Benefit from pick-up at your hotel in Cancún or the Riviera Maya, and then journey to one of the most important monuments on the Yucatán Peninsula. Upon arrival at Chichén Itzá, look at the step pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo), known for the play of light from the equinox that casts shadows on each step to create an image of a serpent descending. Go to the ancient cenote of Saamal and experience one of the sinkholes that form part of a network of underground rivers sacred to the Maya people. Enjoy a delicious buffet meal and take a stroll around the colonial city of Valladolid to complete your experience.
One of the most beautiful colonial cities of Yucatan and the first to be visited from the important tourist market of Quintana Roo is undoubtedly Valladolid, for the majesty of its temples and the ancestry of its old neighborhoods. After Mérida is the second city in importance and the oldest in Yucatan. Its streets and buildings preserve its glorious past and witnessed various indigenous uprisings, such as the so-called "War of Castes". Today it is a placid city where you can admire beautiful old houses, has great commercial dynamism and is a key point in the development of the state for its strategic location.
Saamal is a cenote outside Pisté in the Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán, Mexico. It is open to the public for swimming. The cenote is open to the sky with the water level about 26 meters (85 ft) below ground level. There is a carved stairway down to a swimming platform. The cenote is about 60 meters (200 ft) in diameter and about 40 meters (130 ft) deep. There are vines, which reach from the opening all the way down to the water along with small waterfalls. There are black catfish, which swim in the cenote. Cenote Saamal is sacred to the Mayans and the Mayans used this cenote for both relaxation and ritual services. Saamal is near the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, on the highway to Valladolid. Saamal was considered sacred by the Mayans who used the site as a location for human sacrifice to their rain god, Chaac. Bones and pieces of jewelry were found in the deep waters of this cenote by archaeologists and speleologists.
