Mayan Route: A Unique Journey of Ancient Maya Culture

The Mayans as an ethnic group have maintained part of their culture to this day. The heirs of the Maya live in what is now Guatemala, Belize, and part of Mexico, specifically Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula. The Mayan archaeological remains extend through these areas and also include part of western Honduras, where Copan, one of the most important cities of that civilization, is located.

This region is not too large. On a single trip, you can visit the most spectacular ruins. It is the Mayan Route, one of the most interesting journeys that can be made in the world, and not only for the Mayan vestiges of the past; but also for its landscapes, the current indigenous culture, and beaches that put the icing on the vacation.

The typical route of The Mayan Route is a circle that usually follows, more or less, the following route: Cancun-Chichen Itza-Merida-Uxmal-Ruta Puuc-Palenque-San Cristobal de las Casas-Huehuetenango-Quetzaltenango-Lake Atitlan-Chichicastenango-Antigua-Guatemala City-Copán-Quiriguá-Puerto Barrios-Lívingston-Río Dulce-Flores-Tikal-Belize City-Caye Caulker-Chetumal-Tulúm-Playa del Carmen-Cancun. Of course, you can do it the other way around and start at any of the points, although the most common and convenient are Cancun and Guatemala City.

Therefore, four countries are crossed: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras (Copán), and Belize. In Mexico, you pass through the Yucatan Peninsula, itself divided into three federated states (Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo), and through Chiapas.

To make this trip, three weeks are convenient; better for four weeks to go with a little calmer. By proxy, it could be done in two weeks, but spending very little time in each place and taking a shortcut by plane (the most common is from Guatemala City to Flores, which leaves out such interesting places as Lívingston and the Río Dulce). In addition, one of the attractions of this trip is to spend a few days on the beaches of Belize or the Yucatan, so it is advisable to have plenty of time.

The six Mayan jewels are Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Palenque, Tikal, Copan and Tulum. They are easily accessible and, if all of them are included in the trip, a complete vision of the Mayan culture will be achieved, since they correspond to different periods of that civilization. They stand out not only for their buildings but also for their locations: Tikal in the middle of an impenetrable jungle, Tulum on the coast of a turquoise blue sea.

Other Mayan remains of interest, but not essential if you are going to see the six most important ones, are those of the Puuc Route (Kabah, Labná, Sayil), Bonampak, Yaxchilán, and Cobá in Mexico; Quiriguá, Ceiba! and Uaxactún in Guatemala; and Xunantunich and Altun Ha in Belize.

When stating that ruin is of more or less interest, it is from the point of view of the traveler; of course, an archaeologist may see it differently. In the region covered by the Mayan Route, there are more than seven hundred sites where remains have been discovered, and it is believed that there may be many more. In most of them, covered by the jungle, much archaeological work remains to be done, only a minimum part has been brought to the light of day.

Appropriate season

The high season is from December 15 to after Easter and the month of August. As for the weather, two factors must be taken into account: rainfall and temperature. A rainy season that covers the entire area of the Mayan Route extends from May to October. That doesn't mean it's pouring all day long, but the probability of showers is high.

On the Yucatan coasts, there can be strong hurricanes from mid-August to early October. From November to April, the probability of rainfall is low. Temperatures are quite pleasant year-round in most of Guatemala and Chiapas. Although it can be quite hot during the day, nights are cool, cold even at the highest elevations.

The Yucatan and Belize are lower and closer to the sea, so it tends to be humid and sticky hot. April and May are the worst months in this regard. All in all, combining weather and tourism, it turns out that autumn is the best time to do the Mayan Route. If your vacation must necessarily be in the summer, that's fine; just increase your budget a little and pack a raincoat in your luggage.

How to get there and move on the go

The two most useful airports to access La Ruta Maya are Cancun and Guatemala City. The offer to Belize City is scarce and Mexico City is a bit far away. Cancun has become, thanks to the number of commercial flights, the main gateway to the Mayan Route.

Bus

Buses are the means of transport used by almost all independent travelers. Buses go everywhere, are cheap, and allow contact with the local population. In the Yucatan Peninsula, buses are quite good (also more expensive). Their quality is somewhat lower in Chiapas. In Guatemala, they are very uncomfortable, but they make up for it with bargain prices and great color. In Belize, there is a bit of everything.

A rule to keep in mind when traveling by bus is that it is advisable to organize to leave as early as possible in the morning. After midday, the frequency of service is reduced, and in Guatemala and Belize, no buses run at night. In Mexico, some long-distance buses do, for example, those linking the Yucatan Peninsula with Mexico City, but local buses do not run at night.

Small farming villages are an exception to this rule. Their inhabitants go down to the big cities at dawn to sell their products at the market and then return home in the early afternoon. The bus schedule is usually adapted to this rhythm. That is, they go in the morning from the village to the city, and in the afternoon from the city to the village.

This means that it is difficult to visit these small towns. You can only get there on the afternoon bus and you have to leave on the early morning bus, so you don't have time to see the place well. And if you stay an extra day, you'll probably get bored, plus there's usually no good accommodation.

Car

The freedom of movement provided by the car allows, for example, to reach those small villages that are difficult to reach by bus. However, car rental is not cheap in any of the countries on the Mayan Route. You must have a credit card to rent a car. It is preferable to carry an International Driver's License, although most agencies do not require it. What they do require, sometimes, is that the driver is older than 25 years old.

Normally, it is not possible to cross borders with a rented vehicle. Find out beforehand. Most of the trip is on paved highways or well-maintained roads. During the rainy season, you should consider renting an all-terrain vehicle if you are going into jungle terrain.

Plane

Cancun, Merida, Belize City, Guatemala City, Flores, Villahermosa, Tuxtla Gutierrez, and San Pedro Sula are the cities in and around the Mayan Route that have the busiest airports. The Guatemala-Flores flight, to go to Tikal, is the one that may be the most necessary, to avoid a twelve-hour bus ride. Cancun or Merida to Villahermosa or Tuxtla Gutierrez can also be useful.

Villahermosa is a two-hour drive from Palenque (the alternative is an overnight bus ride from Merida) and Tuxtla is an hour and a half from San Cristobal de las Casas. Other possible air shortcuts are Cancun-Belize City, Cancun-Guatemala City, and Cancun-Flores. To go from Belize City to the islands, it may be convenient to make the round trip by plane, mostly to see the scenery.

Boat

The only international route is from Puerto Barrios (Guatemala) to Punta Gorda (Belize). In the Yucatan, a boat is necessary to cross to Isla Mujeres and Cozumel. Communication between the mainland and the islands of Belize is by speedboat from Belize City.

Within Guatemala, there are two occasions when it is worth taking boats. On Lake Atitlan and to travel the Dulce River, between Livingston and Rio Dulce (Fronteras). In Chiapas, this means of transportation is used to visit the Sumidero Canyon.

Several rivers, including the mighty Usumacinta, flow through the Guatemalan Fetén and the Mexican Selva Lacandona. Those with an adventurous spirit will enjoy traveling by canoe, although it is a bit complicated.

Train

The railroad is practically useless on the Mayan Route. The only routes to consider are Merida-Palenque and Guatemala City-Puerto Barrios, but in both cases, the trains are slow and uncomfortable. (This section is about to be updated, but until then, read about the new Mayan Train which is under construction but is to be launched at the end of the year 2022/23, here.

Luggage

Organize yourself as you usually do, but try not to carry too much weight, because you will have to transfer luggage from one bus to another frequently. On second-class buses, which are the norm in Chiapas and Guatemala, luggage is usually on the roof rack, which can get dusty in the dry season and soggy in the rainy season. A plastic bag, such as a large garbage bag, is very useful in such cases.

Diving equipment

It is highly recommended to include a snorkel and goggles in your luggage if you plan to spend a few days at the beach. The reefs are fantastic. Almost everywhere you can rent this equipment, but a couple of times, you will spend what your equipment would have cost you.

When diving a reef, especially if it's your first time, you may be tempted to rip off a piece of coral and take it as a souvenir. Don't do it; although it may not look like it, coral is a living thing, because inside the calcareous structure there are polyps.

These polyps, once out of the water, rot as if they were fish, giving a bad smell, and coral is a very delicate creature that takes thousands of years to form. If each one of us who pass through there were to take a piece of it with us, we would destroy in twenty years what Nature has taken millennia to build.

Health

The Mayan Route is not a very dangerous region from a health point of view. However, one should never lose sight of the fact that it is a tropical zone and that some jungle areas are crossed. This requires certain precautions with food and drink and the prevention of some tropical diseases.

Preventive treatment against malaria is highly recommended if you are going to visit the Mayan ruins located in the jungle. An oral vaccine against typhoid fevers is also recommended, easy to administer, as soon as you get off the main road and get into rural areas. Tetanus vaccine is never a must, not for the Mayan Route specifically, but for any trip.

Travel assistance insurance is very useful in case of a major problem. They are not cheap. But beware: if you have a car or your parents or spouse has it, there is a good chance that the car insurance, even if it is only a third party, includes a travel assistance policy, which covers the whole family and all over the world.  Be informed. If you have travel assistance insurance, before going to a hospital on your own, make every effort to contact the insurance company so that they can tell you how to proceed.

Personal hygiene

As with all travel in tropical countries, personal hygiene should be taken very seriously. At least try to wash your hands thoroughly before eating.

Precautions with food and drink

In the urban areas of the countries covered by the Mayan Route, you can eat in restaurants and even in street food stalls with some peace of mind, although some diarrhea may occur as a result of changes in eating habits. In rural areas, where there is no running water or sewage, more caution should be exercised, especially in the lost villages of the Guatemalan Altiplano and the Chiapas highlands.

Raw vegetables and peeled fruit should always be viewed with suspicion. Seafood, fish, and meat are best if they are well done. Food sold in street stalls is relatively safe as long as it is freshly cooked. These are fried foods that have reached sufficient temperature to kill germs. The same goes for coffee, made with boiled water. Under no circumstances should you eat anything raw or undercooked in the markets.

Regarding liquids, resorts of Cancun's importance are already careful not to poison tourists, but, with those exceptions, it is better not to drink tap water. Bottled water, beer, and soft drinks are readily available. In hotels and large restaurants, ice cubes are made with purified water and are therefore safe.

In the countryside, caution should be extended to street vendors of ice cream or raspados (which are made by scraping an ice bar and adding flavored syrup to the resulting slush). In some hotels in Mexico, they often leave bottled water on the bedside table, an indication that the tap water is not very good.

Sunburn

The sun in the tropics is very treacherous, and even more so on the Mayan Route, because you will be moving frequently at altitudes of 1,500-2,000 meters, where the atmosphere is thinner and ultraviolet rays penetrate more. A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are a must. Don't think that just because you stand under an umbrella you are completely safe. If you spend all day on the beach, you could get burned by the reflection on the sand and water, although not in the same way as if you were in the sun.

Diarrhea

Even if you take the required precautions with food or drink, some diarrhea will be almost inevitable, simply because of the change of habits or the stress of the trip. A bland diet (rice water, for example) is recommended. In your first aid kit, you can carry adequate medication in case you have no choice but to medicate. Taking a long bus ride with colitis is not exactly comfortable. If diarrhea lasts more than four days, it may be serious and you should seek medical help.

Animal hazards

Rabies exists in Central America. Therefore, do not play with that dog or that funny monkey. Vaccination is not recommended, except for professionals (veterinarians, zoologists) who have to deal precisely with animals. The danger of contracting rabies in Central America is low and no greater than in other tropical places.

There is, however, an added risk: that posed by bats. There are often many of them inside caves and Mayan ruins and they are potentially rabid. In case of a bite, wash the wound well and look for a place where you can get an anti-rabies serum.

There are many snakes in the jungle, but it would be bad luck to be bitten by one. As a precaution, wear high boots and don't stick your hands in any holes. Local doctors know how to treat snake bites. If you can, kill the creature and take it with you, so they can more easily identify the venom.

Leeches are a nuisance during the wet season in the jungle. They stick to your leg and suck your blood without you noticing, as they have an anesthetic in their saliva. If you pull them off suddenly they leave a wound that can get infected, so it is best to burn them with the tip of a cigarette. When diving in the reefs you have to be cautious, and not just because of sharks.

The attacks of the kings of the sea are very rare, but on the other hand, it is very frequent to get hurt by the corals, when scratching with them; some of them, in addition, are stinging, the same as the anemones. It is advisable to wear water sandals and be careful with the waves and currents.

Traditional Medicine

If you believe in naturopathic medicine, so do the indigenous people of the Maya Route. In the villages, there is usually a healer and the use of herbs is common. In the rural markets (and in some of the larger cities, such as San Cristóbal de las Casas) you will find stalls selling remedies for illnesses and also for the evil eye, as well as elements used in shamanic or witchcraft practices.

Money

As almost always, the best currency to bring for the Mayan Route is the American dollar, which is accepted everywhere (in Belize it is often not even necessary to change money because they take dollars in cash when paying for many services). At least some of it is digital or in traveler's checks, which are useless to potential thieves.

If nevertheless, you are robbed, you can recover the amount in a short time by calling the telephone number that the bank will give you when you buy them, and remember the general and essential rule. The money is always on you and camouflaged. The only exception maybe is if you go to the beach and you are alone. In that case, deposit it at the hotel reception, but ask for a receipt.

Small-dollar bills

To do the Mayan Route you have to cross several borders and in most of them, there are no banks. For this reason, on this trip, it is very convenient to carry a few small dollar bills (1, 5, 10, and 20). They will come in handy to pay for a cab from one side of the border to the other (border crossings are sometimes several kilometers apart) or to change money at the street money changers without losing too much. If you carry a 10-dollar bill, it solves the first expenses and you lose less.

Credit cards

Credit cards are readily accepted at most hotels, travel agencies, and upscale restaurants, and are essential for renting a car. They are of no use at a guesthouse, a local canteen, or a Mayan street market. In some cases, there is a surcharge for paying by credit card. Ask beforehand.

Lodging

Accommodation is very varied along the Mayan Route, from guesthouses (pensions) to luxury hotels. Throughout Chiapas and Guatemala, you will stay in charming colonial hotels, while in the islands of Belize and the coasts of the Yucatan you will want to sleep in cabins on the seashore. The network of youth hostels is hardly present in these countries; there are only a few in Mexico. There are some good campsites in Belize, Yucatan, and Chiapas, but you need your vehicle to take advantage of them.

If you want to spend very little on lodging, do as the locals do: sleep in a hammock. Many of the cheap lodges have huts with hooks to hang hammocks; you can buy one on arrival. There is only one drawback: if you don't adopt a mosquito net, mosquitoes can eat you. The trick to sleeping in the hammock is to stand a little diagonally so that your body is quite horizontal. If you stand up straight, following the shape of the hammock, that's when your back curves.

Food

If you don't like corn or beans, forget about the Mayan Route, because beans and tortillas are the staple food there. But that doesn't mean that's all there is; you'll also find fish, seafood, chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, and fruits in a variety of recipes. You will quickly get a taste of Mayan gastronomy. Many of their dishes are spicy and/or spicy, so at first, it is a good idea to taste things carefully.

Street food

The temptation to eat in street markets comes because it is the cheapest and because the good traveler should always make an effort to try authentic local food. However, they can also be places that do not meet hygienic conditions.

The rule should be to refrain from eating salads, peeled fruits, and ice cream on the street. Anything freshly (and emphasis on "freshly") fried, grilled, or boiled should present no problems other than the dubious quality of the oils.

Sometimes markets are recommended as places to eat, especially in Guatemala, because of their color and cheapness; but it is assumed that you will respect the aforementioned rules. No responsibility is taken for Montezuma's revenge, which is the fancy way they call diarrhea there.

Electricity

Unless you carry the corresponding transformers and adapters, none of your appliances will work. Not even the electronic mosquito killer.  In all the countries of the Mayan Route, the current is 110 or 120 volts and the plugs are two flat American-style plugs.  Remember, you will need an adapter that allows you to use your two-round plug in a two-flat plug.