playamarvillas.com
Luxury villas in Playacar, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Villas Playamar and Villas Mayamar
All about the Yucatan
Within 2 or 3 hours of Playacar and Playa del Carmen:
Valladolid
A beautiful and tranquil colonial town founded in 1543 by Francisco de Montego on the site of the old mayan town of Zaci. Some of the oldest churches in the Yucatan are here. The zocalo comes alive on a weekend evening.
Ek Balam
A small ancient Mayan site 20 miles north of Valladolid.
Coba
An ancient Maya site set in thick jungle and covering an immense area. It is worth hiring the bikes at the entrance so that you can cycle between the buildings. The Mococh Mul pyramid is the highest on the Yucatan. This is a great site but is far less crowded than Chichen Itza. All around Coba are traditional Mayan villages where local villagers keep the ancient traditions of the Maya alive. You may wish to visit one of these to buy some handicrafts.
Muyil
A small Mayan site just a few miles south of Tulum village.
Within 4 hours of Playacar and Playa del Carmen
Chichen Itza
Probably the most famous of all the Mayan sites and one of the world's great ancient sites. It is worth spending a whole day here and arriving early to avoid the largest crowds (there are numerous hotels nearby).
Spring and Fall equinox attract huge crowds.
Izamal
An interesting colonial town with Mayan origins and the imposing Convent of Saint Anthony.
Merida
The main city of the Yucatan with very lively street life. With plentiful live music in the historic centre, a Saturday evening is the ideal time to stay. To the south of town are the Mayan ruins of Uxmal and to the west is Celestun where Flamingos can be seen.
All over the Yucatan there are cenotes where you can swim and snorkel. There are numerous small Mayan villages where you can glimpse a different culture and buy some handicrafts. A particularly good area for cenotes, including Grand Cenote is close to Tulum and the road from Tulum to Coba. This is also a good area to visit Mayan villages and shop for authentic handicrafts When you tire of culture and wildlife, you can return to the Caribbean beach, its white sands and coral reefs....
Coba
Chichen Itza
Izamal and the Convent of Saint Anthony
Spring equinox celebrations
