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Watch our video on Valladolid here!
Where is Valladolid?
Valladolid is a city in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula (not to be confused with the city in Spain). It is much lesser known than the very touristy Cancun or Tulum. It is an authentic and vibrant hidden gem and definitely worth a stop when you’re travelling in the Yucatan area.
How to get to Valladolid?
It is very easy to get to Valladolid via ADO buses and there are frequent departures from the cities in the region. It takes around 1.5 hours from Cancun and costs around MXN300 (~USD15).
What to do in Valladolid?
1. Explore the town of Valladolid
Valladolid is a stark contrast to the beach and touristic towns in Yucatan, and has a much more local and cultural vibe. I recommend visiting the following places in the town itself.
Caldaza de los Frailes: A very photogenic street lined with colourful restaurants, cafes and artisanal shops.
Parque Principal: This is the nucleus of the town in Valladolid, you will see many locals spending time here people watching. There are a couple of street carts around this park selling marquesitas and churros. In the evenings, there is also a local cultural dance performance in the park.
Templo de San Servacio: Iconic church next to Parque Principal
San Bernardino Convent: Second largest convent in Yucatan, and surrounded by beautiful and tranquil green spaces. You can also find the colorful (and very long!) Valladolid sign nearby.
2. Visit Chichen Itza
Watch our video and our thoughts on Chichen Itza here!
Chichen Itza is one of UNESCO’s New 7 Wonders of the World. It was an important centre of the Mayan empire and dates back to 525AD. Some of prominent buildings include the Kukulkan Pyramid, Sacred Cenote, Ball Court, Temple of the Warriors and El Caracol Observatory.
You can easily visit Chichen Itza from Valladolid via a tour, scooter/car or public transport (collectivo). We took a collectivo from Transporte Colectivo (C. 39 2-215, Centro, 97784 Valladolid, Yuc., Mexico) which is nearby the Autobus terminal and costs MXN40 (~USD2) per person. It takes around 1 hour and we recommend going right at the opening to avoid the tours (A LOT of them) that arrive later in the day.
The opening hours are 8am-5pm and the entrance fee is MXN570 (~USD30). Do note that there is free admission for locals on Sunday so naturally, it will be more crowded as well.
3. Visit cenotes
Watch our video on cenotes here!
Valladolid is surrounded by cenotes and we highly recommend renting a scooter to visit the cenotes. This gives you the freedom of choosing the cenotes and visiting them at your own pace. There are no car rentals available in Valladolid itself, and we read that you had to drive your car from another city such as Merida or Cancun. We rented our scooter from Ko’ox Balak (C. 48 2, Centro, 97780 Valladolid, Yuc., Mexico) and had a pleasant and easy experience with them. They even provided cenote recommendations and discount vouchers.
Cenote Oxman: This is a beautiful circular open cenote. It has clear, deep blue waters and even a rope swing which was such great fun!
Opening hours: 8am-5pm
Entrance fee: Basic- MXN150 Full package- MXN300 (including MXN250 food voucher)
Cenote Suytun: Instagram famous and also the most popular. If you want to catch the sunlight streaming in through the hole to the platform, you should try to be there during noon.
Opening hours:9am-430pm
Entrance fee: MXN200
4. Visit Uayma
Uayma is a small town that is around 30 min ride away from Valladolid. There is not much to do here but features a very pretty church!
What to eat in Valladolid?
View our video on unique Yucatan foods here!
Food in this region has been so different from Mexico city or Oaxaca. Here are some of the foods to try!
Cochinita Pibil from El Tigrillo: Slow roasted pork pieces on a taco or torta
Papadzules from Loncheria el Amigo Casiano: Tortillas filled with hardboiled eggs in a green pumpkin seed sauce. It reminded me of enchiladas and so nutty and delicious! You can also find other local foods at reasonable prices at this place.
Salpicon de Poc Chuc and Salbutes from El Sazon de Valladolid: Salpicon de Poc Chuc consists of citrus marinated meat cooked over a grill and chopped up. Salbutes are puffed deep fried tortilla topped with chicken/pork, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions.
Panuchos and Sopa de limon from Las Campanas : Panuchos are refried tortillas stuffed with refried beans and topped with chicken/pork, lettuce and onions. Sopa de limon is exactly what its name suggests, soup with lime.
Marquesitas from Parque Principal: Marquesitas are my favorite dessert in Yucatan! It is a crispy crepe filled with toppings of your choice and rolled up. You can find many street carts selling them in Parque Principal.
How long to spend in Valladolid?
I recommend spending at least 3 days in Valladolid. It is a good base to explore the nearby ruins and cenote. This was our itinerary:
Day 1- Arrive in Valladolid in the afternoon and spend time exploring the town.
Day 2- Visit Chichen Itza. It is possible to visit Cenote Ik Kil on the way back from Chichen Itza to Valladolid. Some tours offer this as part of the tours and we saw the collectivos also make this stop.
Day 3- Cenote hopping and Uayma
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