The Route
Since the Yucatan peninsula is basically 500 km wide by 400 km deep, it's hard to really stretch your legs inside it. On the other hand the place is sparsely populated, with a rural density of about 54 per square kilometer. By contrast the density in Netherlands is 420 and in rural Germany its 150. Being Canadians, sparse population should not faze us however. The rural density in Saskatchewan is 2 per square kilometer, and in Manitoba where we used to live, it has risen to 10. (Those are the kind of Canadian figures mentioned by the Arrogant Worms in their "Toronto Song" with the off hand comment "Isn't that stupid!"). Cyclists, even those looking for a quiet ride, do actually need a certain population density and a certain number of other tourists around, because out on the slow moving bikes we are fairly helpless on our own.
It means that once again we will stick to the relatively developed east and north of the peninsula. But there are still new experiences waiting for us there. We plan to explore Isla Mujeres, off the Cancun coast, the Ruta de Los Cenotes, south of Cancun, and to go on guided birding outings at Chichen Itza, Puerto Morelos, and Rio Lagartos! Plus we will circle the island of Cozumel, which had been a favourite of Jacques Cousteau (except we hope to stay out of the sea!).
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The route is nominally 1200 km, and includes about a month of cycling. It's quite conservative, showing that we will not be venturing this time into Merida or the territories south and west of it. On the other hand, a train route has now been built. It's called the Tren Maya, and we hope for another time that it could open up the south to us a bit. It's tricky, because just the existence of the train will not automatically create places for cyclists to stay in the remote areas it may access. The Tren Maya route looks like this:
The route we will follow this time has maybe three parts. First we will head out the "back" side of Cancun, past the town of Leona Vicario. It's the "back" side because it heads inland, not along the Caribbean, as 99% of tourists will do. Our target here is Coba, the site of a fairly major Mayan ruin plus some reasonable birding at the laguna that borders the town. Probably we will not actually walk the ruin site.
From Coba we will go to the central town of Valladolid. It's a nice place where we have a favourite hotel - the San Clemente. There is a covered food fair off the square there, where there is lots of typical Yucatan food, fresh squeezed orange juice, and a strange favourite for us - the Chinese food place.
From Valladolid it's north to the Gulf, and the great birding tour at Rio Lagartos. Diego Nunez or one of his sons will take us out by boat into the lagoon and mangroves there.
From Rio Lagartos we enter a bit of an accommodation desert, in which we pause at Tizimin and then make a run for Dzidzantun. But after we make that, it's up to the Gulf coast and finally past some great sea bird lagoons on the way to Progreso. Here we are in the crater impact zone, and we will peek at the Meteorite Museum along the Progreso boardwalk. We know it's a guided tour in Spanish only, so just a peek will probably be the extent of it.
From Progreso we will dip south a bit and head back through Izamal, the yellow city. Izamal was painted this way for the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1993, and now it has become famous for it. It also has the giant Convento de San Antonio de Padua, and is generally a fun place.
Some major other chunks still remain on this itinerary. Between Izamal and Valladolid lies Chichen Itza, and very near it the Hacienda Chichen, where we have booked a short guided bird walk and also breakfast (way too expensive to actually stay there!). And then there is Ik Kil, one of the most exciting cenotes (also boasting a buffet lunch!) as well as the famous ruins themselves.
Back through Valladolid and Coba, we will reach the Caribbean coast at last, and begin the harrowing trek up busy highway 307, to Playa del Carmen. Playa is the gateway to Cozumel, which is reached by a rather bouncy ferry ride. I think they will strap our bikes to the railing, and we hope they don't land in the sea. Around Cozumel and back, and it's on to Puerto Morelos, where we have a birding tour along the Ruta de Los Cenotes.
Finally back at Cancun, we will check out the famous hotel zone, where we have never ventured before, and finally a short ferry hop to Isla Mujeres.
It's just 1200 or so km, but it does seem rather adventure packed as I run through it here. A bit tiring too to go over it. I think I'd better turn in!
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