December 11, 2023
The Route
The Yucatan Peninsula does not seem all that big to us, though in fact it is twice as large as Portugal and compared to US states in size it ranks about 20th. It is bigger than Florida, and lots bigger than New York.
Yucatan has fewer than a dozen regions that show up on our radar, anyway. There is the "Mayan Riviera" along the east coast, that includes Cancun and many all in one resorts and theme parks. There are Mayan ruins, mostly in the interior, including the major "Chichen Itza" and there are wildlife rich spots on the north (Gulf of Mexico) coast, like Rio Lagartos. Merida, in the west, is the bustling capital, very Mexican at its core, and quite Americanized in the north end. And then there is the "Puuc" region, south of Merida, and boasting the only hills in what is otherwise a flat slab of limestone, pockmarked with "cenotes", which are water filled (and often connected) caves, many of which are developed for swimming. So there it is, about six things or regions that came from the top of my head. Of course, serious people would come up with lots more. For example, the excellent "Top Ten" guide, lists ten great things in each of ten regions, so that's a hundred things right there.
Despite having that guide and several others, on this our fourth visit we are tending to just circle around places we have been before. On reflection, the reason for this is clear. In Yucatan one easily finds flowers and birds and sea, tiny almost deserted roads through jungle, quaint dusty towns, a modest and industrious people, unique forms of Mexican food, and in the past, at least, reasonable prices. The guide books are not really needed to find these kinds of things, you only have to be receptive to the surroundings, and get out there, somewhere.
Even with this perhaps questionable approach, we still need a route of some kind, and as with all cycle touring, a goal or destination. For us, the Puuc region is still quite new territory, and we really do not know Merida very well. On the other hand, we really love Valladolid, for its lively central square, colonial architecture, a hotel we like, and a food fair we can afford. So the trip will see us passing back and forth through Valladolid, on the way to hanging out south of Merida a bit, then going north through Merida to the bird rich Gulf of Mexico coast. It should be fun cruise of well over 1000 km, for about a month.
The two maps below show the route out from the east coast Riviera to south of Merida, and then from south of Merida to the north coast and back through the centre to the Riviera again. We are also going to start with a ferry to the island of Cozumel. Cozumel is a renowned diving site, but the island itself is mostly desert. There is a circle road on its south side, and it seems spinning in circles in the desert is attractive to Grampies. Go figure!
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11 months ago