Off the Beaten Path in Yucatan: Cenotes, Mayan Towns & Bee Farm Tour – Full Day

If you’ve already ticked the ancient Maya ruins of Chichen Itza off your bucket list, there are a few more places we recommend you go before you end your Yucatan vacation. Go on this full day trip with us and we’ll explore some off-the-beaten-path sites for a memorable experience.

We’ll start nice and early with a pick up from your accommodations in Cancun or Playa del Carmen. Then we’ll make our way to Yalcoba, a small but quaint town in Yucatan, steeped in history and filled with a number of scenic spots. We’ll explore the town, whipping out our cameras and snapping photos of the local life and scenery.

After Yalcoba, we’ll head to our first cenote, Cenote Xcanahaltun. This lesser-known cenote is a hidden gem tucked away in the northwest area of Valladolid. We’ll descend the staircase that leads to the cave cenote, and see the wondrous stalactites and stalagmites all around. We’ll have some free time to jump into the cool waters from the wooden platform and swim around in the turquoise waters.

Next, we’ll visit Cenote Sac Aua, one of the only cenotes with an island in the middle. This was actually caused when the roof of the cenote fell some thousands of years ago. We’ll have some time to marvel at this unique cenote, swim in the emerald waters, and maybe even kayak around the island before heading to our next stop.

“My wife and I visited upon a recommendation from our hotel host. I’m so glad we did! We swam in the cool waters of the cenote for around an hour and had the whole place to ourselves! It was an amazing experience.” –  Paul, USA

We’ll head to the town of Tekom next, and drive around to see one of the largest settlements on the Yucatan peninsula. We’ll also visit a church and get a glimpse of some of the locals as they pass by on their day to day errands and activities. Then we’ll head to Sardin Alak to visit a local bee farm.

Once there, we’ll learn about the ancient Mayan beekeeping practices, as well as the special species of bee called ‘Melipona beecheii’ or in Mayan ‘xunan kab’ which roughly translates to ‘regal lady bee’. This species is actually stingless and was believed to be the subject of numerous Mayan religious ceremonies, and is a matter of cultural pride and social capital.

“This place is fun, educational, and informative. What I enjoyed most was learning about the medicinal qualities of this region's bees, known all the way back to the Myan period... definitely worth going.” – Chuck, Mexico

We’ll discover how the ancient Maya people used honey primarily for medicinal purposes rather than a sweetener, and check out the local byproducts of the bee farm. After our bee farm tour, we’ll partake of a local Yucatecan lunch before making our way back to your accommodations in Cancun and Playa del Carmen.