‘And it was all yellow…’ – IZAMAL

Izamal has a happy beauty. It is yellow, yellow, yellow and what colour is more delightful than yellow? It’s cobbled streets, horses wearing festive hats, temples, corners and plazas rise up and meet you like a big yellow bear hug.

Izamal is said to be the meeting point of las 3 cultures;  the Mayan, the Colonial and modern day Mexico live side by side here in this sleepy Yucatecan town.

Top things to do:

• Visit the wonderful convent, home of the Immaculate Virgin visited by the Pope in 1993 and also the sanctuary of the Spanish monk Fray Diego de Landa, famous for burning all of the Indian scripts and then suffering an attack of enormous remorse and trying to re-write everything he could about the ways of the Maya…
• Climb up the Kinich temple, an impressive archeological site dedicated to the goddess of the sun right bang in the middle of the town. You’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of the town.
• Eat at Kinich; quite simply they serve the BEST Yucatecan cuisine on the planet. Try the queso relleno, the poc-chuc or their special papadzules.
• Sit in one of the cafes or bars that line the plaza and do a good bit of people watching – life here is laid back and tranquil and deserves to be admired at a similar pace.
• Visit the homes of the handicraft makers and artists who have made Izamal their home and take a look at the artisans market/museum on the main plaza to see some special local craft.
• Take lots of photos – its not often you find yourself in a beautiful, totally yellow town!

 

Buses go to Izamal from Mérida from the Noreste Terminal on Calle 67 between 50 and 52. The trip takes about 2 hours. For a speedier journey find a combi van on Calle 67 heading to Izamal, it will be the same cost but will zoom all the way there without stopping like the bus does.