19 bucket list things to do in Valladolid, Mexico
Let’s discover the best things to do in Valladolid, Mexico! This picturesque city really surprised us with its rainbow-colored streets, majestic colonial architecture, mysterious underground cenotes, and ancient Mayan archaeological sites.
We stayed for three weeks in Valladolid thoroughly exploring all the beautiful places in the city and the surrounding area – from the pink lakes in the North to the yellow town in the West, and turquoise cenotes scattered around, Valladolid truly had it all!
In this post, you will find the best things to do in Valladolid with descriptions, photos, and locations on Google Maps. We really loved our time in Valladolid and created some of our favorite memories there. Happy exploring!
Read more » 15 best day trips from Valladolid, Mexico
1. Eat marquesitas and join the fun at Parque Principal!
Valladolid is a colonial town and was founded and built by the Spanish conquistadors. The city now sits in a place where there once was a Mayan city. Many historical buildings were built using stones from nearby Mayan sites including Chichen Itza.
The main square was created as a central space in the city and all the other infrastructure was planned and built around it. If you go to the main square and walk around you will notice many important city buildings – market, church, town hall, etc.
Spending time at the main city square – Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado or Parque Principal – was one of my favorite things to do in Valladolid! It is always full of food vendors, street performers, and people leisurely hanging around.
What to do in Parque Principal? First of all, walk around and visit those tasty food vendors! We went there multiple times to grab those tasty marquesitas, churros, gelatos, and more. There were savory street food options too!
As tourist buses start arriving from Chichen Itza tours, afternoons and evenings at Parque Principal turn into dancing and singing performances. Check out those traditional Mayan dancers – they are dancing while juggling dish trays on their heads!
I also recommend walking around the park – check out those colorful colonial houses in the adjacent streets! Valladolid is definitely one of the most colorful cities in the Yucatan Peninsula! Or it is right there with Merida!
Although not colorful, there is one building that stands out the most – Templo de San Servacio or Church of San Servacio. It is a colonial church with two bell towers founded in the 16th century along with the whole city but was remodeled in the 18th century.
The middle of the main square proudly boasts a beautiful and ornate fountain with white metal benches surrounding it. A great place to people-watch and rest while eating one of those marquesitas, ice creams, or churros!
If you have some extra time you can join a free walking tour around Valladolid. They start at the main square every day usually at 10 AM, at 5 PM, and 7 PM, but you should double-check that on their Facebook page or in Google Maps reviews.
Location: Parque Principal de Valladolid – Templo de San Servacio
2. Take a photo of the Valladolid letters!
One of the must-do things to do in Valladolid is to take a photo at the iconic Valladolid letters. This photo spot is among the most popular Instagram spots in Valladolid!
The colorful letters sit in Parque Sisal park a few blocks away from the center with the impressive Convent of San Bernardino de Siena in the background.
Colorful letters depicting the name of the municipality are a thing all around the Yucatan Peninsula and you will find them in basically every little town or village.
I have been all over the peninsula and seen many of these signs however the artsy Valladolid letters are especially unique and definitely stand out the most, don’t you think?
Location: Valladolid letters
3. Explore the Convento de San Bernardino de Siena!
While you are there at the Valladolid letters, don’t leave before exploring the San Bernardino convent! It is one of the oldest and most emblematic buildings in Valladolid, Mexico, and is definitely worth visiting!
The iconic Convento de San Bernardino de Siena convent was built and founded in the middle of the 16th century by the Franciscan order who arrived at Yucatan after the Spanish conquest.
The convent boasts a beautiful long arched hallway that leads into the church that features a gilded wooden altarpiece. Visit to the church is free but the entrance to the convent was 40 pesos per person when we visited (through a separate door).
I highly recommend visiting the inside of the convent. You get to explore a courtyard, see exhibitions of artifacts found on the ground of the convent, climb up to the upper floor, and learn about the waterwheel and cenotes under the convent.
The hallways connected to the courtyard are painted bright pinkish-red making for a cool color-popping photo spot. We spent about 40 minutes walking around the convent and exploring every room and hall. Don’t forget to walk outside in the garden!
Out of seven convents built by the Franciscans all around the Yucatan Peninsula, Convento de San Bernardino de Siena is the second-largest convent of them all. Only the one built in the Yellow City Izamal is bigger than this one.
This convent served for the purposes of the evangelization of the Mayans but it is no longer functioning now. While the church still gathers its visitors, the convent has been turned into a popular tourist attraction.
Did you know? The convent comes alive at night. Every evening you can watch a colorful video projecting show on the walls of the convent telling a story of the history of Valladolid. Worth checking out if you are nearby!
Location: Convento de San Bernardino de Siena
4. Walk the colorful Calzada de los Frailes street!
Walking down the colorful Calzada de los Frailes (Friars Causeway from Spanish) was one of my favorite things to do in Valladolid, Mexico. Historically this street was built to separate the Mayan communities from the Spanish people.
Honestly, Valladolid is one of the most charming, colorful cities in the Yucatan Peninsula in this street is a true testament to that. Built in 1801, the little street is dotted with colorful and photogenic houses and doorways.
If you have time, I highly recommend walking this charming street all the way from one end to the other. It starts just two blocks away from the main square and ends about 600 meters later at Parque Sisal park.
If you stay somewhere in the center of Valladolid then you can combine a visit to this street with a visit to the iconic Convent of San Bernardino de Siena as well as Valladolid letters located in the same park in front of the convent.
We actually had a rental car so we drove to the parking lot next to the park and then walked all the street there to the starting point and then back to the park while stopping by the cutest doors and Instagrammable spots along the way.
To be honest, this street was only one of the many colorful streets in Valladolid!
Because we stayed in Valladolid for three weeks we got to explore many other colorful spots around the city so check out my blog post about Valladolid photo spots to discover the best photo-perfect streets in Valladolid, Mexico!
Location: Calzada de los Frailes
5. Hunt down the best tacos in Valladolid!
While staying in Valladolid we went on a mission to hunt down the best tacos in Valladolid. Actually, it is hard to pick a winner because people have different tastes and prefer different types of tacos. But one thing is clear – don’t be scared of street tacos!
Hands down one of the best taco spots in Valladolid was El Tigrillo. It is an established taco stand where you can get fresh, juicy, flavorful authentic tacos. There is always a line of people and everyone just eats their tacos right there on the street.
Another favorite place of mine was Yakunaj Cocina Mexicana. It is like a restaurant with a charming inner courtyard. I loved their salsas and colorful tortillas. My husband and I both chose different tacos and we loved them all!
Next, we visited Conato Valladolid – a similar type of restaurant with a gorgeous garden and tables under trees. I chose tacos but my husband opted for a burger. First of all, their guacamole is amazing! Order it! Tacos were juicy and unique. Not bad at all!
Another place we went for tacos was Pak’al Restaurante & Café. Another restaurant with cool vibes, a charming palapa in the garden where you can sit surrounded by plants. Great guacamole and great cochinita pibil tacos accompanied with salad!
Location: El Tigrillo – Yakunaj Cocina Mexicana – Conato Valladolid – Pak’al Restaurante
6. Take a dip in Cenote Zaci in the center of Valladolid!
Did you know that there is a cenote right in the heart of Valladolid city? Yep! Cenote Zaci is a gorgeous large cenote located in the very center of Valladolid just a short walk from the main plaza. Like really, just two blocks away!
Luckily, it is also one of the most beautiful cenotes around Valladolid! Valladolid is quite far away from the sea so this cenote is the easiest way to get a refreshing swim for locals and tourists alike!
This beautiful cenote is also one of the cheapest places in the area – while we paid around 200 pesos each to enter the majority of other cenotes near Valladolid, Cenote Zaci only costs 60 pesos and a life jacket is included in the price.
Mind you that this cenote gets busy so they have put time restrictions for swimmers – when we visited, you were allowed to swim one hour for that entry fee. There were only a few people in the morning but it gets crowded later in the day.
The cenote features beautiful stalactites hanging from above and small waterfalls with water falling right in the middle of the cenote. There is a pathway all around the cenote with jumping platforms in many places so you can explore it from all sides.
The cenote is partly covered with the ceiling hanging 29 meters above the water. Water is mostly 25-30 meters deep. Swimming in a cenote must be on your Valladoloid itinerary and Cenote Zaci is the perfect place for that!
Location: Cenote Zaci
7. Try the local legend – longaniza de Valladolid!
Longazina is somewhat of a legend in the area around the Yucatan Peninsula. No matter what city we visited – Cancun, Merida, Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, or Tulum – we always noticed this name on the menu in restaurants.
So when we finally came to Valladolid I had to try this local legend – longaniza de Valladolid. Londaniza is actually a Spanish sausage similar to chorizo but its characteristics heavily differ from region to region.
The one you will find all around the Yucatan Peninsula in every traditional, local restaurant or taco place will probably be the longaniza of Valladolid. So trying this dish is one of the must-do things to do in Valladolid!
We visited quite a few traditional restaurants in Valladolid but I highly recommend checking out IX CAT IK Tradicional Cocina Maya. It is often regarded as one of the best ones to try local traditional Mexican and Mayan food.
The longaniza dish was super good. The sausage was juicy, a bit spicy (not much) and perfectly grilled. It came with fresh veggies and some typical side dishes like corn tortillas and mole. Somewhat simple but very good.
Location: IX CAT IK Tradicional Cocina Maya
8. Go on a trip to the Chichén Itzá Archaeological Zone!
Chichen Itzá is the most famous Mayan site in Yucatán and one of the most visited places in Mexico. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and voted among the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Valladolid is the closest big city to Chichen Itza so it is the perfect place to embark on a short trip to these world-famous Mayan ruins!
Historically it was one of the largest Mayan cities dating back to 600 AC. It existed as a major regional center for many centuries until its decline by the 12th century. It still operated until the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century.
Chichén Itzá archaeological zone consists of multiple temples, pyramids, structures, and even a sacred cenote (cenote sagrado) where Mayans deposited valuables and gifts including human sacrifices as a form of sacrifice to their rain god Chaac.
The most famous structure is, of course, the great pyramid El Castillo (the castle) which is also known as the Temple of Kukulcan. The pyramid with the temple on top of it is 30 meters high and was built sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries.
Interestingly, when you clap your hands in front of the staircase of the pyramid, the echo of the sound mimics the voice of the quetzal bird. The same effect happens at another large pyramid in the Yucatán Peninsula – Uxmal.
Besides the Chichen Itza pyramid, other structures nearby include the Temple of the Warriors with a group of a thousand columns around it, the Temple of the Great Tables, the Ballcourt, and the Eagles and Jaguars platform.
A little bit further away you will find one of my favorite buildings – El Caracol (the snail) which is a Mayan observatory dating back to the 10th century. Next to it, there is a building complex – Las Monjas – boasting an extravagant Puuc architectural style.
Visiting the Chichen Itza pyramid site is one of the bucket list things to do in Valladolid and also a must-do day trip for anyone visiting any city in the Yucatán Peninsula. This place gets super crowded so I recommend arriving first thing in the morning.
The site opens at 8 AM, the parking next to the entrance opens at 7:30 AM. We arrived even before that so that we could be amongst the first ones in. At 8 AM there was already a long line of people so it is best if you have a car and can arrive early.
For parking, we paid more than 100 pesos (in cash) but for the entrance fee (by card) we paid more than a staggering 620 pesos each. If you want, you can hire a guide on the spot (extra fee) who will tell you the history and take you all around the site.
Location: Chichén Itzá
9. Stop by the iconic Cenote Ik Kil!
Cenote Ik Kil is another popular destination for day trips from Valladolid and is often combined with visiting Chichen Itza – both sites are located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) apart. This is definitely one of the most beautiful cenotes near Valladolid!
Cenotes are natural sinkholes and this cylindrical cenote stands out with its circular shape and 26-meter walls covered by hanging plants and tree roots. Cenote Ik Kil is 40 meters deep and served as a place for sacrifices for ancient Mayans a long time ago.
The cenote is located within the territory of a hotel and a restaurant so you can not only go for a swim here but buy a combined ticket that offers a buffet-type catering. That’s why it is a popular place amongst tour buses. Arrive early to avoid them!
Did you know? Ik Kil from Mayan means ‘place of the winds’.
We visited Ik Kil Cenote on the same day we went to Chichén Itzá. The entrance fee to the cenote was 200 pesos per person. At first, you can observe the cenote from above and then descend 90 steps through a tunnel to the water. It was gorgeous!
Location: Cenote Ik Kil
10. Go on a tour in Casa de los Venados!
Casa de los Venados was one of my favorite finds in Valladolid. If you happen to have some free time in the morning, consider joining a guided tour through this unique museum house right in the heart of Valladolid!
At first, I was skeptical about visiting yet another museum but it turned out better than expected! The visits happen at certain hours during the day so you have to be outside at the door waiting when they open. We went at 10 AM and the tour lasted 1 hour.
Casa de los Venados translates as the House of the Deer and the owner still lives inside the home but it has been slowly turning into a museum as per the owner’s wishes. When we visited the entrance was for donations – 100 pesos.
Tours happen in groups where a bilingual guide takes you through the impressive colonial-style house room by room showing you all the renovations done to the house and thousands of art pieces collected by the owners.
Historically, this hacienda was built some 400 years ago by the town’s mayor back when the Yucatan Peninsula was a Spanish colony. It boasted 8-meter-high ceilings – the highest in the town!
At the beginning of the 21st century, the house was bought by an American couple who renovated it in the traditional colonial style while gathering and decorating the hacienda with thousands of Mexican and Mayan art pieces and installations.
The house has a character. You cannot imagine the details and unique features it has! It is not a random museum, it is not an exhibition. It is a labor of love and passion. it is bold, it is quirky and it will be one of the highlights of your trip!
Location: Casa de los Venados
11. See Cenote Suytun & famous cenotes near Valladolid!
1. Cenote Suytun
Located just a 10-minute drive from the city, Cenote Suytun is one of the most iconic cenotes near Valladolid. Nowhere else you will find a stone pathway leading into the middle of a large underground cenote with a hole in the ceiling right above it.
If you time your visit right, there will be a light beam shining through the hole and illuminating the whole place. Or maybe it will shine right onto the stone platform. We arrived in the morning so we did not see the light beam.
Tip! We visited this cenote on March 9th and the stone platform was dry. However, the water level can be higher or completely cover the platform after rainy periods. The best way to make sure how it looks is by checking recent reviews on Google Maps.
Location: Cenote Suytun
2. Cenote Samaal
Valladolid is blessed with many incredibly beautiful cenotes near the city – some of the most beautiful in the whole Yucatan peninsula! Another gorgeous and unique cenote just a 10-minute drive from the center of Valladolid is Cenote Saamal.
Cenote Samaal is one of those gorgeous semi-open cylindrical cenotes with crystal clear cool water and even a waterfall coming down from the top of the walls. Perfect place for a refreshing dip into the water!
Location: Cenote Saamal
3. Cenote Xcanahaltun
I didn’t expect much from Cenote Xcanahaltun as I had already visited many stunning cenotes but as soon as I entered the majestic cave I fell in love and this place immediately became one of my favorite places in Yucatán!
The glorious cathedral-sized cenote is actually like a large underground lake with a small hole in the ceiling that lets natural light inside the cavern. The ceiling is adorned with icicle-type stalactites and looks absolutely spectacular.
You can enter the crystal clear water from a wooden platform located on one side of the ‘lake’. The entrance to the cenote was 230 pesos and for an extra 100 pesos we were offered to rent a kayak. I will never forget this incredible place!
Location: Cenote Xcanahaltun
4. Cenote Palomitas
Cenote Palomitas is the size of an impressive underground swimming pool! I was completely blown away by the majestic stalactites and the gigantic size of the cenote! Definitely worth visiting!
Probably the coolest part about it was the water – it looked super deep but incredibly seethrough and crystal clear. It was all so calm and magical – like the jungle revealing its secret and not wanting others to hear about it!
Entrance to the cenote costs 200 pesos per person. Getting there is a bit of an adventure as it is super remote but we had no problems at all. It is best to have a rental car or even a rental motorbike will do if you travel from Valladolid.
Location: Cenote Palomitas
5. Cenote Choj Ha
Cenote Choj Ha is Yucatan’s hidden gem! It is a magical place hidden deep in the jungle about a 1-hour drive from Valladolid. This truly is one of the most beautiful places I have visited in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico!
Imagine randomly walking around the jungle and finding a small hole in the ground… Once you enter that small hole you are met with a magical discovery – an underground cave in the size of a cathedral!
The cave is filled with long sharp icicles – stalactites – and bulky short poles – stalagmites – all floating in and above crystal-clear water. We have visited many cenotes with stalagmites and stalactites but not one cenote could compete with this place!
Location: Cenote Choj Ha
12. Visit the Black Jaguar – Ek Balam!
Ek Balam Mayan ruins is one of the most important sites in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Let’s start with the best part about it – you can climb the Mayan ruins and pyramids! Not all of them but enough to enjoy amazing views over the jungle.
Them allowing us to climb the pyramids kind of offsets the massive entrance fee – we paid 550 pesos each plus 100 pesos for parking. Theoretically, you can pay by card (entrance fees) but because of the bad network, we ended up paying in cash.
There are plenty of Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula but Ek Balam is the closest to Valladolid – just 30 minutes by car. Ek Balam translates as the black jaguar in the Mayan language. That’s why you will see many black jaguar souvenirs on the site.
Ek Balam site features multiple impressive buildings and pyramids. The largest structure in Ek Balam is the Acropolis. It is like a temple pyramid with a staircase in the middle where you can climb up to the top to see incredible views over the jungle.
To both sides of the central staircase, you can find entrances to temples decorated with stone carvings and mosaics. They are believed to be burial places for Ek Balam rulers. One of the entrances depicts an open mouth of a jaguar (photo above).
Other notable structures in Ek Balam include the Oval Palace (you can climb it), the Entrance Arch, The Twins, or two lookalike temples, as well as the Ballcourt. Historically, Ek Balam was a booming city during the 8th and 9th centuries.
Ek Balam is amongst the last larger Mayan archaeological sites where you are allowed to climb the pyramids. Other larger sites where you can get panoramic views over the jungle are to the South towards Bacalar (like the Dzibanché Archaeological Zone).
Overall I liked exploring Ek Balam. It is always cool to see how the Mayan civilization lived before the Spanish found them. Plus you get to take iconic photos along the way – especially those amazing views from above!
Location: Archaeological Zone of Ek Balam
13. Try Mayan cuisine and typical Yucatecan food!
Valladolid, located in the very heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, proudly celebrates both the Mayan culture and the Mexican lifestyle, and people here express themselves in both cultures through dancing, clothes, celebrations, and food.
Enjoying Mexican dishes is something typical you do in Mexico. But trying Mayan dishes is something you should actually be doing when visiting Yucatan – the land of Maya. Here are restaurants some great restaurants to visit in Valladolid!
IX CAT IK Tradicional Cocina Maya is one of the best restaurants for Mayan food. They serve handmade (they make tortillas right next to you), homey, and authentic Mayan food. We got sopa de lima, longaniza de valladolid, and drank agua de chaya.
La Casona de Valladolid is a place of food and art – a unique place in the city center. It is a buffet-type restaurant where you pay a fixed sum of money (we paid 600 pesos each) and then you can eat and drink all you want from the buffet! Amazing!
If you haven’t tried ANY authentic Mexican or Mayan dishes in Valladolid I highly recommend visiting a place like La Casona de Valladolid where you can try many different types of foods during the same meal!
Sometimes those regular restaurants are tricky because you just don’t know if you will like what you get. This way at the buffet you get to try a small piece of different things and figure out what you like as you go!
I also recommend El Mesón del Marqués and Restaurante El Atrio del Mayab – both restaurants serve amazing traditional Mexican and Yucatecan food and both have outdoor seating in a garden or a lovely courtyard.
Location: IX CAT IK Tradicional Cocina Maya – La Casona de Valladolid – El Mesón del Marqués – Restaurante El Atrio del Mayab
14. Go on a day trip to Mexico’s Yellow City – Izamal!
If you are up for a photo-worthy and memorable day trip from Valladolid, then you must go to Mexico’s Yellow City – Izamal! This Pueblo Mágico (one of Mexico’s magic towns) is just a 1h 20 min drive from Valladolid and will only take 3-4 hours to explore!
The colonial town attracts visitors with its yellow color as all the buildings in the center of this magical town are painted yellow (no, not the entire town). We arrived at Izamal in the morning and spent there half a day exploring everything Izamal had to offer.
The most famous attraction in Izamal is the Convento de San Antonio sitting atop a hill (there once was an ancient Maya pyramid) in the heart of the town. Next to it, you will find the second-largest atrium in the world surrounded by a beautiful yellow arcade.
You can explore the unique convent and walk around the atrium for free. It does have working hours so check those before coming! The best time to arrive is early morning before the town heats up to scorching degrees.
Other must-do things in Izamal include climbing the Mayan pyramids – Kinich Kak Moo and Itzamatul. If you only have time for one, I highly recommend visiting the Kinich Kak Moo pyramid as you can see the whole town of Izamal from the top!
Don’t forget to explore the local market, Mercado Municipal de Izamal, try the yellow corn ice cream, walk around the 5 de Mayo Park, and, for lunch, I suggest trying Mayan dishes at Restaurant Kinich. This was one of my favorite day trips from Valladolid!
Location: Convento de San Antonio in Izamal
15. See the shiny pink lakes of Las Coloradas!
The bright pink salt lakes Las Coloradas is one of the most beautiful places in the Yucatán Peninsula! The lakes are one of the most popular day trips from Valladolid located just a 2-hour drive from the city! And it’s a great place for unique photos!
However, visiting this place is also a bit of a game of luck. Before coming here I studied all the reviews on Google Maps and felt really conflicted. It is a decent drive and to go there and to not get what I wanted would be a disappointment.
But we decided to go and somehow managed to arrive here on the perfect day with the best weather conditions (we visited on February 4th). It was sunny, no clouds, and the lake was screaming pink color at us! So what is the best time to come here?
The lakes won’t be pink if there was a storm or a lot of rain over the previous days, you will see a bright pink color only on sunny days (no clouds) and the best angle of the sun will be around midday. And a little bit of wind will make the color pop!
So how to get there? The right place to go is marked on Google Maps as Las Coloradas Parque Turistico. There you will find the ticket office, the observation tower, and the entrance to the pink salt lagoons.
Shortly before arriving, we were met with a group of guides who stopped us and one of them took us to the ticket office. Don’t be scared of them, haha! You can’t visit the lagoons on your own so you need one of those guides anyways!
After meeting your guide, you will then have to drive to the ticket office and pay for the entrance. There are three options – you can do a walking tour, you can do a bicycle tour, or a safari tour by car. All have different prices and lengths.
We chose the cheapest option (~350 pesos per person) and went on a walking tour with the same guide that picked us. At first, we climbed the observation tower and then walked by a road along the pink lake. The tour lasts about 45 minutes.
While the guide tells you stories about the place, you are allowed to take as many pictures as you like. There are different photo spots along the way. But you are not allowed to touch the water or swim there.
After the tour, the guide asked for a tip which is meant as payment for his service. Overall we really liked visiting Las Coloradas. However, I highly recommend checking out the latest reviews on Google Maps before you come!
Take into account that they usually harvest salt here around late July to August and the pink color is less visible. The guide also told us that after one hurricane the lake lost its pink color for a whole year so better make sure it’s worth coming!
You should also know that the lake is not natural. It is a pink pond owned by a large company that produces salt and you can’t see much of it unless you pay for the guided visit. Yes, it is very commercialized but I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
Location: Las Coloradas
16. Indulge yourself with ice cream at wabi gelato!
This one is for my husband. He rarely takes interest in what I include in my travel guides and blog posts but as soon he got the first taste of those artisan ice creams at wabi gelato he’s been relentless about including this place in my Valladolid itinerary, haha!
First of all, yes, he has a sweet tooth but, honestly, after three months of traveling all around the Yucatan Peninsula we still talk about ‘those tasty ice creams we ate in Valladolid’.
Wabi Gelato is a tiny ice cream shop that offers fresh artisan ice cream. And every day they have new and different flavors. Some are classics like chocolate, caramel, and pistachio, but there are some unique ones as well like goat cheese flavor.
We came here once, then we came again and the kind lady behind the counter thanked us for coming back. So we came the third, maybe fourth time as well… We then moved to Tulum and two weeks later we returned while on a day trip…she remembered us. 🙂
Location: wabi gelato
17. Learn about traditional clothing at Museo de Ropa Etnica de Mexico!
I am not usually one of those travelers who have to visit all the museums. Honestly, most of them are not too interesting. However, the Museum of Ethnic Clothing of Mexico in Valladolid left me inspired!
It is a rather small museum a few blocks away from the historic center of Valladolid that invites visitors to explore the art of traditional clothes from all around the many regions of Mexico. How unique and different they dress here – I was wowed!
After you enter the museum you are asked for donations (like 100 pesos each), and then an employee takes you to a map of Mexico with illustrations depicting the traditional attires of Mexicans in different regions.
After hearing many interesting stories about different traditional clothing you then get to walk around the museum – there are a couple rooms full of all the aforementioned clothing gathered from all of Mexico. So cool!
One thing is for sure – they love colors and they love comfortable clothes. If you happen to have some free time in Valladolid, I recommend spending an hour in this museum. The stories were surprisingly interesting and the traditional dresses were so pretty!
Location: Museo de Ropa Etnica de Mexico
18. Stop by Convento de Santo Domingo in Uayma!
Another unique place off the beaten path near Valladolid is Convento de Santo Domingo in the town of Uayma just a 20-minute drive from Valladolid! It is one of my favorite hidden gems and a picture-perfect place not many people know of.
The beautiful Convento de Santo Domingo is a former convent built by the Franciscans in the middle of the 17th century. It was built by using stones from Mayan sites, including from the nearby Chichén Itzá.
During the second half of the 19th century, the church was burned down during a Mayan rebellion. Only more than 100 years later the roofless church was finally restored and was officially reopened to the public in 2004.
The captivating building stands out with its unusual decorations – the white roses and stars symbolize the veneration of the Virgin Mary but the red color represents sacrifice and martyrdom. There is also a green-ish color that symbolizes hope.
The front of the Uayma church also depicts a large headless eagle which is a symbol of the Franciscans who built the church. Over the last few years, this church has become a unique landmark in the Yucatán Peninsula thanks to its colors and symbols.
We visited this church on Saturday while on a weekend trip near Valladolid. At 11 AM it was open and we could enter the inside of the church for donations. By the way, the entrance is from the sidestreet – Calle 21. The interior was beautiful but not as bright.
We also noticed another building on the corner of the Park of Uayma which was decorated with unique illustrations. Interestingly, we saw illustrations exactly like these in the old photos inside the convent. Could be another renovated historical building.
Overall there isn’t much to see in Uayma so don’t plan to spend the whole day here. I think we spent about 2 hours here taking photos and exploring the inside of the church as well as walking around the central park next to the church.
Location: Iglesia de Uayma
19. See the city in the jungle – Coba Archaeological Zone!
There are some more majestic must-see Mayan ruins near Valladolid – Coba Archaeological Zone. They are located just a 50-minute drive from the city and make for a fantastic day trip from Valladolid to the ancient city in the jungle!
The ancient Mayan ruins once were one of the most important Mayan cities in the area. The archaeological site boasts multiple stone pyramids, temples, and other important structures. Those iconic pyramids are simply marvelous!
Entrance to the site is paid in different parts – parking and two different entrance fees, so don’t forget to bring some cash with you. All the buildings are pretty much scattered around the jungle so you can rent a bike there (we walked, it was ~5 kilometers).
One of the most impressive buildings is the temple pyramid Nohoch Mul. At 42 meters (137 feet) it is one of the highest Mayan structures in the Yucatán Peninsula. Only Calakmul in the State of Campeche is higher than the Coba pyramid.
Most of the structures in Coba date back to the 7th-10th centuries. Coba once was a large center of the Mayan civilization reaching 50 thousand inhabitants but was already abandoned by the 16th century during the Spanish conquest.
A couple of years ago it was possible to climb the pyramid in Coba, but not anymore. Nevertheless, the place still has its charm and I wasn’t too sad about it. It was fun walking the narrow paths through the jungle and finding Mayan ruins along the way!
Location: Coba Archaeological Zone – Parking lot
Happy exploring!
We stayed in the colorful Valladolid for three weeks so we could explore the city and all the bucket list destinations around Valladolid – the iconic Mayan ruins Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam, the numerous stunning cenotes, and charming nearby towns.
Besides our stay in Valladolid, we also spent a couple of months traveling around the Yucatán Peninsula, including the states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, and exploring everything this beautiful peninsula had to offer.
From white-sand beaches to dark underground cenotes, and ancient pyramids – there’s just so much to see! I hope you enjoy your time there as much as we did and I hope you get some travel inspiration from this blog post for your travels! Happy travels!
PIN FOR LATER!
