San Gervasio<\/strong> on the island of Cozumel<\/a><\/li>

Tulum<\/strong>, a former fortress on the Atlantic coast<\/a><\/li>

Chichen Itza<\/strong>a spectacular inland city<\/a><\/li>

Coba<\/strong> and its ruins hidden in the jungle<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nCozumel: iguanas and old stones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
July 2014. Overwhelming heat. In this season, in the Caribbean Sea, the Mexican sun is beating down. In front of me, the remains of a small gray stone pyramid in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by vegetation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A nice size iguana is watching me from the corner of my eye. I approach with slow steps to draw his portrait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"An$ <\/a>
An iguana watches over the ruins of the pyramid of San Gervasio. Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
We are in San Gervasio, a Mayan archaeological site, created around 100 BC and occupied until the 16th century. Surrounded by a small jungle, it is in the center of the beautiful island of Cozumel, located off Playa del Carmen and Canc\u00fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are old stones, trees hugging the old stones and a few dripping tourists, more fascinated by the iguanas hiding in the brush than by the old stones, really. Yet, this small site dedicated to the Mayan goddess Ixchel - goddess of fertility, of the Moon, of medicine, of weaving - does not lack charms. An old paved road, a graceful arch still standing, several temples and buildings in fairly good condition. The place is peaceful, far from everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 For more information: Wikipedia page on San Gervasio<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I rented a scooter for the day, just to explore Cozumel quietly. San Gervasio is my first Mexican \"cultural\" excursion, my first Mayan pyramid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Intense$ <\/a>
Intense heat on the small pyramid of San Gervasio. Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"A$ <\/a>
<\/a>A guide tells a group of tourists about the history of the arch and the ancient Mayan road of San Gervasio. Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Tulum: facing the sea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A few days later, I left Cozumel, where I spent most of the week exploring the superb coral reef of the island<\/a>. I now head for the beaches of Tulum and its archaeological site (created in the 6th century, occupied until the 16th), a few kilometers south of Playa del Carmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Tulum$ <\/a>
Tulum is a Mayan archeological site overlooking the beach and the turquoise blue of the Caribbean Sea. Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I took the ferry at dawn in Cozumel, then boarded a bus that dropped me off at the guesthouse i-Tour<\/a>The hotel is located at the crossroads of two main roads in Tulum. I took the economic option for the only night I intend to spend here. The accommodations on the beach are crowded and overpriced, most of them flanked by bars with sound systems for nightly \"beach parties\"...<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For just sleeping and walking around during the day, i-Tour is a good option. Lovely welcome (in French!), bike loan, impeccable air-conditioned rooms, comfortable and thematic (from Frida Kahlo to Hugo Sanchez), several nice restaurants around. They are also a tourist center : all the minibuses of excursions stop at their place in the morning for breakfast and at this hour, there is a lot of people in the small courtyard, funny as anything (wink to Marie-Julie and her Taxi-Brousse blog<\/a>, who stopped there).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"i-Tour$ <\/a>
i-Tour Mexico, Tulum. Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"i-Tour$ <\/a><\/figure><\/li>
$\"i-Tour$ <\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I leave my bag and go quickly by bike to the site of Tulum in the middle of the morning. It's already a little too late: the clusters of tourists coming from Canc\u00fan and Playa del Carmen start to pour in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There too, the sun is beating down. Tulum was a fortress-port and we can discover many well preserved buildings, on a cliff overhanging the magnificent turquoise blue of the Caribbean Sea. The light is intense, the place very beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 More information: Wikipedia page on Tulum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the crowd of visitors, always more dense, spoils a little the contemplation. I end up fleeing and pedaling to a piece of beach to complete this day of tourist on the Riviera Maya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"At$ <\/a>
At the foot of the cliffs of Tulum, a protected beach, where turtles come to lay. Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The Mayan site of Tulum is very busy. Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"Tulum$ <\/a>
<\/a>Tulum is one of the only archaeological sites that offers direct access to the beach. Quintana Roo, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1: spectacular!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The next day, I take a bus to Valladolid<\/a>I'm planning to stay a few days to explore the area and visit several other famous sites, including the very famous Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Wouaaah$ <\/a>
Wow... Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1! Mexico, Yucat\u00e1n, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Valladolid is charming and enchanted me from the moment I arrived. Less big and less far from the coast than Merida, it is the ideal base to explore the region. One morning, very early, I board a collectivo <\/em>(collective taxi), determined this time to be the very first one to visit Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1 site that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is THE most famous Mayan site, the most visited, the most beautiful, Unesco listed, and everything and anything!!! \ud83d\ude32<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 For more information: Wikipedia entry on Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The girl who wanted to see the Mayan pyramids has seen them! Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
I'm so excited when I get there, that I succumb to the Instagram selfie<\/a> of pure tourist. Well, it's not every day that you can take a selfie in front of a Mayan pyramid... \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I arrive so early that the ticket booths are not yet open. I am really the first visitor of the day to pass the entrance of the site. It makes the staff at the cash registers laugh, enjoying the calm before the tourist influx of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had read mixed comments about Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1. For my part, it is quite the opposite, I will leave enchanted by my visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I start with the big pyramid. The light is beautiful and soft, still, at this time of the day. Some lonely people like me are already following me on the vast grassy esplanade. The travelling merchants begin to arrive. For them, it is the race. They rush with their handcarts in the alleys, to quickly arrange their stalls of trinkets. They throw me astonished glances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1 is really worth a visit. The huge pelota court, the still intact sculptures and this vertiginous central pyramid are the highlights of the show. When I leave, at the end of the morning, I have difficulty to go back up the flow of the crowd in the opposite direction!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The great pyramid of Chichen Itza, just for me! Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The great pyramid of Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1 (called \"Castillo\" by the Spanish conquistadores) before the arrival of the crowd. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The arrival of street vendors in Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The huge ball park. Large snakes watch over the most imposing buildings. They represent the god Kukulc\u00e1n, the feathered serpent. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The Great Pyramid of Chichen Itza. Mexico, Yucat\u00e1n, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"At$ <\/a>
At the foot of one of the stairs of the great pyramid. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"One$ <\/a>
One of the strange faces that adorn the building called \"La Iglesia\". Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"An$ <\/a>
An army of skulls of warriors. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"Skulls$ <\/a>
Skulls sold to tourists. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"I$ <\/a>
<\/a>I leave the site when the crowd begins to arrive. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Cob\u00e1: Mysteries in the jungle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
And then, there is the nice site of Cob\u00e1, scattered in the jungle. It is also easily accessible from Valladolid. You can rent a bike, or a cyclo for two, at the entrance. It is a pleasure to pedal under the cover of the trees and to stop from one vestige to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The great Mayan pyramid of Cob\u00e1. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I start with the great pyramid. One of the few where it is still allowed to climb. It is vertiginous, the steps are a little collapsed and you have to hold on to a big rope to go up as well as to go down. But it is worth it. The jungle spreads out endlessly, below, like a sea of greenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 Find out more: Wikipedia file on Coba<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There again, I succeeded in arriving early enough, to feel almost like an explorer. But it doesn't last very long... I will console myself with the small pyramids still buried in the vegetation, where the crowd doesn't stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Coba.$ <\/a><\/figure><\/li>
$\"Coba.$ <\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>
The vertiginous pyramid of Cob\u00e1, seen from below and from above...<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The huge site of Cob\u00e1 can be visited by bike. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"Smaller$ <\/a>
Smaller pyramids are still buried in the vegetation. Cob\u00e1, Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
$\"From$ <\/a>
From the top of the pyramid of Cob\u00e1, we can see over the jungle and we can guess the sea on the horizon. There are quantity of other buildings, more or less well preserved, scattered in the vegetation. Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico, July 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I am publishing this post more than a year after my July 2014 trip to Mexico!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I have already talked a lot about the spectacular dives<\/a> that I could do in the waters of the Yucat\u00e1n peninsula, but I still have some \"terrestrial\" memories to revive. Other Mexican articles should therefore appear unexpectedly, as the next publications go by...<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To find all the articles previously published about this 2014 Mexico trip, click on the link below... \ud83d\ude09<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The old stones of Mexico are worth seeing. And Indiana Jones can (still) go get dressed. To me, the mysterious Mayan pyramids!<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tpgb_global_settings":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[252],"tags":[254,257,258,283,284,285,287,27,288,67,253],"class_list":["post-8562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-voyage-mexique-yucatan-juillet-2014","tag-yucatan","tag-quintana-roo","tag-riviera-maya","tag-tourisme","tag-valladolid","tag-tulum","tag-coba","tag-jungle","tag-mayas","tag-temple","tag-mexique"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200.jpg?wsr","tpgb_featured_images":{"full":["https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200.jpg?wsr",1200,800,false],"tp-image-grid":["https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200-700x700.jpg?wsr",700,700,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200-250x250.jpg?wsr",250,250,true],"medium":["https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200-390x260.jpg?wsr",390,260,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200-770x513.jpg?wsr",770,513,true],"large":["https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/100-chichen-itza-pyramid-1200-780x520.jpg?wsr",780,520,true],"default":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/wp-content\/plugins\/the-plus-addons-for-block-editor\/assets\/images\/tpgb-placeholder.jpg"},"tpgb_post_meta_info":{"get_date":"15 October 2015","get_modified_date":"23 April 2021","category_list":{"category":[{"term_id":252,"name":"Mexique : Yucat\u00e1n - juillet 2014","slug":"voyage-mexique-yucatan-juillet-2014","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":260,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Cap sur le Mexique et la p\u00e9ninsule du Yucat\u00e1n, c\u00f4t\u00e9 mer des Cara\u00efbes, pour un voyage plong\u00e9e de trois semaines en juillet. Au menu : c\u00e9notes dans la jungle, r\u00e9cif de Cozumel, requins-baleines autour d'Isla Mujeres. C\u00f4t\u00e9 terrestre : incursions dans les temples mayas.","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"23"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":254,"name":"Yucat\u00e1n","slug":"yucatan","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":262,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":257,"name":"Quintana Roo","slug":"quintana-roo","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":265,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":258,"name":"Riviera Maya","slug":"riviera-maya","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":266,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":283,"name":"Tourisme","slug":"tourisme","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":293,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":284,"name":"Valladolid","slug":"valladolid","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":294,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":285,"name":"Tulum","slug":"tulum","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":295,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":287,"name":"Cob\u00e1","slug":"coba","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":297,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":27,"name":"Jungle","slug":"jungle","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":27,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":14,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":288,"name":"Mayas","slug":"mayas","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":298,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":67,"name":"Temple","slug":"temple","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":67,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":253,"name":"Mexique","slug":"mexique","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":261,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"}]},"author_name":"Corinne Bourbeillon","author_url":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/author\/cbourbeillon\/","author_email":"corinne.pbda@gmail.com","author_website":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/corinne-bourbeillon\/","author_description":"Journaliste, plongeuse et\u00a0photographe sous-marine, Corinne adore faire des bulles avec les\u00a0poissons\u00a0! La beaut\u00e9 du monde et\u00a0de\u00a0l'oc\u00e9an lui ont inspir\u00e9 ce blog. \r\n\r\n En savoir plus<\/a>","author_facebook":"","author_twitter":"","author_instagram":"","author_role":["administrator"],"author_firstname":"Corinne","author_lastname":"Bourbeillon","user_login":"cbourbeillon","author_avatar":"","author_avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7542464a0f3c6a1baf2af7786ad5764b10f9d60908fb1278a969310cf533aedd?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","comment_count":10,"post_likes":0,"post_views":0},"tpgb_post_category":{"category":"Mexique : Yucat\u00e1n - juillet 2014<\/a> ","post_tag":"Yucat\u00e1n<\/a> Quintana Roo<\/a> Riviera Maya<\/a> Tourisme<\/a> Valladolid<\/a> Tulum<\/a> Cob\u00e1<\/a> Jungle<\/a> Mayas<\/a> Temple<\/a> Mexique<\/a> "},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}