A week to get to know the essence of Yucatán

ecoturismo por yucatán zona arqueologica ek balam cerca de la reserva ria lagartos en yucatán méxico

Let’s go on an ecotourism adventure through Yucatán, a route full of natural and cultural riches and heritage. Likewise, being such a great state, visitors should not miss specific destinations. Rutopia offers a tour of Yucatan’s most emblematic and unique ecotourism sites. 

ecoturismo por yucatán zona arqueologica ek balam cerca de la reserva ria lagartos en yucatán méxico

Relaxing Day in Holbox Island

Let’s start our tour doing ecotourism on the relaxing and splendid Holbox Island. What better way to start our trip than seeing spectacular turquoise waters, and white sand, while watching dreamy sunsets and sunrises and a show full of bioluminescence on the shores of the sea!

In Rutopia, we recommend snorkeling with whale sharks, an unforgettable experience! In addition to activities such as bicycle and horseback riding in front of the sea and kayak tours through the mangroves, you can observe crocodiles, endemic birds, pink flamingos, and whale sharks. All of the above while enjoying the island’s tranquility and beauty.

ecotourism in yucatan holbox island

Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve: Lagoons pink as flamingos

After enjoying a peaceful day in Holbox, we will continue to Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, a wetland area where the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea meet. This place has become the favorite place for hundreds of pink flamingos year by year. Likewise, hundreds of beautiful flamingos and other birds can be seen in the biosphere: mangroves, crocodiles, turtles, jaguars, and more.

ecoturismo por yucatán observando flamengos rosados en las coloradas

In addition, only 30 minutes away from the Reserve, you will find Las Coloradas. At first sight, these lagoons are fascinating for their attractive pink color, like flamingos (due to their saline concentration).

Additionally, to enjoy their attractive color, we recommend visiting them during the months of March-Augustpreferably at midday, since the sun causes the pink color of the water to stand out.

ecoturismo por yucatán las coloradas

Zazil Tunich Largest Cenote in Yucatán and Entrance to Xibalba

After a magical day in Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, we will head to one of the main attractions of Yucatán, the cenote Zazil Tunich, remarkable for its beauty, greatness, and antiquity. Indeed, an experience full of history, legends, and mysticism of the Mayan culture, which you will discover as you enter Xibalba or Mayan Underworld.

Cenote-Yucatán-rutopia

In addition, it’s unique because it’s the largest cenote in Yucatán, with stone formations over 500,000 years old. To access it, you should make a descent of 20 meters deep, where you will find the sacred and shallow waters of the cenote.

equinoccio-de-primavera-Cenotes-Xkeken-Samula

Likewise, you will witness a Mayan purification ceremony. Finally, if you come with your partner, you can enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner surrounded by gorgeous flowers and swim in the mystical waters of the cenote.

ritual de purificacion en quintana roo y yucatan

Valladolid. A walk through Colonial Yucatán

Next, we will head to Valladolid, only 120 kilometers from Las Coloradas. This city is an excellent place for ecotourism in Yucatán; its importance has turned into a magical and colonial city.

Likewise, there is an excellent variety of activities to do here; some of the most important are: visit the convent, the cathedral, the regional museum, the Calzada de Los Frailes, the local market, dive into the relaxing Cenote Zaziltaste the delicious flavors of Yucatecan gastronomy, explore the beautiful corners of Valladolid, full of history and tradition.

ecoturismo por yucatan en una de las mejores ciudades coloniales de mexico, valladolidWalk through the streets of Valladolid, a place where time spends peacefully, breathing the air of an ancient Mayan city.

Connect mind, body, and soul in Chichén Itzá and the Yokdzonot Cenote.

After a city full of history, we will visit another equally cultural and impressive site while continuing our route. Chichén Itzá is one of the world’s seven wonders, famous for its greatness and Mayan history. Notably, an extraordinary place to do some ecotourism in Yucatán; a treasure for history lovers.

Additionally, ecotourism with local guides will allow you to experience Chichén Itzá differently, without crowds, enjoying the sunrise rising over the ruins and filling you with energy. Likewise, at night, immersing yourself in the mysticism of the pyramid of Kukulkan in a spectacle of lights, sounds, colors, and figures is an unforgettable experience.

piramide chichén itzá una de las siete maravillas del mundo moderno en yucatan

In addition, near there, you can refresh in the charming cenote Yokdzonot and its crystalline waters, where your mind, body, and soul will connect, discovering an underwater worldAfterward, you can zip-line, rappel, camp, swim in other nearby cenotes, and enjoy typical foods prepared by community members.

ecotourism in yucatan the cenote yokdzonot close to chichén itzá mexico

Did you know that the cenotes were considered sacred by the Mayas? Today, some communities keep that tradition alive.

City of the three cultures, Izamal

The trip continues with more history and culture to the stunning colonial city, Izamal, the yellow city or the city of the three cultures due to its mixed heritage of pre-Hispanic culture, colonial influence, and modern Mexican culture. The diversity and culture surrounding Izamal make it the perfect place to enrich your knowledge while enjoying unique experiences.

izamal la ciudad amarilla de yucatán méxico

During the visit to Izamalyou will enjoy a colonial atmosphere with yellow buildings and houses, cobblestone streets, and visiting the Franciscan convent of San Antoni de Padua built over Mayan pyramids. The archaeological site of Kinich Kakmó, and enjoy the exquisite Yucatecan gastronomy.

ecoturismo por yucatán gastronomía yucateca con rutopia en yucatán méxico

Also, near Izamal, you will find Celestún, a perfect paradise for ecotourism in Yucatán. In addition, it’s part of the world heritage of the Reserve, which was officially declared a wildlife refuge in 1979.

ecoturismo en yucatán flamingos rosados en la reserva de Celestún

Vacationing and doing ecotourism in Yucatán is visiting emblematic and cultural places recognized internationally. It’s discovering a part of the heart of Mexico. It’s a trip out of the ordinary, full of life, adventure, knowledge, wellness, love, and many wonders.

 

 

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If you liked this route, we recommend the next ones to continue discovering the magic of Mexico:

Spiritual trips to find yourself in Mexico

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10-day trip ideas to Mexico

A cultural route through the heart of Mexico

A route through the essence of Mexico: welcome to Oaxaca

Complete guide to visit Chiapas

More than 1500 travelers, 5 stars in Tripadvisor

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travelers

Victoria O.

September, 2022
Two Weeks in Mexico
Seamless transfers, excellent hotels particularly in Mexico city and Puebla, combined with various cultural and food tours. Particular highlights were the cultural/food tours in Mexico city and Puebla (also including the anthropology museum in Mexico city), and the rural tours in Oaxaca where we visited textile workshops, mescal producers and participated in a cooking class using traditional equipment. Also, although we didn't need it, the on call remote assistance was reassuring. I would definitely recommend Rutopia.
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Kris S.

April, 2022
Enjoyed using Rutopia
Enjoyed using Rutopia (Marisol and Melina) to plan my trip to Mexico. Marisol helped me figure out the best options fand booked everything. Melina was my in country support. Rutopia (the company through Kim Kim) is great and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take the burden out of vacation planning. My son and I truly enjoyed the trip knowing everything was taken care of and we just had to have fun. Thanks!
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Melissa W.

July, 2022
Adventures in the Yucatán!
Such an amazing time in the Yucatán! Between floating in the mangroves to visiting Chichén Itzá to spending a whole day on the beach in El Cuyo, I couldn’t have planned a better trip without their help. Thank you so much for an unforgettable birthday vacation!! Simply amazing! Don’t think twice about having them help you plan your next vacation!
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Cat839

April, 2022
Great experience with this agency, totally recommend!
Great experience with this agency. Our tour in Mexico was perfect and organised with great passion and precision. Special thanks to Mel (our direct contact during the trip) for being super responsive and to Jorge Barbosa (our tour guide in Mexico City). Totally recommend this tour operator!
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Sue G

June, 2022
Mayan Site Tour in Yucatan Penninsula Mexico
Rutopia did an outstanding job with the arrangement and execution of a 9 day tour of Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. We provided Rutopia with the general parameters of the trip we wanted and they suggested an itinerary. After our approval, they set up the hotels, transportation within Mexico, and site tours. The hotels were good quality, and all of the drivers and tour guides showed up on time. We were very impressed with the quality of the tour guides and learned a lot on the trip. Jorge handled setting up the itinerary, and Melina handled the execution of the trip and was readily available via WhatsApp throughout the trip for any questions or issues. Melina was particularly helpful in changing our transportation arrangements to the airport at the last minute per our request. I would recommend Rutopia and would use them again for future trips.
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Varadarajan

July, 2022
Fantastic Will do it again
My wife and I had a fantastic holiday in Mexico thanks to Marisol, Ana, Teresa and their colleagues & partners. The entire itinerary and arrangements were put together in less than 4 days. What we really liked about Marisol & her team was that they were only a message or a phone call away for any query/suggestion, etc. The trip was bespoke to the extent that Rutopia had kept in mind about our interests, food habits & executed bookings, tours. They were also very flexible in catering to last minute changes/requests. The team took upon them to ensure that our entire trip was comfortable & safe by taking care of even small stuff that one normally finds out post getting to a place. We would definitely like to use their services again!!
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Elena R.

April, 2022
A literally perfect trip to the Yucatan peninsula
Tom and I knew we wanted to go to Mexico. We knew we wanted a little bit of culture, some wildlife, and maybe a splash in the ocean. That's it. With the vague and minimal information we gave them, Rutopia was able to put together a perfect trip for us. We had a flawless itinerary. It's so clear that Rutopia really cares about the communities (animals and humans) in Mexico. Everything we did and everywhere we stayed felt like they were helping us experience Mexico as authentically and respectfully as possible. It's almost impossible to pick a highlight, but top of the list has to be the day we shared with Enrique, a Mayan host who was unbelievably generous with us. He shared the community gardens, including history and background about the families that live in Nuevo Durango and other nearby communities. He showed us the neighborhood cenotes, Punta Laguna, Uma Nojoch Keej (a wildlife reserve), and more. We picked and prepared the plants as Enrique and his wife Blanca showed us the best way to cook them (and rescued us when we were pricked by the nopales!). We saw howler monkeys and spider monkeys in the wild which was very cool. That had to be the very best day, but every day was amazing. Sian Ka'an reserve was lovely, the Mayan ruins were spectacular, the snorkeling in Puerto Morelos was fabulous, the bicycle cenote tour was jaw'droppingly gorgeous. I'm waxing superlative but it really all was like a dream. Beyond the activities, the scheduling and pace was perfect for us. We felt like we really made the most of our six days, but with enough downtime to explore and enjoy at our leisure. From picking up our car at the airport to finding our accommodation, the logistics were very smooth at every interaction. Special shoutout to Melina who pretty much instantly helped us when we had any questions about the trip. We've never used a travel planning service like this before. But after this trip, we'll never go back to the old way!
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David

July, 2022
Journey to Mexico City, Cholula and Cuetzalan
We had a wonderful time. We started out in Mexico City with a 2 day tour filled with museums, food, and beautiful sights. We then went on to Cholula to experience the culture in a smaller town, see a local market, and eat traditional food. We finished the tour in a small town called Cuetzalan, where most people speak an indigenous language. All of our guides were great. Thank you for a memorable vacation!
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DaniEla

March, 2022
Just wonderful!
We had an amazing trip excellent organized by Jorge and supervised by Melina from Rutopia. We spent 10 days in Mexico, starting in Ciudad de Mexico where we visited the amazing Teotihuacan and then we flew to Yucatan for the amazing sites of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Ek Balam, Tulum, Merida, Valladolid and the great Island Holbox. The trip was perfectly organized, the hotels were very good, and the guides were carefully chosen. We highly recommend Rutopia and especially Jorge!
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Bikø J

November, 2021
Chiapas, Neri and her family
I traveled to Chiapas for an ecotourism experience with Rutopia and I liked it very much, the team responds very quickly to all questions and accompany the traveler throughout the experience, I missed my flight and they were very flexible to accommodate the entire itinerary, My destination was the lakes of Tziscao, where I was received by Neri with his family in very nice cabins next to a lake with incredible views and a magnificent tranquility, with them you make experiences of beekeeping and coffee and tours to nearby lakes, Montebello is a must! 100% recommended.
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Alexhcros1500

March, 2021
Super local agency
We have worked with Rutopia for several tours in Mexico in the Yucatán and Chiapas and we have never been disappointed. Authentic experiences, with locals, in magical places and off the beaten tourist track. Our contact Marisol was always super available and responsive, understanding and anticipating our desires. And she speaks very good French. I highly recommend Rutopia!
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Mikel D

April, 2021
The best moment lived in Mexico
We were traveling as a group of friends with nothing organized. We like to improvise and be able to find alternative plans to the conventional tourist routes. We arrived in Puerto Escondido - Mexico's paradise - and started looking for options. A Mexican friend recommended us to contact Rutopia and we did. We explained our way of traveling - which they quickly understood - and in a few hours they came to us with a perfect selection of activities. We chose one of them and the next day we found ourselves galloping through beautiful hills, crossing a small lagoon in canoes, bathing on an unspoiled beach at sunset and sipping freshly picked coconuts with some mezcal. We had dinner in the only hut on the beach, eating fish that had been caught that day from the lagoon. Then we went to see the luminescence of the placton with paddle canoes until we were surprised by one of the biggest and reddest moons I have ever seen in my life. We ended up sleeping in bamboo huts a few meters from the waves. There were no more than 5 huts on the miles of beach that we could see. And at ALL times with an exquisite treatment - sympathy, kindness and attention. This is just one of the plans we booked with Rutopia, which definitely changed the course of our trip. Without a doubt, I would repeat this experience in any place I would like to visit in Mexico. Viva Mexico!
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Claudia A

September, 2020
Super organization, great accommodations and nice team
The trip was perfectly organized, we were always exclusive or in very small groups and had freedom to do our own activities. All accommodations were fantastic and sustainable, the food almost always local and very good, we could always fill our Rutopia water bottles and travel as plastic free as possible. We were met at the airport and had assistance getting a rental car. After that, we traveled independently but had our fixed dates and reservations with Rutopia. It was the perfect mix!
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pascalrichard0304

March, 2020
Circuit in Yucatan
Discovering wonderful and surprising sites, Mayan communities with an unforgettable welcome, breathtaking landscapes, a very pleasant climate in the middle of March...and smiling people! A big thank you to Rutopia and his team for the elaboration of this ideal circuit, alternating nature, city life, simplicity and comfort. Thanks to Mélina for the follow-up during our trip. We don't speak Spanish well enough, and we appreciated having a French-speaking contact person who could be reached if necessary. We still have a lot to discover and hope to come back very soon, and with Rutopia without hesitation!
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Sabrina N

March, 2020
Perfect
For those who don't like to manage logistics like hotels, rental cars, activities. And above all, to have someone who speaks fluent French that we can reach at any time for the unexpected... You are in the right place! Thank you to Chloe for the preparation of our trip, to Melina our Ariadne's thread and Teresa for her welcome and help at the arrival and departure. A big thank you to Enrique and Blanca from Nuevo-Durango for their welcome, their smiles, their family, a lot of emotions at the time to leave you. Thanks to Mémo for your teaching of Mexican customs (Sian Ka'an) The Yucatan is a magnificent region. And the population is very pleasant. Only downside Holbox... Too much dust, too much smell of fuel oil, too much tourist. I will keep in memory these wonderful moments!
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