Merida was the perfect city to base our trip out of. The city of Merida is on the northern coast of Yucatan, only an hour drive from cenotes and ruins such as Chichen Itza, and Uxmal. You can also do some of these as day trips from the Cancun area, but it will be closer to 2-3 hours of a drive instead. From either location, you can book structured tours, but they were pricey ($70 per person) and we didn’t want to be on a large bus with other people. Plus, we felt there would be more flexibility with us and our kids for us to DIY the tours.
For more on our flight to Merida, and our hotel stay see our posts here and here.
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Transportation from Merida
We looked into renting a car from nearby rental car companies but thought a taxi would be better in a foreign country. (I had a slightly unreasonable fear that we would be pulled over or get lost and need directions and be extorted or harassed in a language we didn’t understand). Our hotel (the fabulous Hyatt Regency Merida) staff helped us find an English speaking taxi driver who took us on our day trips for $70 each day. We used our standard boosters for the longer drives.
On the drives, we used our typical bag of tricks to keep the kids occupied during long road trips. Carter has been loving the Magic Treehouse books and Ellie loves activities in the Magic Ink and small play pack coloring books. We also picked up a Frozen coloring book from the Walmart near our hotel.
On the first day, we went to the Santa Barbara Cenotes about an hour away and on the second we went to Uxmal about an hour and a half. We could have also done the same for a trip to Chichen Itza if we had continued to stay in Merida. Instead, we used a company called Daytrip to hire a driver who took us from our hotel in Merida to Chichen Itza and continued on to Cancun for the second half of our trip. The cost for this driver was $300.
Cenotes Santa Barbara
Have you heard of a cenote? Cenotes are an underground lake, usually found in Mexico. Carter first heard about cenotes on the kid’s show Octonauts on Netflix. (This is a really fun show for kids I highly recommend). In his kindergarten Spanish class, he learned that cenotes were actually a real thing and asked if we could visit. Cenotes are formed when limestone collapses or a small sinkhole is created that exposes the water below. There are tons of cenotes all around Mexico. Some are not accessible to visitors, and many cost money to enter. While many blogs recommended finding more out-of-the-way, non-touristy options, we felt better going to a more populated option with life jackets and real stairs instead of ropes and cliff jumping. Cenotes are like swimming pools but they can be dangerous and slippery, and you need to make sure your kids 100% wear a life jacket and listen to directions for safety.
At the Cenotes Santa Barbara, there were 3 cenotes that we swam at and gave us a really cool intro to the different types. At this location, life jackets were required, all areas and stairs felt very safe, and there were lifeguards at all three cenotes. We packed our regular swimsuits, swim goggles, and hotel pool towels. The entry fee includes all three cenotes and horse-cart transport or bikes to take between the sites. Ellie said she loves cenotes more than pools.
The first cenote is in a cave, and you have to duck under a tree and climb down. The cenote is well lit and there were cool roots around. It was fairly small. After exiting, we walked 5 minutes to the second cenote. This was larger and more open to light, but still pretty dim. There was a large wooden area to jump into the water and tiny fishes swimming around. The small holes providing sunlight were really cool as well.
After a brief bathroom break (Toddler life), we headed to the 3rd cenote. The last cenote was open-air and absolutely gorgeous. The water was very clear, there were small lizards and birds around, and the tree roots were beautiful. We spent the most time in this cenote. After this, we took the horse transport back and ate a great lunch of tacos and margaritas. The entry price included the meal but not the drinks (they were still very inexpensive).
Uxmal
Uxmal was spectacular. It is not as popular as Chichen Itza, and is farther from Cancun, but I think it was about equal in awesomeness. It was a little over an hour drive and an easy day trip from Merida. It costs 400 pesos ($20) and you will need cash. The first thing you’ll see is the Magician’s Pyramid. It was huge! Beyond that, there were a lot of areas to wander and see cool reliefs, and my kids favorites: lizards. It was very hot and we purchased straw hats from sellers outside the entrance. If you have a little one, you may want to pack a hat if they’ll wear it. And don’t forget to bring sunscreen. We spent about an hour and a half at the site exploring.
Chocolate Museum
Across the street from the Uxmal ruins is Choco-Story. This site has several huts with shaded walking areas, a chronological history of chocolate, Mayan history, a playground, and cool animals similar to a small zoo. We were able to watch a Mayan ceremony, feed some monkeys for a few pesos, and drink some hot chocolate (The kids were not a fan of the bitterness). All the signs were in English and the history was interesting. Usually when I’ve seen chocolate museums, it’s more on the making of it and less on the significance and history. Although Ellie told me, “Don’t get distracted from the chocolate by reading. That’s boring!” This museum was definitely a highlight of the trip!
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is one of the Seven Wonders of the World for a reason. It was awe-inspiring to see the pyramid and the ball-court and the ruins. We didn’t hire a tour guide and just followed signs around to the different locations. The cost was 500 pesos ($25) for adults and 80 pesos ($4) for kids. The highlight was definitely La Pirámide, known as the Temple of Kukulcán. During the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the sun creates shadows that make it appear as though a snake is climbing down the side. There were also 2 cenotes to view (not swim) where sacrificial offerings were made thousands of years ago. We were able to beat the crowds (arrived around 10am) but it was definitely getting packed as we were leaving.
Be prepared to be hot. Pack water and hats and bribery walking fruit snacks for whiny kids (Fun story: we couldn’t figure out how to ask for fruit snacks in Spanish and asked for gummy fruits. The staff at Walmart was very confused. Plan ahead and pack plenty! We get our from Costco and throw 20 in our suitcase). Also, be prepared for the numerous vendors. We had to put our heads down and say “no gracias” many times. Ellie, my extroverted 4-year-old, was excited to have so many people telling her how cute she was and asking her to buy things. After we spent a few hours exploring, we did let the kids each pick a souvenir for 100 pesos ($5) each. Ellie picked a stone pendant and Carter picked a pyramid. Honestly, it was cheaper than airport or hotel goods. After our visit to Chichen Itza, we met our driver who drove us to Cancun (2 and half hours).
Other Day-Trips
Merida was the perfect home base for our day trips. Other day-trips we considered were the beach at Progreso, Celestun and Flamingos, and more cenote-hopping.
