Valladolid, Chichen Itza

Dried off and refreshed, I arrived in Valladolid, a charming city founded in 1543 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo. It was named after the Spanish city of the same name. Its historic centre is filled with beautiful pastel-coloured buildings. At its heart is the imposing Templo de San Servacio, a 16th-century Spanish colonial church with two soaring towers.

The city was built in a grid pattern typical of a Spanish colonial town, with a central square and streets radiating out from it. Valladolid was founded on the ruins of Zaci, an ancient Maya settlement that occupied the area from around 500 AD. Zaci was built around a cenote, which the Maya considered sacred and used for religious rituals, bathing and drinking water. The Zaci buildings were dismantled, and the stones were reused to build Valladolid. The Zaci cenote, located near the central square, remained an important feature of the town and was used as a water source until the early 20th century. Today it is a swimming hole surrounded by poplars, ferns, philodendrons and orchids.

I had a delightful experience visiting Casa de los Venados, a museum located in a private home owned by a couple from Chicago who have been collecting Mexican folk art for years. In the early 2000s, they decided to move to Valladolid and create a custom-made home that would allow them to share their collection year-round. With the help of experts in Mexican folk art, the collection has quickly grown to over 3,000 pieces of museum-quality art.

The house is built around a large patio and central pool. The interior is tastefully decorated with incredible works of art bursting with color, texture, and intrigue. Unsurprisingly, the house and its architect have won several architectural awards.

Located southwest of Valladolid's city centre is the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena. This historical landmark dates back to the 16th century. Built by Franciscan monks, the convent served as a religious centre of the community for many years. A walkway lined with ceibas trees, planted by the friars, leads to the "Esquina de las Cinco Calles" or "Corner of the Five Streets". It is a nod to the streets that radiate from the convent and connect it with the surrounding community. The convent's grand scale features intricate details on its façade, a central courtyard enclosed within a rose-coloured cloister, frescoes on its chapel's interior and a beautifully carved wooden altarpiece. Today, the convent is a museum and cultural centre.