It seems each building in Valladolid, Mexico, is painted a different bright, pastel hue. Dainty squares of apricot, periwinkle, and lavender line the paved streets; the horizon is speckled with biscotti, azure, vermillion. The dark blanket of clouds that rolled across the city upon our arrival promised cleansing rain, and appeared a dramatic counterpart to the fruit pastille houses dotting the streets.

 The third largest city in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, Valladolid seems worlds away from the popular tourist destination of Cancún, although it is only two hours by car. Founded by Don Francisco de Montejo in 1543, Valladolid became the setting of the Caste War in 1847, and saw the beginnings of the Mexican revolution with the Dzelkoop Plan in 1910. Now, it is a prime location to experience authentic Mexican culture, explore nearby cenotes, and visit the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá.

see chichén itzá

Named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988 and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Chichén Itzá is must-see for anyone travelling to the Yucutan peninsula. Although heavily touristic, it is possible to avoid the crowds piling onto busses from Cancun by catching an early colectivo from Valladolid. Translating to the English word ‘collective’, a colectivo is essentially a carpool, and although the tickets are cheap, it is best to get a group of friends together, because you may have to wait around until the minibus is full before leaving.

In Mayan, ‘Chichén Itzá’ translates to ‘at the mouth of the well of the Itzá’, referring to the underground rivers that run beneath the region, feeding several cenotes, and once serving as the water source for the city. It was established as early 400s A.D., and it soon became one of the largest cities in the Mayan world, spanning nearly two square miles and accommodating as many as 50,000 people.

The main temple, El Castillo (or the Temple of Kukulkan), is famed for its ability to reverberate sound, and when you stand at a specific point facing the temple and clap, it will return the echo to you. The combined number of steps on the temple totals 365; the number of days in the solar year. There are many other buildings to explore, such as the Great Ball Court, the Steam Bath, and the Group of a Thousand Columns, and vendors sell obsidian and silver, carved wooden masks, and many more goods around the site.

Tickets are pretty expensive, at 571 MXP, or £24.75. This seems reasonable enough, but tours are not covered in the price of the ticket, which is another reason to go with a group. Independent tour guides congregate outside the entrance to the ruins, offering a group price of around 1000 MXP (£43.34) for a guided tour of around two hours. We managed to get our tour down to 80 MXP a head, which translates to a pretty reasonable £3.47 each.

stay at oryx hostel

Stay at the Oryx Valladolid Hostel, a relatively new sister business to the successful Tulum location. Oryx boasts an outdoor swimming pool, air-conditioning, daily housekeeping, modern kitchen, garden, beanbag TV lounge, car or moped rental, tour desk, and more enticing amenities. The central location, amazing team, stylish and atmospheric décor and express check-in/out (check in is from 2pm and check out is until 12pm) makes it a superb choice for any length of stay at Valladolid! At around £10 a night for a bed in a six-bed airconditioned dorm with curtains, or £32 for private double room if you’re feeling luxurious, this hostel is a steal.

We attended the opening party hosted by the Oryx team, who made enough pizza from scratch to feed the entire city. The DJ booth played music and we drank beer and tequila, and danced in the ambiently-lit courtyard, before joining the team to carry on the night at Mezcaleria Don Trejo, a mezcal and salsa bar in town.

And of course, I mustn’t forget to mention Quesadilla, the resident puppy who played all day and charmed us all with her enormous, crookedly flopping ears.

visit nearby cenotes

 Hire scooters and visit the nearby cenotes for a day of fun and relaxation! A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock, exposing groundwater. Perhaps due to the lack of lakes and rivers in the Yucutan peninsula, cenotes attained a religious status for the Mayan people. They believed the cenotes were portals to the underworld, where the veil between the living and the dead was thin.

Today, the azure pools of water serve as a refreshing escape from the heat of the day. Many cenotes, such as cenote Oxmán and Cenote X’canché offer refreshments and seating areas, but if you’re after something more off-grid, there are plenty of hidden, smaller cenotes tucked away in neighbouring villages. For a journal extract detailing our experience touring the cenotes of Yucatan, read more blog post here!

watch the light show and traditional dancing 

Every night at 9pm, a light show is projected onto San Bernardino de Siena convent, describing the history of Valladolid and its church. Entitled Noches de la Heroica Zací, the artistic interpretation of colonial history incorporates structural elements of the church itself, bringing the town square to life.

Dancers dress in traditional Mayan clothing and perform a tribal dance for tourists after the lightshow. The impressive masks and colourful costumes are lit by the flames of torches that are passed during the dance. To be enjoyed alongside hot elote, or corn on the cob, slathered in butter, mayo, and topped with spices, served by the regularly stationed street vendors.

enjoy the nightlife

Finally, head to the Mezcaleria Don Trejo mezcal and salsa bar, for tequila, live salsa music, and DJs. Just one of the many bars in Valladolid, Mezcaleria Don Trejo offers an indoor live music stage and outdoor dance floor, as well as an open-air terrace. Dance under the twinkling multicoloured lightbulbs, strung between fan palms and illuminating the dance floor. It is impossible not to perspire in the humidity of the wet-season night; sweat glistens on skin, reflecting the gleam of rainbow-coloured lights.

Thank you for reading about my adventures in Valladolid; I hope it inspires you to visit the Yucatan peninsula and explore this gem of a city! For more about my travels see the rest of my blog posts here. Thanks again and - until next time -stay groovy :)