More Yucatan Backroads 2008

We start and end this regular difficulty tour in Mérida. We will visit the major Mayan ruins including Chichén Itzá, Ek Balam and Cobá as well as some of the lesser known but important sites such as Mayapan, visit many cenotes, and cycle on lesser travelled roads. Colonial cities and towns like Valladolid, Izamal and Tizimin are a pleasure to spend some time in and finally we visit the rustic gulf coast, cycling between the sea and lagoons with a prevailing tailwind at our backs.

Archive note: NEW tour - remake of Roaming Backroads Yucatan.

Dates:

Tues Jan 8, 2008 to Tues Jan 22, 2008 (2 weeks - 11 cycling days)

Distances:

Average/day: 80km
Maximum/day: 118km
Total Approx: 797km

Route Type:

REGULAR

Regular DifficultyA good level of fitness is required. Distances average around 50 - 80 km per day (depending on hills), and are always less than 120 km. Roads range from flat to very hilly. We may climb up to 1500 metres on a hard day.

difficulty. Very flat, sometimes rolling.

Weather

The Weather: Yucatan PeninsulaThe Yucatan's best weather is during our winter months. From November till March the temperature hovers in the mid 20's to the mid 30's (celcius) with sunny clear skies. Humidity levels can be high as we head inland but a warm steady breeze and the occasional but rare tropical thunderstorm will keep you feeling refreshed.

Road

The Road: Yucatan PeninsulaThe Yucatan's roads are considered the finest in Mexico. They are generally in excellent condition with even, paved surfaces. Some stretches of our route also include a paved shoulder. The route meanders along flat terrain with the occasional rolling section. In most places traffic is light to non-existent. Depending on the time of day, roads may be busy near towns such as Cancun, Valladolid and Merida, however drivers are generally respectful of cyclists and will give you as much room as possible.

Land

The Land: Yucatan PeninsulaThe Yucatan peninsula at the south eastern tip of Mexico is comprised of three states, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo. The peninsula is a massive, flat carbonate - limestone shelf formed by prehistoric high sea levels. Too porous to support a river system, fresh water accumulates underground forming an extensive subterranean river network. Where the erosive process has broken through the earth's surface, cenotes (se-no-tes; limestone sinkholes or pools) have formed. Erosion has also formed numerous caves, some of them enormous and accessible to tourists. The peninsula's landscape is covered by thorn forest in the north and rain jungle in the south.

Highlights:

Real Mexican-Yucatecan culture. Flamingos and other birds, mangrove tour. Small towns, ruins, lots of cenotes, fishing villages, quiet roads, beaches. Mérida; bustling city, colonial architecture, art, food, market.

What it cost that season

Guides' Fee	+ Accommodations	+ Food & Drink	+ Misc.	= Approx. Total Land Cost
$600	$205	$180	$150	$1,135

All figures in US dollars, as published at the time. Riders paid their own accommodation, food and entrance fees on the road — the Guides' Fee was the only charge from ¡El Tour. Full history: price of More Yucatan Backroads through the years.

Photo Album

Mérida's Plaza Mayor comes alive every evening.

The colonial city of Mérida, once Tihó, a Mayan settlement, was first settled by the Spanish in 1542.

Xlacah cenote with Dzibilchaltun Mayan ruins in the backround.

The small fishing village of Río Lagartos is known for it's nearby flamingo nesting grounds.

Marcos is our flamingo guide on our tour of Ría Lagartos.

Throwing out a tarraya, a round net used for fishing, isn't as easy as it looks. — Throwing out a *tarraya*, a round net used for fishing, isn't as easy as it looks.

Chikila spring. An ojo de agua, literaly an eye of water. — Chikila spring. An *ojo de agua*, literaly an *eye of water*.

Some of the intricate carvings at Ek Balam.

Zací cenote right in the heart of Valladolid.

Mumondzonot cenote - a breathtaking find with the help of our keen local guide.

Izamal's giant monastary was built atop the riuns of Popul-Chac from 1533 to 1561.

Taxi anyone? Ride in style in Izamal - then again, you can walk to anywhere that you'd want to go too.

The palace of Nachi Cocom in the town of Sotuta. He was the last great ruler of the Cocom Maya lineage.

Kabáh just one of more than a dozen Mayan sites in this area, the Ruta Puuc.

The church in Santa Elena. Churches are generally quite massive in this area, probably because of the abundance of building materials that the Spanish found in the form of Mayan temples.

Mayan nas in Ticul. These are traditional Mayan homes and can be seen in almost every town. Not too far away is a modern internet cafe.

Getting lost inside Mérida's massive market. You can find many different exotic foods and crafts in here.

Looking out form the archways of the Palacio de Gobierno at the main square, the Plaza Mayor.

Corn, the ray of sun from the gods. One of Fernando Castro Pacheco's murals in the Palacio de Gobierno. Dozens of paintings depicting Mayan history took 25 years to complete.