Santa Elena tour options
Santa Elena fits in as a lunch stop between Uxmal and Ticul. Our driver can recommend a local kitchen.
Santa Elena is a lunch-and-wander stop for people whose main goal is Uxmal. After a morning among the ruins, a quiet village meal feels like a reset, and the plaza gives you a glimpse of daily Puuc life.
We suggest a private driver for this route, because the distances between Puuc towns are short but public transport rarely lines up.
Things you'll see in Santa Elena
There is a plaza, a church and small shops. It is a quiet town where visitors can see everyday Puuc life. We keep claims about specific attractions modest.
The town is small, with a plaza, a Franciscan church and streets of low houses with thatched or flat roofs. It is not a place of big monuments, and we think that is its appeal: you can sit, eat and watch the village go about its day.
Because Santa Elena sits on the Puuc route, Kabah and its famous Palace of the Masks are a short drive south. Uxmal is nearer still, and Ticul's workshops are to the north-east.
- Plaza and church
- Local kitchens
- Village streets
- Nearby Uxmal and Kabah
Sample Santa Elena day trip itinerary
Uxmal and Santa Elena.
- 08:00 Pickup in Mérida
- 09:45 Uxmal
- 12:15 Santa Elena lunch
- 13:30 Kabah
- 15:00 Ticul
- 17:30 Return
Santa Elena tour prices
Your quote will state what is included.
| Format | Typical price |
|---|
| Shared Puuc tour | USD 70-110 per person |
| Private driver | USD 200-340 per vehicle |
| Lunch | USD 6-14 per person |
Getting to Santa Elena
About 1 h 15 min from Mérida by car, near Uxmal.
The drive from Mérida runs south on the Uxmal highway, first through flat henequen country and then past the first low hills of the Puuc. Allow about 1 h 15 min with no stops.
If you are using public buses, services stop at larger towns and timetables vary, so it is simpler to book a driver who can also take you between Uxmal, Kabah and Ticul.
Best time to visit Santa Elena
Plan Uxmal early, when the stone is cool and the light is soft, and reach Santa Elena around lunchtime. The hottest hours, noon to three, are best spent in the shade of a village kitchen.
November to March is the most comfortable season. During the rains, from June to October, afternoon storms are common.
Combine Santa Elena with nearby sites
Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Maní Tours & Day TripsA Maní tour brings you to one of the most historically loaded small towns in the Yucatán, a quiet place in the Puuc hills where a 16th-century Franciscan convent stands on the site of an older Maya centre.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Tekax Tours & Day TripsA Tekax tour heads into the southern Puuc hills, where limestone ridges, caves and cenotes make a very different landscape from the flat north of the state.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Ticul Tours & Day TripsA Ticul tour is a day in the busiest town of the Puuc hills, known for its shoemakers, potters and market stalls, and a natural base for the nearby Maya sites.Puuc Hills & the SouthMuna Tours & Day TripsA Muna tour stops in a small town on the road between Mérida and Uxmal, a useful pause for travellers who want to see local life before the big Maya sites.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Oxkutzcab Tours & Day TripsAn 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.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$55Uxmal Tours & Day TripsUxmal tours go to the finest Puuc-style Maya city in Yucatán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site set in low hills south of Mérida.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$60Kabah Tours & Day TripsKabah tours visit a Puuc Maya city famous for one building covered in stone masks, an easy 25-minute drive beyond Uxmal.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$55Loltún Caves ToursA Loltún Caves tour goes underground in the Puuc Hills to a cave system that was used by Maya people for thousands of years and now has guided walking tours.Puuc Hills & the SouthHacienda Temozón Sur ToursHacienda Temozón Sur tours visit a restored henequen estate in the Puuc area, now operated as a luxury hotel, with grand stone buildings and quiet gardens. Santa Elena tour FAQs
Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Maní Tours & Day TripsA Maní tour brings you to one of the most historically loaded small towns in the Yucatán, a quiet place in the Puuc hills where a 16th-century Franciscan convent stands on the site of an older Maya centre.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Tekax Tours & Day TripsA Tekax tour heads into the southern Puuc hills, where limestone ridges, caves and cenotes make a very different landscape from the flat north of the state.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Ticul Tours & Day TripsA Ticul tour is a day in the busiest town of the Puuc hills, known for its shoemakers, potters and market stalls, and a natural base for the nearby Maya sites.Puuc Hills & the SouthMuna Tours & Day TripsA Muna tour stops in a small town on the road between Mérida and Uxmal, a useful pause for travellers who want to see local life before the big Maya sites.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$70Oxkutzcab Tours & Day TripsAn 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.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$55Uxmal Tours & Day TripsUxmal tours go to the finest Puuc-style Maya city in Yucatán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site set in low hills south of Mérida.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$60Kabah Tours & Day TripsKabah tours visit a Puuc Maya city famous for one building covered in stone masks, an easy 25-minute drive beyond Uxmal.Puuc Hills & the South · from US$55Loltún Caves ToursA Loltún Caves tour goes underground in the Puuc Hills to a cave system that was used by Maya people for thousands of years and now has guided walking tours.Puuc Hills & the SouthHacienda Temozón Sur ToursHacienda Temozón Sur tours visit a restored henequen estate in the Puuc area, now operated as a luxury hotel, with grand stone buildings and quiet gardens. Want this trip planned for you?
Tell us your dates, group size and where you are staying. We check availability with local guides and send back a price.