We have been to the town of Valladolid, Mexico several times now, located just over two hours from Cancun. This city is a great place to explore, with plenty to see and do there.
From good food to Mayan ruins just a short drive away, there are many things to choose from. I love Valladolid because there is such a variety of things to do, and we enjoyed checking out the city, as well as doing day trips. We flew into Cancun and rented a car from Avant Rental Car, so that we could have a car to explore the city as much as we would like. There is plenty to see in town by foot, but also many things to do just a short drive, or further if you are willing to explore a little further. We also stayed right in the center of town at Hotel el Meson del Marques, which made for a great home base for our adventures.
Enjoy good food
There is no shortage of good food around the city! When we visited, we enjoyed everything from food carts to fancy restaurants.
Make sure you enjoy some street food if you can.
There is everything from street carts to marquesita stands.
Check out the Center Square
The center square in Valladolid is a popular destination, from vendors to “you and me chairs”. We enjoyed sitting and relaxing and walking around the square.
I finally got to try some Mexican street corn in the Center Square – so good!
San Gervasio Cathedral
The Church of San Servacio is located right on the same square, making it that much more scenic and interesting.
Calzada de los Frailes
This quaint road called Calzada de los Frailes, is a nice place to take a walk, shop, and get some food, or simply take in the sights. We walked this street on our way to the Convent of San Bernardino.
16th-Century Convent of San Bernardino of Siena
Built by the Franciscans, this Convent is located at the end of Calzada de los Frailes, a popular pedestrian road with lots of great shops and eateries. There is a light show here if you are able to catch it. We also enjoyed marquesitas here, which is such a treat.
Cenote Zací & Other Cenotes
Cenote Zaci is easy to walk to within the city. In fact, it is easier to walk to instead of trying to find parking. The entrance fee is very cheap and it is fun to jump in from different platforms.
There are quite a few cenotes nearby, including Cenote X’Keken (a little crowded when we went).
We also visited Cenote Samula. So picturesque!
Our favorite was Hacienda Cenote Oxman! There was a rope swing, and the kids had a blast. There are nice facilities here, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch.
Xkopek Bee Keeping Park
The Xkopek Bee Keeping Park is an interesting and unique park to visit and take a tour. We learned about bees in Mexico as well as other things, including cenotes and history.
Mayan Ruins
There are several Mayan ruins in this area. The Ek Balam archaeological site is just over a 30 minute drive.
A little further of a drive, there are the Coba ruins. If you go to Coba on a hot day, especially with kids, splurge on a bike taxi!
Day Trip to Izamal
Izamal is known as the “yellow city”. It is a nice place to walk around and explore. You can grab a bite to eat and take photos.
There are also the Kinich Kakmó Mayan Ruins in Izamal. We took a carriage ride to the ruins, which was a fun experience as well.
Local Sights
We spent several days in Valladolid, and did a lot of walking and exploring. We like to check out a variety of things, and not just tourist spots. We went to a local Lavanderia to do our laundry, and checked out the local market, buying some fresh fruit and goodies to bring home. I want our family to experience different things and support the local economy.
Overall
Valladolid is a great place to visit, and also a good place to stay and use as a hub for nearby activities. I do recommend renting a car so that you have the freedom to travel wherever you would like. We have rented from Avante Car rental several times now without any issues. Also check out my Tips for Driving a Rental Car in Mexico.
Are you ready to take that trip now? If so, you’ll need to organize a Visitax Mexico. Luckily, it is super easy to apply online and only takes a few minutes. Happy travels!
About the Author: Marysa
Busy blogger and mom of two girls. We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure! If you have any travel questions, contact me! marysa@anationofmoms.com
The cenotes are so beautiful! Nature does create some pretty places! Looking at your photos and reading about your experience made me want to go to Valladolid asap.
I love your photos. I would be all about trying new foods. And shopping 😉
omg the place is gorgeous!!! I would love to spend a few weeks exploring the area, so beautiful…
So much to see and do, I can’t wait to visit.
Those photos are so beautiful and that food looks so good! I would love to visit sometime. <3
What an amazing place to visit so much to do and see and the the food looks great as well, definitely hope I can get to visit one day
So many great things to do here. I’d definitely enjoy some street food!
Wow! This is such a really amazing and a wonderful place to visit! The foods and desserts looks really yummy!
Oh my! These are all really great shots! I wish I could visit there such a really amazing place to visit!
What I love in Mexico is the local authentic food. But also, the place to visit are unique!
You hit all my key needs on a Mexico trip. Street corn, ruins, street fun… love these posts.
I it looks like you guys had an amazing time those caves are absolutely beautiful and the food looks pretty good to! Thank you for sharing your trip!
For me, it’s the food, heat, and picturesque places that I’d enjoy most. I’d love to try the street food there.
The cities are so beautiful and colorful…what a fabulous place to explore! And the food! It looks delicious…I would love to snap my fingers and be transported there.
Everything looks so fun!
Never been there but visting Mexico looks so much fun. Those cities are beautiful and the food looks so delicious!
I would love to explore the Calzada de los Frailes and go shopping there! It looks like a really fun place to have a holiday.
Wow – this looks like a super amazing place to go and visit. I’ve only been to Mexico once but I can’t wait to go back!
This looks like a vibrant and colourful place. I love trying out street food wherever I go and this will be the first thing I do when in Valladolid.
This looks like a fabulous trip to Valladolid, Mexico! I would love to see the Mayan ruins. I really enjoyed all of the photos.
Oh my!! Your post has made me add Valladolid to my bucket list.. those cenotes and that street food and well, everything else too
It has been awhile since our last visit to Mexico. And I like the idea of Valladolid which is a few hours outside of Cancun. Great to be a bit close to the Mayan ruins and to enjoy the pace of a smaller city. And how fun to have a cenote within walking distance!
Izamal looks so pretty! I love the colours of Mexico and would love to return. The cenotes here are so refreshing too, hopefully one day!