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Mystic Mexico Stopping points of the tour
The ruins of Palenque belong to the most impressive archaeological Mayan site in Mexico. Embedded in the thick jungle on the bank of the river Otulúm, the ancient buildings hidden under the branches of enormous trees fascinate every visitor. The buildings of this Mayan settlement originate from the classical Mayan period of the 7th century. Its beauty is expressed in a harmonious and fantastic way of organised and planed building sites, and it is believed that "Lakamha" (meaning "place of waters") is the original name of Palenque - as it is known today. Campeche with its 200.000 inhabitants is the capital of the Federal State of the same name in the gulf of Mexico. The city got the name from its fortification - a site which is quite unique in Mexico. Since 1999 the historically rich center of Campeche belongs to the world cultural heritage of the UNESCO. This beautiful city with its great fortification wall and multicoloured houses, the defense bastions from the 17th century, is definitely worth a visit. Also do not miss to visit the Fuerte de San Miguel in which the Museo Arqueológico e Histórico is accommodated. Mérida is the largest city on the Yucatan peninsula and at the same time it is the capital of the identically named state. Francisco de Montejo grounded it on the ruins of the former Maya settlement Ti Ho in 1542. The "White City", owing its name to its light house facades, is waiting for you with numerous treasures. Enjoy the colonial flair and diverse activities in the historical center of the colonial town. The central city point is Zocalo. This place attracts not only the visitors but also the natives. There is a range of various sightseeing possibilities around this square. One of the most significant sights is the majestic cathedral, which represents one of the greatest and the oldest churches of Yucatan. It was established between 1561 and 1599 in colonial style and was placed in the eastern part of Zocalo. In the governmental palace, known as Palacio del Gobierno, you will have a wonderful opportunity to admire numerous paintings of the colonial period. You will find it on the northern side of Zocalo. The former bishop's palace Ateneo Peninsula, the city market as well as museums are also worth visiting. The Museo Regional de Antropologia in Palacio Canton has exhibits found during excavations in Yucatan. In the national museum of popular art - the Museo Nacional de Arte Popular - one can find traditional Maya clothing, crafts, paintings as well as masks. In Mérida you will find an interesting selection of delicious food from Europe, Mexico and Maya cuisine. The hotels in Mérida will also satisfy any requests you might have. A visit to the market is strongly advisable for an ultimate shopping pleasure. You can find an outdoor market in the 63rd street - the Casa de las Artesanías. The fishers' town of Celestun was founded in 1719 and is located about 92km to the southwest of Merida - in the west of Yucatan. Celestun, which can be translated as "painted stone", captivates by its unique nature. The biosphere reserve occupies an area of over 59.000 hectares and is a true paradise for nature lovers. Take a boat ride through the breathtaking mangrove forests to admire a variety of birds. You will find here up to 30.000 pink-colored flamingos alone - depending on the time of the year and the weather. Since flamingos are very shy, the tour boats have to be kept at a certain distance, so it is advisable to take binoculars with you. Apart from flamingos, this nature reserve also has numerous other kinds of birds, turtles and even two extinction kinds of crocodiles. But the flora also has much more to offer than the beautiful mangrove forests. The subtropical vegetation of Celestún features extraordinary orchids, palms and rare cactuses. Chichén Itzá is one of the largest and best maintained ruin sites of Yucatan and it is located about 120km further to the East of Mérida. It has been a significant economic, political and religious center for about 1.000 years. One of the distinctive features, which became world's cultural heritage in 1988 and was successfully renovated, is the connection between Maya and Toltec cultures, which is best reflected in about 30m tall pyramid of Kukulcan - also known as El Castillo. Twice a year - during summer and winter solstice - you can experience a unique performance: a shadow of a snake appears on the pyramid of Kukulkán in the twilight and seems to crawl down the steps. You should also visit the ball playfield Juego de Pelota, which is surrounded by 8m tall walls, the group of 1000 pillars, Sagrado cenote where archeologists found numerous remains of sacrifices, the warrior temple Templo de los Guerreros with mask decorated pillars, El Caracol observatory and Convento de las Monjas. All the contrasting colours which can be found in Tulúm: crystal blue sea waters, grey-white wall ruins and greenery of the surrounding nature, will leave an everlasting touring impression on its visitor. Although there isn't enough time to admire all the masterpieces of Mayan architecture which you can find in the Tulúm site, you will be left breathless with many fantastic ruins overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Tulum means 'wall' or 'embankment' which served as a protection against land attacks. The buildings found in Tulúm originate from 1.000 and 1.300 and in the center you will find the complex El Castillo - a typical mayan architectual wonder.
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