A Resource For Expat Lifestyles in Mexico
by Candice Carboo-Ofulue, Travel Writer Sombreros and tequila may be what first comes to mind when we think of Mexico, but it’s the colorful colonial cities which are the foundation of contemporary Mexican culture and in the highland hub of San Cristóbal de las Casas, you’ll find its beating heart. Located in the southwestern state [...]
The ancient city of Palenque (pa-lenn-KAY) is like no place on earth. Clutching the foothills of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, where the sultry tropical air gently reverberates sounds of the jungle like a slow-beating ceremonial drum, Palenque’s elegant structures have allured visitors from across the ages. One such figure was Count Jean-Frédérick Waldeck, an [...]
Overgrown with tropical forest, Coba (pronounced coh-ba), the great city that once dominated ancient Mayan society in northern Yucatan is almost forgotten, aside from a gentle stream of explorers flowing through each year. Some, expecting a restored metropolis on par with neighboring Chichen Itza are disappointed by its eroded temples with fading facades. Others, however, [...]
Breaking the tide of the Gulf of Mexico, Campeche (Com pay CHAY) is one of the oldest colonial cities in Yucatán Peninsula, founded in 1540. In golden years, it thrived as the major port; trading timber, dyewood, silver and gold. An elegant city soon emerged behind the harbour, patterned with baroque style townhouses and ornamental [...]
Known as the “Yellow City,” Izamal may be the oldest colonial settlement in Yucatán state, located only 45 minutes from the capital, Mérida. It was founded in early 16th century, atop the pre-existing Mayan city of Izamal. As was the strategy of Spanish conquest, temples and buildings were destroyed, and a colonial township constructed from [...]
In peaceful slumber, on the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, is the Sian Ka’an (see-an CAAN) Biosphere Reserve. Over 500,000 hectares of tropical forest, wetlands and coastal dunes, its remarkable biodiversity includes jaguar, howler monkey, and even the American flamingo. Its eastern region expands across the Caribbean Sea, where it shelters a section of [...]
Almost 80 km south of Mérida, the present-day capital of the Yucatán state, is the ruin of Uxmal (OOSH mal), an influential Mayan metropolis of the late classic period (AD 600 to 900). In its heyday, Uxmal’s influence spread across northern Yucatán and included subjugating the neighboring settlements of Labná and Sayil. Today, it is [...]
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