dventure GuideTM to the Yucatán Cancún& Cozumel Bruce & June Conord 2nd Edition Bruce & June Conord HUNTER HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC, 130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818 732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; fax 732-417-1744 [email protected] Ulysses Travel Publications 4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec Canada H2W 2M5 514-843-9882, ext. 2232; fax 514-843-9448 Windsor Books The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington Oxford, OX44 9EJ England 01865-361122; fax 01865-361133 ISBN 1-55650-908-1 © 2001 Hunter Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written per- mission of the publisher. This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain el- ements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions are the result of negligence, accident or any other cause. Cover photo: Girl in pool, Casa de los Sueños, Isla Mujeres © 2001 June Conord Back cover photo: Orange vendor © 2001 June Conord Maps by Kim André, © 2001 Hunter Publishing, Inc. Cach Mool logo © 2001 Bruce & June Conord; design by Judy Mazziotti ([email protected]) All other images © 2001 Bruce & June Conord 1234 Acknowledgements n iii Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the Mexico Ministry of Tourism and the individual State Offices of Tourism for their invaluable help in preparing this guide. Thank you Kim André, our editor at Hunter, for your confidence and talented editing. We also need to acknowledge the generous assistance of the following people: Ana Argaez, Alejandro Serrano López, Continental Airlines, Mastercar Rentals, Guillermo Martinez Juárez, Ernesto Parra Calderón, Carlos Alberto Aranda, Sharon Morales, Gabriel Escalante, Gerardo Magaña, Amigos de Sian Ka’an, Erik Medicuti Polanco, Patricia Wylder, Fernando Cervantes, Raymundo Bernadino Castro, Judy Mazziotti, Marisa Lopez, Juan Carlos Ramierez, Larry Dyer and Ben & Matt Hill – who take care of our house when we are away. Gracias tambien to the countless others who welcomed us in Mexico and really meant it when they said, “Mi casa es su casa.” Finally, we must thank Ofelia Casa Madrid, who rescued Bruce one night when he became locked in with the ghosts at Fort Bacalar. n n n Dedication This book is dedicated to the ones we love. We hope that life offers them many adventures full of wonder and delight. He that loves reading has everything within his reach. ~ William Godwin n n n iv n About the Authors About the Authors Bruce & June Conord have been travel hounds for years, but Mexico kept lur- ing them back with its charm and beauty. They drew on their knowledge and experience of the area for this book and its companion Hunter travel guide, Cancún & Cozumel Alive! Both Conords collaborate on a monthly travel column and numerous maga- zine articles. Bruce has written biographies for young children and adults. He graduated from Rutgers University and studied Spanish at Forester Instituto in Costa Rica. June was born in Plymouth, England and spent part of her childhood in a pic- turesque fishing village in Cornwall. She attended Plymouth Art College be- fore emigrating to the United States. Together their travels have taken them to 15 different countries around the world, but they always come home to New Jersey. n n n What Reviewers & Travelers said About the 1st edition... n “... the Adventure Guide had ‘waaaaay’ more details [than Lonely Planet’s guidebook] on little places that turned out to be a real treat. We would never have gone swimming in the cenote at Motul with LP, or had about the best meal of our whole stay at the palapa restaurant above – the town isn’t even on the map in LP.” Reader, Canada n “[A] highly recommended guidebook to this fascinating corner of Mexico. [The authors’] interest and hard work has paid off. [The book] is loaded with hotel and transportation info, great maps and interesting art work.” Planeta magazine n “... having this book was like having a real live guide in the backseat pointing us to all the best places to stay and eat, and not the glitzy tourists traps either. We saved ourselves lots of time and money and got to see places and things that few other tourists find. Plus, the funny quotes scattered throughout made it fun to read as well. Kudos all around for a great guidebook.“ Reader from NY n “It’s like traveling with honest, well-informed fun friends. In all of my travels over the past 20 years, this is among the most useful guides I’ve found. It is detailed, accurate, honest and fun. We have just returned from a 10-day visit to the Yucatán and found Bruce and June Conord’s guide indispensable throughout.” Reader, AK n “... practical and well researched, and organized in such a way that you waste no time searching for what you need. This guide pro- vides a wide range of advice to assure that you travel (and spend!) wisely.” Independent Traveler, AOL n “A valuable new resource.” Travel & Leisure Magazine n “... provides a wealth of information on all the region’s attractions, from diving to touring ruins. Discussions on regional attractions will especially appeal to those planning a focused Yucatán itiner- ary.” Midwest Book Review n “I have to rave about this great guide. It truly made our vacation. Everything was exactly as described. It was like having my best friend giving us the inside story for travel tips.” Christa Martin, Maritz Travel Company n “... really terrific... I found your [book] to be by far the best. It’s not the typical tourist-type book, which is important to me as I’m not a typical tourist!” Rita Koeser www.airtech.com Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America,$250 round trip , plus tax. Europe, $169 one way, plus tax. Other worldwide destinations cheap. GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE... TODAY! Airtech - Book tickets online www.airtech.com or% 212-219-7000 Contents INTRODUCTION Using This Guide..........................................2 The Three Main Travel Routes ............................2 Contact Information .....................................4 Pricing ................................................4 We Love to Get Mail About Our Book! ......................5 The Yucatán Peninsula At A Glance ..........................5 20 Things Not to be Missed ...............................7 LAND OF THE MAYA Geography ..............................................10 Climate.................................................14 Ecology & Environment ...................................16 Flora ...................................................17 Fauna ..................................................23 Life Undersea............................................27 PEOPLE OF THE YUCATÁN The Maya ...............................................32 Meaning of Maya ......................................32 The Beginning.........................................34 Classic Splendor .......................................34 A House Divided .......................................36 Heaven Help Us .......................................38 The Spanish .............................................39 Something Old, Something New ..........................39 New Spain............................................41 Colonial Days............................................42 Dirty Business ........................................42 Building Boom ........................................43 Independence Day .....................................44 Blood from a Stone .....................................44 Sisal, The Green Gold ..................................47 Modern Times ...........................................48 Love Story ............................................48 Life Story.............................................51 GET READY, SET, GO! Travel Essentials .........................................53 Information Sources ....................................54 Measurements ........................................54 Customs..............................................56 What to Take .........................................56 Entry Requirements....................................58 Honeymoons & Weddings ...............................60 Travel Deals ..........................................61 viii n Adventure Guide to the Yucatán Escorted Tours ........................................62 WaytoGo............................................62 Getting Around........................................67 What to Expect ..........................................69 Culture & Customs.....................................69 Sports ...............................................70 Holidays, Festivals & Local Cultural Events ................70 Food & Drink .........................................75 Yucatecan Recipes ....................................76 Shopping & Bargaining .................................78 Money Matters ........................................79 Safety & Crime ........................................80 Health & Happiness ....................................85 Telephones ...........................................87