basically have shade on the trails when walking between buildings.

The drive to Calakmul is a challenging one. Make sure to read about the logistics at The Greatness of Calakmul.

Travel with Iván

On the way to Calakmul, you will find the town of Xpujil which hosts the archaeological ruins with the same name. It’s name means “cat’s tail” in Mayan.

In the Xpujil area you can find other archaeological ruins to explore.

There is a majestic structure sitting as the reward to those who explore the Xpujil ruins.

City of Campeche and Edzná

Campeche is a city in the state of the same name in the Yucatan Peninsula that has colorful streets, a pirate history that is told by its surrounding wall and defense fort, a beautiful boardwalk, and the nearby Edzná Mayan ruins.

If you were constantly getting attacked by pirates, you would build a fort, right? In the late 1600’s, the city began to fortify itself. One such structure is El Fuerte de San Miguel, which is found about 10 minutes by car from the historic city center.

As part of its fortification, Campeche decided to build a wall around the city to protect itself from the pirate attacks. Yes, remnants of this wall still exist today. Very cool!

Edzná is 45 minutes away by car from the Campeche historical downtown center. This makes for a pleasant, easy drive to and from the archeological zone.

Mérida: Izamal, Mayan ruins and cenotes

You can make an entire vacation out of the Mérida region. It’s that good!

The colonial city of Mérida has preserved its personality and culture throughout the years. Compared to other places in the Yucatán Peninsula, it is not as frequented by tourists which makes it a very enjoyable and affordable place to visit. Add to that the amazing places around it—which you can easily reach—and you have all that you need for a great vacation!

Here is a short list of places to visit in the area mostly via day trips starting out in Mérida:

• Izamal — a wonderful pueblo mágico, characterized by its yellow buildings
• Celestún — get to see the wild flamingos and visit its amazing, small beach town
• Uxmal — an impressive Mayan ruin
• Ruta de los Cenotes — centoes mostly visited by locals
• Mayapán — a smaller version of Chichen-Itza, with hardly any tourists
• Sisal — a pueblo mágico characterized by its beach and small lighthouse
• Progreso — another beach town just minutes from Mérida
• Many others — such as its haciendas and “grutas” (or grottos, which are small, scenic caves)

This region is characterized by its historical character (pre-Hispanic and colonial), as well as its natural beauty.

Logistics

This road trip is not for you if you just want to relax at the beach. But then again, if you’re still reading, you are probably interested in exploring the road less traveled.

You will go around and cover each of the three states in the peninsula, driving >1500 Km (>930 miles), so 10-14 days is a good amount of time to set aside to cover this much ground.

You can optionally break this down into two trips as well, leaving an entire trip dedicated to the Mérida region.

The start of this trip is at the Cancun International airport. This is your best bet to find cheaper, non-stop international flights. I also have a few contacts I can recommend for car rentals.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the road trip for your reference:

Sights or region	Things to see	Days/ Nights	Sleep in…	Comments
Sian Ka’an (full guide)	The biosphere reserve and its amazing flora & fauna, Muyil ruins, float in the mangrove	2/1	Tulum: Casa Santiago Tulum was conveniently located near Sian Ka’an	Land in Cancun, drive to Tulum
Bacalar (full guide)	The lagoon, cenotes, the fort, and the main square	3/3	Bacalar: Hotel Maria Maria. Friendly staff, walking distance to lagoon and main square	February & March are best in terms of water color and less tourists
Calakmul/ Xpujil (full guide)	Calakmul, Xpujil and other archaeological sites nearby	2/1	Xpujil: Most places are small, local hotels	The drive to Calakmul is not easy, but this is worth it
Campeche (full guide)	Historic downtown, the wall surrounding the city, boardwalk, fort, Edzna ruins	3/3	Campeche historic center: Balam Ku hotel	Parking is difficult to find inside the walls of the city
Mérida (full guide)	Mérida itself, Izamal, Celestun, Uxmal, Ruta de los Cenotes, Mayapan ruins, Sisal	5/4, at least!	Mérida. Two options: historic center (a bit far from highways) or up north close to the periferico	This region can be a full vacation on its own!

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Let me know what you think about this road trip. I’d love to hear your input. Also, if you have a question, don’t hesitate to post it in the comments below and I will gladly help provide any additional information!

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