Travel through colonial streets, breathe an air that goes back to ancient times, cobbled streets, unique and colorful architecture, the friendliness of its people and the exquisite cuisine will make you fall in love with these places and get to know a Mexico unknown by many and that for this reason, are a jewel that we must take care of, preserve and share with the world. IZAMAL: Charming town that dresses in yellow and white in all its forms. Its name means "dew that falls from the sky", is founded on the vestiges of an ancient Mayan city. Known in two ways: as the "City of the Hills", for the pyramids found there and as the "City of Three Cultures", this for the harmonious conjugation that exists between the Mayan, Spanish and contemporary culture . The preservation of the yellow and white colors is for the izamaleños, the way to conserve their light and project it into the future; You can transport yourself to its ancient culture, listening to the footsteps of the horses that transport you in a carriage. In addition to walking its streets or carriage and enjoy the peaceful local life, there are places that you can not miss, such as the corners of the deer, the fallen cross, the pineapple and many others, as well as places like that of Zamná surrounded by portals, the Parque 5 de Mayo, and its picturesque neighborhoods.
You can also learn a lot from its history and culture. In the Convent of San Antonio de Padua, one of the most important buildings in Mesoamérica. It is located on the plateau of the main hill of Izamal, where you marvel at the entrance and see its 75 arches that make up the largest closed atrium in America and the second largest in the world. At night the panorama of the Convent is admirable, because from Monday to Saturday at 8:30 pm begins "The Light of the Mayas" a multimedia show, which is projected in the arches, in which a historical documentary is mixed with works of the Mayans and musical compositions of interpreters of the region, as well as with voices children of Mayan origin, something unforgettable! Another place to visit in the Kinich-Kakmó Pyramid, means “Macaw of fire with a solar face”, whose interpretation is that the Mayans believed that the god Kinich came down in the heat of the sun to burn and purify the sacrifices or offerings of the Mayan pantheon and he did this using the shape of a macaw. The view from above is a must! The Cultural Center is a space that offers a lot of color, learning and variety of handicrafts, made by indigenous people from rural communities. Here is also the Henequen Museum, which is the native plant of Yucatan and from which a wide range of products is obtained; The rescue of henequen haciendas is revived and much is learned from them. Another option is to enjoy a coffee and relax in the spa. In the workshops of the masters of the popular art of Izamal, you will find products in wood carving, art with papier-mâché, hammock making, embroidery and many more in which we can even participate together with the artisans and have pleasant memories.
The gastronomy of the place is rich in variety and styles, highlighting the best of Yucatecan cuisine and its mestizo recipes; To enjoy these dishes nothing like the municipal market to make you enjoy the experience to the fullest. For this and much more Izamal is for 18 years now, Magical Town! VALLADOLID: Second most important city in Yucatan, known as "La Sultana del Oriente", is a hospitable city full of history that makes Yucatan proud. It is characterized by its clean streets, great security and hospitality of its people. Its privileged location It has also conferred the title of "the capital of eastern Maya." Valladolid is located right in the middle of the two most important cities of the Yucatan Peninsula, Merida and Cancun, both approximately 160 kilometers away. In addition, the main archaeological wonders of the area are very close: Chichen Itza, only 45 kilometers away, Tulum 100 km, Ek Balam, 30 km, and Coba, 35 km. For centuries it has been identified by the richness of the Spanish legacy embodied in its temples and the ancestry of its old neighborhoods. It has an exceptional colonial flavor. Walking through its streets, with its brightly painted houses, the neighborhoods with its churches and the imposing convent of San Bernardino de Siena, a palpable trace of the Franciscan presence throughout the peninsula, is to return and relive the past. The Main Park offers the shade of its laurels to all the walkers, who are received by hundreds of trills of birds every sunrise and sunset, causing time to stop for a few moments.
The places you can't miss are: - The Municipal Palace: A true jewel due to the arches and the carved stone columns, as well as its colonial balconies. In its inner courtyard there is a stage where the mayors who were wounded in the parish church were shot. In the main corridor there are four murals by the Yucatecan painter Manuel Lizama, which represent different stages of the history of Valladolid, from the Conquest to the times of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. - Church of San Servacio, on the main facade a stone-carved shield with arabesques, royal crown and Franciscan cord is observed, and in the center it has an eagle and palm, characteristic of the churches made by the Franciscans. On the sides of the central part of the facade there are two square-plan towers composed of three bodies, and on the main facade is the clock house, the only public in the city. It shows the cannons that served to recover the city in 1848, then in the hands of the rebel Indians, who started the Caste War.
- Convent of San Bernardino de Siena, Majestic in its dimensions and sober in its Franciscan style. The facade has a long arched corridor with walls over 50 centimeters wide and a carved stone entrance.
Inside the church area there is still a beautiful artistically carved wooden altarpiece with arabesque motifs, impressive for its size and fine details.
- Cenote Zací, It is a partially collapsed cavern of about 45 meters in diameter, and from the roof of the cenote or vault hang some stalactites that are formed over time, by mineral waste that drags the water.
The depth varies, from 25 and 30 meters in its lower parts to more than 100 meters in the deepest. As for the height of the vault, in relation to the water mirror, it is calculated at 29 meters, and is variable between the rainy season.
In the past it served to provide the vital liquid to the entire population, now it functions as a restaurant and natural pool.
- Cenotes Xkekén and Samulá, also known as The Blue Cave, the sun passes through a small natural entrance at the top of the vault, illuminating the interior and creating a surprising image with the reflection of the water.
Its entrance is narrow and the descent is by steps well carved in rock, which lead to a place that allows access to the only room in the cavity. In it there is a turquoise blue lake decorated with stalagmites, which descend from the vault and duplicate its image in the water. The light that comes from the ceiling increases its majesty.
The Cenote de Samulá is in front of that of Xkekén, a beautiful underground cavern with crystal clear turquoise waters that are illuminated by a hole in the upper part. From it hang the roots of the trees that surround it until it reaches the bottom.
- Crafts and gastronomy, In the whole city there are establishments where you can buy leather and henequen handicrafts in addition to hammocks, bejuco fabric and stone carving, as well as numerous restaurants where you can try the delicious cuisine that has among its specialties the Oriental marinade, the sak-kol turkey, the smoked sausage and the typical tenderloins that make Valladolid a living stamp of the provincial flavor of our Mexico. For these reasons and much more, to know Yucatan it is a good idea to contemplate this destination as a starting point. Visit it and fall in love with its mysteries! If you are interested in acquiring a property in one of these lovely sites, click HERE #Yucatán #MagicalTowns #Valladolid #Izamal #Investments #GettoknowMexico #SoutheastMexican #Holidays #Expats #Vacationhomes #RetirementHomes
References: Mexico Destinations, Visit Mexico, En-Yucatan, Yucatan.gob, Sectur.gob
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