Of 8 the 23 November: CDMX, Tlaxcala, Tehuacan, Oaxaca, Merida, Campeche, Calakmul, Bacalar and the Caribbean

Murals that scream, giant used book stores, mythological animals, canteens, cemeteries with skulls, organ grinders, brave bulls, pyramids with jungle and without jungle, cactus forests, dressing crickets, modern kitchen, spicy tacos, old churches, mezcal in the cocktail, indigenous markets, blue water wells, long white sand beaches, music everywhere… A very special trip to our "home". Do you sign up?

The Route: calendar and accommodation

Includes Breakfast. BB. Accommodation only. on.

• 8 November. Mexico City. BB. Hotel.
• 9 November. Mexico City. BB. Hotel..
• 10 November. Mexico City. BB. Hotel.
• 11 November. Mexico City. BB. Hotel.
• 12 November. Mexico City. BB. Hotel.
• 13 November. Tehuacan. BB. Hotel.
• 14 November. Oaxaca. BB. Bed&Breakfast.
• 15 November. Oaxaca. BB. Bed&Breakfast.
• 16 November. Oaxaca. BB. Bed&Breakfast.
• 17 November. Merida. BB. Bed&Breakfast/Hotel.
• 18 November. Campeche. BB. Hotel.
• 19 November. Calakmul. BB. Cabins.
• 20 November. Bacalar Lagoon. BB. Hotel.
• 21 November. Caribbean beach. BB. Hotel.
• 22 November. Caribbean beach. BB. Hotel.
• 23 November. Salida

Price

Between 2950 and 3450 euros per person (below, the details), not including flights. For any clarification write to vap@viajesalpasado.com

The route explained day by day

Sunday 8 November. Mexico City (Arrival)

Travelers arrive on their selected flights throughout the day. It is an ideal adaptation day to try a first good portion of welcome Mexican food and take a walk around the Barrio de la Condesa (depends on the time, we can go to Chapultepec Forest, the main park of the city that on Sundays becomes a huge fair). We stayed five nights in the giant CDMX, in addition to because it is a fascinating city full of things to visit and experience, because it will serve as a base for some visits to the surroundings.

Monday 9 November. Mexico City

That same Monday we left after breakfast to visit the pyramids of Teotihuacán (which in Nahuatl means "the place where the gods were made"). And of course the definition of this architectural complex 55 kilometers from the city seems true. It is a spectacular archaeological complex where we will walk along the Causeway of the Dead between the monumental pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the temple of Quetzalcóatl (from 2020 climbing to the top is prohibited). A place where we have worked for years doing some report that allowed us to know its insides.

We have a snack after the visit, and we go to another iconic place on the way back to the city: the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The proposal of this trip has a strong cultural load. We intend to show the country beyond the photos, and that the traveler leaves with an idea of ​​the complex society, history and culture behind Mexico. And nothing in Mexico can be understood without the devotion of millions of pilgrims to their Virgin.

Afternoon, We have time to delve a little into the enormous offer of leisure and cultural life in the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods.

Tuesday 10 November. Mexico City

We want to walk through the city, what is the best way to get to know a place, and we will go for the same long walk that when we lived there we did with visits from friends. A long walk that will take us all day from Alameda Central to the Historic Center. To see the Fine Arts murals, the old post office building, the bookstores of the Old Town Donceles Street, have a drink on the terraces that overlook the Templo Mayor, visit the National Palace and the frescoes of Diego Rivera, cross the Zócalo, see the cathedral, eat traditional food. And then we go down Francisco Madero Street, and see what exhibition there is at the Banamex Palace of Culture, if it's worth it, or have a coffee at the Casa de los Azulejos. And then, The idea is to go through Chinatown, and walk through the streets to the San Juan Market, where they sell scorpion and spicy liquors, and those rare fruits of this land. And then, you reach the Citadel, with its souvenir market, where you can buy something, but what we like is the library in front, the Vasconcelos, which shows that Mexico is an invention made of letters.

And we want to do all that in one day., and it should be done in a year, because everything that is offered there is unfathomable. The Historic Center of Mexico City is an erupting volcano.

Wednesday 11 November. Mexico City

We are going to the south of the city. another city, another world. First we went to the Anahuacalli museum. through the building, for what it contains, for their cacti. And from there we go to the historic center of Coyoacán. It's another city. It is colonial Mexico created by the Spanish after their defeat on the Sad Night and reconquest of the city.. And it is simply beautiful. We will walk along Avenida Francisco Sosa, perhaps the most beautiful street in CDMX, and we will visit the Italian Cultural Institute, their gardens are wonderful, and the Jesús Reyes Culture House, and we will arrive at the Plaza de Coyoacán and from, perhaps, There we will go to visit Frida Kahlo's Blue House.

And why do I say maybe? Because it depends on the group, we are not here to debunk myths, but the character and his surroundings have become a tourist event, and maybe it seems better to us to go to San Ángel, our next stop, and visit the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Studio House Museum. It is next to the famous San Ángel Inn restaurant.

In any case, All the routes proposed by VAP are trips that are intended to be done on the fly.. We know the city very well, so some things we can decide right there. traffic, schedules, the weather… There are many things that can cause us to adjust plans on the fly..

What we are not going to adjust is the beautiful walk from the San Ángel Inn to Plaza San Jacinto. Between volcanic stone houses, with its bougainvilleas hanging from the walls, their catrinas on the shelves, and churches of another time, a day is ending, again, will end between margaritas and tacos.

Thursday 12 November. Mexico City

We have an open day. And at Monarch butterfly would have arrived since his long migration from the United States, We will go to some of their sanctuaries in the Valle de Bravo to see them. When does the monarch arrive? You never know. The Mazahua indigenous people they told us in 2015 who were worried because the butterflies had not arrived for the Day of the Dead, 1 November, as tradition marks, and they thought they offended someone in Heaven. The reality is that they begin to arrive on those dates, but the Mexican forests are filled with lepidopterans, especially in January and February, that reproduce to leave again.. If we have information that indicates that it is worth going to see them, that will be the activity of that day.

Otherwise, We will walk through the Chapultepec Forest and visit the overwhelming Museum of Anthropology. And then we can do a tasting, with a specialist, of taquerias around the city. And, We will be attentive to the cultural offering of the moment in music concerts, works and exhibitions. That day may end between mariachis, or attending the fun Mexican wrestling matches, or in a tavern where tequilas are toasted, or in the disturbing Sonora Market, or toasting with tequila while a singer-songwriter plays. Let yourselves be surprised, That's what traveling is.

Friday 13 November. Tehuacan

We left for a special hacienda in Tlaxcala owned by some friends.. It is a very beautiful place, It is frequently used as a set for movies and series, nestled between the chain of volcanoes.

It is an old pulque and livestock ranch from the 17th century.. And it means entering real life, because we are going to a family's house, from Mexico centuries ago. They still preserve the tradition of bullfighting farming, very settled in Tlaxcala, and the old chapel, the cowherds, the halls of another era. Tlaxcala is a bit of a cursed state, for his key support in the Spanish conquest, and yet it is impossible to understand the history of Mexico without passing through there.

We will have a traditional meal on the farm and we will go to sleep in Tehuacán, to a hotel with a "Granada" touch.

Saturday, 14 November. Oaxaca

after breakfast, We visit the Tehuacán Biosphere Reserve, the densest columnar cactus forest in the world.

Then, We head to a series of Dominican monasteries that are hard to believe due to their size and the place where they were built.. God's Strengths, with its sturdy pillars and columns, that surprise. Depending on how much time we have, we will visit Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, Insurance, and optional that of San Pedro and San Pablo Teposcolula, Magic Town.

Afternoon, we arrive at the spectacular city of Oaxaca. Perhaps the most beautiful colonial-style city in the country. With exquisite gastronomy, an exuberant indigenous Zapotec world, and some landscapes, unique history and craftsmanship. That night we have dinner in a special place.

Sunday, 15 November. Oaxaca

Very early we go to Hierve el Agua. More than an hour's walk to reach a system of petrified waterfalls where those who want can even take a bath. From there we go to the Tlacolula de Matamoros market.. Oaxaca is one of the Mexican regions with the greatest presence of native groups. The Tlacolula market is an explosion of colors, indigenous flavors and customs, especially Zapotec. Even, barter is still practiced in some cases. We will walk slowly through its market and eat one of its barbecues accompanied by local juices. We can also eat grasshoppers (crickets) that are typical of Oaxaca.

Then, After lunch we headed to Teotitlán del Valle, a town of looms. We will have the opportunity to see their centenary dedication to textiles, and whoever wants can buy a unique piece there. To end the day we will go to the Tule tree, which has the largest trunk diameter in the world. Dinner in beautiful Oaxaca.

Monday, 16 November. Oaxaca

after breakfast, We head to the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán. It is a spectacular Zapotec archaeological complex that dates back to the 5th century BC.. C. On a hill overlooking the entire valley we can walk through the remains of another imposing pre-Hispanic city..

From there we will go to another of the Oaxacan artisan towns. In San Martín Tilcajete we will learn about the beautiful and unique work of alebrijes. We will visit some of the town's famous workshops where these figures of magical animals are carved, which have a beautiful legend behind them.. Authentic works of art, some of enormous value and others accessible to all budgets, that have become one of the emblems of the country.

Afternoon, free time to get lost in Oaxaca and night to say goodbye to its fantastic gastronomy.

Tuesday, 17 November. Merida

We took a plane from Oaxaca and changed the climate and pace. The Yucatan Peninsula, the mayan world, is the calm, slow time, the jungle, the guayaberas and the Caribbean.

But we are not going to the sea but inward. Merida, Our first stop, It is one of our weaknesses. A place to walk along its Paseo de Montejo, with its palaces on the sides and its enormous trees to provide shade. And to have a traditional sorbet at Dulcería Colón, and to try the discreet benches where lovers sit, and to end the night in the busy and beautiful street 47.

Wednesday, 18 November. Campeche

We have a very full day that we have to start early. We are going to have breakfast at Santa Lucía Park, and then we walked through the zócalo and historic center.

from there, We pick up and go to a special cenote in the middle of the jungle. Cenotes are pools of fresh, very blue water formed by the collapse of the ceiling of a cave.. They were sacred to the Mayans. We will take a bath and go to a unique place: the Pomuch cemetery.

Many years ago we did in this place a deep report about the last remaining site of old Mayan burials. We will explain its history and above all we will show respect for a peculiar sacred cemetery where skulls and bones are visible.. It is a beautiful and profound tradition that we approach with respect to know..

Then we will eat the famous Pomuch bread in the town, In the square, and we will go to the quiet and beautiful Campeche.

Campeche has something of a Spanish town mixed with the Caribbean. Preserves its wall, and its perfect grid with its colorfully painted facades. It is another place of peace, of rest, good vibes, to have a drink in its taverns and watch life go by.

Thursday, 19 November. Campeche

The straightest road between Campeche and Calakmul, which we just did again in February, It's a minefield. So perhaps it is worth going around the coast to get to Calakmul and have a more relaxed awakening.. Unfortunately the Hacienda Uayamón, what is it is restoring, It doesn't look like it will be open by then so we can take it easy.

We arrive at Calakmul, at the entrance of the park, and we stayed in a cabin project in which the local community has been involved. And there, right at sunset we go to the bat cave. A cavity from which hundreds of thousands of bats emerge at each sunset in their eternal cycle of feeding and pollinating the environment.. It is spectacular to see them flying in a circle, a swarm that sometimes passes by you, until lost in the clouds.

Friday, 20 November. Bacalar Lagoon

This time it's time to get up early to get to 8 in the morning at the entrance to the Mayan archaeological site. The road at that time is full of animal life that we may or may not see.. The path of more than an hour to the door is pure jungle.

Then, We enter paths through the vegetation and head to the old Mayan city and its pyramids. In our opinion, the most spectacular Mayan ruins in the surroundings, there are fewer tourists than in more famous places, and the view there is when you climb some remains.

After the visit, We eat in our cabins and go to the Bacalar lagoon. There are places with very blue waters, but it is difficult to see a deeper blue than those waters. We will go bathe in them.

Saturday and Sunday, 21 and 22 November. Caribbean beach

For those who like the sea, little to add to what it is to enjoy the Caribbean (On those dates there should not be the sargassum that sometimes floods the beaches). For those who are not completely seduced by the sea, There will be a visit for those who wish to visit the Ruins of Tulum.

A fun culmination of a trip that we have prepared with great care, from a country we know especially well, and above all we want what was and will be: our house.

Monday, 23 November. return home

Obviously, Anyone who wants to extend their stay on the Mexican Caribbean beaches can do so.. For the rest, there is a double way of return. Take a plane from Tulum airport to CDMX and from there the connection back to Spain. Or the one we recommend, What is taking the flight from Cancun direct to Spain (We explain it below in the topic flights). We leave clients who wish to do so at the Cancun airport after the meal. (flights are usually from 21 hours).

Trip cost, payment method, dates and what the route includes

When is the trip?

Travel dates are fixed, of 8 November to 23 November.

How many people are in the group?

The trip is planned for a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 8. The final price varies if 4, 6 you 8.

How is the payment?

Bank credit. To confirm the route a first payment is made 600 euros per person. This reservation is not returned in any case, once the trip is confirmed, unless the route is canceled due to lack of participants or due to VAP. The rest of the payment, for the total, will be carried out 50% remaining before 1 September, and 50% end before 8 October.

Do I get my money back if I don't go or is the trip suspended??

If he 1 of September there are no four people signed up, The trip is canceled and the integrity of the amount is returned.

If the trip is canceled due to VAP, The entire amount is returned at any time prior to the departure of the route.

Yes after confirming the route, the passenger cancels the trip, lose the amount in the following percentages. Between 1 of September and 1 October, you lose the 50% of the total amount plus the registration fee 600 EUR. From 8 October, you lose the 100% of the amount.

What does the route include??

Transport, Lodging (in the indicated regime) and the guide-escort drivers. Also includes tickets to the Teotihuacán ruins, Monte Albán and Calakmul. The activity and food of Tlaxcala. The entrance to Hierve el Agua and the Yucatán cenote.

What the route does not include?

International and local flights, lunches and dinners, additional excursions, any museum entrance, natural space or place that requires payment to enter that does not appear as included in the previous sectionr.

How much?

The cost for a group of up to 8 People is 2950 EUR per person. The cost for a group of up to 6 People is 3450 EUR. The cost for a group of 4 People is 3250 per person. The traveler accepts both costs at the time of signing up for the route while waiting to confirm the departure with 4, 6 you 8 People.

Possibility of a single room for a group of less than 8 People. The cost will be evaluated upon request.

How are flights booked??

VAP does not manage the purchase of any of the flights. The client has, once the trip is confirmed, the obligation to buy: 1) the international flight to arrive 8 November. 2) the local flight between Oaxaca and Mérida on Tuesday 17 November. In addition to the direct flight, unique that day with the Volaris company, There is the option to fly to CDMX and from there to Mérida with similar arrival times.

General considerations

– The marked route is orientative, But some options or excursions can be changed, without changing the days of the trip and the type of accommodation proposed for major reasons or because we consider it a benefit for the group.

-We always sleep in shared rooms (two people), except availability upon request and quote of individual rooms.

-The traveler accepts his own responsibility for any event that may arise of a health nature., Security, traffic or related to natural events. It is mandatory to take out travel insurance that covers Mexico between 8 and 23 November. The policy must be presented to VAP before starting the route. Without this contracted policy, the traveler will not have the right to join the route..

-The author of the route is Javier Brandoli, lived between 2015 and 2019 in Mexico, where he worked as a correspondent. He currently lives in New York and travels repeatedly to a country that he has traveled from north to south and where he has a good number of friends..