Remote Mayan sites and coastal reserve
Daily from UK
Duration - 15 days, 13 nights
Mexico City 3 nights, San Cristóbal 2n, Palenque 2n, Mérida 2n, Celestún 3n, Mérida 1n.
Itinerary
Day 1 Fly from the UK to Mexico City, arrive the same evening.
Day 2 Visit the miraculous shrine at the Basilica of Guadalupe. Continue to Teotihuacán, walk ‘The Avenue of the Dead’ and explore the pyramids of the sun and moon.
Day 3 Day tour of the Spanish-style city, Puebla. Visit jsome of its 70 churches, and the pre-Columbian, hilltop site of Cholula.
Day 4 Fly to Tuxtla, in the highlands of Chiapas, and drive via the Sumidero Canyon to San Cristóbal de las Casas. This delightful indian market town still has a flavour of the old Mexico.
Day 5 Excursion to the nearby villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán, where indian culture and tradition is also very evident.
Day 6 Drive out of the highlands to Palenque and into the Lacandón rainforest.
Day 7 Visit the Mayan site of Bonampak, famed for its well-preserved murals and ornately decorated Yaxchilán.
Day 8 Visit Palenque’s enchanting ruins. Drive to Villahermosa then fly to Mérida.
Day 9 Explore Izamál. The entire colonial centre of the town is painted in ochre, hence the nickname ‘golden city’. The convent of St Antonio has the second largest atrium in the world.
Days 10-12 By road (2hrs) to a coastal wilderness, adjacent to the flamingo haven of Celestún, stay at the peaceful Eco-Paraiso Xixim.
Day 13 Return to Mérida for your last night.
Day 14 Fly to the UK, arriving day 15.
How about?
- Taking a day trip from Mexico City to Coyoacán, home of celebrated painter, Frida Kahlo.
- Extending your journey with a few nights in the UNESCO-protected, picturesque port town of Campeche.
The above optional excursions may dovetail into the existing 13 night itinerary, or require extra nights. | 
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