VALLADOLID

Authentic: it’s a word that is frequently used when describing Valladolid. Culturally speaking, the city is deeply Mayan, from the guttural consonants of the Mayan language heard on its streets, to the many women still wearing the traditional huipil (white cotton dresses adorned with bright, flowered embroidery). You will be charmed by this colonial city, which was once a capital of the Spanish supremacy. Ornate architecture, market places, and a Franciscan convent are all points of interest that you will encounter.

We will start our day with a visit of the Central Cathedral and the main plaza. As you walk through the streets you will get the feeling that not much has changed in the past fifty years. Life is taken at a slower pace, and Mayan customs and traditions are present everywhere. We will make a stop at a private home that has one of the largest museum-quality collections of Mexican folk art held in private hands. You will be able to admire more than 3000 pieces here, housed in stunning Colonial architecture.

This amazing experience is followed by short visits to a cacao factory, then on to a show-room offering products that are hand-crafted by Mayan artisans at Hacienda Montrecristo, such as leather goods and exquisite rebozos (scarves), as well as a unique perfumery.

Nicolas Malleville, a contemporary landscape architect and perfumer, was inspired by the libraries of Kew Gardens in England, Le Jardin de Bagatelle in Paris and Hanbury Gardens in Italy. Captivated by the stories of these lands, Nicolas decided to embark on a trip to Yucatan with a clear objective in mind: recover the monks’ old formulas and fuse them together with the legacy of ancient Mayan medicine. Several years were dedicated to research before the perfumer achieved his goal. Since then, Nicolas has founded a small lab in the mystical and colonial town of Valladolid.

This experience is followed by a visit to one of the most magnificent Convents in the region, followed by a delicious Mayan gourmet lunch at a privileged location which overlooks the ancient stonework of the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena. This convent dates back to 1552 and is one of the most important structures of colonial Mexico. The restaurant sits exactly above Cenote Sis-Ha, the most historic cenote of Yucatan. It is this truly privileged location which forms the basis for an exceptional culinary and cultural experience.