Yucatan Highlights

Don't expect Amazons waiting for you on shore: this "Island of Women" got its name from clay figurines of Mayan goddesses found by the island's Spanish conquerors. Search for your own goddesses at the ruins on the south side of the island, race the sea turtles at their breeding ground on the west shore, or just sit back and enjoy the island's beautiful beaches.

Ruins, ruins everywhere. Join a licensed, local guide for a visit to Chichén Itzá, one of the country's most famous Mayan sites. The city dates from around the 7th century AD (though there is evidence of farmers living here as early as the 4th century BC). A major trade and ceremonial center, Chichén Itzá is known for its huge, 365-stepped, four-sided, pyramid El Castillo, as well as other buildings, sculptures and carved murals.

Relax like a king. Ik-Kil was a Mayan retreat, where kings and their court would come to relax and swim in the sacred blue waters. Now an eco-archaeological park, the area is preserved just as it was so that you can swim, soak, and splash in style.

Tropical flowers in fuchsia, yellow and orange. The dark green leaves of almond and tamarind trees. Couples dressed all in white, sitting on ornate stone benches ringing the central plaza or "xocolo". The capital of the state of Yucatán, this sunny city is also the perfect base for excursions to the ancient Mayan Empire. But check out the city's sights first with your Tour Director.

Tropical flowers in fuchsia, yellow and orange. The dark green leaves of almond and tamarind trees. Couples dressed all in white, sitting on ornate stone benches ringing the central plaza or "xocolo". The capital of the state of Yucatán, this sunny city is also the perfect base for excursions to the ancient Mayan Empire. But check out the city's sites first: A licensed, local guide will take you to the Cathedral of San Il defonso, located on the central Plaza de Armas. Begun in 1563, the Cathedral is the oldest on the American mainland, with the oldest true dome in Mexico. See what many consider Mexico's most "dignified" church interior, complete with thick Tuscan columns, a coffered nave and high altar. Step back outside and walk across the sunny plaza to the Government Palace to see huge murals depicting scenes of the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán Peninsula and aspects of the Mayan culture that still flourish. Continue to Progreso Beach, a favorite seaside resort lined with turn-of-the-century mansions.

What did this region look like before the Spaniards arrived? Set off to Uxmal, one of the largest and most powerful of the former Mayan cities, to see. A licensed, local guide will lead you through the wooded valley to the wide, uncrowded plazas, where you'll find some of the best-proportioned Mayan buildings known. See the restored Magician's Pyramid, a three-tiered structure built between the 6th and 10th centuries, the grand Governor's Palace, and the Nunnery Quadrangle, four buildings surrounding a central courtyard, resembling a monastery or nunnery.

Still confused about Mayan ways? Learn more about the Mayan culture with a Sound and Light show - a visual blast from the past.

See the Mayan idea of a beach town. Tulum is the largest Mayan coastal city and one of Cancún’s favorite daytrips. Survey the limestone ruins, the surrounding lush jungle, and the super-blue ocean with your Tour Director.

Add to the record books -- Playa del Carmen is now, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest growing town in the world. Attracted by the gorgeous white-sand beach and stunning blue water, the town's newcomers maintain Playa's friendliness and vibrancy. Check out the beach or shop for souvenirs along the bustling main strip.

Once the island from which the Maya conducted trade with much of Central America, Cozumel now pulls in travelers not for markets and trading but for diving, bird-watching, and sunbathing. The underwater life here was a favorite of Jacques Cousteau; you can see dolphins and fish cavorting in the surrounding coral reefs, many of which are rare black coral.

Visit Chankanab, a lagoon known for its turtles and variety of rainbow-colored fish. Check out the rock formations and lush landscape.