Maya of Chiapas & Tabasco

When: January 7 - 17, 2009
Where: Mexico
How Much: $2,795 ($375 single supplement)

This new tour takes us to some of the more out-of-the-way, but spectacular, Maya ruins in southern Mexico that flourished between A.D. 300 and 900.   We begin in the tropical lowlands and end in the fabulous highlands of Chiapas among the modern Maya people.  We’ll see tremendous pyramids, unbelievable sculptures and murals, and modern arts and crafts.  Our guide will be noted Maya scholar Dr. John Henderson of Cornell University.

Wednesday, January 7
Join us in Villahermosa for a welcoming reception.  We’ll stay in this tropical city for two nights.

Thursday, January 8
We begin our adventure with a visit to the major Olmec site of La Venta with its great earthen pyramid.  The Olmec laid the foundations for the later Maya development.  We will also see giant Olmec heads and other stone monuments at La Venta Park in Villahermosa.

Friday, January 9
Comalcalco is the furthest west of all the Maya centers and uniquely built in the Maya style without stone, using fired bricks instead.  Stucco sculptures and many buildings are well preserved.  We then drive to Palenque for two nights at the Misión Park Inn with its fabulous landscaped grounds.

Saturday, January 10
Palenque, set in a tropical forest on the edge of the mountains, is the most beautiful of the Maya centers.  Here Pacal the Great (A.D. 615 to 683) and his sons built some of the finest Maya buildings including the Palace and the Temple of the Inscriptions where Pacal is buried.

Sunday, January 11
Bonampak is located deep in the forest of the Lacondon Maya.  Here, the greatest surviving Maya murals dramatically depict life of the Maya royalty in the 8th century.  We will spend two nights at the rustic Escudo Jaguar lodge on the banks of the Usumacinta River, the border with Guatemala.

Monday, January 12
After a short boat trip on the Usumacinta River, we arrive at Yaxchilán, one of the loveliest Maya sites on a big oxbow of the river.  It is perhaps best known for its dramatic stelae and door lintels, many of which portray the tenure of King Bird Jaguar IV (A.D. 752 to 772) and his family.

Tuesday, January 13
We return to Palenque, where the afternoon is free to revisit the ruins or enjoy the crafts of the village.

Wednesday, January 14
We leave the tropical lowlands for a long climb into the Chiapas mountains to the large Maya center of Toniná.  The site is dominated by its acropolis, which rises in terraces and building some 233 feet up the side of a steep hill.  After more climbing, we reach San Cristóbal de las Casas, which is nestled into a beautiful mountain valley.  We’ll spend two nights at a charming colonial hotel.

Thursday, January 15
We spend the day exploring the fascinating colonial-Indian town of San Cristóbal, including the cathedral that was begun in 1528 and the many markets, where traditional crafts abound.

Friday, January 16
We visit the charming Tzotzil Maya villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán, where traditional Maya culture still thrives.  They wear traditional dress, practice a fusion of Catholic and Maya religion, and are well known for their exquisite textiles.  Late in the day we’ll take a short ride to Tuxtla Gutiérrez for the evening.

Saturday, January 17
Return home from Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

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