Espita and its surroundings

From Casona Los Cedros:

• Tizimín is around half an hour away;
• Ek Balam, about 40 minutes;
• Valladolid and Chichén Itzá, under an hour;
• the Río Lagartos coast, a little over an hour.

Between outings, the house, its garden and the plaza set the pace.

Espita lies in eastern Yucatán and has been a Pueblo Mágico since 2023. It was called “the Athens of Yucatán” for its intellectual past, still visible in:

• its double-height 19th-century casonas with cement-tile floors;
• its plaza facing the church of San José.

It stays off the mass-tourism map: a town that is lived in, not a hotel zone.

Casona Los Cedros is in the centre. The plaza, the church of San José and the municipal market are a few steps away. The best plan is to wander the streets of casonas early in the morning or at dusk, looking at the façades and the patterned tiles that show through open doors. The house publishes texts on the town’s architecture on its blog, good reading before you set out.

The table is part of the stay: the house restaurant cooks with seasonal produce from local growers and from its garden, from breakfast to dinner.

• Ek Balam. About 37 km, around 40 minutes.
  • The former capital of the kingdom of Talol, with an acropolis that was a royal palace.
  • The mausoleum of its best-known king, Ukit Kan Lek Tok’, with its modelled stucco façade.
  • It reached its height between the years 770 and 896.
  • Allow two or three hours.
• Chichén Itzá. About 52 km, under an hour.
  • A World Heritage Site since 1988, with the pyramid of Kukulkán, the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Observatory.
  • Arrive early.
  • It can also be visited on the way to Seyé, as the Espita → Seyé leg suggests.

• Cenote X’Canché, next to Ek Balam, for a swim after the visit.
• Cenote Sac Aua. About 51 km, around 50 minutes from the house and under 20 from Ek Balam. An open cenote with an island in the middle, on land of the community of Dzalbay. A quiet visit, away from the busiest circuits.

• Valladolid. About 52 km, under an hour. A Pueblo Mágico, with the Calzada de los Frailes leading to the former convent of San Bernardino de Siena, founded in 1552. Enough for a morning or an afternoon of walking and lunch.
• Uayma. A small village under 20 minutes from Valladolid, known for its church of Santo Domingo, with a painted Baroque façade. Pairs well with Valladolid.
• Tizimín. About 29 km, around half an hour. The City of Kings, Yucatán’s cattle capital, famous for its festival on 6 January. A short visit to see the life of an inland town.

Río Lagartos and Las Coloradas. About 75 km, a little over an hour to Río Lagartos.

• The estuary, more than 80 km long and a Biosphere Reserve, is home to pelicans, herons, cormorants and pink flamingos.
• Boat trips are arranged with local operators; their length depends on the route, and the birds on the season.
• Las Coloradas is about 20 minutes further east.
• It is a full day: leave early.

• A Maya morning. Ek Balam first thing and a swim at X’Canché or Sac Aua; back at the house for lunch.
• A day on the coast. Río Lagartos by boat and Las Coloradas, leaving early.
• A day of towns. Valladolid and Uayma, unhurried.
• Chichén Itzá, from the house or on the way to Seyé.
• Time in Espita. At least one day without the car, for the town, the garden and the house’s table.

Casona Los Cedros publishes its own guide to Espita and its surroundings. Read it for the recommendations of people who live the town every day, and ask the house about transfers and outings.

Casona Los Cedros’s guide to Espita and its surroundings (opens another website in a new tab)

• From the island: the Holbox → Espita leg, via Tizimín or with a day at Río Lagartos.
• On to the cenotes: the Espita → Seyé leg, with a stop in Izamal or at Chichén Itzá, and Valladolid as an option, to Galopina Casa Silvestre.

What can you visit from Espita?

Ek Balam, Chichén Itzá, Valladolid, Uayma, the X’Canché and Sac Aua cenotes, and the Río Lagartos and Las Coloradas coast, all as half-day or day trips from the house.

Do you need a car?

For the excursions, yes, or an arranged transfer. The town is explored on foot.

Ek Balam or Chichén Itzá?

They are different visits and both are under an hour away. Ek Balam tends to be quieter; Chichén Itzá can also be added on the way to Seyé.

Casona Los Cedros is independent. Bookings, rates and policies on its official website.

About Casona Los Cedros → · Official website (opens the official website in a new tab)

Reviewed in October 2026.