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Mexico > Mexico Tour Packages

Chiapas Tour

15 DAYS (18 Meals)

PRICE PER PERSON*
Single - $1,739
Double - $1,329
Triple - $1,279

*PLUS the Mexican Visa fee. We will help you obtain your visa!

DEPARTURE DATE
February 21, 2008

DEPART From:
Brownsville 6:00a.m.
Harlingen 6:30a.m.
Weslaco 7:00a.m
McAllen 7:30a.m.
Mission 8:00a.m.

NOTE: Please do not leave your car at the Holiday Inn Civic Center in McAllen unless you are registered there as a guest

Tour the Ancient Mayan Ruins

We’ve planned a delightful trip for you to a most delightful destination... Chiapas - The Mystic Land of the Maya. You will find a little of everything in Chiapas - arts and crafts villages, fascinating history, striking natural beauty and colorful inhabitants who proudly wear their native dress. Flat lands, deeply carved canyons and cloud forests offer an ever-changing land-scape. Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital, is home of Mexico’s famed marimba music. The trip has been arranged to spend two to three nights in almost every hotel. Jo has been to all of these places and is anxious to go back. Come join her as we explore these interesting cities of Southern Mexico.

DAY 1 - We’re off! Our first day of our travels takes us to Soto La Marina and on to Tampico. Our hotel is very near to the main plaza where it seems that all the world must meet. The young people will be anxious to practice their English, so give them a hand. Overnight at the Hotel Inglaterra in Tampico.

DAY 2 - Hug the coast today as we travel to Veracruz where we spend the next two nights. The sparkling blue waters of the Gulf and banana plantations welcome you as we travel further and further into the tropics. Our hotel in Veracruz is very near downtown. You may want to take a stroll along the waterfront or go down town to the Plaza where the locals sit under the arcades listening to marimba music. Overnight at the Hotel Veracruz in Veracruz. B

DAY 3 - Explore Veracruz visiting the market, the Fort of San Juan Ulua and .the nearby town of Boca del Rio. Returning to Veracruz, you will have the afternoon to enjoy. If you venture into the Parroquia Restaurant be sure to ask for some of their delicious coffee. And do remember the Plaza with entertainment almost every night. Overnight at the Hotel Veracruz in Veracruz. B

DAY 4 -Travel through the Tuxtlas as we continue to Catemaco, where our hotel is located right on the banks of the most beautiful, deep blue lake filling the crater of an old volcano. It’s hard to imagine that this tranquil setting is the center for an annual Witches Convention. Enjoy an included boat ride on the lake circling around an island inhabited only by monkeys. Enjoy the late afternoon and perhaps watch local fishermen on the lake. Overnight at La Finca in Catemaco. B

DAY 5 - From Catemaco to Tuxtla Gutierrez, capital of Chiapas and home to Marimba music. A special treat tonight will be a visit to Marimba Park for some musical entertainment. Overnight at the Hotel Maria Eugenia in Tuxtla Gutierrez. B

DAY 6 - The State of Chiapas has the greatest biological diversity in the North Americas. Visit the Zoologico Miguel Alvarez del Toro, an ecological preserve in a beautiful, entirely natural setting that exhibits only the wild life native to the area. Also visit the Museum of Ethnography as well as the Casa de Artesanias with amber, lacquer ware and art crafts from the area. Another attraction is the Neoclassical San Marcos Cathedral whose bell tower is one of the leading local entertainments as every hour a parade of 12 apostles goes through a complicated routine all accompanied by a carillon of 48 bells. Overnight at the Hotel Maria Eugenia in Tuxtla Gutierrez. B, D

DAY 7 - Leave Tuxtla Gutierrez for a boat ride through the Sumidero Canyon and a visit to Chiapa de Corzo en route to San Cristobal de Las Casas. You will be surrounded by lush greenery on the steep canyon walls as you cruise down the Grijalva River. Crocodiles, egrets and comorants are just some of the natural wildlife that you will see. Native men and women, dressed in their colorful costumes walk along the road as we continue our travels to the misty heights of San Cristobal de Las Casas. If time permits, we will visit Na Balom , the former home of Trudi Blom, deceased anthropologist/photographer and a champion of the disappearing rain forests, home of the Lacandon people. Overnight at the centrally located Hotel Catedral in San Cristobal de Las Casas. B, L

DAY 8 - Surrounding San Cristobal are many little villages separated by verdant low mountains, each village sporting a different native costume. Please do not take pictures unless you have permission first. Visit Zinacantan where the men dress in light pink overshirts with colorful trim and tassels and sometimes wear short pants and tasseled hats. The women wear beautiful, brightly colored woven shawls along with black wool skirts. Also visit San Juan Chamula, where the local church is of interest. The smell of pine needles is strong as you enter for the bare floor is covered with pine needles. Various colored candles are lit for special prayers. This is a town of weavers so be sure to notice the hand woven wool ponchos the men are wearing. Overnight at the Hotel Catedral in San Cristobal de Las Casas. B

DAY 9 - This is your day to explore and shop down-town San Cristobal. Visit the Santo Domingo Church and San Jolobil, a co-operative established to help the local women market their products. Overnight at the Hotel Catedral in San Cristobal de Las Casas. B

DAY 10 - We’re on our way to Palenque, an impressive and beautiful journey winding around spectacular mountain valleys, lush with greenery. Stop at Agua Azul to admire the beautiful turquoise colored waters cascading over the rocks and into inviting cool blue pools. Continue to Palenque with time to visit downtown before continuing to our charming hotel situated on the Chacamax River where the croaking of the frogs will lull you to sleep and the songs of the birds will awaken you in the morning. Overnight at the Nututun Palenque in Palenque. B, PL

DAY 11 - Enjoy your included breakfast as you sit in a thatched roof dining room right on the banks of the peaceful river. Morning visit to Palenque, one of the most significant and beautiful archaeological sites anywhere. From 500 to 800 A.D., Palenque was a major power in the Maya world. Today the site remains shrouded in the mists of a tropical jungle. Your guided tour will end around lunch time but those who want to return later in the day may do so. Overnight at the Nututun Palenque in Palenque. B

DAY 12 - Leave Palenque for the short drive to Villa Hermosa where we visit the outdoor park/museum, La Venta, which contains massive sculptures found in the La Venta jungle. You will have the afternoon to explore the area around your hotel or to sit by the pool. Overnight at the Hotel Calinda in Villa Hermosa. B

DAY 13 - Board your motorcoach for a ride through the Tuxtlas and on to Poza Rica, meaning “rich well”. Our hotel in Poza Rica has lovely tropical grounds for you to explore and an inviting pool for you to enjoy. Overnight at the Poza Rica Inn in Poza Rica. B, D

DAY 14 - Early morning departure for the ruins of El Tajin, well known for the Pyramid of 365 Niches. If we are lucky, the Voladores (Flying Indians) will perform for us as they descend from 100 feet in the air, ropes tied to their ankles. Then visit Papantla, the vanilla capital, and on into the lovely little town of Tuxpan enroute to Tampico. Overnight at the Mansion Real in Tampico. B

DAY 15 - Today is our last day in Mexico. Visit with your new found friends as we journey home to the Rio Grande Valley. You should arrive at the border about 6:30p.m. B

Call your Go...With Jo! Tour Consultant (956) 423-1446 or (956) 664-1446 or 1-800-999-1446

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