No. 277 La Candelaria Cenotes

La Candelaria eco-tourist look-out offers diverse services to spend a day with the family or friends. Its main attraction is the grotto, which in the inside has two water springs. You can see the first one when descending from the stairs; you will see it has a unique shape. To access the next cenote, you have to get inside the grotto, you will cross a low-height tunnel and then you will find a natural temascal because temperature changes due to the structure of the place. To continue the tour, you must cross again a tunnel, but this one is even narrower than the first one, you will have to crawl. When you get out of the tunnel, the place will open again and, in the vault, you will see hundreds of stalactite formations. In this area you can see the second water spring, there is no sunlight in this area, so it is illuminated artificially so that you can see formations in the walls, vault, and floor. The look-out also has a restaurant, swimming pools, and palapas, so that you can enjoy your visit.

It includes the entry to the grotto, access to the cenote and lifejacket. It is recommended to bring comfortable clothing, tennis shoes, swimming suit, and towel.

A new concept to sleep at the Magic Town of Valladolid, an alternative place based in the preservation of the environment, recycling, and the use of ecological energy, like solar energy. “Eco-camping” is located few minutes away from the peripheral road, an area surrounded by vegetation.

An ecological concept, a solar camping where everything is recycled, rooms are adjusted vehicles, as well as tents, you will sleep pleasantly in this eco-camping. Inside each vehicle you can set your suitcases, it has a comfortable bed for two people, compartments for personal items, a cellphone charger, and a fan so that everyone feels comfortable at night, curtains, and a place arrayed to watch the stars.

It offers a stage for artistic presentations, the option of sleeping in a tree house, two traditional beetles, one VIP beetle, one kombi campervan, and one small plane, all of them with peculiar stories, the excellent food service complements this unique experience.

Ecological practices make of this place an accommodation 100% sustainable and ready to be visited by tourists who love new experiences.

It includes breakfast, access to the swimming pool, and access to the bonfire. It is recommended to bring comfortable clothing, swimming suit and towel.

Casa de los venados (Deers’ House) invites you to visit their private home, which is open to the public, so that you can see the largest collection of Mexican folk art, it has more than three thousand items. The owners, a North American marriage, have been collecting them in the last 35 years ago. This collection is one of the best attractions in the city of Valladolid, you have to visit it because of its incredible manufacture of paintings of historic characters of Mexico. The cost per person is only $100 pesos and the money received is granted to local charity associations.

This manor, where hosts currently live, has a central courtyard used for resting or talking, the hall called Las Piñas is also used for special events, the suites Maya, Izamal, Valladolid, and Frida, all have access to the inside and on the ground floor only some cases have access.

At the end you can see a beautiful swimming pool, which is used by the owners, the main house, which has a kitchen exquisitely decorated, the game area of the family and the familiar dining room have chairs decorated with famous Mexican characters. Casa de los venados is an exhibition of how beautiful Mexico is, and a perfect site for Instagram pictures.

It includes guided tour.

It is recommended to bring comfortable clothing, photographic camera, and make a prior reservation.

Tekax’s historic downtown is undoubtedly a must visit for all those who seek to learn more about the cultural richness of the region. The main park has been recently renovated and is one of the only two gated parks in Yucatán; the other one is located in Valladolid. You cannot miss the opportunity of visiting the Ermita, a chapel built in 1645, on a hill of 262.4 ft of height, which is considered a wonderful look-out. This marvelous experience takes you to a site of the Yucatecan Sierrita, where you will have a unique panoramic overview of Tekax. From the look-out you can see an extent of territory of green hills and experience a moment of connection with nature, as it has a picnic area. Even if it is day or night, you can enjoy the gorgeous landscapes. An ideal trekking to experience with your family and friends!

Within the state of Yucatán, you can find a municipality with a vast number of cenotes and lots of history, its name: Homún, which in Mayan language means The Five Gentles. In this beautiful place you can find an incredible cenote which has been recently opened to the public, it is located 2,2 miles on the freeway before entering the village.

As guardian of the cenote, you can see a huge poplar tree, an eye-catching tree for its numerous roots which are in contact with the water. To descend to the water mirror you have to go down through comfortable wooden stairs, until getting to the internal platform to watch and swim into its crystalline waters.

At noon, a natural show takes place when the sunrays enter to the cenote letting you watch the clarity of water, which has blueish and greenish shades.

It has a platform for jump diving, swimming in the fresh waters, or just sit down and watch the beauty of this natural wonder.

It includes lifejacket. It is recommended to bring a swimming suit, towel, comfortable clothing, tennis shoes and aquatic footwear.

The best way to experience on your own the lifestyle of Celestún’s inhabitants is by interacting with its people. In this tour you will learn about the history of Celestún and the ghost village of Real de Salinas, which go back to the luxury life of landowners from the 19^th century.

In the morning or at sunset, we invite you to the Biking Tour in Celestún, where you will learn about the history of the salt industry, and you will visit the place where the ancient community’s population began this important and imposing commerce. Starting at the main park of the village the guide will lead you to the adventure, passing by a fishermen shelter area, letting you know about the art of fishing of the community, then, slowly you will get into the black mangrove area, where a stop will take place to tell you about the formation and importance of the salt ponds; following, you will get to the former salt hacienda, which is known as Real de Salinas. They will explain you about the architecture and history of the majestic and impressive stage, the pathway continues, and you will see and incredible landscape between life and death, known as the petrified forest, the tour ends by the seashore in an emblematic house of the colonial times known as Herradura.

Acanceh is a land of wonders, and one of them is the Visual Experience which overflows with its colorful “huipiles” and suits decorated with beautiful threads counted by hand and made with the ancient art of “Xocbichuy”, a technique inherited for more than three generations in this famous family of craftswomen. Their magical hands do not only make beautiful textiles, but also charm demanding palates with delicious traditional candies and an exquisite tasting of typical dishes from the municipality and the state. Here you can prepare your own hand-made tortillas, cook them in the skillet and eat them warm and delicious.

Homún is approximately 60 minutes away from Mérida, a tourist-growing village which is currently known as the hub of cenotes for having registered a vast number of cenotes, grottoes, and archeological sites which safeguard stories from the Mayan culture.

One of these cenotes is Caliskutz. To enter, you must descend through a wooden platform divided in two parts, one to jump dive from 26.2 ft and the other one takes you to a platform to descend directly to the water.

In the inside, the cenote is a wide hollow with white stone walls which contrast with the crystalline green water. This cenote is the perfect place in Homún to spend the day with the family, couple and/or friends in an unforgettable adventure.

Dare to discover these natural wonders, enjoy them, and take an unforgettable memory of your tourist experience.

It includes entry tickets to the place and lifejacket. It is recommended to bring swimming suit, towel, waterproof case, food, and water.

This museum is located in a traditional colonial building near Valladolid’s main square. It has a collection of more than 90 complete garments, representing 25 ethnic groups from 16 states of the country.

Tey Mariana Stiteler, museum’s founder and director, idealized the project inspired in the Mexican heritage of her mother Ángeles. This place collects, preserves, interprets, and presents traditional and contemporary Mexican garments which represent diverse ethnic cultures from the country, with the aim of connecting Mexicans with foreigners in the understanding of skills, art, and heritage of Mexican clothing. Along the tour, you can learn about the stories of the people who used the clothes in the exhibition. The museum helps better understand Mexican people, their traditions, and their historical development, while at the same time is a physical memoir of ethnic Mexican communities which are promptly changing.

A new alternative to experience Las Coloradas salt banks is through Safari-type trucks, which, by being an all-terrain transportation means, it allows you get inside the salt cultivation area. During the tour, you will learn in detail the process of sea salt production by evaporation, from the entrance of the brine to the evaporators system, its 10-month trip until salt crystals form, its harvesting and storage in a huge white mountain which will make you think you are in the moon’s surface.

Las Coloradas is located inside the special Biosphere reserve, so all salt processing takes place in harmony with the environment, with a continuous improvement and always complying with normativity related to industrial and food safety, while generating high quality products to meet quality standards clients expect.

Of course, this visit would not be complete if you do not visit the pink waters who placed Las Coloradas community in the bucket list of many travelers in this region. You can take spectacular pictures in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Mexico. During the tour, the specialized guide will explain to you all the salt production process, and also will talk about the natural landscapes you will see along the tour; as well as about the fauna, especially birds who are used to live in these areas, endemic, and migratory birds.

Do not miss this unforgettable tour in the heart of the largest salt banks in the Mexican Southeast.

Months to enjoy the experience:

San Roque Museum is one of the places you must visit during your stay in this Magic Town; you will find relevant data about the history of Valladolid and the State of Yucatán. The museum safeguards a wide amount of historical information that goes from the pre-Hispanic times, passing through the colonial years, until getting to the revolutionary era.

The museum is in a place that once was Valladolid’s main hospital, then it became San Roque church. Inside, there are archeological items found during the research works in the surroundings and in the impressive Ek Balam archeological site, several human remains from first Mayan burials, documents that are proof of the city’s history, some records, and crafts.

The museum is located downtown, one block to the east of the Town Hall of the Magic Town of Valladolid, on the main street Calle 41, it is also by the Parque de los Héroes which has neat vegetation and areas.

The museum has open doors for you, so that you can go and learn about the history of this beautiful city guided by an expert archeologist or a certified guide from the city.

It includes free entry. It is recommended to wear comfortable clothing and photographic camera.

This event takes place every year to celebrate city’s anniversary. This year the city celebrates 480 years of existence. There are many activities taking place during the 18 days of festivities, among which you can find cultural activities, concerts, and huge dance, music, film, and theatre demonstrations, among others.

You can see celebrations all over the city, and in the streets, squares, theatres, museums, and parks several cultural and artistic activities take place. There are six international events scheduled, eight Yucatecan artists presentations and four replacements. Each one of these shows will have three or four performances to delight Mérida’s audience. There will be more than 18 face-to-face events, with capacity for 700 people and 200 on streaming.

In this edition of the “Mérida Fest” gastronomy will have a key role, as the focus will be the topics of flavor and knowledge, which will be related to traditional Yucatecan food, picnic, and the use of public spaces to taste food, the words which repeatedly will appear in this event are: to learn about the flavor and knowledge. You should check schedules and capacities to follow health measures. Register at tusboletos.mx website and download your tickets to warrant your place.