Uxmal & Kabah Day Trip from Mérida with Choco Story

4.69

(134 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I almost missed the van—classic me. The driver waited, just tapping his phone, while I fumbled with my water bottle and tried to remember if I’d locked my Airbnb. We set off from Mérida, windows cracked for the early heat. Our guide, Ana, switched between Spanish and English so naturally that sometimes I forgot which language she’d started in. She handed out cold bottles from the cooler and told us to save some energy for Uxmal—“It’s bigger than you think,” she grinned.

Walking into Uxmal was something else. The stones felt warm under my hand, and there was this faint smell of earth after last night’s rain. Ana pointed out the Puuc style details—carved masks everywhere—and told us about the old stories, like the one about the dwarf king. I don’t know if it was the sun or her voice, but I got goosebumps when she talked about how people used to gather here centuries ago. We wandered through Kabah next—less crowded, quieter somehow. There were iguanas sunbathing on the steps (one stared me down for a full minute).

Lunch was at this place called Halach Huinic—I still can’t pronounce it right; Ana laughed when I tried. The sopa de lima tasted like nothing back home: tangy, a little smoky, perfect after walking all morning. Then came dessert and strong coffee that made me wish for a hammock.

The Choco Story museum was our last stop. It smelled like roasted cacao as soon as we walked in—not sweet exactly, more earthy and rich. We watched a demo of traditional Mayan chocolate making (I definitely didn’t expect it to be spicy), then wandered through gardens dotted with cocoa trees and rescued animals in shady corners. Kids were giggling near the melipona bees’ hut—I kept thinking how much life there is tucked away behind those old walls.