
We struggled for about a month, as to whether we should write this guide to Valladolid. Whether we actually wanted to tell anyone about this place. What we've come down to is this...
You don’t get to choose Valladolid, Valladolid chooses you. For us, it happened quickly. Within just a few days of moving here, Valladolid felt so much like “home,” that we were starting to get nervous.
This is how we ended up living in Valladolid, Yucatan for 3 months...
Digital Nomad Guide to Valladolid, Mexico
After just one movie night at Casa Hamaca new friendships were formed, bonds were made, and by Sabado we had a fully fledged social schedule. And even though we were the youngest expats in town, by about 20 years, no body seemed to notice. This was not the isolated Digital Nomad life we’d become accustomed to after 3 years on the road.
Now, 3 months later, we’re anticipating our departure from Valladolid with heavy hearts, but also with the full understanding that we will be back.
(That's the short version of course...)

On Paper, Valladolid [vaya-doh-leed] seems like a terrible choice for Digital Nomads.
No coworking spaces
Few workable cafes
No Beach
General lack of apartment rentals
“Not a lot to do”
But there’s one area in which Valladolid outshines so many other places we’ve visited. Community. I’m not talking about the kind of community you find hanging around Dojo Bali. This isn’t an expat community, it’s not a digital nomad community, it’s the Yucatan baby.
If you don’t like being asked to do a favor for someone, or sharing freely (maybe without being asked), then this isn’t the culture for you. Things function differently in small town Yucatan.
Disclaimer: This place may not be for you, but you should definitely come check it out for a week.

What we love about Valladolid.
- Just a 2 hour drive away from Merida and Cancun
- Welcoming, open community
- Entrepreneurial Spirit
- Lots of cultural events
- Active expats giving back
- Close to a lot of cool things to do
- Cenotes
- Backyard gardens
- Swimming pools
- The Valladolid Friends facebook group
What we don’t love about Valladolid.
- We miss the “Big City Life”
- Hard to find the foods you crave
- Major purchases require a trip to Merida or Cancun.
- Time has little meaning here


SHORT TERM ACCOMMODATIONS
The average visit time for tourists in Valladolid is three days, or three hours, but we recommend staying in Valladolid for at least a week. Just enough time to really relax and fall hard for this sweet little city.
Zentik Project:
Zentik Project is a boutique accommodation great for digital nomads spending a few days in Valladolid. They have beautiful murals everywhere, a great restaurant, yoga classes, a pool, a salt cave you can swim in, and even a nude sunbathing area. The creativity flows through all of the rooms, each one painted by a different artist. The only real downfall to this place is it’s placement just outside of the central part of town and it's relatively high price tag.
Casa Quetzal:
Casa Quetzal is the perfectly quiet place to enjoy the peaceful tranquillo that Valladolid is famous for. Relax by the pool in the garden, or take advantage of their beautiful spa. They are conveniently located in the Sisal neighborhood, close to the Calzada de los Frailes and our favorite restaurant Yerbabuena.

WHERE TO STAY IN VALLADOLID?
Choosing a neighborhood in Valladolid is a piece of cake, because there are no wrong choices. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. In a place like Valladolid, positioning yourself close to the things you go to frequently makes the most sense. But the main thing to keep in mind is that Valladolid is a small city, so everything is pretty close, and if you have to take a taxi, it will only run you about 30 pesos.

San Juan
We really loved living in San Juan. The San Juan neighborhood is close to the main plaza, just a few minutes away on foot. This barrio is starting to cultivate a bit of a bohemian atmosphere thanks to a few creative restaurants, and a few cafes that are scattered throughout.
Keep an eye out for the Tiangis Alternative Market which pops up in the Parque de San Juan most Sunday mornings, the eco tienda a few blocks from there, which sits a few houses down from La Sandia, a bagel/juice shop that’s definitely worth taking note of, and a few Tulum-y boutiques.

Sisal
The other neighborhood we called home in Valladolid was the barrio de Sisal. Sisal is on the outskirts of town. A sleepy village that lies on the opposite side of the famous convent where you can see the nightly light show.
You won’t find many colonial houses in sisal. Except for on the Calzada. Mostly just modest, comfortable homes, and the occasional mayan palapa. We loved living in Sisal partially because it was close to our favorite restaurant in Valladolid. Our breakfast, lunch, and dinner go-to, Yerbabuena de Sisal.

Santa Lucia
Parque de Santa Lucia is in the North part of town, as you enter Valladolid from the cuota. We stayed in a cute airbnb right down the street from the Oxxo, on our first 2 visits to this city. Santa Lucia is a close to Plaza Candelaria, and a 15 minute walk from the central plaza.
HOW TO FIND AN APARTMENT IN VALLADOLID
The bad news is you’re not going to find many traditional apartments or departamentos as they’re called here. Instead you’ll find lots and lots of houses, and private rooms in houses. Occasionally you’ll come across a casita (a guesthouse in a private residence) for rent.

Casa Rosa
AirBnb is a great place to start looking, but be aware prices can be higher on this platform due to property management costs. We usually browse properties on AirBnB then visit them in person before committing to a long term rental.
Talk to people around town. Everyone seems to know someone with a house or room to rent. You’ll probably find a better deal talking to people in person rather than trying to book something online directly.
El Jardin
We were able to spend a month in Valladolid hosting a fabulous airbnb for a friend. That being said, it took months of living here and getting into the community before someone was willing to hand us the keys to their home while they are away.

NOTES ON WORKING REMOTELY
Timezones | Valladolid shares the same time zone as US Central time. Be sure to watch out for daylight saving time because the dates and observances may be different in Mexico than where you come from. For example, the state of Quintana Roo has it’s own Daylight savings dates. That differ from the rest of Mexico and the US East Coast. In Valladolid you’ll be 12- 13 hours behind Beijing Time, and 7-9 hours behind Europe.
Wifi | We’ve never had a problem with the wifi here in Valladolid. The cafes usually have plenty of bandwidth to work with. I consistently test speeds around 15mbps down and 1mbps up. As for video calls and teaching, we have weekly video calls with our clients, and a friend of ours came to visit and was teaching with her online platform with no problems. Just make sure you test speeds at your accommodations before committing long term, especially if you'll frequently be working from home.
Coworking spaces | We often hear whispers around town as to who will be the one to open Valladolid’s first co working space. We’ve been in a few different conversations with some influential people and it’s definitely a business model people are thinking about. Maybe it’ll be you 😛
Until then, we'll be hopping between home and the cafes around town...
Entrepreneurial Spirit | It seems that every conversation around in Valladolid circles around to “someone ought to start a business…” Everyone knows that for better or worse, this town is about to explode… property values are already ramping up. New businesses are opening up and amazing ideas are happening. There’s fertile soil here, even if the ground is full of rocks.

HOW TO GET TO VALLADOLID
Closest airport
Both Merida and Cancun have international airports. Most people find that Cancun has cheaper flights than Merida. You can get to/from the airport by ADO bus or private car if you’re willing to fork over the cash. If you’ve been here more than a few weeks though, someone will probably offer to drive you.
Transport options from airport
Getting to Valladolid from the airport is a matter of booking a bus from the Cancun Central Bus Terminal to Valladolid. Unfortunately there are no direct ADO busses from the airport to Valladolid. In order to get to the city bus terminal either book a bus from the airport to the terminal (~$5 USD) or book a super shuttle taxi (~$30 USD) taking a taxi from the airport to the Cancun Central Terminal can run you somewhere between USD $50-100. The price to go to just to another airport terminal was a steep USD $25. Needless to say, we don’t recommend taking a taxi from the airport.
ADO bus
Be sure to note which terminal you’ll be arriving in Cancun, it matters when you book your bus ticket. There is a free shuttle that goes between the terminals. We recommend downloading the ADO app if you have rudimentary Spanish, or you can book them online at ADO.com.mx and translate the site to English.
GETTING AROUND IN VALLADOLID
Bicycles are a good option. If you don’t have a bike and don’t want to get one while you’re here (we didn’t) then getting around by Taxi is the fastest, unless you get into a colectivo taxi (shared ride), then walking would probably be faster, unless you’re up for the adventure.
There is no Uber service here in Valladolid, but we’ve never once been overcharged by a taxi. We’ve never been asked to pay more than 25-30pesos per stop around town.

DO I NEED A VISA?
As US Citizens we were able to enter Mexico for 180 days without a visa. Check the Mexican Embassy for visa requirements for your own country.
There are also options to become a temporary resident and a permanent resident, if you fall deeply in love with Mexico. Fun fact: Foreigners can own land in Mexico as long as it's outside of the restricted zones.

CAFES IN VALLADOLID
Valladolid is a small place, and we’re so grateful for the lovely cafes that we already have here. That being said, working from home all day every day can suck and this town definitely could use a few more charming cafes.

Yerbabuena
Since we moved here to Valladolid we’ve only gotten more and more regular at Yerbabuena. They have amazing fresh food, delicious drinks, and a zen indoor/outdoor garden atmosphere. We sometimes bring our laptops with us for work, and their abundance of plugs in the garden makes it easy for us to sit outside while we work.

Conkafecito
Located on the famous street Calzada de los Frailes, Conkafecito is our go to work spot, especially at night. They’re open from 8am til 11pm, have plenty of plugs, and air conditioning. Their wifi isn’t always the fastest, especially if it’s busy, but it is quite consistent. They offer almond milk and coconut milk, their chocolate sprinkles and chocolate cheesecake are decadent, and I always feel productive when I work here. Favorite drink: Chai Frappe with almond milk, add whipped cream and sprinkles.

Verde Morada
Technically this is a hotel, but they also have a cafe and a stunning garden to work in. We usually pick a table with an umbrella and a fan next to it, order a light lunch, and crush it for a couple hours at a time. Look for plugs around the outside wall. Wifi isn’t the most consistent, but it’s just a lovely place to work. Gabi has ordered the almond butter frappe from Verde Morada a few times...if you’re into that kind of richness, then you must try it.

Morena Mia
This corner cafe in San Juan always leaves their doors wide open so the breeze blows straight through. They don’t have air conditioning, but if you choose the right table you can get a killer crossbreeze. Make sure your device is charged up though, they don’t have a lot of plugs. The drinks here are great, and the staff are so friendly.

Canto Encanto
Canto Encanto has only been open since May 2019, and boy are we glad that they’re here. This place has everything you need in a digital nomad cafe from plugs, to comfy seats, and big, laptop friendly tables. They’re even opening up a second floor dedicated workspace. How cool is that? The cherry on top is that they serve Manifesto coffee, a locally produced brand based out of Merida.

WHAT TO EAT IN VALLADOLID
Famous local food specialties
Lomitos | Lomitos de Valladolid (pictured above) is a dish consisting of bits of pork tenderloin accompanied by a thick tomato and bean stew. This dish originated in Valladolid. We love the Lomitos Sandwich at Verde Morada, but our favorite version is still the one from Chaya Maya in Merida.

Chaya | A regional herb to Yucatan. You'll find chaya in drinks, mixed into tortillas, and even in your eggs. It took a few tastes to get into it, but we really love chaya now, especially as a drink. Try a chaya con limon with your panuchos.

Longaniza | Longaniza is a variety of smoked sausage that is famous in Valladolid. We call it “Mexican Slim Jim” and once you taste it, you'll understand why. Many places serve Huevos con Longaniza, or you can head to Temozon and try it straight from the smoker!

Cochinita Pibil | Cochinita Pibil is like pulled pork, made from a kind of roasted pork that is cooked in an underground oven called a pib. This stuff is highly addicting, and you’ll soon find yourself ordering it atop tacos, panuchos, nachos, tostadas, or anything else really.
Panuchos | Imagine a tortilla cut open like a pita pocket, stuffed with beans, and fried. Throw some meat, veggies, and pink onions on top and you’ve got yourself a panucho. These are by far our favorite Yucatecan style tacos.

Salbutes | Like a panucho, but minus the beans in the middle. A deep fried tortilla usually with meat, veggies and pink onions. Try the relleno negro one or the cochinita.

Zikil Pak | One of our favorite dips to eat with totopos (tortilla chips). Zikil Pak is a mayan specialty made from ground pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tomato, and green onion. Every place does it a little different...try them all!

Marquesitas | A regional dessert with surprising ingredients. Mexico’s take on crepes. A marquesita is like a crepe that has been cooked until crispy. The local favorite is filled with nutella and queso de bola. For the best marquesitas in Valladolid seek out Tio Batman in the plaza principal.

Favorite Regional Restaurants
Yerbabuena | Yerbabuena de Sisal is our go to restaurant in Valladolid. We know we can always find something healthy and fresh to eat at Yerbabuena. We frequently ate their veggie burger, and washed it down with their refreshing tonic. A winning combination. An added bonus is that their garden is a great environment for getting work done.
Los Portales | Arguably the best people watching spot in town. Lot Portales is the only restaurant with outdoor seating on the main plaza. Sit outside and enjoy the daily life of Valladolid as it passes before your eyes. There’s always something going on. We usually skip the menu and go straight for the specials board the 88 peso nachos clásicos and cochinita pibil tacos always hit the spot.
Idilio | Part craft beer cerveceria, part tacos in the garden, and part personal art gallery in memory of the man, an artist, and father of the owners, who lived in this house on the Calzada de los Frailes. It’s absolutely lovely in all aspects. Walk through the art gallery, and pass by the craft beer bar before entering into the restaurant set in a large garden. The craft beer list is impressive, the xcatic poppers are exciting, and the setting is magical.

IS VALLADOLID VEGETARIAN/ VEGAN FRIENDLY?
Vegetarians and vegans know what’s up. You don’t need to rely on restaurants for your sustenance. Local markets are full of fresh fruits and veggies, and you can find something vegetarian on almost every menu if you look hard enough.
That being said, although meat is king here in the Yucatan, vegetarian food is not unheard of. Meatless dishes like zikilpak, brazo de reina, and papadzules are found almost everywhere.

ELELA
This new vegan spot caught our attention across the street from the Convento in Sisal, passing out flyers handwritten on fallen leaves. They're serving up breakfast tacos and jackfruit cochinita pibil, but it's the taco de rajas (poblano pepper) that really captivated our tastebuds.
Yerbabuena
Our go to veggie burger in town. They have lots of other vegetarian and vegan options too, but I’d say we end up sharing the veggie burger 60% of the time. Our latest obsession? The flautas.
If you're the kind of Vegetarian/ Vegan who likes to eat out a lot, Merida will have a lot more for you.

International Food Cravings
Be prepared to immerse yourself in the Yucatecan cuisine or cook for yourself. The International options are slim, but they are quality.
Oui Oui Oui | A French style cafe and bakery that also sells French cheese. We’re obsessed with their Raclette Baguette sandwich, as well as the people who own it.
La Sandia | La Sandia juice bar is located in barrio de San Juan. We would often pop in for a morning bagel sandwich and juice to get our day going.
Casa Italia | Italian style Pizzas and pastas with quality ingredients
L’Osteria della 43 | Their homemade pasta menu changes daily. Check out their Saturday Pop up Market.

Tresvanbien | This cafe has some of the best Argentinian style empanadas, juices, and pastries. Their garden is the perfect little escape from the Calzada. Favorite empanada flavors: tomato basil, spinach & chard. Favorite juice: orange, pineapple chaya. Fave pastry: Frambola
Wabi Gelato | Just go… it will make you happy instantly. We could write a whole blog post about their flavours and their friendship. I think the world would be a better place if everyone ate Wabi Gelato. Too many delicious flavors to pick one so we’ll suggest our favorite local combo. Chocolate and Lemon, Xcatic.

MARKETS AND GROCERIES
Central Mercado (near Cenote Zaci) | This is the best place to get fresh fruits and vegetables. The market is open til about 2pm every day, but it’s always best to go early. Note: We’ve often found better deals and better quality from the smaller shops surrounding the market.
Tiangis | Don’t miss the Tiangis market at the Parque San Juan every Sunday. You’ll find fruits and veggies, honey, and even some art.
EcoTienda | Coconut oil, cacao powder, local herbs and supplements, keep an eye out for fresh local artisanal bread that is out of this world. We’re talking tumeric chia loaves. Keep an eye out for other pop-up alternative markets in San Juan and Candelaria Park.
Mercado 43 | Set in a lovely back garden at Italian restaurant L’Osteria della 43, this Saturday market has stalls from Oui Oui Oui, Tresvanbien’s pastries, handmade soap and other local products. And of course a delicious menu della nonna.
Soriana | Good produce staples, and regional products, dog food by weight.
Bodega Aurrera | Different variety of fruits and veg, imported products, household items, like a mini walmart.
SuperChe | Just another supermarket. Basically the same as the other two. A little further out of town. Worth the trip? You tell us.
SHOPPING & ELECTRONICS
If you’re looking to buy some hip Tulum style clothes then you can definitely find that stuff here. There are a few local designers that have little boutiques around town, and some more general clothing stores in the centro.
Buying electronics and gear is basically a no go here in Valladolid. It’s really no big deal, as Merida is just 2 hours away, and so is Cancun in the other direction. We had the misfortune of seeing our iphone smash to the ground on it’s way out of a taxi one day. The very next day we booked our ADO bus tickets to Merida and bought a new one. Simple as that.
You’ll end up paying a little bit more for electronics in Mexico than you would in the USA, but when you work from your phone you don’t have a choice but to get your shit replaced.

ON THE GROUND INFO
The best time to visit the Yucatan is from November to March. This is the time of year when everything is slightly less hot, and you’ll still complain about the heat once a day. We’ve been told there’s a rainy season, but it’s almost August and we still haven’t seen it.
Fitness
Gabi and I don’t rely on gyms for our personal fitness, we tend to exercise at home out of habit and convenience. Based on google reviews, it seems that Elite Gym and Gorilla Crossfit are the two most popular, but you’ll see a few different gyms around town.
Laundry
Getting your laundry done in Mexico is as easy as googling “lavanderia.” find the nearest one, drop off your clothes, come back tomorrow to pick them up washed, dried, and folded. Pay when you pick up.

Health Concerns
Is the water safe to drink?
No, don’t drink the water in Mexico. If you’re going to be spending more than 3 days, invest in a garrafon, one of those huge 20L water jugs. You’ll pay a little extra for the deposit, but you can get your deposit back when you return the jug.
We always use the tap water to brush our teeth. We haven’t died yet.
Mosquitos?
There are lots of mosquitos here in the Yucatan. Everyone knows that mosquitoes carry diseases, so cover yourself, hose yourself down with repelente or be a vigilant slapper. But don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Wild animals?
Our foster dog has taken care of two possums for us so far. We’ve also seen scorpions, spiders, and lizards of all sizes, we hear about snakes all the time, but we still haven’t seen any ourselves. There are birds here that make a lot of pretty sounds, but nothing too colorful, save for the occasional bright orange oriole. We’ve seen jaguar crossing signs out in the jungle, but we’re not sure if we’re buying that or not. Keep an eye out at all times!
Nearest Hospitals
Gabi has Hashimotos thyroiditis, and needs to visit doctors regularly to check the status of her thyroid. While we’ve been here, we’ve traveled back and forth to Merida to see her main doctor at StarMedica.
There are some medical facilities here in Valladolid. The clinica de San Juan is the one most people recommended to us here in town when we needed to have some tests and stuff done in town.
One cool thing that we learned about medical care here in Mexico that is so different from the USA is that you can walk into a medical imaging lab, or any kind of medical testing facility and order your own tests.
You don’t need permission from a doctor for that here. We think it’s really cool that Mexico allows you to have access to information about your own body without having to see a general practitioner first. Once you get your results you can decide if you want to take them to the doctor to have them analyzed professionally, or not.

THINGS TO DO AROUND VALLADOLID
Cenotes
The Yucatan peninsula, like a sponge, is covered with thousands of holes (called cenotes) that are all connected by a huge system of underground rivers. These underground rivers were the main water source for the Mayan civilization. There’s no better way to cool off on a hot Yucatecan day than to go swimming in a cenote.
Conveniently, there are some great cenotes right around Valladolid. Cenote Zaci, Oxman, and SuyTun are some of the most popular, but a quick google search will reveal the multitudes of available cenotes for you to choose from. They’re all different, so be sure to visit a few.

Casa de los Venados
Casa de los Venados is a colonial mansion filled with thousands of pieces of brightly colored Mexican folk art from all over Mexico. It’s the largest privately held collection of Mexican folk art in the world.
Don’t get confused, though. This isn’t a museum. It’s a home. The owners are an expat family from the United States who open their home at 10:00 every morning for tours in English and Spanish. The entire house, including the four guest residences inside are completely decorated from top to bottom, but don’t expect to find these rooms listed on AirBnb. They’re only for private guests of the family. Casa Venados is a must visit for any art lover.

MAYAN RUINS NEAR VALLADOLID
You can’t come to the Yucatan without visiting some Mayan ruins. Sure, they’re probably the most visited tourist sites out here, but for good reason. Walking through these ancient sites provides an incredible context for this part of the world. You just can’t understand the modern day Yucatan without a firm grasp of the Mayan world.

Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is by far the most famous ruin in the area. It’s just a 45 minute drive from Valladolid, and well worth the trip. We’ve been there four times, once in the day time, twice at night for the light show, and once on the equinox.
The central pyramid is one of the most iconic images of Mexico, but be aware - tourists are not allowed to climb on the pyramid.
The price for admission is 480 pesos, which works out to about USD $24. If you want to beat the crowds, your best bet is to show up first thing in the morning at 8:00am. You can hire a guide to take you around for an additional fee. Hiring a guide isn’t mandatory, but they do provide invaluable insight and will greatly enhance your understanding. You could spend hours walking around this huge site.
Be sure to wear sunscreen and bring a hat, there is little shade.
In the evening Chichen Itza reopens for a video mapping light show called “Nights of Kukulkan.” which you will need a separate ticket for. It’s super cool to walk around with audio guides and see the great pok ta pok court and other structures lit up with color at night. The video mapping on the central pyramid really helps you to imagine what these ruins would have looked like when they were painted in full color.

Ek Balam
Ek Balam isn’t nearly as popular as Chichen Itza, which just means you’ll have fewer tourists to deal with and shorter lines for admission. The ruins at Ek Balam are quite different from Chichen Itza. And... at Ek Balam you can still climb up to the top of the main pyramid.
The admission for Ek Balam is 413 pesos, about USD $21.
We really enjoyed our time at Ek Balam. You can really get a good idea of the kinds of art and sculptures the Mayans were making back then. The views from the top of the structures are so impressive and really help to imagine what this place would have looked like over a thousand years ago.
There is a cenote at Ek Balam so bring a bathing suit! Once you enter Ek Balam, you'll see, to your right a bike rental shop and ticket booth for the Cenote. We highly recommend renting bikes for 50 pesos and riding out to the cenote. The path is lovely, and the cenote was so refreshing after climbing around the ruins. Just makes sure to shower off and leave the sunscreen at home.

Coba
Rent a bike, and peddle your way around 6 km of sweet Maya ruins! We had a so much fun riding around the grounds and climbing up to the top of the big pyramid. Coba was a great day trip, and only about an hour away from Valladolid. There is also a cenote near by Coba. Coba is set right next to a large lake a nice spot to spend the day.

Haciendas
Haciendas are old plantations which were once used for hennequin production in this region. Today they’re mostly for relaxation. Valladolid has a fantastic one just on the outside of town called Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman. This hacienda has a restaurant, bar, pool, and a beautiful cenote perfect for swimming. Go in the early part of the day to avoid the late afternoon crowds. Check out our video from Cenote Oxman.

Sunday Night in the Plaza
Sunday night is your perfect chance to get down and boogie with the locals. At 8PM they close down one of the main streets on the Plaza Francisco Canton, and hundreds of locals come out for live music and dancing. Grab a churro or a marquesita from Tio Batman, slip on your dancing shoes, and get down with the cumbia!
Video Mapping at the Convent
Check out the colorful video mapping presentation at the Convent at the end of the Calzada de los Frailes. It happens pretty much every night except for a few nights during the holidays for church services. The show last about 25 minutes and runs in Spanish and then again in English.

NIGHTLIFE IN VALLADOLID
There really isn’t much of a nightlife here in Valladolid. This sleepy little town puts itself to bed pretty early most nights. However, there are a couple of places to drink mezcal, catch some live music, or do some salsa dancing.
Cafeina | Cafeina is a popular spot for drinks and dancing on Calzada de los Frailes. The inside is huge and feels like a maze with lots of rooms to move thorough before you reach the back garden. They have live music just about every night, salsa dancing, and sometimes they even have mariachis playing for the guests seated along the street.
Idilio Folklore Cervecero | Drink craft beers and snacks in a beautiful garden setting. Idilio is a super chilled out garden vibe with an impressive beer menu. They have everything from Imperial Pale Ales to Imperial Stouts, with tacos and "late night" snacks that go with, and they are open until 11:30 pm.
Conato | Conato is a great spot for late night drinks and live music. Their food isn’t anything to write home about, but definitely worth it for the music and dancing.
Oasis Restaurant and Pizzeria | Don’t order the pizza. We warned you. Do order the margaritas! They should bring you loads of free snacks with your margarita, if not politely say “Me gustaría botanas, por favor!”

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Watch out for volunteer opportunities on Valladolid Friends FB group. There are a few local organizations who post on there from time to time. Whether it's planting trees or food collections, there's almost always something going on.

Valladolid may not seem like an amazing place to live as a digital nomad, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find out exactly what kept us here for three beautiful months. Valladolid offers the kind of small town Mexico life you can’t get in places like Merida, Playa del Carmen or Tulum. Valladolid is special.
Practice your Spanish as much as possible, and maybe learn a few phrases of Maya. They’ll get you a long way. Say buenos dias or Buenas tardes or simply buenas! when you pass someone on the street. Drop a buen provecho as you walk past people eating. These are the kinds of signals that let the locals know you’re the real deal. Be patient, and I’m confident you’ll love it here too.
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9 Responses
Barbara Swick
What a comprehensive and beautifully written blog. You’re photos really capture the beauty of the area. Thank you for taking the time to share. Please let me know when you have more areas to share.
I look forward to visiting this beautiful city.
LocalNomads
Thanks so much for your comment Barbara! We love to share these special places so much. Each of them means so much to us and carries a piece of us even when we are away. We love experiencing these destinations as our temporary homes, rather than vacation/leisure destinations. For more of our guides, you can check out this page.
oscar
I am really glad I opene it from Tangerine link. Your text. Your profesional images make me wonder if I should try if I ever can get out of where I am. I salute your all… best regards. O
LocalNomads
Hi Oscar! I’m so glad you found our little corner of the internet. I hope you can find a way out of whatever situation you find yourself in now. One thing that really helped us in the beginning was reading the book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. I can’t recommend it enough. Read this book and I promise it will help you find your way into a more free lifestyle.
Shikha
Your post is so detailed with beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing. I’ve never been to Valladolid but the minute I read/researched this city, I knew I have to experience it. I am planning to be here for 3 plus weeks. Will definitely check out the places you recommended. Maybe our paths will cross in town 🙂
Angela
Hi! Thanks for this post, it is super useful! Do you recommend any specific cafe for work? I will have a video conference and I will need good signal. I will bring my phone data with me but it is always better to have good wifi. Thank you!
Local Nomads
Hi Angela. We tend to do our video calls from home when we’re in Valladolid. Koncafecito is a decent option and so would be Yerbabuena del sisal, but they both run the risk of being too busy and loud for a comfortable call. I hope you enjoy Valladolid <3
Jane
Thank you for such a detailed overview, it has been so so useful! We´re using the same places to work from now
Local Nomads
Hey Jane! Thank you for your comment. I hope you had a wonderful stay in Valladolid!