Paste colored buildings of Valladolid.

After a big day of exploring the ruins at Chichen Itza, we caught a bus and headed to Valladolid. A small city located in the Yucatán, it was founded by Don Francisco de Montejo “The Nephew” in 1543 and named after the then Spanish capital. His uncle of the same name, who founded the city of Merida, had granted him the land. With peaceful, quiet streets, and pastel colored buildings, Valladolid is a mix of both Mayan and Spanish colonial Mexico. In fact, the city and the surrounding area were a major part of the Caste War, when the Maya revolted against the population that came from European backgrounds. Thankfully, you won’t encounter a bloody uprising there these days, but rather a relaxing and laid-back place with a lot to offer.

Known as “The Sultan of the East” for its beautiful architecture, the city makes for a nice contrast from the beach side resorts and noisy bars of places like Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and a stop here is a fine way to add some culture to your Mexico vacation. Arriving in the heart of the town on the first class ADO bus (the best and most economical way to get around), we found our hostel, the La Candelaria. Set next to a church and surrounding a quaint little garden that featured a few hammocks, it was an excellent place to call home for a few days.

Outdoor services are held nightly here in this quaint church.

Awesome spot for a siesta at La Candelaria.

Walking down into Cenote Zaci.

With the afternoon sun beating down on us, we opted to spend a few hours in the cool shade of the Cenote Zaci, one of the Yucatán’s many sinkholes with an interesting Mayan name meaning “white hawk.” Walking down the path past hanging stalactites, we found locals cooling off in the pristine turquoise water. While simply swimming around in the cenote was refreshment enough, there were a few options for some more fun, with a decent cliff jump and a rope swing available. There’s even a restaurant on-site with views of the water, where we enjoyed some tasty Mexican food and cold beers.

Best place to beat the heat in Valladolid.

El Centro - the Central Square.

In the evening, we wandered around the cobblestone streets, where we saw plenty of women dressed in traditional Maya clothing (called huipiles) going about their daily routines. The city is very walkable, and it’s easy to tour all of the main sights in just a day on foot. We started out in the central square (El Centro), where a statue of a Mayan woman sits in a fountain in the middle of a lovely park. The park is home to thousands of birds, which make their presence known (and heard). On the South side of the square, we stopped in the Cathedral of San Gervasio, an old church that was built in 1570 by the Franciscans, destroyed during the Maya/Spanish conflict, and later rebuilt.

Close-up view of the church.

Convent of San Bernardino lit up at night.

From there, we strolled through the peaceful streets on our way to the Convent of Saint Bernardino, known as “Sisal” to the locals. Designed as both a church and a fortress, this impressive building was built on top of a cenote, with construction beginning in 1552. Some original paintings can still be seen inside, behind the altar. Amazingly, the Convent was designed to be totally self-sustaining, with monks growing their own food and retrieving water from the cenote below.

Having walked up quite an appetite, we stopped for dinner inside of a shopping plaza near the central square. Inside, numerous vendors were vying for our business, and with an array of incredible smells hitting us from every corner, it was a difficult choice. Eventually, we settled on ordering one dish each from two separate vendors. Upon the recommendation of our friends back at the hostel, I tried the Valladolid specialty – longaniza – a type of smoked sausage that came with tortillas, beans, rice… the whole nine yards.

Hearty and delicious longaniza.

With bellies full and legs tired, we retreated back to our hostel to get a good night’s sleep before another day of exploring Mayan ruins. The next morning, we would head out on a day-trip to the ruins at Ek Balam, a mere 20 minute drive outside of the city of Valladolid.