Lots of backpackers seem to skip Valladolid because it is advertised that they can get to Chichen Itza from either Cancun/Playa Del Carmen or Merida. Valladolid is the best city to stay in to wake up early and see Chichen Itza before the tour buses from hell arrive. However, there is another level to the Valladolid experience that I will document below. I recommend Valladolid as an intermediate stop not just for the ease of access to archaeological sites, but because of the other travelers you will meet there.
(I’d like to point out that there is a hotel on the site of Chichen Itza that was built for the original archaeologists. It’s called Maya World. Amanda and Greg stayed there years ago. I also met two gays in Chichen Itza who stayed there the previous night).
Me at the ADO Bus Station in Valladolid wearing my "I'm traveling today" outfit.
I spent a total of four nights in Valladolid. The first segment was three nights: arrival afternoon and to see Chichen Itza and bus to Chiquilla to the ferry to Isla Holbox. The second segment was my return from Isla Holbox and one night to see Ek Balam. For the first segment I stayed at Hostel Candelaria, located in the park of the same name. The second segment I stayed in Hostel Mama Che, one block from the bus station in a former mini-monastery.
Both hostels has large backyard spaces with hammocks. However Hostel Candelaria served breakfast and dinner which was conducive to early morning excitement before day trips to ruins and for post-visit recaps with cocktails and burritos.
As a backpacker travel destination, Valladolid is designed for the intellectual traveler. This would be a person who wants to experience archaeological sites before the hoards of people so they can get as much out of the experience as possible. Sure, some people go to the sites early for the best photo ops and so they can climb the pyramids (at Ek Balam) without too many others. Most travelers, I found, actually care about seeing these places and have a true respect for the history. When sharing these thoughts at the beautiful hostel Mama Cha with a fellow traveler, she responded that being able to climb the pyramids is important to her because the view is spectacular and it gives you a sense of the enormity of the archaeological site. I really appreciated this perspective. As long as we aren’t viewing climbing pyramids as an exercise challenge or a place to do cartwheels in front of, I think we are on the same page.
Cenote Zaci.
Cathedral of Valladolid.
I had some of the most satisfying conversations of the past two weeks in Valladolid. I met an Australian gay couple traveling the world for a year. We talked about life. I met George, who had recently come from traveling Chiapas where he fell in love. We talked about love. I met Stewie who works on a fishing boat in Skye, Scotland. He ended up hanging out with me and my Dutch lady-friends on Isla Holbox. He loves his job. I met Bebe, a real estate entrepreneur from France. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of Hostel La Candelaria that made these conversations so conducive to witty banter and deep thoughts. With a collection of hammocks in the backyard garden, breakfast included and optional dinner cooked in front of you, this hostel brings people together through great spaces and food. While Mama Cha was perhaps cleaner and more modern with its lofted ceilings reminiscent of a former monastery, there were no meals offered and it wa harder to connect with people. La Candelaria sits besides a public park. It’s setting is idyllic both inside and out. I really felt like I connected with the city and it’s travelers.
I guess this brings me to a larger point that hostels that offer meals bring people together. You meet people who want to eat with strangers and make new friends. Now that I’ve done this a few times in the Yucatan and also had this experience in Venice, Italy, I can say for certain that I prefer hostels that serve meals. My kind of people.
Exterior facade of the convent.
The architecture of Valladolid is Moorish-influenced colonial style. It mostly stands out in the main plaza. The rest of the town is 1-2 storey buildings, of mostly unremarkable design. Every now and then you walk by an impressive colonial-style structure. Other than that, I found the streets to basically all look the same. The street grid is numerical. Odd m-numbered streets go east-west. Even -numbered streets go north-south. The main drag is Calle 44. It just doesn’t have a ring to it. The sidewalks are narrow. The locals are friendly and you will get plenty of smiles and “hola, buenos dias”es.
From Valladolid, I visited Cenote Zaci, Ek Balam, Cenote X’Anaché and Chichen Itza. I will write about these visits in different post.
Inside of the convent. That's Tom.
Valladolid is worth your time. The light show at the convent is beautiful. The streets at night are quiet. The restaurant scene is alive. I felt comfortable there. I’d like to thank the people I’ve met in Valladolid for being awesome.