The SER2011 Conference Organizing Committee is pleased to announce the following one-day field trips for Thursday August 25, 2011. It is highly recommended that participants bring sun protection (hat and sunscreen), insect repellent, comfortable clothing, and protective footwear. All field trips depart Hotel Fiesta Americana at 8:00.

Field Trip 1: Uxmal

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Uxmal – Mérida (160 km round-trip)
• Description: Together with Chichén Itzá, Uxmal is among the most magnificent Mayan sites anywhere in Mesoamerica. Situated in the Puuc hills southwest of Mérida, Uxmal is a Late-Classic site thought to be the capital of a much larger Mayan state that rose to prominence around 850 CE. It contains some of the most complex and beautiful examples of the region’s Puuc-style architecture, and its remarkable state of preservation make it easy to imagine how the ceremonial center looked during ancient times. The hilly terrain affords captivating views of the site and surrounding landscape, and our visit will provide an opportunity to see the region’s semi-deciduous forest ecosystem.
• Cost: $85

Field Trip 2: Ruta Puuc

• Duration: 12 hours Route: Mérida – Uxmal – Sayil – Xlapak – Labná – Grutas de Loltún – Mérida (approx. 200 km round-trip)
• Description: Beginning approximately 80 km south of Mérida, the Ruta Puuc is a series of Late-Classic Mayan sites built in the rolling hills of the Yucatan’s Puuc, or “hills”, region. In Mayan archeology, the Puuc style is characterized by the elaborate ornamentation of the facades of ceremonial buildings such as temples and palaces using locally quarried limestone. This ornamentation takes many forms, but depictions of the rain god Chaac are especially prevalent. Sites to be visited on this trip include Uxmal, the largest Puuc site and among the most powerful Mayan settlements of the Yucatan Peninsula during its apogee, as well as the smaller sites of Sayil, Xlapak and Labná. The tour will finish at the Grutas de Loltún, a large cave complex with beautiful mineral formations and evidence of pre-Columbian use dating back to well before the rise of the Mayan civilization.
• Cost: $75

Field Trip 3: Río Lagartos

• Duration: 11 hours Route: Mérida – Río Lagartos – Mérida (180 km round-trip).
• Description: Río Lagartos is a Special Biosphere Reserve on the Yucatecan coast northeast of Mérida. Its coastal lagoons are home to more than 250 species of resident and migratory birds, including a breeding colony of more than 20,000 pink flamingos that arrive between January and September each year. The reserve also provides important nesting habitat for marine turtles, which visit the beaches between June and August to bury their eggs in the hot sand. You will have the opportunity to travel through the reserve in a small boat and observe flamingos, crocodiles and the rest of the region’s incredible biodiversity. The trip will conclude on the beach for lunch and a swim.
• Cost: $75

Field Trip 4: Ek Balam

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Ek Balam – Mérida (360 km round-trip)
• Description: Ek Balam, or “Black Jaguar”, is located 180 km from Mérida, 64 km from Chichén Itzá and 24 km from Valladolid. Although the site has not been as fully excavated as the better-known Chichén Itzá, it boasts a series of intriguing sculptures and painted murals that reflect the remarkable technological and artistic mastery of Mayan craftsmen. Climb to the top of the Acropolis, the complex’s largest structure, for a great view of the entire site and a glimpse of the pyramids at Chichén Itzá and Coba more than 30 miles away. Ek Balam’s relative anonymity means fewer visitors than at the peninsula’s larger archaeological sites and thus a quieter, more peaceful experience. It also provides more opportunities to see birds, monkeys and other wildlife.
• Cost: $65

Field Trip 5: Progreso

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Progreso – Mérida (72 km round-trip)
• Description: Progreso is a port city 36km north of Mérida known for its beautiful beaches and calm, emerald water. The city is popular with local tourists and has an inviting waterfront promenade with shops and cafes. We will begin by visiting an ecological preserve 2 km east of the entrance to town called “El Corchito”, which has been managed by local fishermen for more than 10 years. They will take us by boat to a mangrove restoration area where they have been using canals and other interventions to increase water circulation and improve the area’s hydrology. The visit to the preserve will also provide an opportunity to see flamingos and many other species of birds. We will finish the trip along the waterfront “malecón” where you can explore the shops and cafes or go for a swim.
• Cost: $65

Field Trip 6: Dzilam de Bravo

• Duration: 11 hours Route: Mérida – Dzilam de Bravo – Mérida (approx. 170 km round-trip)
• Description: From Mérida, we will travel northeast 85 km to the busy fishing village of Dzilam de Bravo. From there, a short boat ride will take us out into a small lagoon that is home to flamingos, egrets and other waterfowl. With a little bit of luck, there is also a chance we could see crocodiles near the shoreline. A few hundred meters offshore, a freshwater spring called Xbuya gushes up in the middle of the saltwater and provides an inviting place to go for a swim, as well as a wonderful opportunity to observe birds. After visiting the spring, we will land the boat at a boardwalk that goes back into the mangrove swamp and ends at a cenote, or freshwater karstic pool, called Elepten. We will eat lunch at the cenote before returning to Dzilam de Bravo by way of a mangrove restoration area managed by local villagers.
• Cost: $65

Field Trip 7: Chichén Itzá

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Chichén Itzá – Mérida (240 km round-trip)
• Description: Chichén Itzá is one of the best-preserved and most impressive Mayan sites in the entire cultural horizon. Its extensive ceremonial center and awe-inspiring monumental architecture are a testament to the prominence and power it enjoyed during its apogee. Moreover, its unique mix of architectural styles suggests that the site played an important role in the evolution of Mesoamerican civilization, as structures built in the same lowland Mayan style as elsewhere on the peninsula appear alongside structures thought to reflect the influence of the Toltecs from central Mexico. The most notable among these is Kukulcan’s Pyramid, or “El Castillo,” a giant stepped pyramid that embodies numerous facets of Mayan cosmology. A short distance from El Castillo is the Cenote Sagrado, a giant cenote more than 60m in diameter where ancient Mayans are believed to have made offerings during times of drought.
• Cost: $75

Field Trip 8: Yucalpetén – Dzibichaltún

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Yucalpetén – Dzibichaltún – Mérida (approx. 117 km round-trip)
• Description: Yucalpetén is a small, scenic harbor north of Mérida that offers a quiet getaway on the coast. A popular stopover for sailboats and yachts on their way to the Caribbean, the town combines a busy industrial marina where local fishing boats bring in their catch and a quaint tourist section with a welcoming atmosphere. We will explore some of the sights and enjoy the beautiful landscape along the coast before visiting a restoration site where former grazing lands are being returned to their natural state. Following the visit to Yucalpetén, we will return to Mérida by way of Dzibichaltún, a large but lesser-known Mayan site just north of the city. The site’s most prominent structure is the Temple of the Seven Dolls, named for seven small effigies discovered inside the temple when it was first excavated in the 1950s. The site contains a number of other structures, as well as a cenote and a museum housing Mayan artifacts from around the adjacent region. These include writings from Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.
• Cost: $55

Field Trip 9: Cenotes de Cuzamá

• Duration: 11 hours Route: Mérida – Cuzamá – Mérida (80 km round-trip)
• Description: Cuzamá is a small town 40 km east of Mérida and an ideal place to see picturesque cenotes (large karstic pools) in a natural setting. Cenotes are rare sources of freshwater on a peninsula largely devoid of surface water, and they played an important historical role in the settlement patterns of the Yucatan’s pre-hispanic Mayan sites, as well as the colonial cities that supplanted them. This tour, led by local townspeople, will take us 7km through the grounds of a former sisal plantation on horse-drawn carts called ‘trucks’ to see three large cenotes: Chelentún, Chak-zinik-che and Bolom-chojol. Their clear turquoise water is perfect for an afternoon swim, and their curious cave formations make for spectacular photos!
• Cost: $65

Field Trip 10: Sisal    This trip has been cancelled 

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Sisal – Mérida (106 km round-trip)
• Description: Sisal is a seaport town 53km northwest of Mérida that was once the principal port of Yucatán during the henequen boom of the mid- to late 19th century. Largely a fishing port today, the town still preserves much of its rich history in the buildings near its center, which include the Marine Customs building, the colonial-era Fort of Santiago, the old lighthouse and the residence of Empress Carlota Amalia. The town’s white-sand beaches and turquoise water provide an ideal setting in which to relax, swim and enjoy the sunshine. After exploring Sisal a bit, we will travel in small boats to a nearby mangrove restoration area for a look at some of the efforts underway to improve the health of this ecosystem this is so important to local livelihoods.
• Cost: $65

Field Trip 11: San Crisanto    This trip has been cancelled 

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – San Crisanto – Mérida (approx. 110 km round-trip)
• Description: From Mérida, we will travel northeast 55 km to the quiet fishing village of San Crisanto. Local fishermen will take us on a 2-hour boat ride through a series of shallow channels lined with mangroves that provide abundant opportunities to observe birds and other wildlife. The route connects a series of crystal clear cenotes maintained by local townspeople for tourist recreation, and you will have the opportunity to go for a swim if you choose. We will also see mangrove stands that are in the process of being restored through a community-based effort following damage from hurricane events. After the boat trip, we will return to town and visit some of the shops selling coconut handicrafts before eating lunch on one of the local beaches.
• Cost: $65

Field Trip 12: Mayapán    This trip has been cancelled 

• Duration: 8 hours Route: Mérida – Mayapán – Mérida (94 km round-trip)
• Description:  Located 47km southeast of Mérida, Mayapán was the largest and most important Mayan political center during the period immediately preceding the Spanish Conquest (1250-1450 CE). Its core area of more than 4 square kilometers includes the Temple of Kukulcán, a large, terraced structure built to resemble the main pyramid at Chichén Itzá. Interestingly, this central area is enclosed by a 9-km defensive wall reflecting the social and political instability thought to have precipitated the settlement’s eventual collapse little more than 50 years before the first Spaniards arrived on the Yucatecan coast.
• Cost: $50

Field Trip 13: Celestún 1  

• Duration: 11 hours Route: Mérida – Celestún – Mérida (180 km round-trip)
• Description: The Celestún Biosphere Reserve 90km southwest of Mérida is a rich combination of coastal dune vegetation, low deciduous forest, savannas, hardwood hummocks (locally known as petenes) and extensive mangrove stands fringing a long, shallow lagoon. The reserve is perhaps best known for its large colony of American flamingos, but it is also home to countless fish and marine species, endangered sea turtles, two species of crocodiles (Morelet’s and American) and more than 300 species of migrant and wintering waterbirds, shorebirds and songbirds. This trip will take us out onto the lagoon in a small boat with local fishermen to observe the flamingos and other wildlife and explore some of the mangrove stands. We will also visit a freshwater spring called Baldiosera that mixes with the saltwater of the lagoon and affords a wonderful opportunity to observe birds. Following the boat trip, we will visit a mangrove restoration area before heading to one of Celestún’s beaches for lunch and a swim.
• Cost: $75

Field Trip 14: Celestún 2  

• Duration: 11 hours Route: Mérida – Celestún – Mérida (180 km round-trip)
• Description: The Celestún Biosphere Reserve 90km southwest of Mérida is a rich combination of coastal dune vegetation, low deciduous forest, savannas, hardwood hummocks (locally known as petenes) and extensive mangrove stands fringing a long, shallow lagoon. The reserve is perhaps best known for its large colony of American flamingos, but it is also home to countless fish and marine species, endangered sea turtles, two species of crocodiles (Morelet’s and American) and more than 300 species of migrant and wintering waterbirds, shorebirds and songbirds. This trip will take us to the “Parador Ecoturístico Manglares de Dzinitún,” where you will have the opportunity to walk along a wooden footpath into the heart of the mangrove swamp and observe the flora and fauna of this incredible ecosystem. We will then venture out in canoes to explore the channels that empty into the Ría de Celestún and see some of the many bird species that call the reserve home. The trip will finish at one of Celestún’s beaches for lunch and a swim.
• Cost: $70