IZAMAL TRAVEL GUIDE

Where to Eat - Click here for price key

Restaurants in town serve mainly Mexican and Yucatecan fare, although you’ll find burgers, fries, salads, pizza, and omelettes, too. If quantity is important to you, one local business owner told us about a place called La Palapa (Calle 29 about 1 block east of the pyramid Kinich), where you’re served ton of food for about 50 pesos--pork loin, spaghetti (think Franco American), greasy french fries, some sort of salad, and more. Although the food quality wasn't anything to write home about, but the quantity was astounding!

Kinich (Av. 27 next to the archaeological site, tel. 988/954-0489) is where tour guides take their clients. The covered patio is pleasant and portions of Yucatecan food are generous, if not inspired.

Tumben Lol (Calle 22 between Calles 31 and 33, tel. 988/954-0231), doesn't have great food, but the ambiance is very nice and the service is reportedly a little faster than Kinich’s. On Sundays they have a folkloric dance presentation.

Where to Sleep - Click here for price key

Hotels are mainly modest, two- or three-star accommodations. In other words, just right for budget travelers who don’t expect ice machines and on-site boutiques.

Green River Eco ($; Av. Zamná 342 between Calles 38 and 40, tel. 988/954-0337) has been around for many years. The owners offer an informal bar, restaurant, swimming pool, and parking.

Macan-Che ($--$$; Calle 22 No. 305 between Calles 33 and 35, tel. 988/954-0287, www.macanche.com) is funky and fun, with themed bungalows. Price includes a full breakfast; dinner is served but at least an hour’s notice is needed. There’s a small pool and massage is available, along with yoga classes, spa services and Vedic astrological readings with 24 hours’ notice. It’s about three long blocks from the center of town.

Hacienda San Antonio Chalanté ($$; Off Hwy 180 near the village of Sudzal, tel. 999/132-7411, www.haciendachalante.com) is an old hacienda turned guest house bewteen Izamal and Hwy 180. There’s a swimming pool and horses are available for exploring the region. This is the place to connect with nature, family and friends; it’s not terribly convenient unless you want to stay put, or you have a car.

What to Do in Izamal

The 30-minute light and sound show, projected on the outer walls of the temple-monastery, is a minor but pleasant distraction presented Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:30PM.

Rent horses at Hacienda San Antonio Chalanté (see Where to Sleep, above) for about $18 per person per hour. You’ll need a car to get there, or for larger groups, arrange transportation from ranch owner Diane.

Shopping

Visit the artisans’ homes (the tourism department, in the municipal building across from the main plaza, often has maps and the calesa drivers know the way, too), or browse Hecho a Mano (Calle 31 No. 308, across from 5 de Mayo Park, tel. 988/954-0344), well-respected for its photography and lovely handicrafts. The Banamex-sponsored Museo de la Comunidad (at the Monastery) displays of folk art from all around Mexico, and items for sale, too.

Getting There

Frequent, inexpensive buses from the bus terminal---just a block west of the town square and the Convento San Antonio de Padua---connect Izamal with Valladolid (2 hours), Mérida (1.5 hours), and Cancun (6 hours), among other destinations. There are buses to Chichén Itzá, but these are not direct. Driving time from Izamal to either Chichén Itzá or Mérida is 35 to 45 minutes, and the roads are flat and rarely crowded.