Yucatan

Introduction to Yucatan

The three states that comprise the Yucatan peninsula - Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo - are among the hottest and most tropical-feeling parts of Mexico, though they in fact lie further north than you might imagine: the sweeping curve of southern Mexico means that the Yucatan state capital, Mérida , is actually north of Mexico City. Until the 1960s, when proper road and train links were completed, the Yucatan lived out of step with the rest of the country - it had almost as much contact with Europe and the USA as with central Mexico. Tourism has since made major inroads, especially in the north around the great Maya sites and on the route from Mérida to the Quintana Roo coast, where development has centred on the "super-resort" of Cancún , the islands of Isla Mujeres, Cozumel , and, in more recent years, the once sleepy fishing village of Playa del Carmen . But away from the big centres, especially in the south, where townships are sparsely scattered in thick jungly forest, there's still a distinct pioneering feel.

Travelling around the peninsula, the changes in landscape are hard to miss. In Yucatan state, the shallow, rocky earth gives rise to stunted trees - here, underground wells known as cenotes are the only source of water. At the opposite end of the scale, Campeche boasts a huge area of tropical forest , the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, though this is steadily shrinking with the growing demand for timber and land for cattle ranching. The entire peninsular coastline is great for spotting wildlife - notably turtles at the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Quintana Roo, and the flocks of flamingos at Celestún and Río Lagartos in Yucatan - but the most spectacular, white-sand beaches line the Caribbean coast, where magnificent offshore coral reefs form part of the second-largest barrier reef system in the world.

History

The peninsula's modern boom is, in fact, a reawakening, for this has been the longest continuously civilized part of the country, with evidence of Maya inhabitants as early as 2500 BC, producing pottery and living in huts virtually identical to those you see in the villages today. The Maya are not a specifically Mexican culture - their greatest cities, indeed, were not in Mexico at all but in the lowlands of modern Guatemala, Belize and Honduras - but they did produce a unique style in the Yucatan and continued to flourish here long after the collapse of the "Classic" civilizations to the south. This they did in spite of natural handicaps - thin soil, heat, humidity and lack of water - and in the face of frequent invasion from central Mexico. And here the Maya peasantry still live, remarkably true to their old traditions and lifestyle, despite the hardships of the intervening years: ravaged by European diseases and forced to work on vast colonial encomiendas , or later, through the semi-slavery of debt peonage, on the henequen plantations or in the forests, hauling timber.

The florescence of Maya culture, throughout their extensive domains, came in the Classic period from around 300 to 900 AD: an age in which the cities grew up and Maya science and art apparently reached their height. The Maya calendar, a complex interaction of solar, lunar, astronomical and religious dates, was far more complicated and accurate than the Gregorian one, and they also developed a sophisticated mathematical and (still largely undeciphered) hieroglyphic system and perspective in art 500 or so years before Renaissance Europe. In the early ninth century AD, growing military tensions and a prolonged drought saw the abandonment of many of the southern lowland cities (Tikal and Calakmul among them), while the cities of the northern lowlands - such as Chichén Itza, Uxmal and the Puuc sites - began to flourish. These in turn collapsed about 1200 AD, to be succeeded by Mayapan and a confederacy of other cities that probably included Tulum and Cozumel. By the time the Spanish arrived, Mayapan's power, too, had been broken by revolt, and the Maya had splintered into tribalism - although still with coastal cities and long-distance sea trade that awed the conquistadors. It proved the hardest area of the country to pacify. Despite attempts to destroy all trace of the ancient culture, there was constant armed rebellion against the Spanish and later the Mexican authorities - the last, the Caste Wars of the nineteenth century, during which the Maya, supplied with arms from British Honduras (Belize), gained brief control of the entire peninsula. Gradually, though, they were again pushed back into the wastes of southern Quintana Roo, where the final pockets of resistance held out until the beginning of the twentieth century.

When to Go to Yucatan Peninsula

High season in the Yucatan begins around December 20 and continues to Easter. This is the best time for calm, warm weather; snorkeling, diving, and fishing (the calmer weather means clearer and more predictable seas); and for visiting the ruins that dot the interior of the peninsula. Book well in advance if you plan to be in Cancún around the holidays.

Low season begins the day after Easter and continues to mid-December; during low season, prices may drop 20% to 50%. In Cancún and along the Riviera Maya, demand by European visitors is creating a summer high season, with hotel rates approaching those charged in the winter months.

Generally speaking, Mexico's dry season runs from November to April, with the rainy season stretching from May to October. It isn't a problem if you're staying close to the beaches, but for those bent on road-tripping to Chichén Itza, Uxmal, or other sites, temperatures and humidity in the interior can be downright stifling from May to July. Later in the rainy season, the frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes increases; such storms, of course, can put a crimp in your vacation. But they can lower temperatures, making climbing ruins a real joy, accompanied by cool air and a slight wind. November is especially ideal for Yucatan travels. Cancún, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres also have a rainy season from November to January, when northern storms hit. This usually means diving visibility is diminished -- and conditions may prevent boats from even going out.

Villahermosa is sultry and humid all the time. San Cristobal de las Casas, at an elevation of 2,152m (7,100 ft.), is much cooler than the lowlands and is downright cold in winter.

Yucatan Hotels and Resorts