Valladolid keeps rising as a major tourist destination in Mexico

For many travelers, Mexico conjures up images of sun-and-sand vacations. That perception, however, doesn’t present a balanced picture of what the country offers.

Take, for instance, Valladolid, the Yucatan’s third-largest city, which is located 90 miles due west of the Cancun International Airport and a two-hour drive from Merida.

“Valladolid is a very unique fusion of Maya history and culture with colonial Spanish and Mexican history,” said Ben Gritzewsky, a FROSCH travel advisor who is based in Merida. “It has a spirit of individuality and independence that I really like,” he said, noting that Valladolid was of the cities most resistant to the 16th-century Spanish-Mexico war. “Closer to our time, it’s where the Mexico Revolution sparked in the 20th century.”

Valladolid is ideally suited to the traveler who is interested in “history and culture, and being off the beaten path,” he noted. “Valladolid is so economical it might make sense to stay there and use it as a base to explore the Yucatan Peninsula during the day.”

And the destination is nothing if not authentic, with a range of restaurants and hotels that reflect its heritage.

On the dining front, one of Gritzewsky’s top recommendations is Taberna de los Frailes (Tavern of the Friars), which sits on top of a cenote. The restaurant, with views of the 16th-century Convent of San Bernardino de Siena (circa 1552), offers travelers a taste of traditional Yucatecan cuisine while putting new twists on traditional dishes.

The Naino restaurant, which serves also serves Yucatecan cuisine along with international dishes, is set in one of Gritzewsky’s recommended hotels, the 12-room Zentic Project. A relative newcomer to the Valladolid hotel scene, the property is appointed in artwork from local and international artists and features a heated underground, saltwater underground pool. An outdoor pool is surrounded by murals.

For its part, Posadas San Juan features eight guestrooms, which are set in a 19th-century building that was “very thoughtfully renovated” and close to Valladolid’s main square and attractions, Gritzewsky said. Accommodations include hammocks and one king or two queen beds and ceiling fans. And rates include a hearty breakfast and WiFi.

Source: Travel Pulse