Lost City Four Night Package | February 22 - 26, 2024
Thursday, February 22 - Welcome to Villahermosa and Palenque, México. Plan your arrival to Villahermosa (VSA). Seven flights arrive from Mexico City daily. A representative will meet you at the airport and Villahermosa airport busses will be waiting to transport you to Palenque (2.5 hours drive). Guests can check into the hotel in Palenque after 3:00PM. (no meals included)
Friday, February 23 -Explore the Maya ruins of Palenque & race briefing.
Today, we will drive to the Maya ruins of Palenque where you will start your run. The Palenque ruins were once a great Mayan city but perished on the brink of the 9th century after almost 1000 years of existence. Its location between the flat Yucatan and the mountains, positioned Palenque to become a connecting center for several city states and, as such, had some of the finest architecture of all the Maya cities. It is estimated that only 10% of the buildings have been excavated with the rest of the city still lost to the jungle. After the guided tour, you will have time to explore the area on your own before the bus leaves. Before returning to our respective hotels, runners will meet at the Chan-Kah Jungle Resort for lunch and a race briefing by the race officials. You will receive your race packets and important details about tomorrow's race will be explained and questions answered.
Back at your hotel the rest of the afternoon can be used to relax at the hotel or take a stroll through Palenque. In the evening a pasta buffet dinner is served at your hotel. (Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
Saturday, February 24 - Race Day! Enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel and catch a bus at 6:00AM to take all runners & spectators to the start. Runners will be dropped off at the parking lot outside the Palenque Archeological Zone where personal belongings for the finish can be left. The race will start in waves at 7:00 AM, with marathon runners in the first waves and half marathon runners in the last waves. 10 minutes before the start of each wave, runners in that wave will enter the Archeological Zone and line up. Item that are not being used for the race may not be taken into the Archeological Zone. Nothing can be left within the first 3km of the start. The finish line is located at the Chiapaneca restaurant where runners will enjoy a post-race meal. Shuttle buses bring runners back to their hotels. (Breakfast, Lunch at finish area, Dinner & Dinner included)
Sunday, February 25 - Optional Excursion and Celebration Dinner. After yesterday's run you have the option to relax at the hotel pool or take another visit to the Palenque ruins on your own. Additionally, you can book the optional excursion to the Agua Azul and Misol-ha Waterfalls with our Adventure guides. The Misol-Ha is a single drop 25-meter-high waterfall that plunges into a circular crystal-=clear pool surrounded by lush vegetation. A boardwalk will bring you safely behind the waterfalls, giving you a spectacular and awe-inspiring view. In the evening, enjoy a celebratory dinner with your new friends! (Breakfast & celebration dinner included) (Excursion also includes lunch)
Monday, February 26 - Our time in Palenque has come to an end. Transfers to Villahermosa airport will leave throughout the day to accommodate different flight times. Hotel check out is 10:00 AM. (Breakfast included)
Lost City Eight Night Package | February 19 - 27, 2024
Monday, February 19 – Welcome to Playa del Carmen! Plan your arrival to Cancún airport (CUN) and be transferred to Playa del Carmen (45-60 minute drive) according to your arrival time. Luggage can be stored at your hotel if you arrive before 3:00PM giving you time to enjoy the beach or stroll the city when you arrive. Pre-nights are available if you’d like your room ready before 3:00PM or wish extra time to explore. (Deluxe Package: all-inclusive upon check in | Standard Package: no meals included)
Tuesday, February 20 – Today you have a full day to relax by the beach and enjoy Playa del Carmen.
(Deluxe Package: all-inclusive | Standard Package: Breakfast included)
Wednesday, February 21 - Chichén Itza, Cenote and Campeche. After breakfast it is time to say goodbye to the beach as we head inland for the amazing Chichén Itzá. Named one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World in 2007, Chichén Itzá is the most famous of the Maya cities is home to El Castillo - a geometrical, astronomical and architechtural masterpiece that rises majestically in the center of the archeological zone. Chichén Itzá has many excavated and reconstructed buildings including one of the finest ball courts from the period of the Maya. After our guided tour in Chichén Itzá we continue our journey west, making a stop by a cenote for a swim. Cenotes are sinkholes where the limestone bedrock has collapsed and exposed groundwater. The Maya used these as a source of fresh water while today they are more popular as natural swimming pools. In the evening we reach the coastal city of Campeche - an often-overlooked gem of the Yucatan peninsula. The city center has well preserved Baroque colonial buildings and a walled historical district. (Breakfast included)
Thursday, February 22 – Today starts with sightseeing in Campeche before heading to Palenque, a town located 8km from the Maya ruins of Palenque. A vibrant square and several good restaurants will delight you. (Breakfast included)
Friday, February 23 - Today, we will drive to the Maya ruins of Palenque where you will start your run. The Palenque ruins were once a great Mayan city but perished on the brink of the 9th century after almost 1000 years of existence. Its location between the flat Yucatan and the mountains, positioned Palenque to become a connecting center for several city states and, as such, had some of the finest architecture of all the Maya cities. It is estimated that only 10% of the buildings have been excavated with the rest of the city still lost to the jungle. After the guided tour, you will have time to explore the area on your own before the bus leaves. Before returning to our respective hotels, runners will meet at the Chan-Kah Jungle Resort for lunch and a race briefing by the race officials. You will receive your race packets and important details about tomorrow's race will be explained and questions answered.
Back at your hotel the rest of the afternoon can be used to relax at the hotel or take a stroll through Palenque. In the evening a pasta buffet dinner is served at your hotel. (Breakfast, lunch & dinner included)
Saturday, February 24 - Race Day! Enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel and catch a bus at 6:00AM to take all runners & spectators to the start. Runners will be dropped off at the parking lot outside the Palenque Archeological Zone where personal belongings for the finish can be left. The race will start in waves at 7:00 AM, with marathon runners in the first waves and half marathon runners in the last waves. 10 minutes before the start of each wave, runners in that wave will enter the Archeological Zone and line up. Item that are not being used for the race may not be taken into the Archeological Zone. Nothing can be left within the first 3km of the start. The finish line is located at the Chiapaneca restaurant where runners will enjoy a post-race meal. Shuttle buses bring runners back to their hotels.(Breakfast, Lunch at finish area, Dinner & Dinner included)
Sunday, February 25 - Optional excursion and celebration dinner. After yesterday's run you have the option to relax at the hotel pool or take another visit to the Palenque ruins on your own. Additionally, you can book the optional excursion to the Agua Azul and Misol-ha Waterfalls with our Adventure guides. The Misol-Ha is a single drop 25-meter-high waterfall that plunges into a circular crystal-=clear pool surrounded by lush vegetation. A boardwalk will bring you safely behind the waterfalls, giving you a spectacular and awe-inspiring view. In the evening, enjoy a celebratory dinner with your new friends! (Breakfast & celebration dinner included) (Excursion also includes lunch)
Monday, February 26 - Our time in Palenque has come to an end. Today we will check out of our hotel and drive to Mérida to spend the night. Mérida is the capital of the state of Yucatan and has a rich cultural heritage of both the Maya and Spanish periods. It is also known to be the safest city in all of Mexico. (Breakfast included)
Tuesday, February 27 - After an early breakfast our bus will take us from Mérida to the airport in Cancún. Expected arrival is at 12:00 PM, so please keep this in mind when booking your flight home. If your flight home does not match the bus arrival time, post-nights are available at the airport. (Breakfast included)
