LOCALLY HOSTED SMALL GROUP TOUR
Trip Length: 7 days
Trip Dates:
Dec 28-Jan 3, 2011
6 nights in an Historic Hacienda
& Boutique Hotel | 8 meals
Rates: $2275 double | $3050 single
Rates are based on 4 to 8 travelers
International Airfare is additional.
| FLY USA to Merida, Mexico. Drive to Santa Rosa. | |
| Tour to Celestun | |
| Tour of Uxmal | |
| Santa Rosa – Sotuta de Peón - Mérida | |
| New Year's Lunch at the Private Tekik de Regil | |
| Tour of Chichen Itzá & Izamal | |
| DAy 7 - MOn Jan 03 | Fly Merida to USA |
Welcome to the Yucatan, the extraordinary point of departure that opens your eyes, your mind—maybe even your soul—to more than three millennia of living Maya culture. Coda’s adventure takes you off the beaten track and into direct contact with people and places only the luckiest travelers reach. Our experts, the top guides anywhere in the region, lead you to adventure, history, culture—yet always make time for fun in the sun, the shade and in crystal-clear waters. You’ll see exuberant flora and fauna—and get ready to dine on cuisine that’s truly a feast for the senses. Whether you’re relaxing at haciendas, hiking nature reserves, exploring ancient ruins or learning about today’s vibrant Maya culture, there’s nothing else like the Yucatán.
Your driver will collect you at the Merida airport and bring you to the magnificent Hacienda Santa Rosa, an impeccably restored hacienda dating to the seventeenth century, now a five-star hotel. You are reserved on a bed and continental breakfast basis.
At this exquisite hacienda, explore its tranquil gardens, swim in its intimate pool or relax at the Maya spa. The botanical garden is regionally prized for its medical and comestible produce. Dine on delicious local recipes in and out of doors, in high back-country style.
Hacienda Santa Rosa
Room Superior
Meals Continental Breakfast
After breakfast, explore fascinating Celestun, a nature preserve on the Yucatán’s gulf coast. A boat excursion takes you to the estuary and the bordering mangrove forests where you’ll come face to face with hundreds of pink flamingos and dozens of other avian species. There’s also time for swimming in a natural spring and a visit to the town of Celestún, an authentic fishing village, practically frozen in time.
After a day of exploration and relaxation in nature, it’s back “home” to Hacienda Santa Rosa. Take this afternoon to explore the Mayan Workshops situated behind Hacienda Santa Rosa.
Hacienda Santa Rosa
Room Superior
Meals Continental Breakfast
Continental breakfast. Today’s adventure begins at Uxmal. This Maya city, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its sculptured building facades – among the most complex and beautiful in the Yucatan.
Explore the site, including the Temple of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle, the Ball Court, and the Governor’s Palace. At the end of the tour, we’ll head back to Hacienda Santa Rosa.
Hacienda Santa Rosa
Room Superior
Meals Continental Breakfast
Continental breakfast. Today we visit Sotuta de Peón, one of the Yucatán’s last working henequen plantations, where you witness the centuries-old techniques that once brought wealth to the region and now are the base for beautiful artisanal crafts.
We explore its production, from planting to harvest, cleaning, drying and spinning and also enjoy a truck ride through the sisal fields. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit— there’s a refreshing dip in the hacienda’s cenote
After Sotuta de Peón, we move on to our next destination: Merida. Also known as the White City, the capital of Yucatan state was built where the ancient Maya city T’ho once stood.
While in Merida, you’ll stay in Rosas & Xocolate, the ultimate lifestyle destination of Merida and a member of Design Hotels. This boutique hotel is situated in the historical Av. Paseo de Montejo where its elegant façade glows pink. You are reserved on a bed & full breakfast basis.
Hotel Rosas & Xocolate
Room Superior
Meals Breakfast
Later in the day we journey to Hacienda Tekik de Regil, a Catherwood exclusive property.
Tekik de Regil is an architectural gem from the Yucatan Belle Époque, recently rescued and painstakingly restored. Your private visit takes you to the hacienda chapel, its machine house and the breathtaking main house. This is the scenario for a Special New Years Lunch!
Welcome in 2011 with a sunny afternoon, great conversations, regional cuisine and the incredible splendors of private hacienda Tekik de Regil.
Hotel Rosas & Xocolate
Room Superior
Meals Breakfast, Lunch
Early in the morning start at Chichen Itza, the pre-Hispanic world’s most celebrated archaeological site, possibly one of the most complex. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was originally built by the Maya, later conquered by Itzás, and Toltecs, and ultimately defeated by princes of Mayapán.
You’ll visit the world famous Castillo, a pyramid recently declared one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes the sun’s rays create the image of a descending serpent on the pyramid’s steps.
We also visit the site’s other principal constructions and then the Sacred Cenote, where skeletal remains and other archaeological treasures associated with ritual sacrifice have been found.
After Chichen Itza, we head to Izamal, where almost every structure is egg-yolk yellow! Izamal is a living Maya town and art colony. Your expert guide leads you to all of Izamal’s principal sites and explains its intriguing blend of Maya, Spanish and modern cultures.
Mix with the local artisans and visit their antique workshops, learn by visiting the town’s famed folk art museum, relax with an authentic Mayan massage, enjoy the clippity-clop of the horses pulling carriages through unforgettable sights of a small city with rich history
Hotel Rosas & Xocolate
Room Superior
Meals Breakfast
After breakfast. Drive Merida airport
Catherwood’s drivers will take you to the Merida airport for your flight home.
Meals Breakfast
| The Yucatan has the most beautifully renovated haciendas in Mexico. They still retain their colonial charm and offer excellent service and a special, romantic way to experience the region. The Yucatan has a rich colonial past, and the haciendas that dot the awe-inspiring landscape were once an integral part of this rich era. Many of the Yucatan Haciendas produced henequen, which led to the wealth of the land owners; however, many were destroyed during the Mexican Revolution. Luckily for us we can now stay at these gorgeous Yucatan haciendas and get a glimpse into Mexico’s illustrious past. |
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| Hacienda Santa Rosa is located in the Puuc region, roughly 45 minutes from downtown Merida. With only 11 rooms you know you're in for a quiet, romantic stay at Hacienda Santa Rosa. There are also lots of adventures to be had in the surrounding area. |
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| Rosas & Xocolate, named after the two most popular lovers’ gift items, is designed for guests who take romance seriously. Once made up of two colonial mansions, the haute-pueblo building was designed and restored by architect Salvador Reyes Rios and his partner Josefina Larrain. The duo perfectly melded the rustic elegance of the historic mansions with modern accoutrements, like state-of-the-art entertainment systems and dazzling open-sky bathtubs, for guests who desire the utmost in under-the-stars indulgence. |
| Double | $2275 |
| Single | $3050 |
No visa is required for American or Canadian passport holders for entyr into Mexico. You should carry a valid passport with you.
No special inoculations are needed.
Continental, Aeromexico, Mexicana Airlines are among airlines that can be used for this trip. We recommend booking at least 7 months in advance if you want to try to use Frequent Flyer Miles for free tickets or upgrades or the American Express Platinum card 2-4-1 program.
This departure is guaranteed on a minimum of 2 participants. Rates shown are valid for 4 to 8 travelers in a group. Rates will be adjusted if there are only 2 participants.
| December | Merida |
| High | 84 |
| Low | 65 |
| Rainfall | 1.3 |
