Ever since we arrived in Merida, Mexico we knew we would eventually visit the town of Valladolid. Another one of Mexico’s “pueblos magicos“, this town is a popular base of operations to explore the many sights of central Yucatan. Most noteworthy are the archaeological zones of Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, as well as the many swimmable cenotes(= water-filled sinkholes) found nearby.
So we knew that Valladolid was a place that would require at least an overnight stay to see the best it had to offer, at least from our point of view. And we did just that!
The cherry on top was that we did it for about as cheap as possible.
Here is our two-day itinerary, with day 2 being a separate post.
Day 1 – Valladolid arrival + Ek Balam and Cenote X’canche exploration
Day 2 – Chichen Itza exploration + Merida return
For those interested in reading about our Day 2 – Chichen Itza explorations, CLICK HERE.
Getting to Valladolid from Merida
As we did for our day trip to Izamal, we used the Noreste Bus Station in Merida for our travel needs.
We decided to take a second-class bus on the Oriente bus line to Valladolid since ticket prices were less than half the cost of a first-class ADO bus. We used Oriente buses in the past, so we knew the bus would be fine for our needs.
But the downside is that Oriente buses stop at more small towns along its route, so the journey would take a bit longer than the usual 2.5 hours an ADO bus would take. But since slow traveling affords us the luxury of time flexibility, we didn’t have a problem with that.
The day before we departed, we visited the station to confirm departure times to Valladolid (part of the Merida to Cancun route), which were prominently displayed on one of the bus station signs above the ticket window.
On the left of the sign are departure times to Cancun, which stops at Valladolid on the way.
We decided on a 6:20 am departure time for the next morning, so we presented our rechargeable AhorroBUS card to the ticket window attendant and paid the $150 MEX ($8.84 USD) per person for one-way fare. He loaded our card with credit, and we were good to go for our departure the next morning.
We woke up bright and early the next morning (Thursday) and took an Uber to the bus station ($3.54 USD) since it was raining. Normally we wouldn’t mind the 45-minute walk from our Merida Airbnb, but we didn’t want to start our journey soaked!
We arrived at the station without issue, around 30 minutes early. We sat in the waiting area, and our Oriente bus with service to Cancun arrived at 6:20 am sharp!
We confirmed with the driver that the bus was going to Valladolid on the way to Cancun, paid the fare using our credited AhorroBUS card, and chose our seats.
The bus wasn’t quite as nice as the Oriente bus we took to Izamal, but it had AC. The seats were a little less comfy, but it was fine for what we needed.
Our bus took a less direct route through a bunch of small towns, as well as the Chichen Itza bus station, and arrived at the Valladolid ADO bus station at around 10 am.
And immediately after arriving in Valladolid, we left to get transportation to the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone!
Why Visit Ek Balam?
Ek Balam means black jaguar in Mayan. According to 16th-century Spanish historians, the city of Ek Balam was named after its founder and first king, who ruled for its first 40 years. However, there is no archaeological proof of this.
Ek Balam was the capital of the region and thrived for over 1000 years. Construction started in the late Pre-Classic Period (100 BC to 300 AD) and continued well into the Late Classic Period, 700 to 900 AD. However, the city went into decline for unknown reasons in the centuries that followed and was likely abandoned by the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.
The size of the buildings, decorated facades, and constructed walls surrounding the center of this city are what define this site. The most important structures are found within the North and South Plazas. Five entrances and five sacbes (roads) lead into the North Plaza, four of which are arranged according to the four cardinal points. A unique aspect of Ek Balam is that the building facades were not made of carved stone, like those found in Uxmaland Chichen Itza. Builders used stucco and limestone mortar, a formable material that could be modeled into distinct shapes and painted over.
A detailed map of the excavated area of Ek Balam.
Getting to the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone from Valladolid
This was pretty easy to do, as this route has a dedicated collectivo/taxi service.
So we walked two blocks from the ADO bus station to the Ek Balam collectivo and waited for a car to take us.
This is the spot! You’ll hear taxi drivers shouting “Ek Balam” well before you get here. Just approach them and they’ll take care of you!
A one-way trip to Ek Balam costs $70 MEX ($4.14 USD) per person, and taxis don’t depart unless they have four passengers. But they will leave early without a full load if you are willing to pay the difference!
We didn’t have to wait longer than 10 minutes for our taxi to fill. We then sped along the Yucatan backroads until we reached the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone 30 minutes later.
We exited the taxi at the designated taxi stand for return trips to Valladolid, which stops service at 5 pm each day.
This hut at the far end of the Ek Balam parking lot is where Valladolid taxis pick you up and drop you off.
Entering the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone
Once we arrived at Ek Balam, we followed the signs to the entrance and joined the line for tickets.
Sadly, the line moved pretty slowly. We waited about 30 minutes to get in from here!
As with our visit to Uxmal, there were two ticket booths, one for a general admission fee and one specific to the Yucatan Government. The general admission fee was $90 MEX ($5.19 USD) per person, and we could use a credit card to pay. But the Yucatan Government admission fee was $441 MEX ($25.42 USD) per person for foreigners, and you can ONLY PAY IN CASH!
We thought this was weird because the cash/credit payments associated with specific admission fees were reversed at Uxmal.
In total, we paid $1062 MEX ($61.22 USD) for both of us to get in.
Bottom line, if you decide to visit Ek Balam, you’d better have a big wad of cash with you!
There were free bathrooms at the admission building, and after you paid we were directed to a path that led to the archaeological zone. Along the way, souvenir vendors and guides were available should that be of interest. But we don’t usually go for that sort of thing.
We eventually reached the security gates where our tickets were scanned, and then we started exploring!
Exploring the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone
When we finally entered at 11:30 am on a Thursday, the site was busy, but not oppressively so. This site is far less popular than Chichen Itza, which is where most tourists go if they are on a tight schedule.
And since the late December weather was cool and dry, the conditions were ideal for exploring. It was a little tough to get pictures without tourists at this time of day, but we did OK all things considered. We’d recommend getting to Ek Balam at 8 am when it opens if tourist-free photography is important to you!
Here are some of our favorite shots.
Approaching Plaza Sur from the entrance. The Oval Palace is on the right.
From the top of the Nun’s Palace.
Approaching the Oval Palace from the stairs facing Plaza Sur.
From the top of the Oval Palace, looking down at the adjacent Sibling Pyramids on the left.
Also from the top of the Oval Pyramid, you can see the Arch building which is connected to an external road leading into Ek Balam.
Approaching The Acropolis, the tallest pyramid at Ek Balam. At 30 meters tall, the stairway was steep! Note the rooms found on different levels, which sets it apart from many Mayan pyramids.
The stucco work at different levels of The Acropolis was extremely detailed.
On the fourth level of The Acropolis lies “The White House of Reading”, where the tomb of King Ukit Kan Le’k Tok was found. The stucco is apparently original!
Amazing levels of detail!
You have to be very careful on the way down The Acropolis stairs!
Proof that we made the climb! You can see the Oval Palace and Sibling Pyramids in the distance.
On the far left side of the fourth level of The Acropolis, a variety of rooms, stairs, and depressions can be seen. We couldn’t explore them though!
The intricate stonework involved with The Acropolis continued around its ample foundation. The pyramid foundation is 160 meters wide by 68 meters deep!
Excavation and restoration continue at the backside of The Acropolis.
View of the ceremonial ballcourt between Plaza Sur and The Acropolis.
On the back side of the Sibling Pyramids, with the Arch building clearly in view.
Through the Arch building.
By the time we left the site at 1:15 pm, we felt like we got our money’s worth. Two hours was plenty of time to leisurely explore everything.
Our Impressions of Ek Balam
Ek Balam was an interesting place!
Although we arrived at Ek Balam later than we would have liked (we like to get to these places when they first open), the relative remoteness kept the number of tourists to a manageable level. The unique sculpted frescoes and the ability to climb the main pyramid were high points.
Ek Balam is definitely worth a visit if you are in the Valladolid area with time to spare.
Onward to Cenote X’canche
Connected to the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone is a road that leads to X’canche, a cenote that seems to be one of the most beloved in this part of the Yucatan.
There are many cenotes to choose from near Valladolid, but we were interested in X’canche due to its high ratings on Google Maps, moderate cost, and relatively low number of tourists.
So we decided to give it a visit before we headed back to Valladolid!
The road to cenote X’canche was easy to find. You walk right by it on the way out of the Ek Balam Archaeological Zone!
Just approach the hut window and pay the entrance fee to continue along the road.
At the entrance, you pay a $170 MEX ($10.04 USD) fee per person.
However, the cenote is found at the end of a 2-kilometer dirt road, so you have to walk, rent a bicycle, or hire a car to reach it.
Of course, we hiked.
We had been cooped up in a bus all morning and the weather was pretty spectacular, so we enjoyed the walk!
An easy hike.
The road ended at the Cenote X’Canche entrance gate.
When we arrived, there was a reception area where we gave the attendant our tickets.
The reception hut.
They informed us about the rules of the area and showed us where we could change into our swimming clothes.
Changing rooms for men and women. Showers are in the back.
Locks and lockers are provided with admission for your things, and since wearing sunscreen is prohibited in the cenote, a pre-swim shower is required. They also provide life preservers and inner tubes for flotation assistance, once you enter the cenote.
The cenote area was fantastic! Rhonda and I both took a dip and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
Woah!
View from underneath the overhang. Note the access scaffolding that runs the entire circumference of the cenote.
For $100 MEX you can zipline the cenote! And those are tree roots from above, in case you are wondering.
The cenote water was ice blue and was home to a population of cenote catfish (or cavefish?).
Also in the cenote park is a restaurant, picnicking area, and sheltered hammock area. You can hang out at the cenote for as long as you want. It would be a great way to relax and enjoy yourself for the entire day if that was what you wanted.
We packed snacks, so we didn’t need to indulge.
The hammock area. First come, first served!
We spent about 90 minutes enjoying the cenote and its facilities. But honestly, we were getting tired. We had been awake since 4:30 am and were looking forward to checking into our Airbnb and getting a proper meal!
Returning to Valladolid and Checking Into our Airbnb
Getting back to Valladolid was easy and stress free.
We just waited at the Valladolid taxi hut where we were dropped off. A taxi was already there, and the driver was just waiting to fill the car before departure. We didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes before the taxi was filled, and then we headed back to Valladolid.
The taxi dropped us off 1 block from where we picked it up the same morning. We then paid the driver the $70 MEX each for our ride and headed to our Airbnb.
Thankfully our Airbnb was only four blocks away, whose location is an easy walk to the center of Valladolid.
Here is the link to our Airbnb if you are interested. It was nothing too special, but the location was perfect and we decided to splurge on a room with king sized bed and AC.
Total cost: $39.72 USD including taxes and fees. We could have found a private room for $10 or $15 USD cheaper, but we knew that we would want the big bed after the early morning we had!
Wrapping Up The Day – Dinner and Tostielotes!
After we settled into our Airbnb, we decided to go to a local place near Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado for dinner – Nena Nena.
THIS LINK provides access to their full menu, including prices.
Self-described as “Mexican food with a twist“, this place was a neat dining experience. We were given the opportunity to play a drinking game at our table, where the winner got a free shot of an adult beverage. Pretty cool!
And the outside dining area was pretty quirky, in a good way. It was fun watching the kitchen filled with local women tending to our orders.
Our table was a giant stop sign! And you can see the skill drinking game (and empty shot glass) on the right.
Rhonda got the Tacos de Canasta (5 tacos) and I got the Gordota (mixed), and we both got bottles of water to drink. Total cost (with tip) = $300 MEX ($17.79 USD).
A little pricy, but the food was delicious! And as usual, we forgot to take pictures of our food because we were so hungry. If we were to go again we would probably get the 15 taco Tacos de Canasta deal and split it! Super economical for $200 MEX.
We were reasonably full, but when we were done we decided to go to the nearby central park in Valladolid, Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado, and try some street food!
There we found a stall selling TostiElotes, which need to be seen to be believed. At $45 MEX ($2.67 USD) each, we had to give them a try.
A TostiElote is made from a bag of Mexican-brand Tostitos (salsa verde-flavored, for an extra layer of salty spice), cream, chili powder, lime, granulated queso cotija, elote (corn), and, to top it off, a hit of Mexican hot sauce. All dumped in the Tostitos bag and eaten with fingers and spoon. Simply awesome!
After eating this gastronomic Frankenstein, we limped back to our Airbnb and crashed. We needed the sleep, and we had an early departure planned to Chichen Itza the next morning!
Closing Thoughts On Our Trip To Valladolid, Ek Balam, and Cenote X’canche
We had a great day!
We were particularly pleased with how everything worked out logistically. Our arrival time in Valladolid was perfect, and transportation to the Ek Balam/Cenote X’canche area was seamless. And our visits to both locations were enjoyable and worth the money.
We were even happy with our food!
Bottom line, we saw everything we wanted, and not a moment was wasted.
Granted, if you are more interested in shopping or people-watching in the touristy streets surrounding Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado, you could. But we are more interested in archaeological and natural wonders, so that is how we prioritized our time.
And now that we were at our Valladolid Airbnb, we were in the perfect location to make an early morning trip to Chichen Itza the next day.
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2 thoughts on “Making The Most Of Our Trip To Valladolid (Day 1) – Ek Balam and Cenote X’canche”
So interesting!! Can’t wait to see Day 2……
Much appreciated!