Hotel Hacienda San Jose

Aké

In Aké, you will find, side by side, an archeological zone, the stunning remains of a colonial hacienda and a soccer field from our time and day. Guided by Don Teo, you can visit the ancient machine house and rope factory. Discover, step by step, how the sisal fiber is processed and made into rope!

Tixkokob

Tixkokob is a center of traditional hammock making. Hammocks are found in every house in this region because they are a perfect match for the local climate and the limited space in the homes. They also cost little. You are welcome to visit the workshops and choose what might be the most colorful souvenir of your vacations.

Cenotes

When flying over the Peninsula you can see circular ground patterns caused by the hidden movement of underground rivers and lakes. The water level rises and falls with the cycle of rain and drought. The constant ebb and flow erodes the underground limestone and it collapses creating steep walled caverns and exposing the water below. Cenote or dzonot meaning "cavity of water" is a term used by the Maya for any subterranean chamber that contains permanent water. While some cenotes are vertical, water-filled shafts, others are caves that contain pools and underwater passageways in their interior. Around these water sources the Maya villages grew since the cenotes were the only source of water, and therefore essential to survival. They were used as sources of drinking water, sources of "virgin" water for religious rites, burial and/or sacrificial sites, art galleries, places of refuge, and mines for clay or minerals. (Recommended cenotes to visit - all full day trips- are: Ik-Kil, Dzinup, and the Cenotes of Cuzama.)

Dzibilchaltún - Half day trip

Only fifty minutes from the Hacienda San José, you will find one of the most singular archaeological sites in Yucatán: Dzibilchaltún. In walking distance from an excellent anthropological museum, you can explore a beautiful set of Mayan temples. The principal building is the 'House of the Seven Dolls' where a celestial spectacle occurs on the days around equinox (March 19-21, and September 19-21): looking through the temple's gateway at 5.45 a.m., you will see the sun rise right in the center of the gateway. On a hot day, you will also be pleased to find a cenote with crystal-clear water near by.

Izamal - Half day trip

Izamal is considered the oldest city of the peninsula. Founded by groups of Itzaes, the city owes its name to Itzamna, or Zamna, a person of singular wisdom and mythical origin. "Heaven Dew", so his name in English, is considered both a tribal leader and a teacher of the Mayan people, a legendary founding father later deified.

According to tradition as well as archeological findings, five pyramids flanked the ceremonial center of the city. One of them is consecrated to "Heaven Dew". A second one is called Papacholchac, the "House of the Heads" or "House of Lightning"; it presently holds the sanctuary of the Virgin of Izamal. Yet another pyramid is dedicated to Kinich-Kakmò, or "Solar Face".

The pyramid Kabul, the "House of the Miraculous Hand", deserves special mentioning. It is home of a giant 2-meter face, modeled in stucco. This face is similar to the ones at Kohunlich in Quintana Roo, which are known only thanks to a 1862 drawing by Catherwood.

For more than a thousand years, Izamal was an important ceremonial center. The indigenous people considered the site, along with Chichen Itza, a center of pilgrimage. Called the City of the Hills, or the City of Three Cultures for combining in its center the pre-Hispanic past with the colonial and the present-day periods, the city preserves a strong religious tradition. Today, one of Izamal's main attractions is the majestic Franciscan Convent. Its atrium, the largest in Latin America with an area of 200 square meters, was built over the base of a Mayan pyramid.

The Convent of San Antonio of Padua is dedicated to the service of the Immaculate Virgin. (Visiting hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. there is a Sound & Light performance show called La Luz de los Mayas (The Light of the Mayas)

Finally, there are workshops in Izamal which preserve unique arts and crafts traditions. The carriage drivers will take you to the house of the artists so you can discover the heart of one of the most authentic Yucatecan cities. Specifically, we recommend the cocoyol workshop which uses the seeds of cocoyol (a small type of coconut) for the making of necklaces and collars.

Chichén Itzá (Mouth of the well of the Itzaes) - Full day trip

The grandeur of its monumental buildings well reflects the importance the city had during its apogee. The oldest part, "Old Chichén", dates back to the 6th century of our era; the Puuc and Chenes styles dominate its architecture. You will sense the genius of the Mayan culture as Chichén Itzá's unique architecture speaks through its keen sense of proportion and décor. The most important building of Old Chichén is, without doubt, the Caracol (the Conch), a circular structure from the 10th century that used to be an astronomical observatory.

The Castillo, also called the "Pyramid of Kukulkan", is one of the greatest architectural achievements in all of the Americas. Dedicated to Kukulkan, the "Plumed Serpent", its three hundred sixty five steps represent the days of the solar year. Chichén Itzá attracts a large number of visitors on the days of equinox (March 21 and September 21). Between 4 p.m. and sundown, the position of the sun on these days creates the illusion of a giant snake of light gliding down the pyramid's main flight of stairs, thus symbolizing the return of the "Plumed Snake" to his people. If you want to avoid the large crowds of people present on these specific days, we recommend you go on the day before, or the day after equinox (20th or 22nd, respectively); the phenomenon is visible on these days as well.

Yet another attraction of this site is the New World's largest ball court. The court is richly decorated with images in relief and is in excellent condition for its age. Most certainly, the majestic city of Chichén Itzá holds the richest legacy of the so-called Lowlands that the Mayan culture has left to science and art.

Valladolid - Full day trip

Founded on the 23rd of May 1543 by Captain Francisco de Montejo "the nephew", in homage to the Spanish city with the same name, on the ancient Mayan city of Zaci, Valladolid is an inviting city. The main square is beautiful, the Cathedral magnificent, the wonderful cenote of Zaci nearby, and a recently restored street will lead you to the impressive Convent of San Bernardino. Leather and sisal handicrafts can be found in establishments throughout the city.

Ek Balam (Black Jaguar) - Full day trip

Ek Balam is a spectacular pre-Hispanic site located north of Valladolid, on the way to Tizimin. Only five years ago, archeologists discovered an acropolis here with stucco figures in high relief measuring up to four meters. These figures of Ek Balam are wholly original and unique in Mesoamerica.

Xcambó - Full day trip

Amidst salt mines and beautiful vegetation, which serves the birds as their principal refuge, you find the ruins of Xcambó. Behind the recently built chapel, you can see pyramidal platforms mounted by ancient Mayan temples. On their sides, you can appreciate fragments of stucco masks and faces protected by a thatched roof.

What makes Xcambó unique is the combination of fully restored pyramids, areas under excavation, and mounds that, as of yet, are unexplored. This way, the Xcambó site offers you the opportunity to appreciate the effort it takes to accomplish the final goal of archeological excavation: a building restored. We invite you to discover for yourself ancient pottery fragments surfacing from the ground; they will remind you that during the post-classic period of Mayan history (1200-1450 A.D.), Xcambó was an important city.

Telchac - Full day trip

Telchac is a typical fishing village made up of rustic wooden houses with miles of untouched beaches. Inside the village, you will find a statue commemorating the pirate Jean Lafitte, who haunted the coasts of the peninsula in colonial times.

Rio Lagartos - Full day trip

Rio Lagartos, located 52 km from Tizimin, within an special Biosphere Reserve on the northern coast of Yucatan on the Gulf of Mexico, its an extraordinary natural refuge famous for its pink flamingoes, a large variety of other species and an exuberant vegetation.

It is also a picturesque fishing village with colorfully painted wooden and cement homes. Protected by the SEMARNAP to preserve the diverse flora and fauna of the area, and registered in 1986 by the United Nations as an area of important international wetlands.

Another attraction of this place is the Lagoon of Rio Lagartos, where you can visit the area by boat.

Merida - Half day trip

Merida was originally called T´ho or Ichcansiho by the Maya inhabitants, depending on which chronicler you read. It was the principal city in the Maya province of Chacan. The first Spaniards found a large Maya commercial centre with ornate stone structures that reminded them of the Roman ruins in Spain's city of Merida - hence the name.

Mexico's Merida was founded on January 6, 1542 by Fransisco de Montejo "El Mozo" (The younger), to celebrate his victory over the Indians after 15 years of conflict. The Maya Indians were forced to dismantle their temples and palaces and use the materials to build homes, government buildings, cathedrals, and parks that they were not permitted to enjoy. Merida became the capital and trade centre of the Peninsula, the seat of civil as well as religious authority.

It was not until the late 1840s that the Indians finally rebelled in the Caste War, one of the bloodiest in the history of Mexico.

Sights to see include: Central Plaza Area, The Catedral, Casa de Montejo, Paseo Montejo - including Casa Cámara, and the Palacio Canton (National Institute of Anthropology and History)