DESTINATIONS ~ Xcalak Village, Belize, Guatemala, Archaeological Sites

RESTAURANTS, VILLAGE OF XCALAK -- 2007 & 2008
     --Leaky Palapa with Marla & Linda -- Reservations only (Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon eves, more at Holidays)
     --Moises' Caribbe Lunches and Dinners and festive fun!
     --Silvia's Loncheria   Lunches and Dinners

RESTAURANTS, OTHER RESORTS NEAR VILLAGE
     -- Costa de Cocos Resort Full Bar and Restaurant (PIZZA!) Lunch and Dinner daily! Walk-in from 6:30
     -- Tierra Maya Resort Full Bar and Restaurant; Dinner daily; Walk-in from 6:30
        ALL serve fresh seafood, vegetarian or Yucatecan fare deliciously and daily!

XCALAK VILLAGE STORES & SUNDRIES
      -- There are a few tiny, local stores with limited food supplies; beer, water, tortillas & tequila, a Mayan-kitchen bakery, a medical clinic, immigration office, lighthouse, sheltered harbor for sailboats, and one gasoline station with a bucket and funnel.

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT SIN DUDA --TIKAL, GUATEMALA Tour of Tikal Park.
Fly into Flores, Guatemala and taxi to Tikal Park.

ON YOUR WAY TO SIN DUDA
     TULUM: SIAN KA'AN BIOSPHERE (Tours 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Plan itinerary for 2 overnights at Tulum.
     We request you do not drive to Sin Duda Villas after dark from Tulum -- find a delightful hotelito Tulum Lodging!.
     Tour choices:      CESIAK         SIAN KA'AN ALLIANCE TOURS (4 Maya Communities)          LOCO GRINGO
     Sian Ka'an is Maya 'birth of the sky', a primitive and protected ecosystem whose southern boundary is just north of Sin Duda Villas. Sian Ka'an's 1.3 million acres, with hidden coves and beaches-- some accessible only by boat --is home to over 1200 species of plants and animals, enabling the MAYA to harvest traditional food sources.
     Learn about Sian Ka'an:   PLANETA      UNESCO       Trip Advisor

     TULUM: TULUM ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE Your itinerary should begin this tour by 9:00 a.m.
     COBA:    COBA ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE    MEX EXPERIENCE ABOUT COBA    SeaMonkey

ADVENTURES AT SIN DUDA DAY TRIPPING-- YES!
DIVE CHINCHORRO BANKS -- Chinchorro is a coral atoll just 90 minutes off the coast of Sin Duda Villas
CHINCHORRO BANKS is a necklace of coral enclosing 240 sq miles of shallow to 40-feet depth with dozens of premier dive sites; 600 foot walls. To be arranged through XTC Dive Center, weather permitting.

ADVENTURES AT SIN DUDA DAY TRIPPING-- YES!
      DAY TRIPS: AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE
      -- SNORKEL HOL CHAN RESERVE
      -- SCUBA DIVE AT AMIGOS DEL MAR

ADVENTURES AT SIN DUDA DAY TRIPPING-- YES!
--BIRD ISLAND: Take a 3- or 6-hour boat excursion arranged by XTC Dive Shop, Costa de Cocos, or with our guide, "Cachetes." You'll travel through the Mayan Canal, a narrow waterway teeming with fish and birds, tangled with mangroves and cut through the dense growth by Mayans a thousand years ago; plus a grand snorkeling adventure! Snacks provided.

ADVENTURES AT SIN DUDA -- FISHING OPTIONS
      XCALAK FISHING OPTIONS: To be arranged at arrival
       -- FLATS FISHING Bahia de Chetumal (XTC)
       -- DEEP WATER (Costa de Cocos)
       -- TROLLING (XTC or Costa de Cocos or GUIDE)
       -- PROFESSIONALS (Costa de Cocos)

ADVENTURES AT SIN DUDA -- SCUBA DIVING OPTIONS
      -- COSTA DE COCOS with Steve Dramstad
      -- XTC DIVE CENTER

BOTH OFFER: Resort or Refresher courses; "Discover Scuba"
Open Water Certification, Nitrox

ADVENTURES AT SIN DUDA-- BIRDS, FISH, WILDLIFE
. . . populate the beach, jungle and large salt water lagoon immediately inland from Sin Duda. Walk near the jungle along the shore. HUSH! . . .you may see hermit and blue land crabs, black foxes, butterflies, noisy chachalacas, flocks of green parrots, egrets, pelicans and heron two meters tall.

ONE HOUR BY CAR FROM SIN DUDA -- LAGUNA BACALAR
Lake of Seven Colors, visit the ancient Fort built to protect Mayans from Pirates and pillaging.

TWO HOURS BY CAR FROM SIN DUDA -- BELIZE:
       Passport necessary to enter Belize, plus purchase of Belizean insurance; ask us for this information!      MAP of BELIZE
   -- Lamanai -- A river cruise to Lamanai archeological site.
   -- Belize Zoo -- Begun in 1983 to provide a home for wild animals from movies.
   -- The Cayo District and town of San Ignacio
   -- Altun Ha (First settled 250 BC)
   -- Xunantunich Stone Woman, Archeological site.

OVERNIGHT FROM SIN DUDA
     -- PALENQUE is only 8 hours southwest; spend a day or two.
     -- MERIDA, the White City 4 hours northwest.
     -- Puuc Region, on the way to Merida Maya Kings and Scientists
         *Uxmal   (Maya, "thrice built").
               See Stephens & Catherwood (The Catherwood Project)
         *Chichen Itza, Sacred city of the Itza.
OVERNIGHT FROM AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE Tours by Tropic Airlines
      TO TIKAL GUATEMALA TROPIC AIR   (Tropic Air schedule)

LA RUTA MAYA - THE COSTA MAYA
SITES THROUGHOUT THE YUCATAN PENINSULA ...

      THE MAYA: While Europe was still in the Dark Ages, the Mayan World was flourishing. These fascinating people had mapped the heavens, were using a calendar which approximates our current calendar, and understood and used the concept of "zero."
      READING LIST:
      -- Maya Cosmos, (Schele, Freidel & Parker. Linda Schele, whose DRAWINGS unlocked the secrets of Maya glyphs and codes. A scholarly tome discussing the glyphs' complicated intricacies.
      -- Reading the Maya Glyphs (Michael Coe)
      -- A Forest of Kings (Schele, Freidel)
      -- About the Maya, read Planeta: These are the parents of our indigenous peoples. Their history is our future.

     VISIT THE HEART OF THE MAYA (within 2-3 hours of Sin Duda Villas)--
List (and links) of nearby Archeological sites to be found at bottom of this page:

LINKS OF ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES --THE RUTA MAYA
         AS NOTED, WITHIN 2 HRS OF SIN DUDA VILLAS
       --JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY #186 & #307 begins the heart of the Maya World. Visit clusters of Maya ruins along Hwy #186, accessible only since 1982 with construction of this highway which now links Chetumal to Escarcega. With the highway completed the archeologists now had access to ancient cities of Maya Kings-- some are still being excavated, many are stabilized! The links below offer photographic enticement and some excellent text . If the Maya are of interest, use links below prior to travel to learn more ABOUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY AREAS considered the HEART OF THE MAYA WORLD.
   Sites marked are a great DAY-ADVENTURE from Sin Duda Villas (2-3 hrs)

Dzibanche --(2.5 hrs) During the Classic Period of 300 to 900 AD, Dzibanche was a major site in the Maya area. Dzibanche translated means "writing on wood" and was built near water like all Mayan cities. More about Dzibanche. Also see the Gorp Tour.
Kohunlich --(2.5 hrs) A site covering 21 acres with nearly 200 mounds surrounded by dense sub-tropical rainforest. Most of the structures at Kohunlich, which include pyramids and temples, were constructed from 250 to 600 AD. Click to read more about Kohunlich. Also see Masks of the Sun God.
Xpuhil --(2-3 hrs) The main building of the Xpuhil ruin is an example of Maya architechture which connects southern and northern Maya traditions. The main attraction is three towers, about 30-40 feet tall, which are ornamented in the Chenes style. More about Xpuhil. The Rio Bec style.
     Becan --(3 hrs) The Tri-tower Maya city of Becan has many unexcavated temples and mounds. Becan was occupied from about 300 BC to 1100 AD and is a great example of Mayan fortification. Photos of Becan. Also see an illustration of defensive Maya warfare.
      Calakmul Biosphere (4 hrs) --Translated, Calakmul means "City of the Two Adjacent Pyramids." Over 100 carved stelae are found at the 25 square Km site, some of which date back to 514 AD. It is an hour east on Hwy #186. More about Calakmul. Also see a Walk at Calakmul.
     Chicanna--The ancient name of Chicanna is not known, but the name comes from Jack D. Eaton who discovered the site in 1966 -- "Serpent mouth House." The sculpture at Chicanna gives a peek at intact Becan style. More about Chicanna. Also see House of Serpent Mouth.
      Rio Bec --(4 hrs & overnight) There are almost 40 Rio Bec sites, which include Rio Bec, Becan, Xpuhil and Chicanna. Rio Bec architecture included towers topped by false temples, with the lower and upper parts of the buildings being decorated. More about Rio Bec styles. The Puuc Region is older than Rio Bec.
      Balamku-- Discovered in just 1990, means "Jaguar Temple" in Maya. Its stucco facade is exceptionally preserved. More about Balamku.

At Sin Duda Villas you're part of the Mayan world - MUNDO MAYA MAGAZINE Online - MEXICO

DESTINATIONS ~ Xcalak Village, Belize, Guatemala, Archaeological Sites

LA RUTA MAYA - THE COSTA MAYA SITES THROUGHOUT THE YUCATAN PENINSULA ...

LA RUTA MAYA - THE COSTA MAYA
SITES THROUGHOUT THE YUCATAN PENINSULA ...