The Maya of the Yucatan: A One Week Exploration

Day 1: Fly from Houston to Cancun

Fly from Houston to Cancun. Drive south along the coast to Tulum, built in the compact style of the Postclassic period and still inhabited when the Spanish Conquistadores sailed past in the 16th century. The settlement sits atop a cliff with spectacular views of the Caribbean, and is dedicated to the deity of honeybees. Frequently depicted in the sculpture, the god is shown descending the front of the temples head-first. Delicate multi-colored paintings decorate the interior walls of one of the flat-roofed temples, and a protective wall surrounds the city. Continue inland and overnight in the Villas Arqueologicas Cobá. (D)

Day 2: Cobá/Ek Balam/Chichén Itzá

The morning will be spent in Cobá, the Classic period capital of eastern Yucatan. It is a nature lover's paradise with its pyramids and palaces set between the five shallow lakes that give the site its name. The ever-encroaching jungle provides habitat for a wealth of wildlife, and gives the visitor the sense of discovering a lost world. Cobá is famous for its series of sacbe, or raised roads, one extending more than 40 miles to the west. The pyramids of Cobá include the tallest in all of the northern Maya lowlands and were so famous that Postclassic Maya built their small shrines atop them. Tall carved stelae bearing extremely long hieroglyphic texts detail the history of Cobá's rulers, including a queen named Lady K'awiil Ajaw. In the afternoon visit the site of Ek Balam, where a recently discovered hieroglyphic mural confirms that the site was anciently known by the same name, meaning "Star Jaguar". Ek Balam rose to power with the decline of Cobá in the late 8th century A.D. and under the rule of King Ukit Kan Le'k the buildings of the large acropolis, many with painted capstones, were built. Ukit Kan Le'k was buried in one of these rooms behind an extraordinarily beautiful stucco facade recently excavated by Mexican archaeologists. Located adjacent to the site of Chichén Itzá, the Hacienda Chichén is a 17th century hacienda originally operated as a cattle ranch, and later as a sisal plantation. In the early 20th century, it was the home of American Vice Consul and Mayanist, Edward Thompson, and will be our home for the next two nights. Here, lovely cottages are built around a large swimming pool and flowering gardens filled with a fascinating variety of subtropical birds and wildlife. Our dinner party this evening will be held in the original living quarters of the hacienda. (B/L/D)

Day 3: Chichen-itza

While other Maya sites were being abandoned during the tumultuous Terminal Classic period (800-900 AD) Chichén Itzá rose to become the most important center of its time. The famous sacred Cenote of Sacrifice gives the site its name and offerings found inside of this deep well come from all over Mesoamerica, including objects of jade, gold, rubber and copal incense, as well as the remains of human sacrificial victims. The city's Itzá rulers had close connections with the Toltecs of Central Mexico and the fusion of Mexican and Maya cultures produced the unique art of Chichén Itzá. We will visit the Caracol, thought to have been an ancient Maya observatory, as well as the Temple of the Warriors and its colonnades, whose layout mirrors the site of Tula, north of Mexico City more than 1000 km away. The ballcourt of Chichén Itzá is the largest in all of Mesoamerica and the Castillo, or Temple of K'uk'ulkan, - icon of the site and once used as a fortress by Spanish conquistador Montejo - honors the Feathered Serpent deity. (B/L/D)

Day 4: Sayil/Labná /Kabáh

Today we explore three of the many well preserved sites in the Puuc region. Sayil is famous for its three story palace, reminiscent of the Minoan palace of Knossos with its many columns. Labná in turn is famed for its arch that once marked the end of an important causeway connecting the various parts of the site. Finally, we visit Kabáh in time to watch the play of light from the late afternoon sun move across the façade of the Codz-Pop temple; the structure is decorated with a repeating pattern of dozens of masks of the long-nosed rain god. This evening there will be time to view the optional sound and light show at Uxmal. Overnight for two nights in the Villas Arqueologicas Uxmal. (B/L/D)

Day 5: Campeche

An early morning departure takes us to Campeche, a lovely Spanish colonial town on the Gulf of Mexico coast. During the 17th century, the city was frequently at the mercy of marauding pirates so an encircling fortification was built to protect its citizens. The bastions and forts along the wall now house two museums which we will visit. After lunch in a local restaurant, drive to Edzná. The Great Plaza here is dominated by a unique temple of five stories. The word Edzná comes for the 'House of the Itzá' suggesting that the city was influenced by the Itzá family long before they founded Chichén Itzá. The rulers here created an ambitious hydraulic system that included a radiating series of canals that connected to a moat that encircled much of the site. (B/L/D)

Day 6: Uxaml/Mani/Mérida

Spend this morning exploring the dazzling site of Uxmal. With its exquisite geometric friezes made up of thousands of hand-carved stones, Uxmal displays the peninsula’s finest example of Classic Pu’uc architecture. The Pyramid of the Wizard dominates the site with its impressive oval shape that looms to 100 feet and the Governor’s Palace stands on three terraces overlooking the plain. Then it’s on to Mayapan, the last capital of the Maya, which flourished from 1200 to 1451. Recently excavated, Mayapan was built in emulation of its predecessor, Chichén Itzá. Beautiful stucco and paintings have been found at the site that demonstrate close contacts with the rising Aztecs of Central Mexico. Just south of Mayapan we stop off in Mani, where in 1562, Bishop Fray Diego de Landa created a great bonfire that destroyed most of the known Maya books. The impressive church and convent is still used today and houses a virgin said to perform miracles. Continue to Mérida, founded by the Spanish in 1542. The city once fancied itself the “Paris of the Western World.” One of Mexico’s most charming cities, its cobbled streets, shaded plazas and colonial facades recall the grace of old Europe. The Hotel Marionetas, a charming bed-and-breakfast inn, is our home for the next two nights. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)

Day 7: Merida

One of Mexico's most charming cities, Mérida was founded in 1542 and built upon the ruins of the Maya city of Tiho. Its cobbled streets, shaded plazas and colonial facades recall the grace of old Europe. Begin today at the excellent Anthropology Museum; its artifacts include those retrieved from the cenote at Chichén Itzá. We will see the ex-convent of the order Concepción Las Monjas, built in the late 16th century as one of the first closed nunneries in the Americas. The watchtower with its unusual covered balcony was created so that the cloistered nuns could take the air without leaving the building. Late this afternoon and if available, visit the home of Joann Andrews, wife of the late E. Wyllys Andrews IV, the renowned scientist who dedicated his life to the archaeology of the Yucatan. An avid conservationist, Joann has spent years conserving and collecting rare orchids. At her beautiful restored hacienda enclosed by lovely gardens, Joann will talk about her work with orchids, and Pronatua Peninsula de Yucatan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the peninsula’s biodiversity. Our final dinner party will be held in one of Mérida’s fine restaurants. (B/L/D)

Day 8: Flight back to Houston

Transfer to the airport for our flight back to Houston. (B)