June 2022. Although I have been in Mexico before, the last time was in 1994-1995. Twenty-seven years later, Oriol and I are doing a classic tour of the United Mexican States, featuring Mexico City (CDMX); Palenque in Chiapas; Villahermosa in Tabasco; Uxmal, Mérida, Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam, Valladolid,  and a few cenotes (waterholes) in Yucatán and Tulum in Quintana Roo. We returned via Cancún to CDMX and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

We chose Valladolid as a base to visit Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Las Coloradas and Tulum. We did not visit Las Coloradas, as it was not pink in June. 

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The city of some 46,000 – 75,000 inhabitants is named after Valladolid, at the time the capital of Spain. The first Valladolid in Yucatán was established by Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo‘s nephew on May 27, 1543 at some distance from the current town, at a lagoon called Chouac-Ha in the municipality of Tizimín. However, early Spanish settlers complained about the mosquitos and humidity at the original location, and petitioned to have the city moved further inland.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Valladolid was the third largest and most important city of the Yucatán Peninsula, after Mérida and Campeche. It had a sizable well-to-do Criollo population, with a number of old Spanish style mansions in the old city. Valladolid was widely known by its nickname ‘The Sultana of the East’.

Grid

As in Mérida, de streets of Valladolid form a grid and most are ‘just’ numbered. 

Sidewalks are often narrow and the streets have often potholes. It must be said the climate is not construction friendly. For a region where there can be sudden rain showers, streets inundate quickly as well. 

The city centre with points of interests is small. Five days is too much for Valladolid, but we stayed there for its central location on the Yucatán Peninslula.  But by doing the Free Tour and following tips from this video, we kept things interesting. Guide Cristina took us to the market, which we wouldn’t have done on our own. 

We also learned ‘Zaci‘ means White Hawk and is the old name of the city. The white hawk is on the coat of arms.

The many brightly coloured facades also make nice backgrounds for photoshoots. 

So yes, Valladolid was pleasant enough. It’s a ‘real’ town and not a tourism resort such as Tulum or Cancún. 

Mexico 2022

1. REVIEW | KLM Amsterdam Schiphol to Mexico City on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in economy.
2. MEXICO CITY | Zócalo.
3. MEXICO CITY | Templo Mayor.
4. REVIEW | Hotel Carlota in Mexico City.
5. MEXICO | Teotihuacan.
6. MEXICO CITY | National Museum of Anthropology or Museo Nacional de Antropología.
7. FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
8. MEXICO CITY | Museo Nacional de Historia at Castillo de Chapultepec.
9. MEXICO CITY | Frida Kahlo Museum.
10. MEXICO CITY | Coyoacán.
11. Mexico City 2022.
12. REVIEW | Mexico City – Villahermosa with Volaris.
13. MEXICO | Palenque.
14. REVIEW | Hotel Zyan Rooms in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico.
15. MEXICO | Villahermosa in Tabasco.
16. REVIEW | Aeroméxico Villahermosa – Mexico City – Mérida on Boeing 737-8 MAX.
17. YUCATÁN | Uxmal.
18. REVIEW | Casa Chaká Boutique Ka’an Room in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
19. YUCATÁN | Mérida.
20. YUCATÁN | Chichen Itza.
21. YUCATÁN | Ek’ Balam.
22. REVIEW | Colonté Hotel Origen in Valladolid, Yucatán, Mexico.
23. Pride in Valladolid, Yucatán and queer encounters in Mexico.
24. MEXICO | Cenotes of Yucatán.