The cities of Yucatán are generally focused on the profound historical legacy left by the Mayans in the peninsula region. The most prominent destinations are:
Valladolid
Valladolid is an ancient Yucatan city with a rich Spanish legacy. This history can be appreciated in its temples and old neighborhoods where the houses are painted in vivid colors.
One distinctive attraction in the city is the imposing San Bernardino de Siena convent. The cozy Parque Principal (Main Park) offers the shade of its laurels and the harmonious song of the birds that announce the end of the day.
The church of San Gervasio, along with its towers, exhibits the cannons that served to recover the city in 1848 from the Indian rebels who took the city in the Guerra de Castas (War of the Castes). The Municipal Palace and the San Juan de Dios Temple are two other great tourist spots. Near the city is the Zací natural water well, a deep spring that used to provide vital liquid to the entire population. Today it is a restaurant and natural pond.
Traditional hide and henequen crafts are very popular and can be purchased here.
Izamal
This city is located in the center of the Yucatán Peninsula and has a strong bond with the ancestry of this area. It used to be the center for some of the greatest Mayan ceremonies.
Izamal is also known as the "Ciudad de los Cerros" or "City of Hills" because of the covered pyramids that were here when the Spanish arrived. It is also called "La Ciudad de las Tres Culturas" or "The City of Three Cultures" because it combines the characteristics of the pre-Hispanic and colonial eras with the present.
Over the centuries, Izamal was the place of pilgrimage for the Mayan people who arrived by "sacbeoob" or white stone streets connecting it to the main metropolis of the Mayan world. It was one of the most important cities of the pre-Hispanic Mayans during 850 to 1000 A.D. It was established in the third century and is even older than Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.
In its tidy streets, horse-drawn carriages take visitors on a tranquil route by plazas, parks, historical neighborhoods and beautiful streets where time seems to have slowed down.
Mérida
All roads in Yucatán lead to Mérida, the state capital. Colonial par excellence, this city is the point of departure of important archeological excursions to the towns and cities that might still hide important secrets of the advanced civilizations that populated the peninsula long before the Spanish conquest.
Mérida is known as the "Ciudad Blanca" or "White City". It is located where just 500 years ago the old Mayan city of T'ho or Ichcaansihó (face of the infinite) existed.
The symmetry of the streets, plazas and the perfect layout like the old Spanish-style cities rapidly made Mérida one of the classic colonial cities of the 16th century.
To visit the center of the city, one must pass the ancient buildings that make up the historical center. To one side of the Plaza Grande, surrounded by leafy laurels, is the San Ildefonso Cathedral. This cathedral was built during the second half of the 16th century and is the oldest on the American continent. Its architecture is very austere with two imposing towers. Construction of the cathedral took more than four decades and was built, in addition to quarry stone, with stones from the fallen Mayan temples. The largest representation of Christ can be admired inside of this great building.
The Montejo House is another amazing construction in Mérida and is considered a jewel of silver artistry. The Government Palace is neo-classical style and currently houses several Fernando Castro Pacheco murals. They are considered to be the most important artwork in the state and helped to shape the life and history of the Mayan town from the era of the conquest to the Guerra de Castas (War of the Castes).
Other important attractions in the city can be found on the traditional Paseo de Montejo.Cantón Palace and the imposing Monumento a la Patria (Monument to the Mother Country).
