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Traveling is a way we escape from our own personal lives and get an opportunity to experience something new. Different landscapes, different food and even different cultures, travel is all about different experiences.
That’s what brings travelers from all over the world to the Mexican Caribbean. From white sand beaches and turquoise waters to lush rainforests and even ancient cities, the region has plenty of experiences for every traveler.
Recently, TripAdvisor released its top ten experiences in the entire world. Sure, Medici footsteps in Florence and a hike on the Inca trail in Peru made the list.
But, so did one special experience available in the Mexican Caribbean.
Top Experience in the World
Coming in at the No. 5 top experience in the world is a Mexican Caribbean favorite – exploring Chichén Itzá, Cenote Chichikan and Valladolid. It’s even available as a popular tour (you can check it out here).
The good news is it is even more accessible to travelers to Merida, Cancun and the other hotspots in the Mexican Caribbean thanks to the construction of the Maya Train.
Now visitors to the area don’t have to ride a bus, rent a car or even hire a driver to get to these three popular destinations in the Yucatan.
Let’s take a moment to explore each of the three destinations to see why they are so popular with travelers to the Mexican Caribbean.
Chichén Itzá
Our first stop on one of the top experiences in the entire world is the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá.
Now ruins in the jungle, travelers can walk amongst the buildings, pyramids, and ancient temples and imagine the power that once was the Mayans.
Chichén Itzá was one of the largest Mayan cities of all time and is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico with more than 2.6 million tourists in 2017. It is located in the far eastern part of the State of Yucatan.
Cenote Chichikan
Cenote Chichikan is a beautiful cenote which is conveniently located near Valladolid and offers tourists not only a great experience swimming in an underground cavern of water, known as a cenote, but also an opportunity to enjoy a meal of authentic Mayan food.
Visiting Cenote Chichikan not only connects Mexican Caribbean travelers with nature and culture, but also demonstrates the importance of sustainability as an important travel feature for travelers to the region.
The Colonial Town of Valladolid
Departing the world of the Mayans, travelers to Valladolid get to experience the colonial Spanish experience in the Mexican Caribbean and the transition to modern Mexico.
There’s a 16th-century Convent of San Bernardino of Siena located in Valladolid, with an ornate wooden altarpiece. Visitors can also enjoy exploring the baroque-style San Gervasio Cathedral.
Connecting to the Mexican heritage, the Casa de los Venados in Valladolid has local traditional folk art and furnishings to experience.
What Travelers Need to Know
Visiting the Mexican Caribbean on a vacation getaway is all about experiences. For many travelers, it’s all about the sun, sand, and surf of Cancun and the Riviera Maya.
However, travelers should jump on the Mayan Train or find other types of transportation to head west into the lush jungle and enjoy one of the top experiences in the entire world, according to TripAdvisor.
Visitors can wander through history by exploring the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá, connecting with nature and sustainability at Cenote Chichikan, and exploring the more modern colonial history of Mexico at Valladolid.
It makes for an amazing historical, natural and archaeological experience that would complement any trip to the sun, sand and surf of the Mexican Caribbean.
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