Tour of the Yucatán

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Mérida, Yucatán, MX

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John in Butte

Sweet Gravel and MTB Rides around Montana (and Mexico!)

351 km

1.563 m

Tour of the Yucatán is a gravel and pavement route through the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula. Start in the city of Mérida, catch some beach vibes in Progreso, then make your way through a mesmerizing route of Mayan ruins, swimmable sinkholes, friendly villages, and tranquil roads.

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## Tour of the Yucatán

**Tour of the Yucatán** is a combination paved and gravel route through a special part of Mexico. The route as shown begins in the colonial city of Mérida, where you can catch international flights, cozy hotels, bike shops, and Warmshowers hosts to support your journey. After a jaunt to the beach town of Progreso, the route continues through friendly pueblos, shaded jungles, and Mayan ruins. You'll also get to visit numerous cenotes (limestone sinkholes filled with groundwater), the perfect way to cool off on a hot afternoon. The highlight of the trip, however, just might be the roads themselves. This route travels along numerous @photo["white roads"](13468780) called sacbe (singular) or sacbeob (plural) in Yucatán Maya. These were the original paths the Maya traveled between villages more than 2000 years ago, and many are covered in crushed limestone to give their white appearance. The full route to Valladolid could be travelled in less than a week with ample time to visit the attractions along the way. Bus transportation can be arranged in any major town to return back to the start, or continue your own adventure through this fascinating part of Mexico!

**Mérida** - This beautiful @poi[city](78827970) might offer the best @photo[architecture](13468791) in all of Mexico, so start your trip here but don't rush out of town too quickly. The city is also incredibly bike friendly. If you start your trip on a Sunday you'll get to experience Bici-Ruta along Paseo de Montejo, one of the main streets in Merida. A 5km section of street is closed to vehicles every Sunday and families come together to enjoy a traffic-free ride along one of the city's most scenic streets. The @slice[direct route to Progreso](d,0,35496.23) is also very accomodating to cyclists with broad shoulders and regular bike traffic.

**Progreso** - Once you arrive in this @poi[beach town](78827965) you'll enjoy the laid-back vibes and ocean breezes the Yucatán is known for. Take time to cruise the malecon, watch fisherman along the pier, or just enjoy some cervezas and food in this hip town, which is also home to the longest pier in the world. Hotel or Warmshowers accomodations are available, or join the others who camp for free on the beach. A @slice[smooth gravel path](d,38570.14,59212.85) will take you out of Progreso past lagoons and windmills to Chicxulub before joining a @slice[mixed route into Tixkokob](d,65163.6,85962.08).

**Tixkokob** - In this @poi[little town](78827963) you'll find everything you need to accomodate a good bike tour, including restaurants, bakeries, a hotel, Warmshowers hosts, and even a selection of handmade hammocks. This municipality is also home to @poi[Ake](78827968), the first Mayan ruin along this route, a small but impressive site dating to more than 1500 years ago with some of the oldest sacbeob in the region. Beyond Ake you'll ride a @slice[short piece of gravel](d,102651.83,107891.51) before reaching the pueblos of @slice[Seye, Cuzama, and Homun](d,114990.62,133367.52), the heart of the @photo[cenotes](13468771)!

**Homun** - This @poi[busy hub](78827973) is a great place to burn some down time because it has one of the highest concentrations of @photo[cenotes](13468770) accessible to tourists. The Yucatán Peninsula is composed of limestone which fractured from the impact of the Chicxulub meteor more than 66 million years ago, the same meteor that took out the dinosaurs. As a result, there are thousands of sinkholes filled with groundwater throughout the peninsula, and each one has it's own unique character. At @poi[Homun](78827973) you can find comfortable accommodations, good food, and plenty of locals willing to give you a tour of their favorite cenotes.

**Yaxuna** - Beyond Homun you'll pass through the friendly pueblos of @slice[Huhi, Sotota, and Yaxcaba](d,145294.46,191677.35), which give you a chance to fill water bottles, sample local fare, and find simple accomodations before @poi[Yaxuna](78827978), the next archeological stop along the route. Yaxuna is an older settlement which had one of the longest sacbe in the region connecting it to the larger city of Coba. Yaxuna eventually fell to the city of Chichen Itza located more than 20km distant, whose largest structures can be seen from the observation tower of Yaxuna. @poi[Cabins and food](78827979) may be available in this settlement, but inquire ahead.

**Chichen Itza** - As you approach @poi[Piste](78827980) you'll start to experience the more touristy side of the Yucatan; however, this little @slice[segment along Highway 180](d,230773.71,251076.19) offers two of the most fascinating attractions in the area, @poi[Chichen-Itza](78827981) and @poi[Ik Kil](78827982), a popular cenote. @photo[Chichen Itza](13468778), a major archeological site of the Maya people, has been named both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. This was a major city with more than 50,000 inhabitants at its peak, and today is one of the most visited archeological sites in Mexico. At Piste and Xcalacoop you'll find numerous accomodations from inexpensive hostels to fancy hotels, along with a wide variety of restaurants.

**Ek Balam** - Peeling away from Highway 180 at Kaua, you'll re-enter the dirt roads and escape back into village life, passing through @slice[Uayma, Pixoy and Popola](d,269071.8,279994.62) before reaching @point[Temozon](d,291526.27), land of the smoked meats. Be sure to try the longaniza, a cured sausage similar to chorizo. After @photo[Temozon](13468781) you'll head to @poi[Ek Balam](78827988), another major site for the Maya people with incredible architecture and heiroglyphs. A cenote is located near the archeological site if you're looking for a swim or even a zip-line, and @photo[cozy cabins](13468784) with food are also available nearby in @poi[Ek Balam pueblo](78827964) to make a perfect overnight adventure.

**Valladolid** - After Ek Balam the route takes you through a @slice[final stretch of dirt road](d,326381.11,332887.41) before entering the beautiful city of @poi[Valladolid](78827986). Take some time to visit the @photo[Convento de San Bernardino de Siena](13468787), have an ice cream at Parque Principal, and take a look at @poi[Cenote Zaci](78827984) in the center of town, which may not be open for swimming depending on conditions. At Valladolid you can find bus services back to your starting point, or continue the journey to wherever your heart desires. The route as shown terminates at the second class bus station, which in my experience, is more accomodating to bicycles and offers a more friendly and authentic view of Mexico (albeit slightly slower). There is also an ADO bus station located on Highway 180 which offers more direct routes back to Merida.

## Terrain

The riding itself couldn't be easier as the terrain is flat as a tortilla and the majority of the traffic is composed of single-speed bikes, trikes, and motorcycles. That said, a few of the rougher dirt roads would be best traveled on wider tires (45mm+), but you'd make good time on a lightly loaded cyclocross bike, or just bring your favorite single-speed. Most of the dirt roads will be completely empty except the occassional solitary cyclist passing between villages. State highways always felt safe for bike traffic, and even Highway 180 near Chichen Itza had plenty of shoulder to accomodate cyclists.

## Accomodations

I originally traveled this route without camping gear and was able to find accomodations through Warmshowers hosts, small hotels, and rustic cabins, although I did have a hammock with me in the event of emergency and was prepared to sleep on a soccer field if needed. Lodging options are marked as POIs on the map, but be sure to inquire ahead as many small towns have only one place available and they may be booked. Camping is free on beaches in Mexico and several tents were observed in Progreso. Stealth camping is also possible in remote areas with dense cover, but be wary of any areas marked as private or showing signs of private use. When in doubt, you can always ask and people are very willing to help.

I often hear the Yucatán is one of the friendliest and safest parts of Mexico, and my experience along this route fully confirmed those remarks. As always, it helps to have a fumbling knowledge of Spanish to navigate Mexico, but the people of this great state will appreciate any effort and gratitude you show to them, and they will accomodate and welcome you even more in return.

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Tour of the Yucatán

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