Valladolid
Folk dances in Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado
Valladolid is located in the state of Yucatán only 26.4 mi (42.5 km) from the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá. Established by conquistador Francisco de Montejo's nephew in 1543, it was named after Valladolid, the capital of Spain at the time, and built on the site of a Mayan town called Zací. The stones of the Mayan houses were used to build the new colonial town. As a result, the Maya rioted against the colonists and what followed was a series of conflicts that only abated in the 20th century.
With a population of around 57,000 and its colonial aesthetic, Valladolid preserves the magic of a traditional Mexican small town. What makes it even more special is the presence of 17 cenotes (underground lakes) in the area. As the Yucatán Peninsula is a region almost devoid of rivers and lakes, for the Maya communities these cenotes were the main source of fresh water, so it is easy to imagine why the Maya settlements and their ceremonial centers were built in their proximity.
1. What to see
1.1. Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado
1.2. Cenote Zací
1.3. Iglesia de San Servacio
1.4. Casa de los Venados
1.5. Mercado Municipal
2. Where to eat
2.1. El Mesón del Marqués
2.2. Restaurante El Atrio del Mayab
2.3. La Casona de Valladolid
3. Where to stay
4. How to get there
What to see
📷 Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado
The park was opened in 1900 during the term of Governor Francisco Cantón Rosado. Before the conquest it was the site of a Mayan pyramid, the stones of which were used in the construction of the Church of San Servacio, the municipal palace and other important buildings.
Today the park is a lively place where you will often see folk dances and people sitting on white benches eating ice cream, elotes, esquites or churros.
📜 Mexican elote is grilled corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise, rolled in cheese and seasoned with chili powder and lime. Spanish elote is just corn on the cob.
📜 Esquites are boiled white corn kernels topped with cheese and mayonnaise and seasoned with lime juice and chilli powder.
📷 Cenote Zací
9 am - 5 pm daily
Entry fee: 30 MXN
This underground lake is located right in the heart of the town. The word zací means 'white hawk' and it was the name of the Mayan town that existed here before the arrival of the Spanish and on the site of which Valladolid was built. You can access the lake through a cave. It has a diameter of 147.6 ft (45 m) and a depth of 262.4 ft (80 m).
📷 Iglesia de San Servacio
This 16th-century church was the site of the assassination of Mayor Fernando Hipólito de Osorno and his friend Pedro Gabriel de Covarrubias in 1703. As the church had been desecrated by the murder, the bishop decided the blood-smeared altar had to be rebuilt. The church was demolished in 1706 and the altar was given a new orientation. That is why the new church faces north, and not west (towards Rome) like most Catholic churches of the colonial period.
📷 Casa de los Venados
10 am - 4 pm daily
Free entry
This amazing house boasts the largest private collection of Mexican folk art (over 3,000 pieces) in the country. This is a private home, not a museum. Ring the doorbell and someone will let you in and give you a tour of the house.
📷 Mercado Municipal
5 am - 4 pm Mon-Sat
5 am - 3 pm Sun
Apart from local fruit and vegetables, Mexican candy and a wide variety of spices, you will also find clothes and handicrafts in this bustling market. I recommend trying some local fruits here like the huaya or the pitahaya (dragon fruit).
Where to eat
El Mesón del Marqués
📍 Calle 39 203 X 40 Y 42, Centro
📅 8 am - 10 pm daily
💚 Try: chile relleno del Marqués (breaded poblano pepper stuffed with meat and cheese and served in a Mayan soup)
Restaurante El Atrio del Mayab
📍 Calle 41 204, Centro
📅 8 am - 11 pm daily
💚 Try: longaniza de Valladolid (Valladolid-style sausage served with beans, avocado and grilled onions), tsi'ik de ahumado (shredded smoked meat seasoned with orange juice, radish and coriander)
La Casona de Valladolid
📍 Calle 41 214, Centro
📅 1 pm - 6 pm Mon-Sat
💚 Try: papadzules (tortillas stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and topped with tomato sauce and pumpkin seeds), tikin xic fish (fish fillet marinated with achiote and sour orange sauce)
📜 The house was owned by General José Iturralde y Traconis, governor of the state of Yucatán, in the 18th century.
Where to stay
📍 Calle 42 183-E por 35 y 37, Centro
📍 Calle 39 No 197 x 38 y 40, Centro
📍 Calle 46 200 E entre 43 y 45, Centro
Hotel el Mesón del Marqués ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📍 Calle 39 203, 97780
How to get there
From Cancún
🚗 By car (recommended route: Federal Highway 180D)
🚌 By bus
See the bus schedule 👉here.
✨ With 👉Xcaret Experiencias, the best tour operator in the state of Yucatán
This trip also includes a visit to the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá and the Tsukán cenote.
