Yucatán.

Where we sleep

1. Day 1 · Thu 18 Mar

   Arrive and wander

   A gentle first evening in Mérida: the main square, then a stroll down Paseo de Montejo.

   • Plaza Grande and the cathedral1 h

     The leafy main square of Mérida, with the cathedral on its east side. The cathedral was built between 1562 and 1598 with stone from a Maya temple of T’ho, the city that stood here before.

     What to see

     • The cathedral on the east side
     • The Government Palace and the town hall on the other sides
     • The shade of the old trees

     Time

     An hour, with no hurry.

     Tip

     Come after the afternoon heat, when the square cools down and the families come out. At three o’clock the stone and the benches are too hot for small legs.

     To eat

     Marquesitas, crisp rolled crepes with queso de bola, a favourite with children.

   • Paseo de Montejo1 h 30

     A wide, tree-lined boulevard inspired by the avenues of Paris, lined with mansions built with the henequen fortunes of around 1900.

     What to see

     • The old henequen mansions
     • The Monumento a la Patria
     • The shade of the avenue

     Time

     An easy walk, or a short taxi ride.

     Tip

     Take a taxi to the north end and walk back south: the pavements are wide, and the way back is easier after a day of travel.

     To eat

     Coconut ice cream, or a glass of agua de chaya, a green drink made from a local leaf.

     Photos
2. Day 2 · Fri 19 Mar

   Yellow town, cool water

   We drive east to Izamal, the yellow town, then on to Valladolid, where a swim in a cenote is waiting.

   • Izamal and its convent3 h

     A town painted yellow, where a 16th-century Franciscan convent stands on the base of a Maya temple. The Kinich Kakmó pyramid, about 35 metres high, rises a few streets away.

     What to see

     • The yellow convent and its arcaded atrium
     • The Kinich Kakmó pyramid
     • The horse-drawn carriages round the square

     Time

     Three hours, with lunch.

     Tip

     Visit the convent in the morning. By noon the yellow walls and the pale atrium floor throw back so much sun that the children will need hats and water.

     To eat

     Kiníc, pork cooked in sour orange, a dish Izamal calls its own.

     Photos
   • Cenote Zací1 h 30

     A large cenote in the middle of Valladolid, a water-filled cave open to the sky, where the family can swim after the drive. A restaurant stands beside it.

     What to see

     • The cenote seen from the steps
     • A swim in the cool water
     • The old town streets nearby

     Time

     An hour and a half.

     Tip

     Wear shoes that grip, because the steps and the edge are wet, and keep sunscreen light or rinse it off: cenotes ask visitors to protect the water.

     To eat

     Longaniza de Valladolid, the local smoked sausage, with eggs.

     Photos
3. Day 3 · Sat 20 Mar

   The serpent day

   Chichén Itzá from opening time to the afternoon, when the shadow serpent shows on the staircase. It is the busiest day of the trip, so we go early and keep the children close.

   • Chichén ItzáAll day

     The great Maya city, with El Castillo, a pyramid about 30 metres high whose staircase is the centre of the equinox show. You can walk around it, but climbing has been forbidden since about 2006.

     What to see

     • El Castillo and the serpent heads at the foot of its staircase
     • The Great Ball Court
     • El Caracol, the round observatory

     Time

     A full day, with the show in the afternoon.

     Tip

     Arrive at opening. On equinox days in 2026 the ticket office stopped selling at 16:00 and the site was cleared before dark, so check INAH for 2027 and agree a meeting point with the children.

     To eat

     Poc chuc, grilled pork with sour orange, in the villages outside the site.

     Photos
   • Convent of San Bernardino de Siena1 h

     A Franciscan convent of the 16th century at the end of the Calzada de los Frailes, a street of low coloured houses. A cenote is hidden inside its grounds.

     What to see

     • The fortified church front
     • The cenote inside the grounds
     • The Calzada de los Frailes at dusk

     Time

     An easy hour.

     Tip

     Walk down the Calzada de los Frailes late in the afternoon, when the light is warm and the heat has eased. It is a good gentle end to a long day.

     To eat

     Panuchos, fried tortillas stuffed with black beans and topped with turkey.

     Photos
4. Day 4 · Sun 21 Mar

   The city of the black jaguar

   Ek Balam in the morning, quieter than yesterday’s crowds, then a slow evening in Valladolid.

   • Ek Balam3 h

     A Maya city about 25 km north of Valladolid, whose name means black jaguar. Its great Acropolis still carries carved stucco figures.

     What to see

     • The Acropolis
     • The stucco figures on its front
     • The ball court

     Time

     About three hours.

     Tip

     Be there when it opens so you have the Acropolis nearly to yourselves before the heat and the tour groups arrive. Bring water and hats for everyone.

     To eat

     Lomitos de Valladolid, pork in a tomato sauce, a local dish.

     Photos
   • Valladolid main square1 h

     The calm main square of Valladolid, with the church of San Servacio on one side and benches under the trees.

     What to see

     • The church of San Servacio
     • The shade of the square
     • The streets round it, painted in soft colours

     Time

     As long as the children stay happy.

     Tip

     Come at dusk after Ek Balam, when the square cools down. The benches are perfect for tired legs, and you can eat close by without a long walk.

     To eat

     Cochinita pibil tacos, pork slow-cooked in achiote and sour orange.

5. Day 5 · Mon 22 Mar

   A swim, then the market

   We drive back to Mérida by way of Dzibilchaltún and its cenote, then finish at the city’s big market.

   • Dzibilchaltún3 h

     A Maya site north of Mérida, known for the Temple of the Seven Dolls, which the sunrise crosses through its doorway at the equinox, and for a cenote, Xlacah, where visitors can swim.

     What to see

     • The Temple of the Seven Dolls
     • The Xlacah cenote
     • The long white sacbé, or Maya road

     Time

     Three hours, with a swim.

     Tip

     We come two days after the equinox, so the dawn crowds are gone. Bring swimsuits and a towel, and go to the cenote after the ruins, when everyone is hot.

     To eat

     Sopa de lima, a lime soup with shredded chicken and fried tortilla strips.

   • Lucas de Gálvez Market1 h 30

     The main market of Mérida, a busy, covered place of fruit, spices, hammocks and snack stalls.

     What to see

     • Stalls of tropical fruit
     • Hammocks and embroidered blouses
     • The snack counters

     Time

     An hour and a half.

     Tip

     Keep the children by the hand in the narrow aisles, and buy hammocks at the stalls that fold them into a bag so they fit in a suitcase.

     To eat

     Salbutes and panuchos from the counters, with pickled red onion.

6. Day 6 · Tue 23 Mar

   Last ruins, then home

   Uxmal in the cool of the morning and Kabah on the way back, before heading home.

   • Uxmal3 h

     A Maya city of the Puuc style, famous for the oval Pyramid of the Magician and a quadrangle of carved stone rooms called the Nunnery. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1996.

     What to see

     • The Pyramid of the Magician
     • The Nunnery Quadrangle
     • The Governor’s Palace

     Time

     Three hours.

     Tip

     Go first thing. By late morning in March the stone is hot, and the site has very little shade.

     To eat

     Cochinita pibil with pickled onion, in a village on the way.

     Photos
   • Kabah1 h 30

     A quieter Maya site about 20 km south of Uxmal, whose Palace of the Masks has a front covered in hundreds of masks of the rain god Chaac.

     What to see

     • The Palace of the Masks, Codz Poop
     • The arch that marks the old road to Uxmal
     • The quiet of a small site

     Time

     An hour and a half.

     Tip

     Count the masks with the children, then keep your voices low: with few visitors it is the best place to hear the birds. The sun is hard here at noon.

     To eat

     Fresh lime water and a snack of fried plantain.

     Photos

Typical weather for these dates, not a forecast: the average of 2016–2025, with data from Open-Meteo.com (ERA5). The chance of rain is an estimate.