The London Foodie Goes to Mexico - Campeche

A walled and fortified colonial city, Campeche was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 and this where we stopped for a couple of nights from Merida (see post here).

The houses inside the walled city have been renovated extensively, and painted in a variety of pastel colours. Taken together with its cobblestoned streets and cathedral square, a walk through the town has something of a fairytale quality.

Outside the walls, there is a modern city, and an attractive waterfront boulevard (malecon), ideal for a stroll or cycle along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.

Where to Stay

Casa Don Gustavo

Casa Don Gustavo is an attractive boutique hotel, renovated and opened in 2010 from a large 18th century colonial house on the coastal side of the walled city. It has 10 suites decorated in period style with many antique artworks, ceramics, glassware items and chandeliers, and one bedroom boasts an original 4 poster bed slept in by Queen Carlotta of Spain.

The 1st floor bedrooms in particular are very attractive, and I think it is worth requesting one of those if booking. These were the original living quarters of the owners of the building, while the ground floor bedrooms have been converted from the warehouse that used to occupy this floor.

There is a rooftop swimming pool, and an open-air jacuzzi as well as a small garden. All the rooms open onto a central courtyard where the hotel's restaurant tables are, and where breakfast is served.

Our ground floor bedroom was small but perfectly formed, simply furnished but including air conditioning, flat screen TV and an en-suite bathroom. It was elegantly decorated with walls painted in yellow, contrasting with dark wooden furniture, and colourful original floor tiles.

We had a lovely breakfast at Casa Don Gustavo with good, strong coffee, freshly cut fruit and various Mexican cooked options. Breakfast is taken in the hotel's beautiful courtyard.

In addition to the fine architecture of Casa Don Gustavo, the breakfast and the helpful staff, it is the central location in Campeche that makes it a good place to stay. The hotel is situated on Calle 59, which is the main and most beautiful pedestrianised road of the city, only metres from the main square and the seafront.

Where to Eat 

Marganzo

Several people recommended La Pigua as the best restaurant in town, but sadly during our stay the road in front of the restaurant was being resurfaced so the place was closed. So instead, we went to Marganzo, just round the corner from our hotel and also recommended as one of the best dining options in town.

We started with Panuchos campechanos (£3), these were tortillas stuffed with shark meat and black beans, and were crisp and the perfect accompaniments to the very chilled beers we both had. I could have eaten this all evening, and in retrospect, maybe I should have done.

For main course, Dr G and I both had fish - I had mine simply grilled with a mole made from pumpkin flower and shrimps (£9) while Dr G had his stuffed with shrimps and bacon (£8). The fish were good despite the presentation but not outstanding.

Marganzo felt very much aimed at tourists, and if I were ever to return to Campeche, La Pigua would probably be my first port of call.

What to Do

Main Square and Mansion at No.6

Campeche is a compact city, and it is possible to walk or cycle through all the streets of the walled part in a day. The Plaza Principal merits a few hours, including the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepcion.

The mansion at Number 6 in the square is now a cultural centre (renovated by the same architect who restored Casa Don Gustavo), and is furnished with authentic period furniture to give a sense of life as a wealthy Campechano.

Beyond the square, it is good just to wander through the streets and enjoy the beautiful architecture.  However, unlike other cities we visited in Mexico, we noted very few bars and cafes in the centre which meant it has limited appeal to visitors once they have walked through the streets in the walled town.

Cycling

Cycling in the city can be slightly hair-raising, but the Malecon is ideal, having a cycle track along this pedestrianised seaside boulevard. We hired a couple of bikes for the day from a bicycle hire shop right opposite Casa Don Gustavo on Calle 59, for £8 each, and cycled 4km east to sample some seafood at the Parador Gastronomico de Cocteleros. The cycle along the beach front was a great joy but alas the seafood we had at the Cocteleros (a tacky tourist trap) was diabolical, so avoid it at all costs.

Archeological Museum of Campeche

On returning to the centre, we cycled a further 3.5 km west to visit the Archeological Museum of Campeche based inside the impressive 17th  century fort of San Miguel (admission £1.50). The fort has a dry moat and working drawbridge, and there are great views from the top. The museum contains vases, jewellery and statues from several Mayan sites in the state of Campeche.

Edzna and Calakmul

We did not have time to visit any Mayan sites, but there are impressive ruins at Edzna, 64km from Campeche which was built and occupied by people known as Itzaes, between 600BC and the arrival of the Spanish.  We would love to have visited the UNESCO World Heritage site of Calakmul, a massive 72km2 city mostly still encased in thick tropical jungle, but the 4.5 hour 307km journey each way did not fit with our tight schedule. More detail on the site can be seen here. 

Travel Essentials

Hotel Casa Don Gustavo
Calle 59, Number 4, Centro Historico 24000
Campeche, Mexico
http://www.casadongustavo.com

Rooms rates vary according to season and availability but start around £150 per night

Marganzo
Calle 8, No 267
Campeche, Mexico
http://www.marganzo.com

La Pigua
Av. Miguel Aleman no. 179A
Campeche, Mexico

Visits to Edzna or 2 day trips to Calakmul can be arranged with Xtampak Tours
Calle 57, No 14, Campeche
http://toursencampeche.com

We took an ADO bus from Merida to Campeche, which took 2.5 hours, and cost £6 each. It is also possible to fly to Campeche airport from Mexico City with Aeromexico

The London Foodie Goes to Mexico - City of Merida

The capital of the Yucatan state, Merida has been a major city since before the Spanish conquered and renamed it (from T'ho) in 1542. With around one million inhabitants and with many different barrios spreading in all directions, Merida has the historic charm of neighbouring towns but also all the amenities of a major city.

That said, Plaza Grande or the main square is the city's focal point with most sites of interest to visitors located within a 5-block radius. At night, this area comes alive with live music in almost every bar, tables outdoors and street hawkers.

If you are not flying to Merida from Cancun or Mexico City, it can be reached by ADO bus (a good, frequent and great value service) from Cancun (4-6 hours) or Valladolid or the walled town of Campeche (both 2.5 hours). It is also the most convenient spot from which to visit the magnificent Mayan ruins at Uxmal. 

Where to Stay

Rosas y Xocolate

The über-cool Rosas y Xocolate Hotel is on the Paseo de Montejo, the city's answer to the Champs Elysées. It is a wide, green boulevard dotted with fine mansions built by wealthy families at the end of the 19th century, some chic shops, the city's anthropological museum and a smattering of banks.

Two such mansions were purchased and renovated by Carol Kolozs to create the boutique hotel and spa Rosas y Xocolate. No expense was spared in the process, and today the hotel, part of the Design Hotels Group, is an ultra-stylish example of contemporary Mexican architecture.

In tones of chocolate brown and rose pink, the modern feel of the hotel is accentuated by the clear lines and elegant Italian furniture, discreet lighting and beautiful Mexican artefacts in its rooms and common areas.

There is also a swimming pool in the central courtyard, a fully equipped gym and luxury spa where massages and other treatments make use of chocolate.

Our room was very spacious, with a huge open air stone bath, and the highest ceilings I have ever seen helped to keep the room cool despite 35C temperatures outside (air conditioning is available, but we didn't use it). I liked the way the designers (Salvador Reyes Rios and Josefina Larrain) sympathetically incorporated modern features like plate glass walls, Bose sound systems and flat screen cable TV, blending them with colonial architecture to create a room in which they didn't feel out of place.

The hotel breakfast is served in its open air cafe, with a number of options available. Jams and pastries are made in house and were delicious, as were the Mexican specialties on the menu, including Huevos Motulenos and Huevos Rancheros.

The open-air roof-top terrace bar has a DJ or live music being played most evenings of the week, and is a place where Merida's in-crowd get together for cocktails and music. We had a lovely evening there with an American jazz band, a few Margaritas and a couple of Montecristo Cuban cigars.

The hotel's restaurant is well regarded in the city, and although I didn't get the chance to sample its food, I saw from the menu that it presents an interesting fusion of local Yucatecan ingredients with French and Italian techniques and influences.

I very much enjoyed my stay at Rosas y Xocolate, it is one of the most stylish boutique hotels I have stayed at, with very personable and friendly service.

Where to Eat

Los Trompos

Los Trompos is a few metres from the main square, and is mainly notable for its live and rather loud Mexican music, and tables outdoors in the evenings. It's in a touristic corner of town, and looks fairly undistinguished but is a good place for people watching, has a wide selection of beers and cocktails, and serves reasonable food.

We were recommended on more than one occasion not to be put off by its appearance, but to go and try one of their 'Combo' dishes.  There were several different Combos at £15 that feed three people, and we went for one including a selection of barbecued pork, beef and chicken pieces, along with a large pot of melted Manchego cheese, salad, tortillas, guacamole and refried beans.

I enjoyed this dish - although simple, it was quite a nice break from the rather stodgy Yucatecan fare we had been eating since our arrival. There was so much that we couldn't eat more than half of it, and I'm not one to leave food on my plate. This was also where I first came across Horchata, a delicious and very popular Mexican rice drink, sometimes also flavoured with coconut.

What to Do

An attractive city, Merida is a good spot to stay for a few days, from which to enjoy the nearby Mayan ruins, or its colonial architecture and squares. It has innumerable grand colonial houses, many of which have been restored as private homes, hotels, banks, shops or restaurants, but still quite a lot are looking rather neglected (and incidentally are going for a song if you have some spare cash).

Merida's main square (Plaza Grande) is regarded, since Mayan times, as the grandest in Mexico outside the capital, and is the centre of interest both for visitors and locals. This is a good place to idle away a few hours over some chilled beer in one of the square's open-air bars and soak up this city's lively atmosphere.

Catedral de San Ildefonso

There are several interesting buildings around the square, including the Catedral de San Ildefonso (built between 1561 and 1598, it is the oldest cathedral in the whole of the Americas), the Palacio de Gobierno for its stunning murals depicting the troubled colonial history of the Yucatan state, and the 16th century Casa de Montejo (now a Banamex Bank).

Palacio de Gobierno

Parque Hidalgo, another beautiful and smaller square in the corner of calles 59 and 60, has many restaurants and bars with outdoor tables, live music and street vendors and is also a great place to visit and spend a few hours.

A few blocks away from Plaza Grande, the Paseo de Montejo was constructed much later (19th century) than the city centre (16th century), but is worth strolling along if only to appreciate the wealth of the late 19th century city landowners, who built huge mansions for themselves on this wide and leafy boulevard. There is found the hotel Rosas y Xocolate, but also a number of much larger mansions, one of which now houses the Museum of Anthropology (Museo Regional de Antropologia). Sadly this was closed for a 3 month renovation when we were in town, but it is said to be very informative in its own right, and also to provide an interesting insight into the extremely prosperous lifestyle of the city rulers who built it.

Travel Essentials

Merida can be reached by ADO Bus' extensive network. A first class ticket from Valladolid costs around £8, and the journey takes approximately 2.5 hours. Alternatively, flights are available from Mexico City and Cancun with AeroMexico or Mexicana de Aviacion.

Hotel Rosas y Xocolate 
Paseo de Montejo 480 x 41
Col. Centro, Merida
Tel: +52 (999) 924-2992
Email: info@rosasandxocolate.com
Website: www.rosasandxocolate.com
Rooms cost from US$ 235 to US$ 695 (master suite) 

Restaurant Los Trompos
Calle 59 por 60 No. 602, Centro, Merida 
Website: www.lostrompos.com.mx

Museo Regional de Antropologia

Paseo Montejo Nº485  97000 Mérida, Mexico
Tel: +52 999 923 0469
Website: http://www.arqueomex.com/

The London Foodie Goes to Mexico - Valladolid

Valladolid is the first colonial town reached on leaving glitzy Cancun. Many pass through on their way to Chichen Itza, stopping for no more than a coffee. This is a shame because Valladolid is a gorgeous town, small enough to walk around easily, but big and interesting enough with plenty to occupy a few days.

Situated in the centre of the Yucatan peninsula, there is no major historic site or coastal town in the region more than a two hour drive away, so it can act as a very good base for exploration. It has a strong Mayan feel despite 500 years of colonisation with many women still wearing the traditional Mayan dress "huipil", a white cotton dress adorned with bright, flowered embroidery.

The guttural Mayan language can be heard all over town as many still speak Spanish as their second language. Tourism is only recently starting to be felt on the streets of Valladolid, and just a few hotels and restaurants are gearing up for this sector, particularly around the main square and along the chic Calle de los Frailes.

Founded by invading Spaniards in 1543, the town also reflects its Spanish roots - its colonnades, pastel stucco and paving-stone streets give Valladolid an Iberian feel. The central cathedral (built with stones from the demolished Mayan pyramid that used to occupy the central square) is the town's focal point and as in Spain, shops are often closed in the afternoon for siesta.

Perhaps reflecting its relatively nascent state as a tourist destination, the townspeople appear genuinely kind, friendly and helpful, which made our few days there among the highlights of our trip to Mexico.

Where to Stay

There is a developing cosmopolitan feel to the town as a number of expatriates restore dilapidated haciendas as homes, art galleries, shops and boutique hotels or guesthouses. Denis Larsen, John and Dorianne Venator and Ariane Dutzi are among those who made this town their home (see What to Do section below), and today are welcoming visitors from all corners of the globe.

Casa Hamaca Guesthouse

One of these expats, American Denis Larsen, trained in industrial design, but moved to Valladolid in 2006 after some years of regular volunteering with a group that installed hurricane-proof roofs on Mayan houses in the region. After complete renovation and extension of the house he purchased, he decided to open his home as a guesthouse in 2008.

Casa Hamaca has 8 rooms varying from US $80 to 130 depending on the season, a swimming pool and a large veranda with hammocks, plants and Mayan artefacts. It's a wonderful place to idle away the hours surrounded by Denis' lush garden, relaxing by the pool, reading and taking stock.

Our room was very spacious and comfortable, with en-suite bathroom, fans and air conditioning. The room rate includes breakfast of coffee, granola and yoghurt, bread, sweet pastries and orange juice, accompanying a freshly cooked egg dish which varies each day.

Breakfast at Casa Hamaca is an exciting part of the day as guests share a long table in a convivial and friendly atmosphere, with Denis on hand to advise on the best things to do.  On my second morning there, we spent nearly two hours talking with Denis and a couple from Texas about Mexico and life in general.

Denis told me that he makes a point of encouraging these morning discussions, and also of taking time to talk with each guest about their likes and interests, so he can better advise them about what to do during their stay. Certainly in my case he was able to send me to the best restaurants in town as well as several eclectic attractions in the region, but seemed equally happy to advise bird watchers, fans of fashion, archaeology or Spanish language. Without him, I am sure my visit to Valladolid would have been much the poorer.

Denis is soon to open a Yucatecan cuisine restaurant at the guesthouse, and currently provides Mayan cookery classes with his cook at Casa Hamaca on request, including visits to the municipal market and hands-on cooking in the guesthouse's gorgeous kitchen.

I enjoyed my stay at Casa Hamaca, and would highly recommend it to people travelling in the region looking for something beyond the business or all-inclusive hotel experiences of Cancun. There are only two significant hotels in the town, and neither is of great quality, so I think Denis' Casa Hamaca Guesthouse fills a significant need.

Where to Eat

The Yucatan peninsula's relative isolation from the rest of the country, coupled with a strong Mayan influence, have resulted in a distinctive Mexican regional cuisine, having ingredients and techniques found nowhere else in the country. Achiote (the seeds from the Annatto flower), Chaya (a shrub also known as tree spinach) and Habanero chillies are some of the regional ingredients, and together with Recados (local rubs or marinades that contain dried chilles, spices, herbs and vinegar and are applied to meats and poultry) are the main pillars of this cuisine.

Pork is the main source of protein for Yucatecans, with cochinita pibil (pork cooked underground in a recado of sour oranges and achiote) being the region's most famous dish. In Maya, pib means a hole in the ground, and cooking al pibil is a technique that has been in use for centuries in the region, to cook all kinds of meat underground, wrapped in banana leaves. Despite its plentiful coastline, fish and seafood sadly do not feature highly in the Mayan diet nor in regional restaurants.

Cochinita Pibil

Taberna de los Frailes

Undoubtedly the culinary highlight of our stay in Valladolid was dinner at Taberna de los Frailes, overlooking the beautiful ex-convent of San Bernardino de Siena on Calle de los Frailes. The restaurant building blends Mayan and colonial styles, and provides an atmospheric open-air garden setting for diners. It is also home to one of the town's cenotes (limestone sinkholes), and a limited but well thought out wine list including some Mexican options.

We started with a couple of Margaritas, and Nachos Yucatan (£5), crisp corn chips with pureed black beans, topped with crumbled grilled longanisa sausages and Cheddar cheese, and served with jalapenos and chilli sauce. It was a huge plate of deliciously crunchy tacos and creamy flavoursome beans, chorizo-like sausages and melted cheese - utterly divine comfort food.

This was followed by Pipian de Pollo (£8) - roasted chicken breast in a pipian sauce made from pumpkin seeds, tomato and coriander, served with rice and black beans.  The pipian sauce was nutty and delicious, but we felt that the chicken was a tad dry.
  

The Costilla 'Kéek'em (£8) - pork ribs marinated in a Mayan red-spice recado baked in leaves of maculam and aguacatillo (two regional plants), served with black beans and corn chips. The meat was tender and well flavoured, a really delicious dish.

We ordered a bottle of Mexican Chenin Blanc - L. A. Cetto, 2011 from Valle de Guadalupe at £16, which was straightforward, crisp and refreshing.  The service at the restaurant was impeccable.

Hosteria del Marques

Lauded as the best restaurant in town, the Hosteria del Marques has fallen off its perch in the eyes of many lately.  On our visit, however, we had a perfectly adequate Yucatecan lunch.  The setting is lovely, by the main square, in the inner garden courtyard of the eponymous hotel.

We shared two main dishes of Zac Kol de Pollo (puree of corn with spices, tomato sauce, raisins, olives, capers, almonds and chillies) (£6), and Plato typico (grilled pork, quesadilla, taco, guacamole and tortilla chips)(£7).  Both were simple but well made and flavoursome. To accompany, we had a dark beer called Leon, priced at £1.80 each.
   

What to Do

Visit to Chichen Itza

Valladolid is a great base to visit any of the sites within the peninsula, and the archaeological sites of  Chichen Itza and Ek Balan are within relatively easy reach.

Chichen Itza is the most famous and best restored of the Yucatan Mayan sites containing many ruins including the famous pyramid or El Castillo, and is a major international draw for visitors to Mexico.  We were aware that Denis can arrange transport and guided tours of Chichen Itza, but having arrived via the main bus station, we had already purchased bus tickets (£3.00 return) to the site the next morning.  We shared a private guide with three other visitors, for US$15 each, which we thought was well worth the outlay. One word of advice though, is to try to arrive early (the first bus leaves at 8.15), as dozens of coaches from Cancun start to arrive from around 11am.

Casa de los Venados (House of Deer)

On Calle 40, just next to the main square, Casa de los Venados is a sensationally restored colonial mansion, the private residence of an American couple, John and Dorianne Venator, who now live in Valladolid. Having spent 35 years building a collection of over 3000 pieces of contemporary Mexican folk art, they then spent nearly 10 years on a spectacular restoration of a derelict mansion to house it (and themselves). Since 2010, they have been accepting visits by individuals or small groups each morning at 10am for tours in English or Spanish (no appointment necessary, just turn up and ring the doorbell).

Tours last about an hour, and take in the whole house and garden, swimming pool and private living quarters except for the upstairs rooms. The front part of the house is meticulously restored, and laid out as a series of guest rooms facing a central courtyard.

The rear of the house is in a contemporary style, including an eye-popping bridge over a very inviting looking swimming pool. Almost every inch of the house is covered with contemporary Mexican art, pottery and sculpture. I loved it, and if you look at the pictures below, you may see why.

Tours of this privately owned home are free, but participants are asked to make a minimum donation of 60 pesos (£3.50) which goes to local charities. A must-do for any visitor to Valladolid.

Cenotes

Unique to the Yucatan peninsula, cenotes are a geological feature named after the Mayan word D'zonot, meaning water filled cavern, formed by the erosive effect of rainwater drilling down through the porous limestone.  An estimated 3,000 of these limestone sinkholes dot the landscape, and it is from here that the Mayans derived their fresh water, while today's visitors are able to enjoy their crystalline waters for swimming and snorkelling. There are dozens around Valladolid, and many are suitable to visit or swim in.  The Cenote Sagrado at Chichen Itza, is one of the largest, but is not suitable for swimming.  It is impressive nevertheless and many Mayan artefacts, gold and jewellery as well as human bones have been recovered from its base over the last 100 years. It is now known that in Mayan times, all sorts of people including children, the elderly and sick, were obliged to take an eternal swim in its depths.

Around the town

On Calle 42, Dutzi Design is the boutique where German expat Ariane Dutzi runs her own line of locally handmade bags from vintage burlap and raphia designed by her but made by Mayan women in Valladolid. I bought a cool iPad cover from the shop for £15.

Xtabentun is the local Mayan beverage known as the liqueur of the gods, and two doors away from Dutzi Design on Calle 42, is the shop Sosa, where you can have a tasting of this aniseed and honey-flavoured drink, and purchase a bottle if you wish.

  

On the increasingly swish Calle de los Frailes, Coqui Coqui Perfumes is the place where you can sip coffee with the beautiful people.  Opened by a former Argentinian model, Coqui Coqui is a perfumery, artisanal shop and vintage coffee house, and has a single room for holiday rentals which is apparently almost always busy. Susanna, the manageress, was a delight to speak to, and the setting is exquisite.

Travel Essentials

Casa Hamaca
Parque San Juan, Calle 49 N 202-A x 40, Valladolid, Yucatan, 97780 Mexico 
Mob: +52 (985) 100 4270
Home: +52 (985) 856 5287
http://www.casahamaca.com/
E mail:denislarsen@yahoo.com

Taberna de los Frailes.
Calle 49 x 41-A, Barrio de Sisal, Valladolid
Reservations:+52 (985) 856 0689
http://www.tabernadelosfrailes.com
E mail: tabernafrailes@gmail.com

El Meson del Marques, 
Calle 39 #203 x 40 y 42 Col. Centro, Valladolid
Tel: +52 (985) 856 2073/3042/3571 
Fax: +52 (985) 2280
Email: reservaciones@mesondelmarques.com
http://www.mesondelmarques.com

Casa de los Venados (House of Deer)
Calle 40 #204 x 41 col. Centro
Valladolid, Yucatan Mexico 
Tel: +52 (985) 856 2289      
http://www.casadelosvenados.com

Dutzi Designs
Calle 42 No. 217, Valladolid
Tel: +52 (985) 856 2021
http://www.dutzidesign.com

Coqui Coqui Valladolid Residence & Spa 
Calle 41a #207a Col. Sisal, Valladolid. 
Tel: +52 (985) 85 65 129      
http://www.coquicoquiperfumes.com/