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Le Yucatan autrement avec l'ATC Routes du Monde

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Le Yucatan autrement avec l'ATC Routes du MondeLe Yucatan autrement avec l'ATC Routes du Monde

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A different Yucatán

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Mexique

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Discover authentic Mexico: Mayan ruins, colorful colonial towns, turquoise lagoons and the paradisiacal beaches of the Riviera Maya, for a trip combining culture, nature and relaxation under the sun.

Main advantages of the travel

Exploring the Yucatán between Mayan cities, colonial towns and unspoilt nature.
Major and confidential archaeological sites: Chichen Itzá, Calakmul, Tulum.
Exceptional natural landscapes: cenotes, turquoise lagoons, tropical reserves and wildlife.
Relaxation in Bacalar and Mahahual, heavenly beaches and coral reefs.
Local cuisine: cochinita pibil, ceviche, fresh fish and regional specialties.

Discovering authentic Mexico

Dive into the heart of Yucatánand the Riviera Maya on this tour blending culture, history and nature. From the dynamic Cancún to majestic Mayan ruins, via charming colonial towns and turquoise lagunes, this trip offers a complete immersion in Mexico, between local traditions and heavenly landscapes.
Cancún and Valladolid: a first taste of culture

Your stay begins in Cancún, famous for its white sand beaches and its lively nightlife. A visit to Valladolid, a colonial city nicknamed the "Sultana of the Orient", offers the chance to discover colourful architecture and taste the local cuisine, with specialities such as cochinita pibil. History buffs can opt for the visit to Chichen Itzá, one of the world's most famous Mayan archaeological sites, where the Kukulkan pyramid reveals the incredible astronomical knowledge of the Mayans.
Mérida and Campeche: between tradition and heritage

Mérida, the cultural capital of Yucatán, seduces with its historic center and living traditions. You can explore thelocal gastronomy, visit a hacienda and discover the making of henequen. The road to Campeche reveals a UNESCO-listed walled city of colonial heritage, witness to the naval history and pirate attacks that shaped its rich Baroque architecture.
Calakmul and Bacalar: nature and Mayan legends

The archeological site of Calakmul, nestled in the heart of Mexico's largest tropical reserve, offers a unique wilderness experience. The fauna and flora are exceptional, with jaguars, monkeys and tropical birds. TheBacalar Lagoon, nicknamed the "Lagoon of Seven Colors", enchants with itscrystalline watersand itsimpressive cenote, while the craft village allows you to discover local know-how.
Mahahual, Tulum and Playa del Carmen: beaches and relaxation

Mahahual and Playa del Carmen invite you to enjoy the Caribbean Sea and heavenly beaches, with the option of snorkeling on the coral reef. In Tulum, the combination of Mayan culture and idyllic beaches offers a unique setting for combining relaxation and historical discovery.

The day-by-day programme

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Day 1

CANCÚN

We'll welcome you on arrival at Cancún International Airport. A representative will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in Cancún.

Evening free to enjoy the beach or Cancún's famous nightlife.

Dinner and overnight at hotel.

DAY 2

CANCÚN - VALLADOLID - VALLADOLID - MÉRIDA

Breakfast at the hotel.

We'll start the day with a guided tour of this colorful city. Its colonial architecture bears witness to its Spanish heritage. The splendor of its colonial riches has earned the city the nickname "Sultana of the Orient".

This city is the ideal place to savour some of the typical dishes of Yucatán's regional cuisine. You'll have the chance to taste and see how "cochinita pibil", the region's most representative dish, is prepared.

Option (optional with supplement): After the guided tour you have the option of visiting Chichen Itzá, one of the new wonders of the world, this archaeological site is undoubtedly the most famous in the Mayan world. The Maya had an important knowledge of astrology, and built Chichen Itzá's most famous pyramid in alignment with the sun, so that on the day of the spring equinox, you can watch the god Kukulkan (the feathered serpent) descend the stairs of the pyramid thanks to a shadow play.

At the end of the day, we take the road to Mérida.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 3

MÉRIDA

Breakfast at the hotel.

We'll start the day with a guided tour of the city of Mérida, whose historic center is the second largest in Mexico after Mexico City.

Thanks to its particular geographical location, strong Spanish influence and isolation from the rest of Mexico, Mérida has developed a specific cultural and political identity. Its singular culture and traditions are clearly evident in local clothing, language, cuisine and the way festivals and holidays are celebrated. Mérida's cuisine is also different from traditional Mexican fare, having been influenced by the local indigenous culture as well as by Caribbean, Mexican, European and Middle Eastern flavors.

Optional (extra charge): After this visit, discover a Hacienda, a former Mexican residence that bears witness to the city's 19th-century boom. Enjoy a typical lunch at the Hacienda. Visiting the Hacienda gives you a real sense of what was once a fully operational Henequenera Hacienda, in the sumptuous style and true traditions of that period. You'll literally travel back in time, transported on wooden carts called "Truks" that are pulled by mules just as they were in the old days.

You'll have the opportunity to learn about the transformation process of Henequen (Yucatan's green gold thread); from plant to fiber, and from fiber to thread and finished product.

This Hacienda also has a cenote where you can take a dip. (Bring your bathing suit and towel).

Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 4

MÉRIDA - CAMPECHE

Breakfast at the hotel.

We take the road to Campeche. On arrival, we'll take a guided tour of the city. Campeche has a rich naval history and Baroque architecture. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. After almost a century of incessant attacks on the city by French, Dutch and English pirates, the Spanish built a major fortification in 1686. Over time, Campeche became Yucatán's main colonial port, thanks to its formidable defense system, one of the best in the Western Hemisphere.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

Evening free to enjoy the city's gastronomy, cultural activities and ecotourism.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 5

CAMPECHE - CALAKMUL

Breakfast at the hotel.

We drive to the archeological site of Calakmul. Discovered only in 1930, it is one of the most recent Mayan sites open to the public. It lies in the middle of the country's largest tropical reserve, the second largest in the Americas. You'll feel like you're on an Indiana Jones adventure, as this site is still very wild! There are some 6,000 buildings, only a few of which have been excavated. The site is still very uncrowded, so you can enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. The diversity of wildlife and tropical vegetation is astonishing. Calakmul is home to 86 species of mammal (jaguar, puma, ocelot, oncilla, jaguarondi (or otter cat), anteater, spider monkey, howler monkey (or alouate), tapir, etc.), around 282 species of bird, 50 species of reptile, 400 kinds of butterfly and 73 varieties of Oncidium luridium orchid. Get ready to spot monkeys, birds and other animals that call this magnificent place home!

Lunch in a restaurant.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6

CALAKMUL - BACALAR - CHETUMAL

Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive to the Bacalar lagoon, also known as the "Lagoon of Seven Colors"; thanks to the contrasting depths of the soil, its waters reflect seven shades of blue. This lagoon also has an open-air cenote, 90 metres deep.

We visit the village of Bacalar. Here you'll find a variety of wooden handicrafts and typical handmade clothing: huipiles.

Bacalar also boasts a fortification that protected it from pirate attacks, due to its importance in the trade of goods from Central America, and increased due to its large production of "palo de Tinte", an indelible black dye used as a textile dye by the English.

Fish lunch in a restaurant with access to the lagoon.

Option (optional with supplement): You'll have the opportunity to take a motorboat ride across the lagoon, the best way to discover all the shades of blue this paradise has to offer.

End of the day drive to Chetumal.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7

CHETUMAL - MAHAHUAL

Breakfast.

Road to Mahahual. Mahahual reminds many visitors of the Playa del Carmen of a few decades ago: a picturesque fishing village that welcomes tourists and offers the ideal setting for both adventure and relaxation. The charm of the place lies in the absence of hotel chains, replaced by small hotels and, of course, its heavenly beaches!

Lunch in a seaside restaurant, where you can sunbathe on deckchairs.

Option (optional at extra cost): Here, you'll find the world's second-largest barrier reef after Australia. Discover the marine life, thousands of colorful fish and sea turtles that inhabit these reefs, with a snorkeling excursion.

Dinner and overnight on the Caribbean coast.

Day 8

MAHAHUAL - TULUM - PLAYA DEL CARMEN

Breakfast at the hotel.

We'll visit the Kaan Luum lagoon, part of the Sian Kaan Reserve, home to a variety of bird species and a cenote in the middle of the lagoon for snorkeling. With its peaceful waters, it's a perfect place for relaxation. Its soil is composed of a type of clay good for exfoliating the skin.

After this activity, we'll head to Tulum for a ceviche lunch.

Option (optional with supplement): After lunch, you can visit the famous archaeological site of Tulum, which was built as a defense port for the Mayan civilization and is the only Mayan site built by the sea, this place offers you a perfect picture of what is the Riviera Maya; a combination of Mayan culture and heavenly beaches!

Drive to Playa del Carmen. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 9

PLAYA DEL CARMEN - CANCÚN AIRPORT

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Cancún airport or to your all-inclusive hotel (for extensions).

Day 10

FRANCE

Arrival in France.