Puuc Hills & the South
Oxkutzcab Tours & Day Trips
An Oxkutzcab tour visits the Puuc region's orchard and market town, a busy place best known for its fruit and as the gateway to the Loltún caves. It suits food lovers, families and anyone who likes combining a market visit with a cave.
Oxkutzcab tour options
Oxkutzcab works well on a southern Puuc day with Loltún, Ticul and Maní. We can build a half-day or full-day trip with a market walk and lunch.
Oxkutzcab is the best place on the Puuc route to eat well on the cheap. A walk through the market with a fruit cup in hand is one of those small pleasures that travellers remember.
The Loltún caves are the big draw, so this is a good place to start or end a southern cave-and-culture day.
Things you'll see in Oxkutzcab
The market is the main draw, with stalls selling oranges, mamey, mangoes and other produce. The Franciscan convent overlooks the plaza. A few kilometres away, the Loltún caves hold a large system with traces of ancient Maya use, including hand prints and carvings.
The surrounding hills offer a greener view than most of the state.
At the market, oranges, grapefruit, mamey, sapote and tropical fruits are piled high, and local women sell fresh juice. The convent of San Francisco de Asís rises beside the plaza, adding history.
The Loltún caves, about 7 km away, are a large limestone system that was used by Maya people for thousands of years. Visitors walk along lit paths and see rock formations and ancient markings, usually with a guide.
- Fruit market
- Convent of San Francisco de Asís
- Loltún caves nearby
- Puuc hills scenery
Sample Oxkutzcab day trip itinerary
A fruit, cave and history day.
- 08:00 Pickup in Mérida
- 09:45 Oxkutzcab market
- 11:00 Loltún caves
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:30 Maní convent
- 16:00 Ticul stop
- 18:00 Return
Oxkutzcab tour prices
| Format | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Shared Puuc tour | USD 70-120 per person |
| Private driver | USD 200-340 per vehicle |
| Loltún entry | Set by the site, check current price |
| Lunch | USD 6-14 per person |
Getting to Oxkutzcab
About 110 km from Mérida, roughly 1 h 40 min by car. Buses run, but a driver is easier for Loltún.
Oxkutzcab is about 110 km from Mérida, around 1 h 40 min by car, via Ticul or Muna. Buses run regularly.
If you want the caves, a driver is easiest, as the site is a short ride out of town.
Best time to visit Oxkutzcab
Dry season is best. The market is liveliest in the morning.
Dry months are most comfortable. The market is best in the morning, and cave tours are cool all year.
Combine Oxkutzcab with nearby sites
Oxkutzcab tour FAQs
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