Valladolid, Yucatán

A colonial city in eastern Yucatán midway between Mérida and Cancún, Valladolid is a compact pueblo mágico with pastel-colored colonial buildings surrounding a cathedral and central plaza. The cenote Zaci sits within a privately managed park right in the city center, allowing swimming in a partially open sinkhole steps from downtown. Several nearby cenotes and the proximity to Chichen Itza make the city a practical and less-crowded base for exploring the eastern Yucatán.