Merida, Mexico by Margo Guenther I will never forget my first trip to Merida, Mexico in October of 2007, one of the most majestic and best places in Mexico to live or visit. I had been living in Tulum, Mexico for about a year and figured it was time to get serious about learning Spanish. […]
Focus On The Yucatan Peninsula Series
The emergence of the Yucatan Peninsula as the leading destination for expats in Mexico should not come as a surprise. Mexico has been focusing on the area for many years and now the expats are showing up in droves. This is the first in a series of articles discussing this area of Mexico. It’s an […]
The Yucatan State of Mexico
Unique among the mix of peoples who have become Mexico, are the Yucatecans. Once an independent country, by mutual agreement, Yucatan became part of Mexico in 1821, went independent again in 1823, and finally rejoined Mexico for good in 1825. However, the defining observation about this blend of Mayan, Spanish, Caribbean, French and Middle Eastern (yes, Middle Eastern!) cultures […]
Visit Campeche
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 […]
Izamal
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 […]
Sian Ka’an Biosphere
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 […]
Uxmal
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 […]