The Yucatan peninsula is a place full of adventures. We found Valladolid's small town to be the ideal midpoint spot for all the activities we wanted to cover. We were lucky to discover the perfect nook to recoup and relax after long days of exploring at a boutique artist hotel called Zentik Project, a gem in the middle of a small quaint town full of local tradition, colonial architecture, and colorful houses.
Hello Zentik -- After renting our car and spending the day in Cancun, we decided to drive two hours west to Valladolid's small friendly town. Valladolid was the perfect midpoint to places we wanted to visit, cutting our drive in half. We Stayed at a Boutique Artist Hotel called Zentik Project, and this place was one of the highlights of our trip! With its welcome tequila that will even turn a non-tequila drinker like me into ordering margaritas daily. It's undergrown salt water mineral heated cave pool - the only one in all of Mexico, outdoor pool to cool off on hot days, rooftop yoga on weekends, and the best breakfast included with your stay at their restaurant Naino. If you have an opportunity, I highly recommend checking
recommend checking this spot out. Zentik Project is surrounded by original artwork from world-renowned artists. Walking through Zentik you feel as if you were part of a living art gallery. The outdoor pool features the work of artist Leon Alva from Mexico City. His work depicts a mural of two girls, sisters perhaps? --What caught my attention was that each strand of hair was a different color, and it ended with the face of a snake, the same theme in our room. We stayed in the room right across the pool featuring artist Johny Alexander
from San Diego, California. The entire room was surrounded by a giant ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own. It symbolizes continuous renewal, which was what we needed after long days of exploring. This Boutique Hotel/Airbnb only has 10 rooms and each room is decorated uniquely. Another favorite wall mural was located in their outdoor restaurant Naino ( shown in this picture ). This mural was painted by artist Rodolfo Baeza from Mexico City. There's a sense of mystery and a haunting, inviting gaze I couldn't resist.
Dream Catchers are found all throughout Mexico, and Zenkik was no exception. We were surprised to see so many dream catchers during our 3-week stay in Mexico. Dreamcatchers are hung according to Indian legends before the window where the bad dreams through the holes disappear, and the good dreams are captured by precious stones or shells. In the Mayan culture, they are used to stray away from bad vibes and bad dreams. Materials used to make most local dream catchers are hammock tread and wild turkey feathers.
For us staying at Zentik was a great introduction to what was to come of our backpacking adventure. For 5 days, we woke with renewed energy, always surrounded by good vibes and even better food. Perhaps we have the ouroboros, dreamcatchers, and attentive, friendly staff to thank for that. Follow the rest of our journey on our next post,
Mineral Salt Water Cave Pool
Thanks for reading!
