If you hear someone singing in the Yucatan, it's probably the goddess...

Xtabay, that is, the Mayan nature goddess known for luring travelers into the jungle. These days, though, it doesn't take a goddess to convince visitors to taste the peninsula's many pleasures. From trekking the rainforest to relaxing at Cancun's flashy mega-resorts, there's a lifestyle and activity for every traveler.

Vacations in the Yucatan can run from the educational to the ecological to the downright mystical. Enroll in a Living Language course and bone up on your Spanish. Study ancient cosmology à la Mayans. Or head to the fabulous Carnival at Mérida, the peninsula's capital. But don't forget nearby Progreso, the region's funkiest, low-budget beach. And don't miss our favorite place, Chichen Itza, the mysterious, scrub-choked landscape of spectacular ruins where you might discover us already touring the temples with an archeologist in tow.


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