Best Things to do in Valladolid, Mexico!
Best Things to do in Valladolid, Mexico
If you have never been to Valladolid, you are missing out!
It is a Pueblo Magico in Mexico that is full of charm, authenticity, and history.
Here I am going to share some of the best things to do in Valladolid, Mexico.
Good to Know First!
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Things to do in Valladolid
If you would like to know more about magical towns, check out Guide to Pueblos Magicos.
Check out this map of places to stay and things to do in Valladolid! I have marked some of the things to do on this map so you can see where they are. Check it out.
Visit a Cenote
There is a cenote that is walking distance from the Municipal Square, which is the centre of the town.
It’s called Cenote Zaci.
This cenote is 40 meters deep and 45 meters in diameter. The temperature on average is 20-22 degrees.
You will see 2 platforms that you can jump off of that are 5 meters and 7 meters high.
You have to go down about 50 stairs to reach the cenote. It takes on average about 5 minutes to get to the bottom of the cenote.
Good to know:
- No pets allowed
- You have to go down stairs to get to the cenote
- The washrooms are located at the top level only
- Only cash is accepted to pay the entrance fee to the cenote
- Bring small change for the washroom and shower
- Water shoes are recommended as the rocks can be slippery
- There is parking if you’re driving
To enter this cenote you have to pay 70 Mexican Pesos which pays for your entrance and a life jacket.
You will get a bracelet that allows you to enter the cenote.
There is also a washroom and shower that you have access to for 5 pesos.
If you get hungry, there’s a restaurant near the entrance to the cenote that has Yucatan style food. Yucatan is the name of the state.
The cenote is open daily from 9:00am to 4:30 or 5:00pm.
Cenote Zaci is located at Calle 36 and Called 37 to Calle 39.
It takes up a whole block!
There is also a big market above. so don’t forget your pesos so that you can get some of the beautiful art and clothing. Lastlly, there’s a natural area to walk around.
As this area is full of cenotes, I have included some links for other cenotes in the area, so you can pick which one you like best, or maybe you visit them all!
Chocolate Museum
It’s called Choco Story, or Museo del Chocolate.
You can walk around the store and buy some Mayan chocolate.
If you want to go to the museum you pay 190 Mexican pesos and then you enter in a store. Children under 6 are free and there is a seniors and student discount too.
The information for the Choco story is in Spanish, English, French, Russian, German, and Vietnamese.
Choco-Story or Museo de Chocolate is opened 7 days a week from 9:00am to 7:30pm. The last time that you can enter the museum is at 7:00pm.
I would recommend giving yourself an hour to experience it all.
You will get to check out 12 different rooms with
Choco Story is located at Calle 40 190 between calle (street) 37 and 39. It’s less then 1 block from the municipal square.
I saved the most important for last! Yes, you get to sample chocolate!! You can also buy some in the shop too.
Eat at Bazaar Municipal
This is a huge yellow open-concept building with arches along the outside that is across the street from the municipal park.
There are tons of food vendors there, as well a few vendors selling other items that are not food.
You can try all of the authentic Yucatan and Mayan foods like Poc Chuc, Longaniza, and Cochinita Pibil.
A good thing about this place is that there is tons of seating in the middle with all the vendors along the sides.
It is a busy place that is usually filled with locals.
When you walk in people will call you over to check out their menu or to order from them.
This is a authentic and economical choice where you can mingle amongst the locals and Mexican tourists.
Sample Xtabentun
You can book your Mayan bee tours and honey sampling here.
So what is Xtabentun? It is a special type of honey.
There are special Mayan bees here. I know, you’re thinking why are they special, well I was told that they don’t have stingers!
Also, they make a special type of honey that in Mayan is called Xtabentun.
I tried some that is mixed in a drink with mezcal.
It is not used for partying, but for medicinal purposes.
I was told that it helps with digestion, sore throats and more.
When I sampled it I tasted anise, and I noticed that it was very thick almost like a cough syrup.
You can sample this special honey at different places in the area.
One place that is close to the municipal square, in fact it’s across the street, is Centro Artensanal 2000. They sell art, natural products and liquors there.
Tour on El Bus Magico
You can catch this bus across from the municipal park.
You will see a sign on the sidewalk that says ‘tourist buses’ with a map on it.
This bus has been giving tours in Valladolid for fifteen years.
They play fun music while they wait for people to come on. After the bus leaves, it is a historical tour, not a party bus.
If you go on the Magical Bus you will go through different historical districts of the town. You will pass by museums, an old convent and so many beautiful old building of every colour!
There are so many great photo ops!
There are so many arches everywhere it’s hard to keep track! I love the architecture in Valladolid!
The tour in total is about 35 minutes. You stay on the bus the whole time.
Anyways, this bus has a first level that holds 20 people, and a second level that holds 28 people.
Spend an evening in the Municipal Square
I recommend going any evening because as the sun starts to lower. This is when the vendors open and people begin to mingle through the park.
You can enjoy homemade ice cream. They have flavours like coconut, mango and vanilla.
There are options for your cone too; you can get a regular cone or a marquesita/crepe style cone.
Besides the food there are some performers that also come to the municipal square.
I saw a traditional Mayan dance and game that was quite long actually.
The next day there were traditional Yucatan dancers dancing folkloric dances with traditional clothing.
They both put on long performances and afterwards you can get your photo taken like I did.
Besides the performers, there are tons of vendors especially on the weekend. I saw the most amount of vendors on Sunday.
You can get some beautiful and traditional jewelry, leather shoes, clothing, art, lamps, food, honey, Mayan calendars, dream catchers and much more.
It’s even just nice to chill at people watch or relax in the park.
The Principal Park is located at Calle 41, 204A in the centre of Valldolid.
It is an 8-minute walk from the ADO bus station.
Enjoy a Marquesita!
I recommend taking the time to enjoy a marquesita in the park! I love these things! They are so messy to eat, but so delicious!
There are several vendors in the square that sell marquesitas, so you have options.
Marquesitas are a tradition of Valladolid.
They are like a rolled up crispy crepe filled with fruit or other toppings.
Some of the common toppings are nutella, caramel, cream cheese, grated cheese, whip cream and more.
You can also choose fruit like bananas, kiwis, strawberries and mangoes.
I chose the strawberries, nutella and cheese. So delish!
There can be long lines to get a marquesita in the municipal park; this is where they are sold regularly.
There are several vendors to chose from, so if one has a huge line you can always walk to another vendor.
The price of the marquesita depends on the vendor and the toppings that you choose. The marquesita that I chose cost 65 pesos.
Check out my YouTube video to see exactly what they are like. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel. Thanks!
So, what do you think?
Which kind or marquesita would you pick?
Chill on the famous white seats
Valladolid is known for these special seats that face each other.
They are great for sitting and chatting with someone or just chilling on your own.
There are quite a few of the these seats, as well as regular park benches.
This is one of the best parks that I have seen in terms of seating. There are so many places to chill.
Whether you chat with someone on the phone or people watch, I recommend trying out these seats.
You can always take your ice cream or marquesita with you and relax there too.
This park is a perfect place to chill in Valladolid.
Take in the views of the historical and colourful buildings
I felt completely safe in Valladolid. It’s such a nice and peaceful town.
They streets are lined with colourful houses, historical buildings with arches and some vendors.
There is so much to explore down each street.
At first, it seemed to me like Valladolid was so small, but as I started to mingle down the streets I noticed that there is a lot more!
I found tons of shops, restaurants, museums, churches, and things to do all in walking distance from the municipal square.
Check out these Tips To Not Get Lost While Travelling while you enjoy exploring Valladolid.
Shop at the Mercado de Artesanias
There are different vendors selling art and products throughout this large arched building.
This market is full of art and handmade items like dream catchers and fans.
You can also find things like backpacks, purses, bags, wallets, and clothing.
There are also a lot of leather products like sandals, wallets, purses and more.
It is a very quiet and chilled market that was not too busy while I was there.
The vendors are spaced out and there’s lots of room to walk around.
It’s on a corner of Calle 44 and Calle 39.
Visit the San Roque Museum
This is a very interesting museum.
It is full of ancient Mayan artifacts like bowls, vases and masks.
Although it is small, there are 3 sections to this museum. The first is the Mayan history, next is the history of the colonization, then the history of Valladolid specifically.
In terms of language, there are big informational signs, but they are only in Spanish.
At times there are staff who speak English, and other times there is not.
Either way, you can see all of the history, as well as a layout of what Valladolid used to look like.
That was so very interesting!
The are 2 other great things about this museum.
Firstly, you can walk there from the municipal square in less then 5 minutes.
Also, it’s free! You just have to write your name and where you’re from and when you came to the museum and that’s it.
There is also a nice garden area outside with some artifacts outside too.
Museo San Roque is located on Calle (street) 41. From the Municipal Park just walk straight on Calle 41 and you will see a large white building with an entrance on the side.
During the week it is opened from 8:00am to 8:00pm. From Friday to Sunday it is opened from 9:00am to 8:00pm.
Mingle through the Mercado Donato Bates
This is a very authentic market.
There is a butcher section, produce section, and other types of foods. Outside there is another section of the market that has art, clothing and jewelry.
You can capture some great photos of the beautiful tropical fruit and vegetables too.
There are different sections to this market, so keep exploring different areas.
There is even another area outside of the indoor area with the food.
It is only a 12-minute walk to the market from the municipal park.
The Mercado Donato Bates is located at Calle 32 at 182-197.
It’s worth the short walk to check out this market and mingle with the locals.
Not only at the market, but at the shops around town too, you will see tons of handmade art and products.
Take some time to enjoy the authenticity that is Valladolid!
Turibus
This is a tour bus that you can get on right in front of the municipal park.
It costs 80 Pesos for a 1 hour tour.
You will take a tour around different neighbourhoods in Valladolid.
This is not the kind of tour bus that you can get on and off. You stay on the whole time.
You will go by the San Roque museum, some churches, the San Bernardino Convent, and many beautiful buildings and areas.
If you want to go on this tour bus, you will be shaded by the canopy, but it’s still open-concept.
Look for the big red bus along side the municipal park.
Dine at Awesome Restaurants
There are so many great restaurants to enjoy in Valladolid!
I would recommend sitting in the garden at El Atrio del Mayab. This restaurant is located across from the Municipal Square.
From the front it looks like a normal restaurant with indoor seating, but if you walk through to the back you will see a beautiful garden area that you can dine in! It’s so nice!
Another great option is to enjoy a roof top view at Don Diablo.
This restaurant is located on the opposite side of the municipal park and has an amazing roof top with a great view of the downtown area.
Below Don Diablo is yet another great choice!
This restaurant is very elegant and classy. This restaurant is called El Meson De Marques.
If you’re looking for a breakfast place Los Portales which is also located across from the municipal park with yellow arches.
These restaurants are located around the Municipal Park which is the centre of downtown.
There are some really nice restaurants that are a short walk from the municipal park.
Some are home style restaurants and some have authentic Mayan and Yucatan dishes.
Visit Templo de San Servacio
This church is located across the street from the municipal square.
It’s on Calle 41, but really you can’t miss it.
You will hear the church bells ringing regularly and the church is right across from the municipal park too.
It is not always opened, but when it is you can walk around the church.
When I was there, I was lucky enough to see a projected show on the church which taught about the history of Valladolid and also specifically about the history of the church.
Tour Parrroquia de San Bernardino de Siena
The was a very interesting building to tour through.
It was a former convent that was considered an important place in history. It was a place of refuge and protected people during the wars.
It is considered one of the oldest buildings in Valladolid. It was built in 1552.
It’s a huge building that is actually 14, 121 square meters.
It’s very pink inside, check out the pictures. I was surprised to see that much pink.
The first floor has wheel chair ramps and is accessible, however it seems that the second level is not accessible without using the stairs.
This building is located at Calle 49 S/N and Calle 50 in Barrio de Sisal. It costs 40 Pesos to tour this amazing building, which is a great deal!
There is a park close by and as big open field.
If you cross the open field you will find the letters for Valladolid. There you can take your picture with the letters and the former convent in the background.
After you’re done with the tour and taking pictures with the letters, be sure to walk around a bit. There are some very nice restaurants close by and people selling handmade items in front or beside of the former convent too.
Tours in & around Valladolid
Are you looking to book some tours for you trip to Valladolid? You can check out your options throughout this blog or you can use this Viator tour widget.
Where to Stay
Valladolid is full of historical buildings and some really beautiful and interesting hotels.
Some hotels are very homey and simple, whereas others are more elegant and classy.
Check out some great options using booking.com.
How to get to Valladolid?
There are different options to get to Valladolid. You can take the Mayan Train from places like Chichen Itza, Cancun and more stops along the train route and get off at Valladolid.
From there, you can buy a bus ticket for 35 Mexican pesos and take the bus to the ADO bus station. The bus station is about a 7 minute walk to the main park.
If you don’t want to take the bus, there are also taxis there that you can take to your hotel.
Of course you can rent a car too.
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