En Route To Uxmal

Two routes go to Uxmal, about 80km (50 miles) south of Mérida. The most direct is Hwy. 261, via Umán and Muna. On the way, you can stop to see Hacienda Yaxcopoil, which is 30km (19 miles) from Mérida. If you have the time and want a more scenic route, try the meandering State Hwy. 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.

Hwy. 261: Yaxcopoil & Muna -- From downtown Mérida, 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 Hwy. 180 Cancún and Campeche, and then follow signs toward Campeche. You'll be on Hwy. 180 headed south; take it for a few miles to where it intersects with Hwy. 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 Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm, and Sunday 9am to 1pm. Admission is 50 pesos. 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 (1 3/4 miles) farther on, just as you enter Muna. Keep an eye out for two large Ceiba trees growing on the right side of the road. Under the trees, a small plaza with stalls sell handcrafts or food. Make a right turn and go down 45m (148 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 1/4 miles) beyond Muna.

Hwy. 18 (The Convent Route): Kanasin & Acanceh -- From downtown Mérida, 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 Hwy. 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 25 pesos. 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.

Mayapán

Founded, according to Maya lore, by the man-god Kukulkán (Quetzalcoatl in central Mexico) in about A.D. 1007, Mayapán quickly established itself as the most important city in northern Yucatán. For almost 2 centuries, it was the capital of a Maya confederation of city-states that included Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. But before 1200, the rulers of Mayapán ended the confederation by attacking and subjugating the other two cities. Eventually, a successful revolt by the other cities brought down Mayapán, which was abandoned during the mid-1400s.

The city extended out at least 4 sq. km (1 1/2 sq. miles), but the ceremonial center is quite compact. In the last few years, archaeologists have been busy excavating and rebuilding it, and work continues. Several buildings bordering the principal plaza have been reconstructed, including one that is similar to El Castillo in Chichén Itzá. The excavations have uncovered murals and stucco figures that provide more grist for the mill of conjecture: atlantes (columns in the form of a human figure supporting the structure), skeletal soldiers, macaws, entwined snakes, and a stucco jaguar. This place is definitely worth a stop.

The site is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Admission is 35 pesos. Use of a personal video camera is 45 pesos.

From Mayapán to Ticul -- About 20km (12 miles) after Mayapán, you'll see the highway for Mama on your right. This will put you on a narrow road that quickly enters the town. For some reason, I really like this village; some parts of it are quite pretty. It's often called Mamita by the locals, using the affectionate diminutive suffix. The main attraction is the church and former convent. Inside are several fascinating retablos sculpted in a native form of baroque. During the restoration of these buildings, colonial-age murals and designs were uncovered and restored. Be sure to get a peek at them in the sacristy. From Mama, continue on for about 20km (12 miles) to Ticul, a large (for this area) market town with a couple of simple hotels.

Ticul

Best known for the cottage industry of huipil (native blouse) embroidery and for the manufacture of women's dress shoes, Ticul isn't the most exciting stop on the Puuc route, but it's a convenient place to wash up and spend the night. It's also a center for large-scale pottery production -- most of the widely sold sienna-colored pottery painted with Maya designs comes from here. If it's a cloudy, humid day, the potters may not be working (part of the process requires sun drying), but they still welcome visitors to purchase finished pieces.

Ticul is only 20km (12 miles) northeast of Uxmal, so thrifty tourists stay either here or in Santa Elena instead of the more expensive hotels at the ruins. On the main square is the Hotel Plaza, Calle 23 no. 202, near the intersection with Calle 26 (tel. 997/972-0484). It's a modest but comfortable hotel. A double room with air-conditioning costs 350 pesos; without air-conditioning, 250 pesos. In both cases, there's a 5% charge if you want to pay with a credit card (MasterCard and Visa accepted). Get an interior room if you're looking for quiet, because Ticul has quite a lively plaza. From Ticul, you can do one of two things: head straight for Uxmal via Santa Elena, or loop around the Puuc Route, the long way to Santa Elena.

From Ticul to Uxmal -- Follow the main street (Calle 23) west through town. Turn left on Calle 34. It's 15km (9 1/4 miles) to Santa Elena, and from there another 15km (9 1/4 miles) to Uxmal. In Santa Elena, by the side of Hwy. 261, is a clean restaurant with good food, El Chaac Mool, and on the opposite side of the road is the Flycatcher Inn B&B.