Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza lies 80 miles from Tulum on the road to Merida (about 2 hours’ drive). Guided tours are a must – knowledgeable guides, proud of their heritage, really bring the site to life and offer insight into the people and culture you’ll miss out on otherwise.

The site can be explored comfortably in 2 hours; 3 or 4 to really soak up the atmosphere.

For refuelling after, head to Ix Cat Ik in Valladolid’s 40km east on the road to Cancun for fabulous, authentic Mayan food and is well worth a detour. Most of the organic ingredients are grown in the restaurant’s kitchen garden.

If you want to stay close to get there before the hordes, the luxurious Hacienda Chichen Resort has beautiful mock-Spanish-colonial rooms in garden surrounds. The Le Muuch Boutique Hotel, 40 minutes’ drive away in pretty Valladolid town, has rooms in a converted Spanish townhouse and a great restaurant serving traditional Yucatec food.

Note from Matt: if you can afford it, go on a private tour for a more intimate portrayal and to jump the queues. This is one place you definitely want to arrive early – ideally at opening around 8am – before the tour buses arrive and destroy the tranquillity and sense of mystery. The car park is a beast – park near the exit to avoid being blocked in.

The site is open all year around, seven days a week. Gates open at 8am and close at 5pm.

It gets increasingly crowded and hot in the middle of the day. Be there for opening (8am), when you’ll have the ruins to yourself for half an hour.

The rainy season from May through October sees the fewest visitors to Mayan Riviera – and fewer crowds here. The dry season – November through April – gets busy. If you can, avoid peak season in December to January, when it gets oppressively crowded, especially around Christmas and New Year.