TAKE A BREAK IN VALLADOLID

When we talk about Valladolid, we know the city because it’s from there that you can easily get to Chichén Itzá, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world! To get there from the city center is super simple, there are collectivo not far from the ADO bus station. If you want to be at the archaeological site before the opening time, I advise you to expect more time for the collectivo, because he waits until the car is full to leave. Then, you take about forty minutes to get there. Once you arrive, a guide will call you to ask if you’re interested in a guided group tour. See with the other people of the collectivo, everyone was interested so we were able to take a guide for not too expensive per person. For the entrance, you go through two cash desks like in Palenque. Before being there, look for the items you can bring with you because otherwise they’ll make you put them in paid lockers, and you have no choice. For example, tripods are prohibited. And let’s go to discover this wonder. From the start of the visit, you’ll see the 30m high pyramid of Kukulcán. The ruins of this temple are so well preserved! That’s wonderful! If you arrive early in the morning, there aren’t many people, you can take your picture in front of the monument. Moreover, little sound experience that your guide will make you do, if you clap your hands at a place in front of the temple, there’ll be an impressive resonance, and it’s only at this precise location. It’s quite impressive. In order to protect the ruins, it’s no longer possible to climb on them. But the visit doesn’t stop at this pyramid, you continue to explore other ruins, the throne of sacrifice, the playground, and even a cenote. The history of the place is very interesting. We learned a lot about the traditions, the excavations, the culture… There are some signs that describe the place but honestly having the guide with us was really a plus. The archaeological site is large, you can easily spend half a day there, 2 hours minimum. I have great memories of the visit! And, it’s still one of the 7 wonders of the world! Do not miss it !
Our guide Fabiola was really good, she knew a lot about her subject and had very good knowledge, I highly recommend her! You can contact her on WhatsApp on 0052 9991916947, she takes 1 000 Mexican pesos in total for a group for 2 hours. Feel free to say you heard about her from the blog Take A Break Somewhere.

Round trip price by collectivo: 80 pesos
Price of the guide for a group of 10 people: 100 pesos
Entrance fee to Chichén Itzá: 571 pesos

We didn’t stay very long in Valladolid so we only saw some places around. We did Suytun cenote, our first cenote in Mexico. I’m not going to lie to you that I was personally quite disappointed. First, it’s expensive. Second, it’s way too crowded. So obviously you have to expect many people in touristic places, but there are places where having people spoils the magic of the place. And it was the case here. Everything is arranged around the covered cenote, you have to put on life jackets if you want to swim. At this cenote you have a podium in the water that allows you to take a photo in the middle of the water. So know that the ray of sunshine is between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., that you’ll be queuing for several minutes to be timed once on the podium, and the photo may be fine, but that’s if you don’t have swimmers behind you. Even for a photo it’s complicated. I found the water to be surprisingly good and clear. We can see the little fish hanging around us, it’s funny. The entrance to the Suytun cenote also includes the entrance to the Kaapeh cenote which is just a short walk away. A very pretty semi-open cenote (and a lot less people)! You’ll have to go down a few stairs to access the platform that allows you to go into the water. Less transparent than the other, I found it cooler. What is impressive in this one is that there’s a huge tree which is as high as the height of the hole, we see its branches coming out on the surface. It’s very beautiful. To access these cenotes, you have to take a taxi. On the way back, we didn’t have a taxi in the parking lot so we hitchhiked. But if you have internet, you can order an Uber, or ask a taxi to pick you up. But don’t count too much on the fact that you’ll find taxis there because it isn’t the case.
My friends did the Ik Kil cenote and they liked it. There was a place to jump into the water.

Entrance price for Suytun cenote: 200 pesos
Price of a taxi ride between the city center and the Suytun cenote: 100 pesos

The city center of Valladolid isn’t very big. In 2 hours maximum you’ll have done the tour. First, there’s Francisco Cantón Rosado Park which is the main square. A very pretty place where you can rest while tasting a local specialty. There are sometimes street performances in the evening. In this square, you cannot miss the Cathedral of San Gervasio and its two towers. The exterior architecture is incredible, it’s super beautiful with the colorful flags that connect its fence and its towers. To have one of the most beautiful views from above on this one, go to the casa de la cultura. From its balcony on the first floor, you can admire the beautiful building and the square. On this floor there’s also a very well done wall interior painting.
Outside the square, don’t hesitate to stroll through the nearby streets to discover small restaurants and shops. Go to the former Convent of San Bernardino de Siena to discover this magnificent building dating from the 16th century. We only saw the outside but it’s possible to enter.

Entrance price to the casa de la cultura: free
Entrance fee to the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena: 30 pesos

Valladolid has a pretty nice downtown. But the city is well located to visit one of the 7 wonders of the world, as well as certain cenotes.