What to Do in Yucatán, Mexico

at Hacienda Sotuta de Peon

We ventured into a cave, down many flights of stairs, to swim in this cenote, called Dzul Ha. The only part open to the air was the entrance. The water was super clear, and you could see deep down into it.

You can get here by taking the tour at Hacienda Sotuta de Peon -- you stop here for about an hour during the tour. 

Cenote X'Canche at Ek Balam

This cenote was 60 feet underground, but completely open-air. It's like a huge, gorgeous, super deep hole in the ground, filled with water. There were so many activities at this one:

• Jumping in from 60 feet up! (I did NOT do this)
• Rappelling 60 feet down the side (...or this)
• Rope swinging in from 10 feet up (I did this!!)
• Zip-lining across the top (nope 🙈)

You can go here when visiting the ancient Mayan temples at Ek Balam -- and it's super refreshing after all the climbing you'll be doing.

Thanks to Ashley for capturing this shot of me mid-swing!

These were the first temples we explored. It was so interesting to wander the grounds and learn how the ancient Mayans lived, what they ate, and even how their sporting games worked.

They had a sporting game with a rubber ball and very high stone hoops that they played TO THE DEATH. 

It's crazy to me that we can have such a solid grasp of their history so many years later.

My favorite part of visiting these temples was that you could climb them. The views from the top were incredible, and gave us a bird's eye view of the entire area. 

I'll admit: it was a bit scary going down, though!

Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, sits firmly atop most people's lists when visiting Yucatán. It's a quick 2-hour car trip (each way) from Merida. 

We toured Chichen Itza at night, which was incredible. The temples were so beautiful against the nighttime sky.

It's surreal to stand amidst structures that were built thousands of years ago, and such contrast to see them illuminated with modern technology! Our world is so different now -- on our visit, we had personal headsets (in English!) to guide the tour, and our own fancy cameras to capture our experience.

Note: Tickets for the night-time tour should be booked in advance bc it's small and fills up. I googled it, and you can book round trip tickets like these (Expedia, Viator), that include transportation and other nearby stops. Be sure to pay attention to the city of origin and whether the trip is for day or night!

One of the highlights of our trip was driving ATVs through the yellow city of Izamal.

Every building in this city is painted the exact shade of mustard yellow. In all of my travels, I've never seen a town like this. I loved it.

ATVs were a great way to experience Izamal because we got to see so much of it in such a short time. It was also really fun (once I got over being nervous, which only took a sec).

I couldn't recommend it highly enough!

"Hacienda" is one of those words I remember learning a long time ago -- shout out to my 3rd grade Social Studies teacher 😜 -- but I had never actually been to one until this trip.

Our half-day visit to Hacienda Sotuta de Peon was so much fun! We took the Private Tour, which comes out to ~$50/person (not including food/drink)

We explored the grounds in a cart on a track that was pulled by a mule named Mariposa (Spanish for "butterfly"). Throughout the day, we:

• Learned about the Mayan way of life, which is still practiced at this hacienda today
• Toured the main house with its beautiful hand-painted floors and original masonry
• Drank margaritas and micheladas at Truck Bar (pronounced trook in Spanish)
• Swam in a cenote, and
• Met a Mayan man named Don who showed us his home and spoke to us in Mayan

We also tried Mayan food for the first time, and ate almost every single item on their menu. See more about that in my What to Eat in Yucatan post (coming soon)!

There is beauty everywhere in Yucatán, from bright, hand-painted tiles on the ground to beautiful churches throughout each city. Here are some of my favorites.

Convent of San Bernardino de Siena

This is one item on my Yucatán wish list that we didn't get to do -- but I'm noting it here anyway because it still tops the list of what to do in Yucatán.

And when I go back, you can bet your life you'll find me in the pink waters at Las Coloradas. Michelada in hand.

Typically, my guide for what to do in Yucatán would lead with the food. But I have SO much to share about the delicious food in Yucatán, that I'm giving it its own post. (coming soon!)

There are many types of food that are distinct to Yucatán. A few highlights include:

• Cochinitas pibil 
• Chaya water
• Yucatecan eggs
• Divorced eggs
• Cactus tacos with handmade tortillas
• Sopa de Lima
• Papadzules
• Marquesitas with Nutella and sharp cheese(!)