on laguna bacalar, which makes a great base for touring the ruins
closer to the coast, stay at
rancho encantado ($105-$150,
meals included; 800-505-6292;
www.encantado.com). the freestanding
rooms are mayan-style, and meals are served on a terrace open to
the laguna. the hammocks at the end of the pier are prime spots for
relaxation, or you can get a
massage in the special hut built over
the water. more adventurous souls can kayak in the laguna. the only
on-site telephone is a satellite model that costs $20 to use. -
yucatán's ruins
calakmul is the biggest site, and its location in the forest
preserve makes it doubly worth the long trek to get there. near
calakmul are several other sites that can be visited more quickly,
among them
chicanná,
becan, and
xpujil.
closer to the coast are the eerie masks of
kohunlich and the
huge ceremonial site of
dzibanché. adjacent to dzibanché are
the temples of
kinichná and several clusters of
as-yet-unexcavated mounds. other sites in various stages of
excavation that can be visited with a permit (obtained through a
local guide such as those at rancho encantado) include
el
resbalon,
chocchoben, and
balam ku.
lamanai, a large site on the belize side of the rio hondo,
is accessible by boat from
mexico. -
other sights
tired of ruins? check out the white-sand beach of mahahual, an
hour's ride by taxi or car from bacalar; the snorkeling is superb,
and scuba diving even better. farther south in the bahía de
chetumal, guided boat tours offer glimpses of the native
manatee.
the museo de la cultura maya in chetumal is worth a visit for its
scale models, precious artifacts, and explanations of the mayan
calendar, astronomy, and math. the market across the street offers
a slice of real mexican life; buy souvenirs or have a great mexican
street lunch.