Yucatán: the prettiest Mexican state

By Giselle Rodríguez

If you are planning to travel to Mexico for the first time head right on to the state of Yucatán. Located in the southeast of Mexico, it is safe, has a rich cultural heritage and a variety of tourist attractions.

You can start your trip in Mérida, the capital city. At downtown you can visit the Casa del Montejo. Built in 1549, it houses a collection of 19th century furniture and temporary photo exhibitions. Then you can head to the Palacio Municipal, where you can see the murals by Mexican artist Fernando Castro Pacheco. Admission is free in both places.

For a city tour try the “guagua”. It departs from the Plaza de Santa Lucía and will take you all the way to Avenida Montejo, where you will see majestic houses and the Monument to the Homeland by Colombian artist Rómulo Rozo.

The city has a vibrant cultural life that includes free night shows on the street of traditional dances, music and a representation of the Mayan ballgame, a must see!

To try traditional Yucatán food your best option is La Chaya Maya. Located on Calle 55, between 60 and 62, it has a varied menu, inexpensive and delicious. Some traditional dishes are crema de chaya, papadzules, brazo de reina and queso relleno. For fancy dining try Restaurante Amaro, on Calle 59 between 60 and 62, with live music entertainment. Reservation is recommended on both places.

From Mérida you can take tours to other tourist attractions, such as Uxmal, one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture that also offers a night light and sound show, and Chichen-Itzá, whose pyramid El Castillo, visited by around 15,000 people every day, is one of the new seven wonders of the world.

There are other archaeological sites that you can visit, such as Dzibilchaltún and those located on the “Ruta Puuc” such as Kabah, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labná and Oxkintox.

The one thing you can not miss is swimming in a cenote, a natural sinkhole connected to subterranean water bodies. There are bunches of them throughout the state, such as Chelentún, Chak-Zinik-Che, Bolom-Chojol, Ikkil, Lol Ha, X'Keken, Samula, Zací, Suytun, Chihuan, Yokdzonot, Xlacah, San Ignacio, Xbatún, Xcanché and Zazil Ha. Some of them are inside caverns while others are on an open pit.

Other nearby tourist attractions are the cave of Loltún, located 68 miles southewest of Mérida that will leave you breathless with its amazing natural formations; Celestún, where you can see flamingos and visit a beautiful mangrove swamp; the beach of Puerto Progreso, where you can eat delicious seafood; sisal haciendas and the town of Izamal, where you can visit a Franciscan convent from the 16th century and enjoy the view from atop the Kinich Kak Mo pyramid. To eat try the venison tacos at the local market with radish and avocado sauce. Yummy!

Five last recommendations: use sunscreen, avoid visiting in August as the weather is too warm, buy "guayabera" shirts as a souvenir (there is a dress version for women), try staying at a downtown hotel in Mérida and if you buy a tour, try to avoid street vendors, as some of them are scams. Book at your hotel or a shop instead.

Here is a video-summary of some of Yucatán's tourist attractions: