When we left off, we were leaving Coba to drive to Merida. We wanted to get on the highway ASAP so that our baby would nap…but it was getting close to lunch time and we were getting hungry! With some bananas to tide us over, we hit the road, and never could have imagined where we would end up!
Planning a Trip to Uxmal with Kids
The only place, on our previous trip, we said we didn’t want to come back to, was Piste. Piste is the little town right near the pyramids of Chichen Itza. The impression it left on us was grungy, and just a place that gets too many tourists and has therefore lost its charm.
Well wouldn’t you know it, as we are on the highway approximately halfway to Merida, there was seriously nowhere to stop for lunch. The only town on the map that looked like it had ANY commerce and wasn’t so far off the highway was Piste!
Pisté
So Piste it was. We first tried to stop in one of the large tourist restaurants where they take big groups. But the food in a buffet looked just awful. So we left and drove further down the road stopping to look at any restaurant that seemed halfway decent.
We eventually ended up in the cutest little chicken restaurant! The “paquete” (package) of a whole chicken, came with soup, tortillas, rice, beans, sauce, etc. It was great!
We continued driving back on the highway, until we reached Merida. The next day we would continue to Uxmal. As an aside: essentially, we could have skipped this stop, but we wanted to break up the driving. We knew it was a good idea to stop in a larger city to stock up on provisions (fruit and healthy snacks) and do laundry. And finally, this stop was going to be good for our budget! The hotel we stayed at was simple but inexpensive and it had everything we needed.
Mérida
The big kids checked out the hotel pool. Then we got freshened up for dinner, and enjoyed the evening out in Plaza Santa Lucia. Merida has the cutest “kissing benches”. They are like two chairs facing opposite directions that are attached, so that you can face your buddy on the bench. The kids had a great time playing on them!
The next morning we started with an amazing breakfast and then walked around the Centro Historico. We had several errands to take care of:
- Buying books in Spanish to have for bedtime and to add to our collection at home.
- Buying costumes for Purim (the next night)
- Stocking up on groceries before heading to the tiny towns around Uxmal
- Picking up our laundry!
I’m happy to say that we succeeded at all those tasks! (For all the details, scroll down to the bottom of the post!) And then finally we were on the road!
Uxmal Resort Maya
The drive to Uxmal was actually really easy. It took less than an hour and the highway was in good condition. We were pleasantly surprised by how nice it was at the hotel. So rather than going out on another adventure we decided to relax at the pool, walk around the resort and play.
From our room on the third floor you could actually see the ruins at Uxmal! The sunset was gorgeous and all of us were so happy to be in the jungle. One special thing we did, was read one of the new books that we bought in Merida, “El enano de Uxmal” (The Dwarf of Uxmal), which tells the legend of how the pyramid was built to prepare for our visit the next day.
The next morning it was just a quick drive down the road to get to the ruins. The site officially opens at 8 o’clock. We got there at that time and there was already a line of tourists waiting to get in! Of course this was still the best time to go: before the heat of the day, and before the groups from the cruise ships arrive!
Uxmal
When you first enter Uxmal, you encounter the huge Pyramid of the Magician. This pyramid is so substantial. Look how small we are compared to it! Unfortunately you can’t climb it, but there is so much to see throughout the rest of the site that it was fine.
One of the reasons we really loved Uxmal, is that it is a huge site and extremely well preserved. There were so many areas to check out! From the entrance, you can walk through the Quadrangle of the Nuns, then through the Ball Court and then to the Governor’s Palace and the Templo Mayor (Great Pyramid). It seemed like most tourists stayed around that stretch, and it is so impressive, but there were lots of smaller areas with interesting details.
After descending the Templo Mayor, we went on to explore the Pigeon Loft Complex and the Cemetery Complex, not a real cemetery, but so called because of the reliefs of skulls. And from there meandered our way back to the entrance. After a full day of exploration, we headed back to the resort for rest and relaxation.
To Visit:
Pollo de la Esperanza– Carr. Costera del Golfo, Pisté, Yuc., Mexico (there were a couple other chicken restaurants nearby but this one gave us a good vibe)
Hotel Sta Maria– Calle 55 493 x 56 y 58, Col. Centro, Centro, 97000 Mérida, Yuc., Mexico
Pita restaurant- Calle 55 496, Parque Santa Lucia, Centro, 97000 Centro, Yuc., Mexico
Libreria Dante– Calle 62 entre 61 y 63 No 502, Centro, 97000 Mérida, Yuc., Mexico
Lavanderia La Fe, Merida– phone: +52 999 924 4531; x 64 y 62, Lote 3, Calle 61 518, Centro, 97000 Mérida, Yuc., Mexico . (note they have more than one location, this one was open slightly later)
Uxmal Resort Maya– Carretera Merida-Campeche Km. 78, 97890 Uxmal, Yucatán, Mexico
