Valladolid, Mexico: Top Attractions & Travel Tips

How Much Time to Plan for Valladolid?

For Valladolid itself, you only need to set aside half a day during your Mexico trip. The center is small but absolutely charming, and you can explore all the highlights in a single afternoon.

That said, Valladolid is a great base for visiting places like Chichén Itzá and cenotes. We recommend staying a total of 3 days in Valladolid.

The Top Sights in Valladolid

The architecture and colorful buildings in Valladolid are seriously beautiful. That’s why we recommend simply wandering through the city and following your nose.

There aren’t a ton of must-sees in Valladolid, but the few highlights are absolutely worth your time:

• Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción: A beautiful church right on the main square.
• Cenote Zaci: A cenote right in the middle of the city — super convenient to visit.
• Convento de San Bernardino de Siena: A monastery you can explore from the inside too.
• Calzada de los Frailes: A lovely alley that’s perfect for photos.

The Most Beautiful Cenotes near Valladolid

Around Valladolid you’ll find many of what we consider the most beautiful cenotes in Mexico. Visiting all of them would definitely be too much and would start to feel repetitive. We recommend checking out one to three cenotes near Valladolid.

These are our personal picks for the most beautiful cenotes near Valladolid:

• Cenote Xkeken and Samula: These two enclosed cenotes sit right next to each other, just under 8 kilometers from Valladolid. Cost: 225 MXN.
• Cenote Xlakaj: Our under-the-radar pick — hardly any tourists make it out here. We even had the cenote completely to ourselves. Cost: 100 MXN.
• Hacienda Cenote Oxmán: A beautiful cenote only about 4.5 kilometers from Valladolid. Great for a longer visit since there’s also a pool and a restaurant. Cost: 150 MXN.

These are far from all the cenotes near Valladolid, though. Other popular options include Cenote Suytun, Cenote Saamal, and Cenote Ik Kil.

Note: Cenote prices change frequently. We update our articles regularly, but we can’t guarantee that the prices are always current.

How to Get from Valladolid to the Cenotes

There are no buses to the cenotes around Valladolid, and we didn’t find any reliable colectivos either. The easiest option is to have a rental car. With one, you can reach all the cenotes easily and explore at your own pace.

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If you’re traveling without a rental car, your best bet is to rent a bike. Valladolid is a very bike-friendly city and there are rental shops everywhere. Most places charge only 100 MXN per day, and you can easily reach most cenotes by bike.

If you’re traveling in a group, a taxi is another option. For two people or solo travelers, though, taxis can get quite expensive.

How to Get from Valladolid to Chichén Itzá

Valladolid is a great base for visiting Chichén Itzá, one of Mexico’s most popular attractions. The Maya site is only 45 kilometers from the city.

You can get from Valladolid to Chichén Itzá by colectivo or ADO bus. The ride takes just under an hour.

Colectivos are the cheapest option at 40 MXN per ride and depart from Calle 39, between Calle 46 and 48. The first van leaves at 7 AM. Colectivos don’t have fixed departure times — they leave when they’re full.

If you want more reliability, book a bus at the bus terminal or through the ADO website. If that’s not working, you can also book through ViajoMucho or Checkmybus.

Buses are more expensive, but your seat is guaranteed. The terminal is at the corner of Calle 39 and Calle 46.

More Maya Ruins near Valladolid

If you’d like to visit additional, less touristy Maya sites beyond Chichén Itzá, Valladolid gives you that opportunity too.

Ek Balam

Ek Balam is an ancient Maya city whose name translates to “black jaguar.” It’s located about a 30-minute drive north of Valladolid.

The ruins are every bit as impressive as Chichén Itzá, yet there are far fewer crowds here. The most famous structure is the so-called Acropolis — and you’re still allowed to climb it.

Admission to Ek Balam costs 90 MXN, plus government fees of 441 MXN. All in, you’ll pay 531 MXN.

From Valladolid, you can get there by car or taxi, bike, or colectivo.

We only recommend the colectivo if you’re traveling in a group. Since there aren’t many passengers heading this way, you may end up having to pay for the entire colectivo yourself, or wait a long time for it to fill up. Colectivos depart daily from 7 AM from Calle 37, between Calle 42 and 44.

Cobá

The Maya ruins of Cobá are located between Valladolid and Tulúm. They’re perfect if you want to combine a visit to cenotes with a Maya site, since several cenotes sit right next to the archaeological zone.

Cobá was also a significant Maya city, and the ruins are seriously impressive. The surrounding lagoons are really cool too — you can even spot crocodiles there.

Admission to the ruins costs 90 MXN. From Valladolid, you can get there by car or colectivo. Colectivos depart from Calle 41, between Calle 38 and Calle 40.

Hotel Tips for Valladolid

Valladolid is a small town and most accommodations are located in the center. These are our personal recommendations for where to stay in Valladolid:

By the way: We think Hotel Zentik is so cool and unique that it made our list of favorite boutique hotels in Yucatán.

Getting to Valladolid

The best way to get to Valladolid is by car or bus. The city sits almost exactly between Mérida and Tulum. Cancún and Playa del Carmen are also well connected to Valladolid. With Google Maps and a Mexican eSIM, getting there is a breeze.

You can book buses to Valladolid on the ADO website, ViajoMucho, or Checkmybus.

Is Valladolid Safe?

Yes — we felt completely safe in Valladolid. You can walk through the city center without any issues, both during the day and in the evening. We even visited during our family vacation in Mexico. That said, always keep an eye on your belongings, since pickpockets do exist in Valladolid too.

If you’d like more information on safety in Mexico, check out our dedicated article on the topic.