After early morning hotel pickup, travel west with your guide toward Merida, Yucat□n’s capital. During the drive, gain insight into Mexico’s history and learn about the culture and cuisine of its major cities.
Spend the morning at Sotuta de Peon, a restored 19th-century hacienda located just outside of Merida that once thrived from the production of henequen, an agave plant processed into rope. Enjoy a provided early lunch here, walk inside the elegant manor and then tour the grounds aboard an old-style wooden platform truck pulled by mules, like the ones used during the 1800s to transport people and goods.
Next, you’re off to Merida, aka the White City, an architectural gem of colonial Mexico. Wander through Plaza Grande, and see the 16th-century Cathedral of San Ildefonso. At the Governor’s Palace, muse over murals portraying Yucat□n’s turbulent history. Learn about Yucat□n’s conquistador at Casa Montejo, the city’s oldest building, now a cultural center and museum; then travel along Paseo de Montejo, a wide, tree-lined boulevard dotted with palatial mansions built during the region’s henequen boom.
Visit a traditional city market to browse handicraft items, admire fresh flowers and learn a bit about Mexico’s diverse cuisine, which, with its age-old culinary techniques, has earned UNESCO recognition as an intangible cultural heritage. With your guide’s help, you can taste signature dishes from different regions (own expense); then enjoy an early dinner of Yucatecan fare (included).
Your day trip ends with hotel drop-off back in Cancun or Playa del Carmen.
Sample lunch menu options: (- Cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus juice, seasoned with achiote seeds)
- Yucat□n-style chicken
- Yucat□n-style fish seasoned with parsley or garlic
- Poc chuc (grilled pork prepared in a citrus marinade)
- Rolled tortillas stuffed with boiled egg and pumpkin sauce ( (
