At the heart of the Mayan world, this state the size of Missouri or Ireland is chock-full of archaeological sites, underground swimming holes, beaches and historic cities. More offerings are popping up all the time, like the Camino del Mayab trail — a five-day village-to-village trek that ends up at the Mayapán ruins.
The centerpiece of the state is Mérida, the capital city, with a population of about 1 million and a historic heart that dates back to the 1500s. With one of the oldest cathedrals (Saint Ildefonso) in the Americas and plenty of places to try regional food — including at the Museum of Yucatecan Gastronomy — Mérida is a city that some visitors arrive in and don't bother to ever leave. The Spanish colonial center is a pedestrian-friendly collection of plazas, where you'll frequently find music performances enjoyed by locals dancing away. Walking distance from the center is Paseo de Montejo, a French-style boulevard lined with mansions built by the sisal barons of the late 1800s.
Some of the haciendas in the countryside where sisal, a plant used in the production of rope and twine, once flourished now have a second life as luxury hotels or grand villa rentals. Others are still working farms that offer horseback riding or visits to natural subterranean pools called cenotes.
One of the most photogenic places to stay is Hacienda Temozon, conveniently located on the way to the archaeological site of Uxmal. While Chichén Itzá on the opposite side of the state gets mobbed with day-trippers from Cancún, Uxmal is comparatively tranquil and uncrowded, especially on weekdays. Catch an impressive artistic light and sound show at the ruins after dark if you're spending the night nearby.
There are ruins scattered all over the state, however, from Ek Balam outside of Valladolid to Kabah and Xcambó, where the crowds are even thinner. The tongue-twisting Dzibilchaltún site is just outside of Mérida, an easy stop on the highway to the beaches, plus it has an excellent historical museum.
Even more numerous are the cenotes, barely below the surface or sometimes exposed to the air after a limestone cavern has collapsed. More than 3,000 of these pools have been mapped out within the state boundaries, and many of the large ones are open to visitors, such as Zazil Tunich, Chukum-Ha and Cuzamá. Cenote Zací is right in the city of Valladolid and has a restaurant overlooking it.
The best way to explore Yucatán state is with a rental car or on day tours that branch out from Mérida or Valladolid. That way you can make it to the yellow city of Izamal, with its San Antonio of Padua Convent dating back to the mid-1500s and the Kinich Kakmó pyramid dating back at least 1,400 years. Or you can travel to Celestún or Río Lagartos, both lagoon areas filled with pink flamingos. The state is Mexico's leader in community tourism too, so it's possible to visit bee farms, hammock makers, bamboo factories or shops where they make the famous men's shirt called a guayabera.
