GETTING TO
HACIENDA SAN JUAN

Map showing location of Hacienda San Juan near Telchac Pueblo, north of Motul

The above map shows Hacienda San Juan's location about a 20-minute walk east of Telchac Pueblo and about 15 minutes south by slow bus from the Gulf of Mexico at Telchac Puerto.

TRAVELERS' ADVICE
(from the school of hard knocks)

In early 2005 Karen Wise of Mississippi decided to visit the Yucatan, traveling all the way by buses. She didn't speak any Spanish and entered Mexico without pesos. She made it, but it was a harrowing experience. Read about her visit here.

Paty Buck Wolf of Connecticut, who posts her trip pictures at Wolfcalls.com, has traveled to the Yucatan many times. She offers the following advice to those less interested in saving money than traveling fast and comfortably:

These days you should always take direct flights. If you aren't on the first flight out in the morning, forget it. One time I flew to Miami and waited ten hours to get to my flight to Mexico City. As my first flight left New York late and the other flights to Mexico were full  I was stuck in Maimi. Three times now my luggage went to Vera Cruz or somewhere and when I got it it was only an empty, broken bag. Since 9-11 you can take next to nothing on the plane itself,  just a camera or book, no food, no water, no clothing. So the only way is to pay more and fly direct. There are now fewer airlines than before, fewer flights and tons of overbooking and all flights are now LATE. Carry-on stuff must weigh less than ten pounds. You need a passport to get on a plane. US citizens don't need a passport to enter Mexico but no airline will let you on an international flight without one.

FROM MÉRIDA TO SAN JUAN

Once you are in Mérida it is easy to get to Telchac Pueblo and Hacienda San Juan. The Noreste Bus Line, located on Calle 50 between 65 y 67 (box 56 on our map of downtown Mérida), provides several second-class buses each day to Telchac Pueblo, the tickets costing about US $2. As of November, 2005 morning departures leave at 5:00, 8:00, 9:30 and 10:30, and afternoon and evening departures leave at 12:30, 3:15, 5:30, 6:45 and 7:30. The bus makes frequent stops along the way and takes about 90 minutes. The bus passes right in front of San Juan's entrance but the driver may not know where that is. Ask to be let off at La entrada a Hacienda San Juan, mas o menos 1.5 km. al este de Telchac Pueblo, en la carretera a Sinanché. Two stone columns stand across from the entrance road. Coming from Telchac Pueblo the columns are on the right, the entrance on the left.

Even more numerous than regular buses are the "minivans" or colectivos connecting Telchac Pueblo, Motul and Mérida. Colectivos are a bit more expensive than regular buses but much faster. They leave only when they have 8-12 passengers so you're never quite sure when they'll leave or arrive, but you have a general idea and you seldom end up waiting an hour or more. It's possible to use microvans with no Spanish, but not easy. A colectivo between Mérida and Telchac Pueblo costs about US$3.50. Colectivos leave from "known locations" that change from time to time. If your Spanish is good enough, ask around for the colectivos serving Motul. Else take the Noreste bus. Usually the tourist information booth at the ADO station is not to be trusted with regard to  microvan information. They steer you to taxis, which will cost about US $30. However, they may provide a good map of downtown Mérida showing bus station locations, if you ask for it.

GETTING TO MÉRIDA VIA CANCÚN

One way to get from North America or Europe to Hacienda San Juan is to take a cheap flight to Cancún (Mérida has an international airport but most flights there are considerably more expensive), then go on a regularly scheduled bus from Cancún to Mérida, and finally take a local bus or colectivo to Telchac Pueblo, as described above.

When looking for a cheap flight to Cancún be sure to check into leaving from larger cities in your region. Often you can save hundreds of dollars by busing or driving to a distant airport. Also, try several combinations of departure and return dates.

Among sites known to offer airfare bargains are:

Here are other links to sites that specialize in cheap Cancún flights. They sometime come up with amazing bargains, especially if you can leave from a major airport.

BUSES BETWEEN CANCÚN & MÉRIDA

Several bus lines run between Cancún and Mérida all through the night and day. These buses are comfortable, cost US$15-20 and the trip takes about 3˝ hours. Ferrying arrivals at Cancún airport to downtown Cancún is a major business and every effort is made to make you  choose an expensive service. It costs about US$1.50 to get from the airport to the bus station downtown on the Riviera bus, which departs from just outside the main airport door. You turn to the right, walk a bit and you see it.

These links may help you with the Cancún bus situation:

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