yucatan mexico adventure...travel, vacatio, retire for less in Magical Mexico!

The Yucatan Peninsula is composed of three states, Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and is home to the Mayas, North America's largest indigenous Indian group. The Peninsula was largely undiscovered by tourists until the 1950s and 1960s when roads began connecting the Yucatan with mainland Mexico. Today, Cancun and Cozumel are magnets for visitors from around the world, but much of the rest of this Peninsula remains shrouded in mystery and is waiting to be discovered; there are literally hundreds of archeological treasures to explore here. The combination of the Caribbean coast's gorgeous beaches, the abundance of archeological ruins and the mystery of the Mayan people make the Yucatan one of Mexico's most popular destinations.

The capital city of Merida, located in the State of Yucatan, is an excellent base for exploring the Peninsula. Like many other colonial cities, Merida was founded on the site of a Mayan ceremonial center and is surrounded by walls once built to protect the city's Spanish inhabitants from Indian attacks. Several important archeological sites surround Merida, and visitors will also find numerous colonial cities and centuries-old haciendas worth exploring nearby.

Visitors will also want to visit the nearby colonial cities of Izamal and Valladolid. Izamal is located 75 km east of Merida and has the world's largest enclosed arched courtyard, the Convento de San Antonio de Padua. This charming village is home to a number of ancient ruins. Valladolid, 160 km east of Merida, is home to two of the oldest Christian structures in the Yucatan and sits atop the Mayan city of Zaci.

The Yucatan has an abundance of archeological sites. Uxmal, located 75 km south of Merida, is one of Mexico's best preserved examples of Mayan architecture. 20 km to the southeast are the ruins at Kabah. Within 30 km of Kabah visitors will find the ruins of Sayil, Labna and the wonderful Caves of Loltun. If you are interested in a trip to the jungle and a sense of real discovery, visit the ruins at Mayapan. This was once a major Mayan city and thrived between 1250 and 1450 A.D. Much of it is still covered by jungle and offers solitude and a true step back in time. Chichen Itza, to the northeast of Merida, is one of the best preserved archeological sites in Mexico and has the largest ball court ever discovered. This site is worth a day and shouldn't be missed.

Don't miss the numerous abandoned and crumbling haciendas from the 1600s and 1700s that are strewn throughout the Yucatan. These were once home to sprawling ranching operations but today stand empty and and often hidden deep in the jungle. Some of the excavated haciendas worth visiting are Hacienda San Ildefonso, Hacienda Yaxcopoil and Hacienda Uayalceh.

Three hours from Merida is the port city of Campeche, the capital city of the State of Campeche. Full of naval history and Baroque Spanish architecture, this charming seaside city offers visitors a chance to take in the romanticism of long-ago Spanish elegance and wealth. Outside of Campache is Edzna, one of the Yucatan's most significant archeological sites and once home to 70,000 Mayans.