Yucatan Adventure – It’s Chichen Itza Near Cancun
Yucatan Adventure – It’s Chichen Itza Near Cancun
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We sip slushy lime Margaritas on a windy afternoon on the Mayan Riviera while sitting on the beach and doing what all tourists do when they visit Mexico – I lie there on my lawn chair covered in Banana Boat coconut sunscreen contemplating a dip in the ocean.
The Tulum Temple on the Mayan Riviera.
I couldn’t help but overhear a young couple under the umbrella beside me discussing their day trip out to the historical site of Chichen Itza, the inland site of the great pyramids. They playfully bet on who will climb to the top of the steep pyramid the fastest during their tour the next day.
Tourists from all over the world visit Mexico every year to get away from the harsh cold reality of winter, and in some cases, life. When Mexico comes to mind for most we think of sun, surf, and the hangover followed after too much tequila. Many, but not all, take it upon themselves to venture out to the jungle pyramids during their once-a-year weeklong duration in the country.
El Castillo (great pyramid) foreground,
and the Temple of 1000 Columns.
I couldn’t get the thought of Chichen Itza out of my mind the rest of that afternoon. I want to climb to the top of the pyramid as well! It is settled, I grab my boyfriend Marcus and drag him to a tour operator to arrange “the climb” for the very next morning.
Samuel, our private driver arranges the tour through MayaLand Tours, and he picks us up right on time outside our five star hotel, The Bahia Principe Tulum.
Mayaland Tours operates fully-guided tours, self-guided tours, as well as custom private tours that are in length from day trips to overnight excursions. The trips vary from snorkel tours at Xel-ha, full tours of Chichen Itza, to private excursions to the temple of Tulum! www.mayaland.com/sites.html
The more than helpful staff arranges a private tour to the Chichen Itza pyramids and a one night stay at the beautiful resort, Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows, right in the Chichen Itza archaeological zone.
Samuel turns up his Mexican tunes, rolls down the windows, and the three of us ride the “highway of death” (according to Samuel) for three hours all the way to Chichen Itza. The experience of self-driving in Mexico is not one I recommend to those who are interested in death while on vacation. With that being said we have a fantastic time taking in the countryside, and listening to Samuel tell us stories about growing up in Mexico.
The Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows is in the heart of the Chichen Itza Archaeological Zone.
The closer we get to the archaeological site the more excited Marcus and I grow at the thought of climbing the amazing pyramid. What an accomplishment this is going to be! We arrive a little windblown but eager and ready to climb. Quickly calmed by the hypnotic buzz of the lobby ceiling fan, I sit down and read about the Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows as Marcus checks us in.
The hotel was founded in the 1930s by Fernando Barbachano, who successfully convinced the first tourists to venture out with him to Chichen Itza from their ships on the gulf coast. Today, the Barbachano family continues to operate, build, and contribute to organized tourism and hospitality in Mexico. Local tours from the hotel include organized trips to Chichen Itza for 480 pesos or U.S. $42.00 and horseback riding to old Chichen Itza for 400 pesos or U.S. $35.00. Pavarotti once stayed in the hotel in a custom-built suite during his performance at the ruins in ‘97, and one of the hotel restaurants is now named after him.
The Mayanland Hotel and Bungalows Accommodations -
All 93 rooms and suites at the Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows have air-conditioning, ceiling fans, Servibars and satellite color TV. The hotel is three storied, and it is the first hotel built at Chichen Itza, and the worlds first within an archaeological site. Mayaland is a landmark, reminiscent of the hacienda nobility of a century ago. The Main House is beautifully appointed with rooms and suites looking across manicured gardens to the pyramids. The Bungalows were built in the 1990s and they are clustered around a secluding pool and were created for guests wishing to commune with nature, but with all the amenities of a
first class hotel.
The hotel has several rooming optons, including:
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