Mexico's Yucatán & Chiapas
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Mexico’s Yucatán &% Chiapas 52 / POP 8.9 MILLION (YUCATÁN, QUINTANA ROO, CAMPECHE AND CHIAPAS STATES) Why Go? Cancún ........................ 43 Flanked by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean and the Isla Mujeres .................49 wildlife-rich Gulf coast, the steamy Yucatán Peninsula is a wonderland of Maya jungle ruins, picturesque limestone Valladolid .....................50 swimming holes, colorful coral reefs and soulful colonial Chichén Itzá .................51 cities. Sure, the Yucatán is Mexico’s busiest tourist destina- Mérida ......................... 54 tion – and, not surprisingly, its most expensive – but you Playa del Carmen ........ 59 can still score affordable sleeps and eats, even in apparently Isla Cozumel .................61 pricey tourist centers. Exploring the Yucatán pays big re- wards: you can delve into Maya culture, chill in out-of-the- Tulum ...........................64 way fishing villages, observe nature on a boat tour, or simply Campeche ...................68 enjoy some of Mexico’s finest regional cuisine. Down south San Cristóbal in Chiapas, home to the Zapatistas, you’ll love San Cristóbal de las Casas ................ 72 de las Casas, a lovely highland colonial city surrounded by Palenque...................... 79 pine forest, while in Palenque it’s all about the extraordinary Maya ruins set in a celestial cloud forest. No matter where the road takes you, life is pretty darn sweet in this corner Best Places to Eat of Mexico. ¨¨La Chaya Maya (p58) ¨¨La Cueva del Chango (p59) When to Go ¨¨Conato 1910 (p51) Cancún ¨¨Mañana (p50) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 16/400 ¨¨Tierradentro (p77) 30/86 12/300 Best Places to 20/68 8/200 Stay 10/50 4/100 ¨¨Poc-Na Hostel (p49) 0/32 0 J F DNOSAJJMAM ¨¨Nómadas Hostel (p55) ¨¨Hotel López (p69) Mar Don’t miss May-Sep Swim Oct-Nov Cooler the shadowy with gigantic climes and ¨¨El Jardín de Frida (p65) serpent’s appear- whale sharks at cheaper accom- ¨¨Posada La Media Luna (p75) ance in Chichén Isla Holbox. modations make Itzá at vernal low season an equinox. ideal time to visit. 41 Connections AT¨A¨GLANCE From Mexico you can loop into Guatemala – from San Currency Mexican Cristóbal de las Casas to Quetzaltenango, or to Tikal via Peso (M$) Palenque – and into Corozal, Belize, from Chetumal, south Language Spanish of Tulum. The best way into Guatemala is from Ciudad and Maya Cuauhtémoc, near La Mesilla, Guatemala. Another option Mexico’s Yucatán & Money ATMs in most is crossing into Guatemala from the Mexican border town towns of Tapachula, further southwest. For more detailed informa- tion, see Survival Guide on p90. Visas Not required for many countries (see p89) FIRST¨TIME¨IN¨MEXICO’S¨YUCATÁN¨¨ GMT minus six AND¨CHIAPAS Time hours; minus five hours One¨Week during daylight-saving time c Greet the first day with a splash in the turquoise waters hiapas of Cancún’s Zona Hotelera, then hit downtown for af- fordable eats and some nocturnal mischief. Cancún makes a good base to visit nearby Isla¨Mujeres, which arguably has the most beautiful beaches in the Mexican T Fast Facts H Caribbean. Return to the mainland and head south for e Yu Playa¨del¨Carmen, an ultrachic party town and the ¨¨Area Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas 220,700 sq km jumping-off point forIsla ¨Cozumel, a world-famous C a diving destination. Next, check outTulum , known for its ¨¨State¨capitals Chetumal T spectacular oceanfront Maya ruins, and if time allows, (Quintana Roo), Tuxtla án head inland to Cobá, a Maya archaeological site set in Gutiérrez (Chiapas), the jungle. Campeche (Campeche), Mérida (Yucatán) Two¨Weeks ¨¨Emergency %066 From Cobá head to Valladolid, a colonial city with a small-town feel. West of Valladolid awaitsChichén ¨ Itzá, the mother of all Maya ruins. Continue on to the peninsula’s cultural capital, Mérida, and spend several Set Your Budget days indulging in yucateco cuisine and taking in the city’s ¨¨Hostel¨bed/budget¨ ample entertainment offerings. Then go south to the room M$150/M$500 immaculately preserved walled city of Campeche. Stop ¨¨Evening¨meal M$100 at the archaeological sites of Edzná and Calakmul as ¨ you make your way down to the southern state of Chia- ¨Bus¨ticket M$180 (three- pas. Even if you’re all ruined-out at this point, still drop hour trip) by Palenque, where unforgettable Maya structures sit ¨¨Ruins¨admission M$50 pretty in a dreamlike cloud forest. For the last leg of the to M$180 trip, hit San¨Cristóbal¨de¨las¨Casas, a pleasant high- land colonial town. Resources ¨¨Yucatán¨Today (www. yucatantoday.com) Covers Essential Food & Drink Yucatán and Campeche ¨¨Yucatán¨Tierra¨de¨ ¨¨Cochinita¨pibil Slow-cooked pork marinated in citrus Maravillas (www.yucatan. juices and a spice made from annatto seed. travel) All things Yucatán ¨¨Sopa¨de¨lima Soup with shredded turkey, lime and tortilla. ¨¨Campeche¨Travel ¨¨Papadzules Diced hard-boiled eggs wrapped in tortilla and (www.campeche.travel) topped with pumpkin seed and tomato sauces. Campeche tourism board ¨¨Panuchos Fried tortilla filled with beans and topped with chicken, lettuce and pickled red onion..