Road trip to Yucatan from Quintana Roo

by Lydia Linton Pontius

My husband, Mike, and I headed to Akumal to spend several days helping with the 2nd Annual CEA Festival. It was a great time and we enjoyed every minute of it! When we finished we were ready for an adventure so we decided to take a side trip with our friends, Tom and Vicki and meet up with Joe and Nan who were staying in Progreso for a week. Progreso is located in the State of Yucatan on the Gulf Coast.

on the steps of the yellow cathedral in Izamal

We started our morning like most of our mornings when we are in Akumal at Turtle Bay Cafe. With bags stored, good-byes said we got in our car and headed south on 307. At the Coba/ Tulum Road we headed towards Coba. The road has recently been widened a good portion of the way to Coba. There is a circle at which you have a choice of roads to Punta Laguna, Chemax or Coba. We took the middle road to Chemax, which eventually ends at route 180, which runs parallel more or less to the toll road from Cancun to Merida. At 180 we took a left and drove in to Valladolid.

For anyone heading to Merida, Chichen Itza or just looking for a nice colonial city to visit this is a great stop. We arrived about noon on Friday and the square was full of beautiful Maya women with their hand-made clothes for sale. If you are looking for that perfect baby gift for a little girl you can't go wrong with the hand made embroidered dresses for under $10.00 USD.

Time for lunch, we decided to check out the The Hotel El Meson del Marquez . It is right across the street from the square and is a gorgeous old hotel. The ambiance was just what we were looking for and the food was excellent. With a full bar from which to choose our libations we started the lunch off with a cold refreshing drink. Tempted beyond control by the list of home-made soups on the menu, the four of us tried several so we could all have a taste. The Black Bean soup was rich and creamy with just the right flavor. The Lima Sopa was some of the best I have ever had, fresh ingredients were obviously the key. The vichyssoise was the most pleasant surprise of them all. No one expected it to be as perfect as it was a creamy, rich blend of leeks, potatoes and garlic. An excellent choice on a hot summer day. The next course was equally satisfying for all of us. We all chose the traditional local cuisine from the menu choices. One had the fish and it was light and fresh with a side of rice and cooked carrots. Two others in our party had the chicken tacos which were hard tacos stuffed with chicken and cheese with a side of refried beans and rice. I had the cheese enchiladas made with a cottage cheese filling. Our waiter spoke perfect English and the service was wonderful. The setting with its open hacienda architecture surrounding a fountain with gorgeous plants, made us want to stay all day. Or better yet we could have lazed around the pool and bar in the back of the property, but we had hours to go before we could stop.

Road trip to Yucatan from Quintana Roo Part 2

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