Xichen Tour Review

I was called at 7:30 AM on the Xcaret's base located at Km 9 of Cancun's hotel zone, this is the meeting point of Cancun residents and guests of small hotels nearby. The bus was on time, I was surprised to see the new and modern bus, clean, comfortable, equipped with separate bathrooms for men and women, service desk and television screens.

You need to be a little patient at the beginning of the tour because the bus picks up the other tourists at major hotels for around 30-40 minutes. The road to Chichen Itza is long, about 2:15 hours, however you don't get bored, besides the driver, 2 very attentive and funny guides gave us an introduction to the Mayan world, its origins and curious stories about their writing and traditions. Coffee and a delicious turkey sandwich with orange juice were served during the way to Chichen Itza.

We arrived at Chichen around 11: 00 AM, the guides gave us our entrance tickets and some safety instructions is case someone got lost. Getting off the bus we were offered soft drinks, water or beer.
It is amazing to see thousands of tourists and hundreds of buses in the parking lot of Chichen Itza, is a place that attracts visitors from around the world.

The entry was made quickly and smoothly, we divided into two groups, depending on English or Spanish. I must confess that although I had been several times at Chichen Itza, the information the guide gave us was very interesting, he was knowledgable and very well prepared, supported by photographs, drawings and other materials to help him in his talk.
Being in Chichen Itza is a wonderful thing, it's hard to believe the perfection with which these buildings were built over 1000 years and the profound knowledge of astronomy and mathematics the Mayas had.

After the guide tour we had some free time, around an hour, which in my opinion is not enough because there are so much to see in Chichen Itza that more time is needed, however I understand that the tour should take this itinerary because the distance from Chichen Iza to Cancun ant the other places we had to visit.

During free time, you can choose to walk to the Sacred Cenote, the Ball Game Court, the Observatory, or simply go shopping and see the thousands of local crafts people offer.

Back to the bus, we had soft drinks, water or beer and wet towels. There was no limit to what we wanted to drink, everything was included. 
On the way to Valladolid the guides talked about this colonial city, the history of Yucatan, the "Caste War", how cenotes (sinkholes) were formed and what we would see in the Ex-Convent of San Bernardino, our next stop.

Valladolid is a very nice small town, mixed Mayan and colonial, clean streets and well drawn. On the bus we saw the passing of life for its inhabitants in a very relaxed way, it seems that there is not much to worry about and that are totally unrelated to the problems of big cities.

We saw the main square, the Cathedral of San Gervasio, we stopped at the Ex Convento de San Bernardino of Siena, an amazing building founded by the Franciscans in 1552, we took a short tour of the inside, there is a sinkhole in the backyard and a museum with objects that tells the story of the development of the Maya after the Spanish colonization.

Then we went to a restaurant called "La Casona", a bright building with more than 250 years, The food was delicious, the dishes were mostly Yucatan specialties but also international dishes were served, the service was buffet style.

We boarded the bus for only a few minutes to reach the Cenote Zaci, an impressive historic site and the scene of bloody battles during the Spanish colonization and is now under the care of the city government. The cenote is 28 meters wide and is covered in part by a natural canopy and tree tops, the effect of lights that are on the inside is spectacular.

That was it! back to Cancun... it was dark, no more guide talk, the lights of the bus were off, passengers took the opportunity to rest while they were dropped off in their hotels.

At the end of the day I had a feeling that I had spent a great time, the mere fact of being at Chichen Itza makes your day and, if we add a great food, drinks and friendly service make it even better.
The tour is operated by the Grupo Xcaret with a well-earned reputation in tourism services in the region.

Cancun Adventure Staff