En Route To Uxmal

Two routes go to Uxmal, about 80km (50 miles) south of Mérida. The most direct is Highway 261 via Umán and Muna. On the way, you can stop to see Hacienda Yaxcopoil, which is 30km (20 miles) from Mérida. If you have the time and want a more scenic route, try the meandering State Highway 18. It's sometimes called the Convent Route, but all tourism hype aside, it makes for a pleasant drive with several interesting stops. One thing you might do is make your trip to Uxmal into a loop by going one way and coming back the other with an overnight stay at Uxmal. You could plan on arriving in Uxmal in the late afternoon, attend the sound-and-light show in the evening, and see the ruins the next morning while it is cool and uncrowded.

While traveling in this area you'll pass through small villages without directional signs, so get used to poking your head out the window and saying "Buenos días. ¿Dónde está el camino para . . . ?" which translates as "Good day. Where is the road to . . . ?" I end up asking more than one person. The streets in these villages are full of children, bicycles, and livestock, so drive carefully and, as always, keep an eye out for unmarked topes. The attractions on these routes all have the same hours: Churches are open daily from 10am to 1pm and 4 to 6pm; ruins are open daily from 8am to 5pm.

Highway 261: Yaxcopoil & Muna -- From downtown, take Calle 65 or 69 to Avenida Itzáes and turn left; this feeds onto the highway. You can save some time by looping around the busy market town of Umán. To do so, take the exit for Highway 180 Cancún and Campeche, and then follow signs towards Campeche. You'll be on 180 headed south; take it for a few miles to where it intersects with Highway 261; take the exit labeled UXMAL. Very shortly you'll come to the town and Hacienda Yaxcopoil (yash-koh-poyl; tel. 999/900-1193; www.yaxcopoil.com), a ruined hacienda in plain sight on the right side of the road. In the front courtyard -- now a parking lot -- is a giant Indian laurel tree. You can take a half-hour tour of the place, including the manor, and the henequén factory. It's open from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 1pm. Admission is $5 (£2.50). It's a little overpriced because the owners have not put much effort into making it a special attraction, but the grounds are attractive, and there are some things of interest.

After Yaxcopoil comes the little market town of Muna (65km/40 miles from Mérida). Here you can find excellent reproductions of Maya ceramics. An artisan named Rodrigo Martín Morales has worked 25 years perfecting the style and methods of the ancient Maya. He and his family have two workshops in town. They do painstaking work and sell a lot of their production to archeologists and museum stores. The first store is on the right at the junction of a bypass for Muna. Look for a typical Maya dwelling and a small store. The main store is 3km (2 miles) farther on, just as you enter Muna. Keep an eye out for two large Ceiba trees growing on the right-hand side of the road. Under the trees a small plaza with stalls sell handcrafts or food. Make a right turn and go down 45m (150 ft.). On your left will be a store. It's not well marked, but it will be obvious. The name of the place is Taller de Artesanía Los Ceibos (tel. 997/971-0036). The family will be working in the back. Only Spanish is spoken. The store is open from 9am to 6pm daily. In addition to ceramics, Rodrigo works in stone, wood, and jade. Uxmal is 15km (9 1/3 miles) beyond Muna.

Highway 18 (The Convent Route): Kanasin, Acanceh, Mayapan & Ticul -- From downtown take Calle 63 east to Circuito Colonias and turn right; look for a traffic circle with a small fountain and turn left. This feeds onto Highway 18 to Kanasín (kah-nah-seen) and then Acanceh (ah-kahn-keh). In Kanasín, the highway divides into two roads, and a sign will tell you that you can't go straight; instead, you go to the right, which will curve around and flow into the next parallel street. Go past the market, church, and the main square on your left, and then stay to the right when you get to a fork.

Shortly after Kanasín, the highway has been upgraded and now bypasses a lot of villages. After a few of these turnoffs you'll see a sign pointing left to Acanceh. Across the street from and overlooking Acanceh's church is a restored pyramid. On top of this pyramid, under a makeshift roof, are some large stucco figures of Maya deities. The caretaker, Mario Uicab, will guide you up to see the figures and give you a little explanation (in Spanish). Admission is $2.50 (£1.25). There are some other ruins a couple of blocks away called El Palacio de los Estucos. In 1908, a stucco mural was found here in mint condition. It was left exposed and has deteriorated somewhat. Now it is sheltered, and you can still easily distinguish the painted figures in their original colors. To leave Acanceh, head back to the highway on the street that passes between the church and the plaza.

The next turnoff will be for Tecoh on the right side. Tecoh's parish church sits on a massive pre-Columbian raised platform -- the remains of a ceremonial complex that was sacrificed to build the church. With its rough stone and simple twin towers that are crumbling around the edges, the church looks ancient. Inside are three carved retablos (altarpieces) covered in gold leaf and unmistakably Indian in style. In 1998, they were refurbished and are well worth seeing.

Also in Tecoh are some caverns, shown by a local. The bad news is that the owner doesn't have a very good flashlight, and I found myself groping around in the dark. You'll find them as you leave town heading back to the highway. Then it's on to the ruins of Mayapán.