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Mayan ruins overlook the beach

at Tulum, Mexico

YUCATÁN Flamboyant flamingos, dance-until-you-drop fiestas,

ravishing ruins, pirate relics and silky beaches tempt travellers to a Mexican destination that’s hotter than a jalapeño.

words AdAm mcculloch

Come december, the 5125-year-old Mayan calendar will reset to zero, heralding an apocalypse or, perhaps, a rebirth – depending on which interpretation you believe.

The truth is that the renaissance is already well underway on the Yucatán Peninsula, a heel of jungle-clad limestone jutting out into both the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, at the south-eastern tip of Mexico.

The ancient homeland of the Maya people, the peninsula comprises a trio of states (Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Campeche) and beckons travellers with a heady melange of archaeology, adventure, regional cuisine and eco-chic hotels. Add gin-clear oceans and more festivals than you can shake a piñata at, and the Yucatán is shaping up as one of the world’s hottest new holiday destinations.

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he Yucatán Peninsula was actually forged in a real-life apocalypse. The Chicxulub crater, located in the Gulf of Mexico just north of the regional capital, Mérida, is ground zero for a meteorite that may have wiped out the dinosaurs. The vast lime-stone shelf formed in its wake is covered in dense jungle concealing a fascinating world of underground rivers and sinkholes known as cenotes, which provide cooling relief from the tropical heat.

The first inhabitants were the Maya. The cities these industrious folk built – Chichén Itzá, Ek’ Balam, Tulum, Cobá and scores more – were architectural marvels. But by 900AD the grand cities started to decline and the ruins that dot the yucatán are some of the area’s most-visited attractions, rivalling the Pyramids of Giza for monumental beauty and historical significance.

The sisal boom (a plant fibre used for making rope) of the 1800s created a new gilded age for the era’s industrialists, who built grandiose mansions and stately streetscapes that transformed Mérida and Valladolid into genteel European outposts.

For travellers wanting to get a taste of this region, which is the size of New South Wales, the best strategy is to fly into the international hub of Cancún, a rollicking Caribbean resort town, and head down the coast to the Riviera Maya, a string of gorgeous beaches dotted with hotels ranging from luxe to palm-thatched palapas. Many visitors venture no further than this intoxicating mix of sun and sand, but throughout the yucatán, hidden treasures await.

“These days, many hotels tout their green credentials,

but Tulum is the real deal”

Tulum: at the water’s edge; Mayan ruins (top)

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Cave time: Grande Cenote,

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STAYNueva Vida de Ramiro8.5km Bocapaila. (984) 877 8512. www.tulumnv.comthe turtle hatchery on the beachfront gives this hotel eco cred, but it’s the argentinian barbecue at its casa banana restaurant that has all of tulum talking. From $us70 ($72).

eATAna y José7km Bocapaila. (998) 880 6022. www.anayjose.comFresh ceviche (marinated raw fish) and fish tacos with pineapple and plantains elevate this hotel restaurant to culinary greatness.

Tulum BeachesThe lure of the seaside town of Tulum is as clear as the sparkling sea: excellent restaurants ranging from romantic candlelit tables for two to roadside taco stands and lively barbecue joints; and there’s a dedication to wellness manifested in the ever-growing selection of yoga retreats and spas.

These days, many hotels tout green credentials, but the ones at Tulum are the real deal. Every property along the beach is off the grid (most are powered by the wind or sun), while the road is a charming 10km track fringed with low-impact beach bars, eateries and bike-rental shacks. Artfully curated pop-up stores sell sundresses out of converted shipping containers, or art books and curios from surplus army tents.

Eco-consciousness isn’t Tulum’s only drawcard. The wild, dune-fringed beaches are largely devoid of the Dj booths and endless rows of beach chairs that characterise the resorts further north, and offshore lies the world’s second-largest coral reef. The most spectacular beach is inside the Tulum archaeological zone, an awe-inspiring bluff dotted with the remains of a Mayan city constructed between 1200 and 1450 AD.

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STAYLa Perla & La Esmeralda, Paradisus5a Avenida, 112 Equina Calle. paradisus.comthe term “all-inclusive” can set off alarm bells for caribbean aficionados; the region is studded with such resorts. the new paradisus complex, divided into adults-only and family-friendly sides, reinvents the category with 14 sophisticated restaurants, of-the-moment design and luxury features such as thierry mugler toiletries, swim-up bars and suites with direct access to a vast pool. La perla from $us343 ($354); La esmeralda from $us294 ($304).

Hotel BásicoQuinta Avenida & Calle 10.(800) 400 8484. hotelbasico.comthis funky, 15-room boutique hotel makes clever use of recycled objects such as furniture made from tyres, a reclaimed plywood front desk and two industrial tanks repurposed into a rooftop swimming pool and jacuzzi. From $us135 ($139).

eAT & driNKYaxcheQuinta Avenida & Calle 22.(984) 873 3011. mayacuisine.comthis mayan restaurant (pronounced jack-shay) was awarded a prestigious five-star

diamond award from the american academy of hospitality sciences a couple of years ago and it is still the best place in town for regional dishes such as pakal (chicken breast marinated in sour orange and onions).

Ah Cacao Quinta Avenida & Calle 30.(984) 879 4179. ahcacao.commexico was the birthplace of chocolate, so what better place to sate cocoa cravings? sample mayan chocolate, heart-starting coffee and unusual icy treats such as cinnamon and lemon rind ice-cream.

La Cueva del ChangoQuinta Avenida & Calle 38.(984) 1470 271. lacuevadelchango.comthe monkey after which this restaurant was named is long-gone, but the jungle-like interior is still going strong, serving dishes such as shrimp with cinnamon and chilli.

Blue ParrotCalle 12.(984) 206 3350. blueparrot.comthis beachfront institution attracts a spirited crowd. there are swings at the bar, fire shows most nights and a dance floor on the sand.

PlAYA del cArmeN NightlifeNaturally, Playa Del Carmen has a beach with impossibly blue water. But Playa, as locals call it, also lays claim to the coast’s best clubs, restaurants and bars, most clustered around the pedestrian-only Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) or along the beachfront. There’s also excellent shopping, including an artisanal chocolate maker and the peninsula’s best (and possibly only) authentic French patisserie.

Playa del Carmen: scenes from Hotel Básico, including fish tacos;

Farola del Ferry (far right)

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STAYHacienda Puerta Campeche71 Calle 59. (981) 816 7508. starwoodhotels.comthis restored 17th-century mansion is an exclusive and romantic 15-room property with soaring ceilings, traditional mayan-style tile floors and hand-carved mahogany doors. From $us198 ($204).

eATLa Casa Vieja319a Calle 10. (811) 8016.a bit touristy, but an ideal spot to watch the sun set behind the cathedral, one of the town’s loveliest sights. the restaurant and bar is on the first floor of a building facing the plaza; its colonnaded balcony runs the length of the block.

cAmPeche Pirateslike a dignified, retired sea captain, the uNESCo-listed town of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico bears its battle scars with grace. After marauding conquistadors fought with the Mayans over several bloody decades to claim it in the 1500s, the city was sacked repeatedly by French, Dutch, English and Portuguese pirates. Each raid resulted in more fortifications and higher walls, landmarks that now define the outer limits of the immacu-lately preserved historic centre and serve as the city’s museums. Signs of the old pirating days are everywhere. Inside the San Carlos Bulwark, built in the 17th century, is the old gaol – today, an excel-lent museum. The Puerta de Tierra (land gate), which predates it, has gun placements and gun-powder stores. The San Miguel Fort now houses the Campeche Regional Museum and contains a fine collection of Mayan art. The Boats & Arms exhibition, chronicling the pirate era, is housed in the Fort of San Miguel El Alto, the second ring of defence that was constructed in 1762.

STAYRosas & XocolatePaseo de Montejo & Calle 41.(999) 924 2992. rosasandxocolate.com the most stylish hotel in the city, the rooms in this converted mansion – with its flamboyant pink exterior – are pared-back but luxurious. a highlight is the soaking tub set in an atrium open to the sky. at night the sleek rooftop bar is the perfect vantage point from which to watch strolling couples on the avenue. From $us215 ($222).

eATLa Chaya MayaCalle 62 & 57 Centro.(999) 928 4780. the quality of the authentic yucatecan specialties dished up at this corner restaurant explains its perennial popularity. sample regional favourites such as cochinita pibil (spicy pork wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked in a fire pit) and huitlacoche, a black corn fungus often referred to colloquially as “mexican truffle”.

mÉridA FestivalsMérida’s romantic and compact Centro Historico makes the city feel deceptively small – but its population is one million and rising. Built by the sisal boom, the mansions along Paseo de Montejo and other colonial-era avenues are marvels of baroque, art deco and neo-gothic design.

Méridanos love to celebrate (generally in a more sedate way than some of the wilder Caribbean party towns) and visitors are welcome to join in. head to the neighbourhood of Santiago with its whitewashed church and leafy park on a Tuesday night for latin dancing. Everyone from great-grandmothers to hipsters strut their stuff. The city’s main square (variously referred to as the zócalo and plaza grande) hosts a concert every Saturday night, while in February, a raucous, Rio-style carnaval fills the streets with more feathers and floats than Sydney Gay & lesbian Mardi Gras.

Edzná Mayan ruin, Campeche; fiesta (inset)

Mérida market

Spanish wall, Campeche

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For airfares call Qantas on 13 13 13 or visit qantas.com. For holiday packages to Mexico call Qantas holidays on 13 14 15.

celeSTÚN Flamingoslocated 90km west of Mérida, this quiet fishing village has one very flamboyant claim to fame – during the winter months, thousands of flamingos roam the lagoon in great flocks, chortling and feeding on the shrimp. At the town’s entrance, after the bridge, small boats gather, ready to take guests on an unforgettable one-hour trip to see the birds in their natural habitat.

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holbox iSlANd Whale sharksThe waters of holbox Island host 2000 whale sharks in summer (june to August). These docile filter-feeders can reach 12m in length. Many captains of this fishing port now run sightseeing expeditions. upon sighting a whale shark, tourists don snorkels and drop into the water to watch the majestic creatures swim by – mere metres away.

VAllAdolid ArchaeologyThis sleepy little town at the centre of the peninsula is a convenient base from which to visit the most notable Mayan ruins. Valladolid’s leafy squares and rows of immaculate, candy-coloured colonial houses make it one of the peninsula’s most charming cities.

Chichén Itzá, just 45km west, is the largest and most popular of the Mayan sites. Arriving early in the morning, before the tour bus groups descend, ensures a more contemplative experience; but given that this city once held 40,000 people, the masses can actually lend an evocative sense of what the city would have been like in its heyday.

All the cities of the peninsula were once connected by limestone footpaths called sak behs. From Ek’ Balam, famous for its 5m jaguar mouth and winged warrior sculptures, to the palace of uxmal, many ancient roads remain.

STAYCoqui CoquiCalzada de los Frailes, 207 Calle 41a. (985) 856 5129. www.coquicoquiperfumes.comone of the hippest hotels on the peninsula, this “residence” is run by coqui coqui perfume company, which has interiors stores in mérida and tulum. From $us230 ($237).

STAYHotel Xixim10km del Viejo Camino a Sisal.(988) 916 2100. ecoparaiso.comthe 32 thatched-roof bungalows that make up this boutique eco-hotel hit the perfect note between sophisticated and rustic, with breezy blue-and-white furnishings, romantic canopied beds and soothing views over the jungle and ocean. there’s also a large pool, bar and restaurant. From $us290 ($299).

eATLa Palapa105 Calle 12.this cheap and cheerful beachside seafood joint is popular thanks to delights such as coconut-crusted shrimp served with mango sauce, and ceviche. Look for the bright orange facade and the giant thatched palapa roof.

STAYLas Nubes de HolboxPaseo Kuká & Calle Camarón.(984) 875 2300. www.lasnubesdeholbox.coma modern take on traditional thatched roofs, rough-beam ceilings and whitewashed walls makes this beachfront property a stylish vantage point from which to view the passing flotilla. From $us250 ($258).

eATLos PelicanosCalle Palomino (behind Cultural House). Locals and visitors agree, this place has the freshest seafood in town.

“Leafy squares and rows of immaculate, candy-coloured colonial houses...”

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Shops, Valladolid

Street market, Valladolid (right)

Chac Mool statue,

Chichén Itzá

Pretty in pink: flamingos

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