Maya Rundreise I

[die Tourbeschreibung ist momentan nur auf Englisch verfügbar]

DAY 1, Cancún
After arriving in Cancún you may have some free time to explore. Until 1970 it was just a small fishing village with one lone coconut plantation, but now, due to its beautiful beaches, it attracts over 2 million visitors a year. Relax on one of the beautiful beaches, swim in the turquoise waters or take a ferry out to the attractive island of Isla Mujeres, where you can organise snorkelling or drive around the island in a golf-cart.

DAYS 2-3, Chichén Itzá – Mérida
There’s a hectic few days ahead for those who are interested in archaeology. We travel first to Chichén Itzá, the very famous and impressive Maya/Toltec site. You will see the ball court where the captain of the winning team was beheaded (no incentive to play your best, was
there?!) and the cenote (well), where huge treasures as well as the remains of human sacrifices have been discovered. Of course, the main attraction is the wonderful pyramid, which was built with such precision that a
shadow serpent descends it during the equinoxes!

Leaving Chichén Itzá we head to Mérida, Yucatán’s capital and a base for exploring the ruins of Uxmal (optional). This site has the famous ‘Temple of the Magician’. Options in Mérida itself include taking a horse and cart or tram tour of the historical centre, and shopping! A great place to buy Mexican hammocks, but also have a look for the live beetle jewellery (yes really!). These ornately decorated beetles come with their own little carry box, tree to feed from and local legend about a prince who was turned into a beetle! The handicraft markets are overflowing with beautiful weavings, statues, batiks etc!! Shop until you drop, if you’re still able to carry your bag.

DAYS 4–5, Palenque
Next we visit the town and ruins of Palenque. This Maya site houses a series of hilltop temples and pyramids
situated in a gorgeous jungle setting, with howler monkeys making a dreadful loud noise in the trees overhead! Bring your swimming costumes along and cool off in the beautiful natural pools near the exit of the ruins
(optional). Other attractions near Palenque include the fantastic Agua Azul Nature Reserve with more than 200 small waterfalls, and the incredible Misol-Ha waterfall with a 30m drop, for another cooling dip (optional half day tour
includes both these falls).

DAYS 6–9, San Cristóbal de las Casas – Quetzaltenango
Ascending into the mountainous Chiapas region we drive through the Lacandon Cloud Forest on one of the
windiest roads you'll ever experience (don't forget your travel sickness pills!) to the colonial city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Situated in the middle of the Highlands, surrounded by 21 villages, here you will find Mexico’s richest example of indigenous culture. Red tiled lowrise
houses dominate the city, maintaining a delightful provincial charm. The next day you have the option to visit the beautiful Sumidero Canyon, and/or take a guided tour of some of the Indian villages on the outskirts, where you can buy the locally made handicrafts. This
authentic cultural experience will give you a fascinating insight into how modern day Indian villages operate. If time permits, you might also enjoy visiting one of the many museums in town. The Ambar Museum, the Coffee
Museum, the Maya Medicine Museum, and the ‘Na Bolom’ Cultural Centre are just a few on offer (optional).

Leaving Mexico we cross the border into Guatemala at Ciudad Cahuatemoc. You will find Guatemalans some of the warmest and most colourful people in the world. But be careful with the wonderful handicrafts, as you have to carry them with you! Passing through the Guatemalan highlands we reach Guatemala's second largest city, Quetzaltenango, locally known as Xela (pronounced Shay-la). Xela is an industrial city with an interesting history. It was almost completely destroyed by a combined earthquake/volcanic eruption in 1902. Today you can see the local Quiche Maya people selling their fare at the local markets living alongside modern day society. A fascinating mix of people and cultures.

DAYS 10-13, Panajachel – Chichicastenango – Antigua From Xela we travel towards the Pan American Highway from where we will head to down to Panajachel on
the shores of Lake Atitlán. The drive down is simply stunning scenery, with breathtaking views of the lake and its three volcanoes; San Pedro, Atitlán and Toliman, all of which are over 3,000 metres high. A pretty lakeside
town, Panajachel is known to the locals as ‘Gringotenango’ due to its popularity with foreigners and its hippie influence in the past. Rated by those who have seen it as one of the most beautiful and colourful lakes in the world,
Lake Atitlán, sits at a little over 1500 metres above sea level. Here you can go for a swim in the lake or take a boat to one of the many outlying villages (optional). Panajachel also has many restaurants and interesting bars lining the two main streets where you can listen to 60’s
music, and even eat some Asian food! We now visit Guatemala's most famous market town, Chichicastenango. This village’s population swells from approx. 1,000 to over
20,000 on market day (when we visit). The local Indians descend from the nearby hills to sell everything from kitchen pots and pans to live turkeys! Handicrafts, bags, jumpers and wall hangings are just a few of the bargains to be found here. After lunch we depart the market and continue to the former capital of Guatemala, Antigua.
Antigua is one of the most attractive towns in Central America. Here you will see the local indigenous population in their colourful costumes, selling their textiles in the cobbled streets and plazas. It is also the cultural centre
of Guatemala, an ideal place to experience the traditional music, architecture and art of the country. Rich in ornate churches, convents, parks, plazas, cafés, restaurants, bars and colourful street markets and surrounded by
three awe-inspiring volcanoes, Antigua is certainly an unforgettable place. (Many options on offer- ask your tour leader)

DAYS 14–17, Rio Dulce – Flores – Tikal – San Ignacio
On to Guatemala City where we board a bus taking us to the river town of Rio Dulce. We stay in cabins right on the water, and have the option to take a boat tour to Lívingston experiencing some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable along this 23-kilometre stretch of waterway. Lívingston is situated at the mouth of the Rio Dulce where it joins the Bay of Amatique and is inhabited by the Garifuna people. This lively town has a Caribbean atmosphere different to the rest of Guatemala and is a great place to eat lobster or coconut prawns and listen to the local African-style ‘punta’ music. From Rio Dulce we continue by bus to the pretty island-town of Flores, situated in the centre of Lake Peten Itzá, which was the last town to be conquered by the Spanish. Flores is our base for exploring the incredible jungle Maya site of Tikal, which was regarded as the greatest city of the Maya world. This complex is one of the biggest Maya sites discovered and will take much of the day to explore. Today the main centre covers an area of approx. 2½
square kilometres but at its pinnacle the city stretched for nearly 100 kilometres. As you approach the site, you may see several tall mounds, which are temples that have not yet been excavated. The highest Maya temple is found at Tikal (70 metres). The emphasis was on height when creating these imposing structures because the Maya believed the higher the building the closer they were to the gods. Tikal is also rich in animal life, such as the Howler Monkey that was sacred to the Maya, the pizote- a racoon-like animal, bird life such as toucans and, if you’re very lucky you may even see a jaguar…

A short drive takes us to the Belize border and one of the least populated and smallest countries in Central America. Formally known as British Honduras, the official language is still English but almost everyone also speaks Spanish. First stop is San Ignacio. This attractive town is also known as “Cayo” and is an agricultural centre serving the areas many citrus and peanut farms. It is also known to be the ‘adventure’ and ‘nature’ capital of Belize, being surrounded by jungle, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers and caves. There are many optional excursions on offer; from canoeing down the river or tubing through caves, to visiting the nearby Maya site of Caracol- the biggest in
Belize- right now in the process of being excavated!

DAYS 18-19, Caye Caulker
Catching a bus through the centre of Belize, we reach Belize City and take a boat out to the Cayes (islands).
Belize is a great place to relax, with favourite sayings like "No problem" and, as one sign says, "Go slow". We spend a couple of very laid back nights on Caye Caulker, where you may find that you throw away your shoes to wander the sand filled streets. Another famous sign reads “No shirt, no shoes, no problem. No money, problem”! You can spend the evenings eating seafood, drinking cocktails, and listening to reggae music in one of the bars. During the day we can organise a range of different optional snorkelling trips for you, for eg. to Shark and Ray Alley where you will make some new underwater friends- the guides will tell you not to put your fingers in the sharks’
mouths, ask if you would! Some of you might decide to go on the ‘manatee excursion’ where if you’re lucky you’ll see these enormous seacows surface to take a breath. Another optional snorkelling tour takes you out to Hol-
Chan Marine Reserve where you are guaranteed to see lots of big, colourful fish. Qualified divers can explore the so-called bottomless "Blue Hole" made famous by the
explorer Jacques Cousteau (please note: this optional excursion does not go every day, check locally for availability). Other options include sunning yourself on a beach, riding a bike around the island or trying your luck at fishing. If you are lucky, make sure you then take your catch to one of the local restaurants so they can BBQ it for you.

DAYS 20-21, Bacalar – Cancún
Crossing back into Mexico we travel up the coast to Bacalar, set on the beautiful Laguna Bacalar (Lake Bacalar). The lake is one of the most picturesque in Mexico and is known as the “Lake of Seven Colours” for its seven hues reflected in its depths. Here you can go
swimming, kayaking, diving, boating, fishing and mountain biking. Bacalar is a quiet, tranquil town, far from the crowds and noise of the larger tourist spots. The next day we make our way to Cancún, approximately a four hour drive directly north of Bacalar. We spend our final night of the tour here.

DAY 22, Depart Cancún