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$$$
ITINERARY (Full Day)
Cenote Maya
Restaurante Pueblo Maya
Chichén Itzá
nugget’s Advice
Prepare in advance
Check with your pediatrician if any vaccines are needed for this destination. Make sure to have all your medicines up to date and plenty of refills since you are traveling internationally. Visas are not required for U.S. citizens traveling to México.
Good to know
Knowing Spanish is a plus, but Cancún is very touristy and most people will be able to speak English as well.
Recommended day/time
This was a scheduled tour that lasted all day. Pick up was around 7:00 a.m. and we returned to the hotel around 8:00 p.m.
Recommended time of the year
April is a nice time to visit and to have a break from the northern cold, it also coincided with spring break. First week of April was perfect, sunny weather all week with temperatures ranging from high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit.
Save Money
Even though this excursion was a bit expensive, with the currency exchange, México is a relatively cheap destination. Most of the things that we did or bought did not cost much in U.S. dollars.
About This Day
Head to Chichen Itza with kids for a Mayan adventure on the Yucatán Peninsula. This full-day itinerary, arranged through Cancún Adventure, is an excellent option for a Mexico vacation with kids. The day includes exploring and swimming in a cenote (sinkhole), excellent Mexican food and the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá. Be sure to pack bathing suits as the first stop will be at the Cenote Maya Park. Here, enjoy the unique experience of swimming around in the beautiful waters of the cenote. Next, dry off and head for some excellent local cuisine at Restaurante Pueblo Maya. Lastly, a visit to the Yucatán isn't complete without taking the children to see some of the Mayan ruins. A tour of the ancient city of Chichén Itzá offers wonderful insight into the Mayan world. It's a jam-packed day of fun and adventure not to be missed on your Yucatán vacation with kids.
Cenote Maya
Unnamed Road,
$$$
Sinkholes are very common in different parts of the world, but apparently the Yucatán Peninsula has plenty of them. The tour visits Cenote Maya, one of the hundreds of sinkholes in the area. A changing area is available for your convenience, so bring a bathing suit. Life jackets are provided and then you'll be guided down a stairwell to the bottom. From there, you can either jump right into the water from a platform or calmly enter the warm water from a deck below. For the kids, this was the best part of the tour. Children will enjoy swimming and jumping from the platform, and perhaps won't want to leave, but the tour must go on.
DIRECTIONS
It takes around two hours to get to the first stop in Cenote Maya Park.
TIP
Time here is limited so be ready to head down for the swim. One option is to already have your bathing suit on and bring a set of dry clothes to change into after swimming.
Restaurante Pueblo Maya
48 Calle 15, Pisté
$$$
Restaurante Pueblo Maya has a unique open layout, it's very tropical and inviting. There is plenty of time to eat lunch and repeat if you want. There are two serving stations and the food is authentic. Menu includes: cochinita pibil, fajitas, mini hamburgers, chilaquiles, soap de lima, frijoles charros, frijoles refritos and arroz mexicano. There are also nice options to drink: soda and juices for the kids and beer for the adults. While eating, a group of singers and dancers will show up to entertain the crowd.
DIRECTIONS
After leaving Cenote Maya, the Restaurante Pueblo May is less than 10 miles (16 km) away.
TIP
If your kids have trouble eating authentic Mexican food, look for the mini hamburgers and the pasta.
Chichén Itzá
5009 Merida - Valladolid,
$$$
Chichén Itzá is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by the Mayans that inhabited the area. The main building, El Castillo, is also known as the Temple of Kukulcan. This area is full of history and anecdotes that our tour guide Jesus was more than happy to tell in a very entertaining way. After a while though, we left the tour and explored Chichén Itzá on our own, at our pace and following the kids' interests. What stood out for our nuggets was learning how the Kukulcan serpent deity "walks" down the stairs and how many lives were sacrificed in this ancient city.
DIRECTIONS
It is a short ride (less than 10 miles, or 16 km) from Restaurante Pueblo Maya.
TIP
Depending on the age of your kids, history might not be that interesting, so take the time to explore on your own. Make sure you know when and where to meet your group again so you are not left behind.
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