Valladolid, Mexico

Yucatán state’s second city, Valladolid, lies about 40km east of Chichén Itzá, close enough to reach the ruins early and avoid the crowds, yet full of character in its own right. Although it suffered heavy damage during the nineteenth-century Caste Wars, the city has retained a strong colonial charm and the unpretentious feel of a rural capital. It serves as a hub for nearby farmers and ranchers, as well as village women who come to sell their beautifully hand-embroidered huipiles and other traditional crafts.

Valladolid is also one of the best places in the region to enjoy classic Yucatecan cuisine, making it a rewarding and flavorful stop on any trip to Yucatán.

The heart of the city is the parque principal, the main plaza at the intersection of calles 39 and 40, where the two white towers of the eighteenth-century Catedral de San Gervasio rise gracefully over the south side. It’s the place to be at dusk, when the curving love seats are filled with chatting couples and the bubbling fountain, topped with a statue of a woman in a traditional Yucatecan huipil, is lit from below. During the day, you can walk upstairs in the city hall (ayuntamiento; on the southeast corner) to see murals and photos of Valladolid’s history, including a wall of portraits of city leaders.

Río Lagartos

This village, located about 100km north of Valladolid, sits on a narrow spit surrounded on three sides by water and sheltered from the open sea by a barrier island. The resulting shallow inlet is home for much of the year to tens of thousands of pink flamingos, along with nearly four hundred bird species inside the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.

There isn’t much to see in the town itself, but the flamingos alone make it a rewarding stop on any trip to Mexico. The best time to view them is during the spring nesting season, from April to July.

Cenotes X’keken and Samula

Perhaps the most photogenic swimming hole in the Yucatán, the remarkable Cenote X’keken is also called Dzitnup like the nearby village. Visitors descend through a tunnel into a huge vaulted cave, where a nearly circular pool of crystal-clear turquoise water glows under a shaft of light from an opening in the ceiling. A swim in the ice-cold water is an invigorating experience. A short walk away, in the same complex, at the even more impressive (thanks to spooky natural lighting) Cenote Samula, the roots of a huge tree stretch down towards the pool. Facilities include changing rooms, souvenir stalls, life jackets (to rent) and a restaurant. Not to be missed.