Discovery Tour In Mexico, Guatemala & Belize With Caribbean Island Stay

Check-in at hotel in Mexico City.

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On our first day we visit the Zocalo (main square) area. The Cathedral and National Palace with many of Diego Rivera’s remarkable murals on the history of Mexico are all built on top of Tenochtitian the old Aztec capital. Afterwards we will visit the museum of Anthropology, one of the finest museums in the world, its exhibits offer a taste of the history ahead of us. The next day we will drive out to the mysterious pyramids of Teotihuacan. Although abandoned thirteen centuries ago, they are still an unbelievable sight. Once the largest city in the Americas with perhaps 100,000 inhabitants, its influence continued through Middle America, and Maya craftsmen borrowed its decorative motifs and building designs. Centuries later the Aztecs revered Teotihuacan as ‘the Place of the Gods’. Returning downtown we visit the Basilica de Guadalupe.

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Leaving the capital we drive south through cactus country to Oaxaca, one of the most charming colonial cities in Mexico. Arriving in the afternoon, we will have some free time to explore the city on foot. The colonnaded Zocalo comes alive at night as families come to stroll in the shade, while street vendors and entertainers vie for their attention. Oaxaca also has several colourful markets.

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Colonial Oaxaca was built with stones taken from ancient temples a few miles away. We explore the complex of temples, pyramids and enigmatic rock carvings at Monte Alban, a high spur that looms over the fertile valley. This mystical site was created by Zapotec Indians, who flourished here a thousand years ago. There may be the chance to see some of the exquisite treasures of Monte Alban in the Regional Museum (known as the Louvre of Oaxaca) in town (optional).

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During our full day journey, we stop to visit the 2000-year-old swamp cypress tree in Santa Maria del Tule and explore the Mixtec/Zapotec site of Mitla. We continue through the hot and windy isthmus of Tehuantepec and on to our night stop in Chiapa del Corzo, the provincial capital of Chiapas state, which we aim to explore over the next few days.

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This morning we visit the spectacular Sumidero Canyon, a unique rift 41km long and 1000ft deep, cut by the Rio Grijalva. This is the spot where, in the 16th century, some 1000 Chiapa Indians committed suicide rather than submit to Spanish rule. We take a boat trip to fully appreciate the towering gorge, before driving up a scenic mountain road to San Cristóbal de las Casas. At 2210m above sea level, it can get quite cold at night!

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There is a unique atmosphere to this small colonial and Indian town, high in the scenic Chiapas range. The small restaurants and shops provide ample opportunity to wander. Indians from the surrounding hills fill the town and marketplace with their colourful dress including the distinctive Tzotzil Indians who still retain much of their Mayan customs and language. We travel by bus to San Juan Chamula then visit on foot where they practice an interesting blend of Catholicism and traditional religions. The Indians are noted for their bright textiles and weavings in bold designs and this is the place to bargain for some colourful souvenirs. In the afternoon you will have free time to visit the Na Bolom, the House of the Jaguar, which is dedicated to the preservation of the Lacandón tribe and displays many of their artefacts.

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Leaving the highlands, we descend through the tangled forests of Chiapas, stopping on the way at the little visited ruins of Tonina, where the main pyramid stands 73m high. The road is slow and winding, but there are scenic views as we descend from the highlands to the jungles of Palenque. We plan to bathe at the waterfalls of Agua Azul before driving on to our hotel. The river tumbles over a series of limestone travertines, forming natural jacuzzis, and is a popular Sunday picnic spot for Mexicans and travellers alike.

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One of the highlights of our tour is today’s guided visit to the famous jungle ruins of Palenque, a fascinating and important Mayan site. Once the choking forest was cleared, the ruins revealed the tomb of the high priest Pakal, his body adorned with a marvellous jade death mask – one of the most prized relics of the Maya culture, discovered only in 1952. The entire site, shrouded by the steamy rainforest, has an aura of deep mystery. During the afternoon you can continue to explore the site, or take a bus back to the waterfall of Misol Ha for a refreshing swim (optional). The stunning 30m high waterfall was featured in the titles of the movie ‘Predator’.

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Today we head into the Lacandon area to the ruins of Bonampak. The discovery of the well preserved murals at this site had a profound impact on our understanding of the Mayans. Continuing to Frontera, we board our lancha (river boat) on the Ucumacinta river and head for the remote site of Yaxchilan, famous for its stelae and roof combs. We continue back up the river through the rainforest to our overnight lodge near where we boarded our boat earlier today.

Overnight Standard Lodge Included meals: Dinner

Our Mayan rainforest experience continues up river by boat to the small settlement of Bethel on the Guatemalan side before progressing by road to Flores, on Lake Peten Itza. The afternoon can be spent enjoying a leisurely boat trip on the blue waters of the lake (optional).

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we visit Tikal, the great Maya metropolis set in the midst of the rainforest, which can justly be compared with the celebrated ancient cities of Egypt and Greece. Initially settled in about 600BC, Tikal was abandoned by its rulers around 890AD and totally deserted a hundred years later. The city covered an area of 16 square kilometres. Re-discovered in 1848, only a few of its great temples and pyramids have been excavated. The site is extensive, so we include a guided tour in the morning with the afternoon free to let you explore. We can appreciate the prolific birdlife in the surrounding rainforest and take in amazing views of the forest canopy from the tops of the pyramids.

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Today the group splits. The Ex-London MX passengers fly to Guatemala City and on to a hotel in Antigua de Guatemala, whilst the MXY extension customers and the Land Only MX passengers travel over the border to San Ignacio in Belize. Canoeing activities are available on the Macal river (optional) that passes through San Ignacio Town or alternatively venture deep inoto the Mayan underworld cave canoing in near by Barton Creek Cave! You may also like to visit one of the nearby and little visited Mayan sites of Cahal Pech or Xunantunich.

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We drive to Belize City for our first view of the Caribbean and board our water taxi for the short journey to the enchanting tropical island of Caye Caulker. Once a pirate lair, this tiny but beautiful island lies 34km northeast of Belize City and about 1.6km inside the greatest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Speeding through turquoise waters during the one-hour water taxi transfer is a highlight in itself.

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The island remains uncrowded and unluxurious, and the local fishermen catch lobster, conch, fish and crab to supply domestic and foreign markets. It’s a popular place with backpackers, so there is a proliferation of good, reasonably priced restaurants. There’s time to relax or enjoy a number of optional trips. You may take a snorkelling trip out to the nearby Hol Chan Marine Reserve and ‘Shark and Ray Alley’, or take a full-day trip out to Goff’s Caye to observe manatee in their natural mangrove habitat. Scuba diving is also available.

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After flying from Caye Caulker to the tiny airstrip at Corozal (Belize), we drive to Tulum. The afternoon, time permitting, we explore this dramatically situated site perched atop a cliff overlooking the turquoise water and golden sands below. The ruins of Tulum date back to the late period of the Mayan civilisation when there was developing enmity between Mayan provinces, so the city is guarded by thick ramparts and a watch tower. After visiting the site we will continue onto Valladolid.

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The morning is free to relax and explore more of Valladolid. You may opt to swim in one of the local Cenote's , underground pools naturally formed in limestone, and used by the ancient Maya as a source of water (optional). Later we drive to Piste

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This morning we visit the ruins of Chichen Itza. Founded in AD432, re-founded in 987 and conquered by the Toltecs in the 10th century, the culture of the Maya and the Toltec gradually fused. The pyramids, palaces, temples and ballcourt (where death was the penalty for defeat) are adorned with astonishing sculptures. (Please note the ball court is currently under restoration until May 2012). Under the pressure of the civil war, the great monuments deteriorated and the Maya civilisation collapsed. Chichen Itza remains one of the most outstanding sites in the Americas. We then drive via the colonial backwater of Izamal to Merida, famed for its beautiful Spanish-Moorish style architecture.

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This morning we will visit the site at Uxmal. Encircled by hills, Uxmal is expansive in its design with majestic palaces and templepyramids. Long geometrical friezes rank among the most splendid examples of ancient American Art. The incredible Pyramid of the Magician and the beautiful Governor’s Palace are two of the finest examples of Mayan art anywhere. Later in the day we return to Merida, where we have time to wander along the narrow streets watching the horse-drawn carriages rattle past. Alternatively there is an option to visit Celestun, the pink flamingo sanctuary.

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