Mexico - Winter 23/24 : 2023-12-04 : Travel to Valladolid

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Tip
Type Name Description Service Provider Cost Notes Actions
General Info AirBnB Host Recommendation Convent de San Bernardino de Siena $0.00 San Bernardino is a very old former Franciscan monastery. It is the focal point of Sisal park and Weds-Sun in the evening there are projections on the outside of this building that tell the story of Valladolid and the region. 9:00 in English, 9:20 in Spanish. Inside the church is a restored "retablo," a carved wood splendor with niches for saints and virgins. For a fee you can also enter the ex-convento and explore the space. There is a museum which has photos of what scuba divers discovered in the cenote below the church. Outside the church people gather on and around the green.
General Info Travel Lemming Recommendations Valladolid is still (relatively) off the beaten path. So it offers an opportunity to experience authentic Mayan culture and history that you just candidly can’t find very easily in the over-touristed beach towns like Cancun and Tulum. $0.00 Despite the fact that a million tourists whiz by Valladolid on their tours to Chichen Itza, the town itself is still blissfully untouched by the worst ravages of tourism.

From wandering its colorful streets to exploring the cenotes of Valladolid, to immersing yourself in Mayan culture and history, there are so many things to do here.

This post was updated on June 26, 2023
General Info Travel Lemming's Restaurant Recommendations Restaurants tagged in Maps.Me (brown dots). Dishes to try:
  • Cochinita Pibil (baked pork)
  • Papazules (eggs wrapped in tortillas)
  • Marquesitas (crispy crepe)
  • Elote (grilled corn with cheese)
  • Panuchos (refried tortilla)
$0.00
  • The El Tigrillo taco stand is located at the corner of Calle 44 and Calle 41 (one block from the main square). Locals and tourists alike line up to order El Tigrillo’s much heralded cochinita pibil tacos.
  • IX CAT IK is one of the most popular Valladolid restaurants, so reservations are recommended
  • If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food in a traditional setting, La Casona de Valladolid is a great choice. Just one block from the center square, this Valladolid restaurant offers a la carte or buffet style dining in a traditional Spanish courtyard.
  • If you want a place to eat in Valladolid where you are sure to be surrounded by locals, check out the cozy cantina Las Campanas.
  • Laville Bistro is an incredibly charming little cafe run by some of the most kind and generous people in a city that is know for its kindness and generosity. The coffee and espresso drinks are on point, and the menu features hamburgers, pasta, hot dogs, and steaks. Laville is also a great option for where to eat for breakfast in Valladolid, with everything from chilaquiles to omelettes on offer!
  • De Los Santos is a cute local spot that sits on the popular Calzada de los Frailes, run by a local Valladolid family.
  • Right on the corner of Valladolid’s main square you’ll find a covered plaza with various cheap places to eat in Valladolid. At Loncheria El Amigo Casiano, you’ll find local fare like panuchos, salbutes, and empanadas – most for under a dollar a piece. If you’re looking for cheap food in Valladolid, this is a place to eat lunch like a local!
General Info Mercado 28 Best Things to do in Downtown Cancun: Mercado 28 $0.00 Mercado 28 (Market 28) is a long-running flea market located at Plaza San Miguel.
General Info Mercado 23 Best Things to do in Downtown Cancun: Mercado 23 $0.00 While Mercado 28 is the main market draw in Downton Cancun, Mercado 23 is a worthwhile visit for visitors looking to stock up on fresh fruit and produce. Mercado 23 is located closer to Avenida Tulum, making it a more convenient stop. You won't find bustling restaurants or quite the variety as you will at Mercado 28. However, strolling through this particular market definitely felt a bit more "local".
General Info Explore Mayan Ruins Off the Beaten Path at Ek Balam Travel Lemming Recommendations: Explore Mayan Ruins off the beaten path at Ek Balam $0.00 Want to explore Mayan ruins free from the crowds at Chichen Itza? Check out the Ek Balam archaeological site. This complex is so huge that at one point around 800 AD it was home to over 20,000 people! Visit Ek Balam from Valladolid by braving a collectivo or by joining this highly-rated Valladolid / Ek Balam combo tour, which leaves from Cancun or Tulum. https://travellemming.com/go/valladolid-ek-balam-combo-tour-gyg/?cmp=valladolid-mexico_amcid-IElssssEOq2QJ2lU6l2be
General Info Meander Down Calzada de los Frailes Travel Lemming Recommendations: Meander Down Calzada de los Frailes $0.00 Perhaps one of the prettiest little streets I’ve seen anywhere in Mexico, Calzada de los Frailes is a quiet mostly-pedestrian street whose colorful walls and doorways just cry out for a photographer’s lens.
General Info Snap a Photo at the Valladolid Sign Travel Lemming Recommendations: Snap a Photo at the Valladolid Sign $0.00 The sign is located in Parque Sisal just in front of the convent.
General Info Take a Day Trip to Rio Lagartos & Las Coloradas Travel Lemming Recommendations: Take a Day Trip to Rio Lagartos & Las Coloradas $0.00 About 90 minutes north of Valladolid, along the Gulf of Mexico, you’ll find Rio Lagartos. It’s a small town located inside a nature preserve teeming with wildlife like flamingos and crocodiles. A little further east lies Las Coloradas, the Yucatan’s “pink lakes.” They aren’t really natural lakes, so much as evaporating ponds for a salt factory, but they are really big – and, yes, really pink! Given their location, a trip to Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas is best done as a combo day trip. I suggest taking this combo tour from Valladolid, which also works in a stop at Ek Balam along the way. https://travellemming.com/go/valladolid-rio-lagartos-ek-balam-coloradas-viator/?clickref=valladolid-mexico_amcid-UZiezmprrVQUUgmNZE7EZ
General Info Marvel at the Iglesia de San Servicio Travel Lemming Recommendations: Marvel at the Iglesia de San Servicio $0.00 The most recognizable point of interest in Valladolid is the towering Iglesia de San Servicio (sometimes called the Cathedral San Gervasio) located just south of the main square. The Spaniards built this cathedral over a demolished Mayan pyramid, using some of the pyramid’s stones to build the cathedral itself.
General Info Saddle Up to the Bar for a Drink With the Locals at La Joyita Travel Lemming Recommendations: Saddle Up to the Bar for a Drink With the Locals at La Joyita $0.00 At the corner of Calle 41 and Calle 38 you’ll find a tiny hole-in-the-wall cantina and bar that’s something of a local icon in Valladolid (it’s the gathering place for politicians, business owners, and just about anyone).
Reminder Recon bus to Merida When arriving at Valladolid station, look for how/where to get bus to Merida $0.00
Travel
Type Name Service Provider Origin Destination Cost Notes Actions
Bus To Valladolid ADO Cancun ADO Station $0.00 Options:
  • 10:37 - 12:02
  • 12:00 - 13:25
  • 12:07 - 13:37
  • 13:07 - 14:32
  • 14:07 - 15:37
Bus To Valladolid ADO Cancun Valladolid $59.16 718 Pesos for two people
Depart 13:07, arrive approx 14:32
Accommodation
Type Name Service Provider Confirmation Location Cost Notes Actions
Bed and Breakfast Casa Colonial Centrica AirBnB Valladolid $0.00 Canceled 2023/11/17. Host never responded to messages
Bed and Breakfast Private Studio in Valladolid 5 AirBnB Valladolid $255.43 Free cancellation before 3PM on Dec 3
Check-in with lockbox
Check-in after 3PM, check-out before 12PM
Bicycles $5/day
Wifi, Outdoor kitchen and dining. No laundry.


Trip Log

Notes Actions
Our check-out time at our AirBnB is 12:00 and our bus leaves for Valladolid at 1:00 so we had the morning to poke around Cancun
After a 2.5 hour bus ride, we arrived in Valladolid around 3pm, checked in to our AirBnB and the explored the town a little. We are staying close to the Convent de San Bernardino de Siena, which is stunning, took of photo of it with the Valladolid sign in the foreground, walked to the main square and saw the Iglesia de San Servicio, then did some grocery shopping and had a light dinner (with beers) in the outdoor patio of our AirBnB. We’ll be doing a lot of walking in Valladolid and we’re fortunate to be staying near the really pretty little street, Calzada de Los Frailes. We walked down it to get to our place, then back up to town centre, then back down again.
Neither the KeepGo SIM or the Mexican TelCel SIM work in Brent’s phone it’s probably too old. He’s using the spare/travel phone. It’s younger but the battery drains really quickly. We stopped in at a TelCel store and he bought a new SIM card. They activated it right away and we now have a phone number in Mexico: +52 998 475 5827. My TextNow number also works. It is +1-587-206-5456.


Photos

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