Mexico Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan

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Explore pretty colonial towns, soft white-sand beaches and sacred Mayan temples hidden in lush, tangled jungles

Overview

The states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo form the huge wedge of low-lying, forest-covered territory of Mexico’s south-east. It is here that vestiges of the Mayan civilisation loom out of the undergrowth at every turn. Sites replete with temples and pyramids festooned with sacred carvings were, once abandoned, swallowed up by a rapacious jungle but are now gradually being revealed. The best known sites, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Tulum are easily accessible and have been spruced up for visitors. There are lesser-known sites rising from an untouched natural setting including Edzná, a huge ceremonial centre featuring the 30m high Temple of the Five Storeys, and Calakmul, the biggest archaeological area in Mesoamerica with 7,000 buildings in the central zone.

There are some pretty Spanish colonial towns too, the arched colonnades of Izamal and Mérida, a  bustling  place where colonial churches and mansions cram the grid of streets;  plazas host markets and impromptu musical and theatrical performances.

The nearby Riviera Maya spans the peninsula’s soft-sand Caribbean coast with its resort hotels and fishing villages, while the coastal mangrove-draped marshes at Sian Ka’an host a biosphere reserve heaving with wildlife.

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Holidays Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan

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Palenque, Mexico

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Mexico

Eagle: Aztecs, Mayas and conquistadores

15 days from £4,267pp

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Pool at a hotel in Mexico

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Mexico

Luxury Mexico: Yucatan in style

11 days from £5,500pp

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Beaches and coast of Tulum, Mexico

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Mexico

Self-drive Mexico: Discover the Yucatan Peninsula

13 days from £2,320pp

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Colourful hammocks in the sea in Mexico

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Mexico

Self-Drive Mexico: Highlights of the Yucatan

10 days from £2,150pp

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Things to do

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Casa Lecanda
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Where to go when - our guide to Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan

Campeche

The weather in Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan is wide and varied

Explore pretty colonial towns, soft white-sand beaches and sacred Mayan temples hidden in lush, tangled jungles. The Yucatán Peninsula and Mayan Riviera enjoy hot and sunny weather throughout the best part of the year, with temperatures which rarely drop below 25°C. From May to July, humidity can be uncomfortably high and there is a risk of tropical storms and hurricanes between August and October. The best months to visit for dry weather and clear skies are December to April.

View our Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan weather guide

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    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

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    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

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