YUCATÁN PENINSULA, MEXICO • EXPERIENCES • 45

Words by GEORGE SCOTT

Matteo Colombo/Getty

ENLIGHTENING [ EXPERIENCES ] EXPERIENCE: One of the Yucatán’s hidden cenotes – natural swimming pools formed in collapsed limestone caverns. They’re a THE must for snorkellers

DEEPEST HE DASH ALONG the highway to Cancún airport is a well- trodden path, taken by millions of BLUE Tholidaymakers every year. And now us. The city is the gateway to the Mexican state of Quintana Roo and its neighbour the Many head to Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula for the crazy Yucatán, which together pack idyllic islands, days and party nights of Cancún, but that’s not our style. delicious food, Mayan ruins, mythical cenotes, colonial cities and tropical lagoons into one Bypass the big city and take a road trip to discover the accessible and traveller-friendly peninsula. region’s Mayan ruins, balmy beaches and stunning sights Except most visitors to the region don’t get beyond the walls of the all-inclusive resorts that hug the highway to our right. While Cancún may be the start, middle and end of most trips to the Yucatán 10.5 hrs 26°C 6,000 peninsula, it’s only the beginning of ours; a London-Cancun Average temp Cenotes on the 17-day mile-munching adventure that takes fight time in April peninsula in so much extraordinary ground that you > YUCATÁN PENINSULA, MEXICO • EXPERIENCES • 47

among the best in Mexico, with everything FLOATING IN THE WATER, GAZING THROUGH from modern takes on traditional Mayan THE EYE OF THE CENOTE, IT’S EASY TO SEE cuisine and roadside vendors serving up mouth-watering cochinita pibil (marinated WHY THEY WERE SO REVERED BY THE MAYANS slow-roasted pork), to bustling cantinas selling beers by the bucketload.

hotspot for diving with migrating whale subterranean world from the trees above. A STEP BACK IN TIME sharks, and the island is a bird watcher’s Floating on our backs in the water and gazing By the time we leave Mérida, we’ve seen paradise year-round, but otherwise its appeal through the eye of the cenote to the sky Yucatán at its most modern, but our next is in doing very little: wading half a mile above, it’s easy to understand why they were stop is the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal, an into the bathtub-warm ocean and finding so revered by the Mayans. hour south. En route we stay at the Hacienda the water only comes to your waist; hiring Leaving Xcajum behind, we reach the Yaxcopoil, one of the biggest former colonial a bicycle to ride east into the mangroves outskirts of Mérida as the setting sun casts estates in the area, dating back to the 17th or west to watch the sunset; wandering the a warm golden light onto the city’s coloured century. Walking into Hacienda Yaxcopoil’s dusty streets barefoot to admire the murals buildings. This sleepy city’s safe, compact expansive grounds is like stepping back that adorn the technicolour ramshackle centre and wonderful architecture are best in time, the magnificent buildings and buildings; pitching up at a beachfront bar for enjoyed at a stroll, and that’s exactly how richly textured façades still in near-perfect ceviche fresh off the boat; or just finding a we start the next day. condition, and original plantation machinery hammock under a palapa. For every beautifully restored and giving a glimpse back to a bygone era. Holbox lies where the Gulf of Mexico and manicured colonial masterpiece, we find an Uxmal is part of a string of five Caribbean Sea meet, and the two currents equally charming crumbling facade painted archaeological sites south of Mérida called mix to turn the water jade-green. The whole any conceivable colour of the rainbow. the Ruta Puuc. The archaeological site here island is a rainbow of white, green and Mérida’s mix of Mayan culture and Spanish- offers much of the jaw-dropping grandeur blue: the perfect white sand that stretches influenced architecture extends to its parks of better-known Chichén Itzá without the from beach to road; the jungle green of the and gardens, and the Plaza Grande takes tour groups, although it’s still undoubtedly dense mangroves and palm trees; and the centre stage. The imposing Catedral de San popular. As we enter the ancient city, deep blue of the cloudless sky. Despite this Ildefonso towers above it all; inside, the iguanas dart across the path and scale the tranquility, there’s plenty of atmosphere by Cristo de la Unidad (Christ of Unity) crucifix breathtaking 35m-high pyramid. A climb to night, centred around a main square lined behind the altar is a symbol of reconciliation the top offers spectacular views back over the with taco joints, low-key bars and excellent between Spanish and Mayan cultures. Uxmal site and the surrounding jungle, but restaurants (bring cash; there’s only one Colonial conflict is a running theme here and clambering back down the vertigo-inducing ATM and it often runs out of money). Locals underpins the city; the cathedral itself was steps will make anyone’s knees quiver. and tourists alike queue at stalls selling built by Mayan forced labour in the 1500s, > wonder why it’s never joined California’s the dense shrubland and jungle typical of this marquesitas, a traditional Yucatán snack of a using stones from ancient Mayan temples. STILL WATERS RUN DEEP Route One, Australia’s Great Ocean Road part of the country. Our first destination is PAUSE FOR FORT: [clockwise from main] crispy, rolled wafer filled with anything from By night we stroll from bar to bar along After spending the morning exploring Remains of a Mayan walled city and fort in Tulum; and South Africa’s Garden Route on the list Isla Holbox, a long, narrow island stretching Tulum’s beach; a ruined hacienda at Yaxcopoil Edam cheese to Nutella and banana. the boulevard, lined with floodlit villas Uxmal, we’re on the road for the five-hour of the world’s great road trips. across the very northeastern tip of the juxtaposed to the tight streets of the old drive to the lakeside town of Bacalar. Night peninsula, that has developed a reputation TAKING THE PLUNGE city centre. Mérida’s food and drink scene is has fallen by the time we reach the road > DESERT ISLAND KICKS for offering an antidote to Cancún’s high-rise but the island’s infrastructure is beginning After four days on Holbox, we swap island We spend the first night downtown, itself a hotels and raucous nightlife. to show signs of strain – the Mexican life for the city, heading west from Quintana world away from Cancún’s ‘hotel zone’, and The small town of Chiquilá, a two-hour government has recently spent £1.5m to Roo to the Yucatán capital of Mérida on a stumble across the Parque de las Palapas. drive via the Yum Balam nature reserve, is upgrade the creaking sewage system. Mexico Tourism Board; [Yaxcopoil] Ricardo Espinosa 200-mile journey that we break up with a The bustling park is a favourite spot with our jumping-off point from the mainland. For now, much of Holbox’s charm lies detour from the highway to take a dip in one locals on a steamy Saturday night and we From there, the ferry service to Holbox is in its off-grid vibe. We’re greeted by yellow of the region’s famous cenotes. while away the evening chowing down on passenger-only, so we ditch our ride and hop golf buggies that taxi visitors around the The Yucatán peninsula is covered in tacos, washed back aboard. After a 30-minute journey, our boat island. Only a small proportion of Holbox is thousands of ancient sinkholes, formed by the with thirst-quenching It’s not just tourists docks at a small port, mangroves lining every inhabited and a network of potholed sandy collapse of porous limestone, that were used aguas frescas, a who appreciate the inch of coastline on either side. streets connects the port, town square and, by the Mayans to make sacrificial offerings. combination of fruits, warm and shallow Reaching Holbox requires enough effort little more than a stone’s throw away, the Today, they’re often repurposed as natural waters surrounding cereals, flowers, or this gorgeous island to keep the crowds of Cancún at bay, but ocean. Almost everywhere can be easily swimming pools, and Cenote Xcajum is one seeds blended with – resident flamingos the increasing popularity of this tranquil accessed by foot or bicycle and it’s rare to of the area’s deepest, plunging 35m into the sugar and water. can be found island has seen it labelled the ‘new Tulum’. see a car; a far cry from the Starbucks-lined ground. An underground river emerging The next morning, paddling and basking The care-free, barefoot living of Holbox is highways we left just hours earlier. from the rocky walls cascades into the jet- offshore, too. we’re driving east into a world away from Tulum’s catwalk chic, From May to September, Holbox is a black water while thick vines trail into the YUCATÁN PENINSULA, MEXICO • EXPERIENCES • 49

affected Mexico and the wider Caribbean with turtles (the town’s name is Mayan or drinking complimentary mezcal. hundred metres apart on Tulum’s northern since 2011. After a particularly bad seaweed for ‘place of the turtles’) and our first stop From £129 per night. thediplomatmerida.com beach road, but the boutique sister hotels offer season in 2015, 2018 saw sargassum – the is the Akumal Dive Center to rent snorkel two very different experiences. Mezzanine particular type of seaweed floating across the equipment. We wade out into the warm Chocholá overlooks Tulum’s white sand, with a stairway Caribbean in huge mats and washing up on water quicker than you can say tortugas and CHABLÉ RESORT & SPA down to the beach, while Mi Amor occupies a beaches – return in even greater quantities. it’s not long before we Chablé occupies 750 acres of tropical secluded position perched on the rocks, with Sargassum waves are unpredictable and spot one of Akumal’s You can snorkel paradise on the site of a historic hacienda. luxurious day beds with sea views. localised, but luckily Tulum’s southern sands famous locals with Akumal’s en- The resort combines restored Yucatán Mezzanine Hotel, from £175 per night. slh.com/ and the beaches further north in Akumal munching on seagrass dangered green sea architecture with exquisite design touches mezzanine; Mi Amor, from £222 per night. turtles (equipment slh.com/mi-amor were largely unaffected during our visit. before surfacing for is available to hire in 38 private casitas, each with its own North and east-facing beaches across the air just a few feet on the beach), but swimming pool. The gardens are lit by tree- Caribbean are likely to be seaweed-free, away. We quickly heading out into the hung lanterns, while the spa surrounds an Akumal water with a guide is too, leaving Holbox an alternative for beach come across another, ancient cenote, making this one of the most UNICO 20º87º recommended. bums previously set on the Riviera Maya. this time diving deep luxurious wellness resorts in Mexico. Ixi’im, This may be a large all-inclusive but Unico There’s much more to Tulum than lying towards a coral reef one of Chablé’s three restaurants, provides fine 20º87º, four miles north of Akumal, aims to on the beach, though. The clifftop Mayan teeming with tropical fish. We float silently dining in the ruins of the hacienda’s engine offer a fresh take on the Riviera Maya’s tried- ruins don’t have the scale of Chichén Itzá in the water, bewitched by the graceful giant house with produce from the garden. and-tested resort experience by offering or Uxmal, but, overlooking the ocean and minding its own business beneath us. From £770 per night. chableresort.com local excursions and authentic food as part with crashing waves below, they trump both The rocky coastline north of Akumal is of the package. It’s an ideal spot to relax and sites for pure drama. Further south, the broken by idyllic beaches and, after two Tulum indulge after touring the Yucatán, with three Mayan site at Muyil stands in contrast to weeks on the road, it’s time to spend our MEZZANINE AND MI AMOR HOTELS pools, a spa, beach and four restaurants. Tulum, with ruins set deep in the jungle, and final two days on the sand before heading Mezzanine and Mi Amor may only be a few From £305 p/n. unicohotelrivieramaya.com ◆ huge, exposed tree roots clambering over back to reality. The 90-minute drive from ancient stones like a scene from an Indiana Akumal to Cancún to catch our flight sees Jones movie. There’s no shortage of cenotes us pass a near-unbroken string of vast hotel to choose from and we head to Cenote complexes; despite arriving on the Yucatán Dos Ojos to snorkel through underground Peninsula more than two weeks ago, this is caverns, with bats circling the stalactites the first time we’ve seen the true scale of > skirting the edge of the 42km-long lake, but hanging from the ceiling and complex the region’s mega-resorts. But beyond those with a bright full moon high in the sky, the MAYAN GOLD: [right] The ancient Mayan city of stalagmites rising through the water. walls lies the true Yucatán; a wonderfully Uxmal; [above] Chablé resort and spa is built on the shimmering water hints at the beauty of this site of a historic hacienda and mixes the old and new Tulum is undoubtedly the most tourist- colourful, diverse and beautiful region little-visited corner of the peninsula, nestled heavy stop on our route but it’s easy to see waiting to be explored. against the border with Belize. why. There’s something for everyone here, Laguna Bacalar is known as ‘the lake of On the far side of the water, El Canal de from boutique hotels and candlelit dining in seven colours’, but we’re still unprepared for los Piratas (‘pirates canal’, so-called because some of Mexico’s best restaurants to cheap WHERE TO STAY the technicolour water as we pull back the it was a perfect attack point for marauding eats and hostels either side of the highway – curtains the next morning. The lake has a pirates) links the lake to a wider network and that’s before you throw in the beach. Isla Holbox limestone bottom and is fed by a network of of lagoons and rivers. Today it offers a HM PALAPAS DEL MAR underground rivers that turn the crystal- postcard-worthy spot for us to swim through TURTLE POWER This stylish hotel enjoys a stunning clear water almost every shade of blue the impossibly turquoise water into the There’s one thing for sure, though: you’ll beachside setting only a ten-minute stroll imaginable, from the lightest baby blue of mangrove-lined channel. never have Tulum to yourself. Luckily, we (Chablé) Kenny CPTM Foto Ricardo Viese; (Uxmal) Espinosa from the island’s main square. Cool off in the shallows lapping up to the shore, to the don’t have to travel far for a slice of tropical either of the two pools (many of the rooms deepest indigo of the Cenote Azul, which MARCH TO THE BEAT OF TULUM solitude, even as we head back towards also have private plunge pools), enjoy a plunges 90m into the lake. Bacalar remains off the well-trodden path of Cancún. Our final stop is Akumal, a small margarita at the swim-up bar or kick back Life here revolves around the water, the Riviera Maya and Cancún to the north, town on a reef-protected bay famed for its in a hammock beneath a palm tree. whether you’re kayaking over one shade of but its pristine water may well lure in more laid-back vibe and rich marine life. Akumal From £106 per night. villashmpalapasdelmar.com shimmering blue to the next or visiting one tourists given the seaweed assault that has is one of Mexico’s best spots for swimming of the balnearios (swimming grounds). The Mérida water itself is home to one of the earliest THE DIPLOMAT BOUTIQUE HOTEL signs of life on Earth – Laguna Bacalar is WALKING INTO HACIENDA YAXCOPOIL’S A short walk from the city-centre, this one of only a handful of places on the planet four-room boutique hotel is in a beautifully where stromatolites (layered structures of EXPANSIVE GROUNDS IS LIKE STEPPING BACK restored colonial home. The Canadian expat cyanobacteria dating back billions of years) owners know Mérida inside out, and serve continue to grow, and we jump aboard a boat IN TIME. THE BUILDINGS ARE NEAR PERFECT delicious breakfasts in the courtyard garden. to see some of the coral-like formations. Relax by taking a dip in the swimming pool