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Izamal In Izamal you will find delicious Yucatecan cuisine. We recommend the large, thatched roof Kinich about four blocks from the plaza, or Café Los Arcos at Parque Itzamná. You can also visit the Lakin-Ha caves, with a restaurant on site, 1/2 km. east of Izamal on Calle 31.
he City of Hills, located right in the middle of the Peninsula, Izamal may be the oldest city in Yucatán. Its history is very attached to religious events. Izamal was conquered by the Spaniards, and it was the monks in their eagerness to convert the Indians to Catholicism that gave the city its religious distinction. To this day, Izamal’s people are very devoted to the Immaculate Virgin.
The Light & Sound Show “The Light of the Maya” at the Convent is Mon. to Sat. at 8:30 pm. Entrance: $90 pesos foreigners, $63 pesos Mexicans and $11 pesos children.
An important sight in Izamal is the Franciscan Convent San Antonio de Padua that was built from and over one of the Mayan pyramids. This convent is also famous for the story of the monk Fray Diego de Landa, its founder, who burned all the Indian scripts, and then feeling remorse for what he had done, tried to write all he could remember of the ways of the Indians in the Relation of Things of the Yucatán.
all the buildings painted an egg-yolk yellow, making the entire town look like a movie set. Cobblestoned streets and colonial lamp posts complete the scenery. There are Mayan pyramids (Kinich Kakmo, the most important, Kabul, Itzamatul and the Conejo), colonial-style buildings, parks and plazas, horses and buggies, and lots of people for people watching.
Pope John Paul II visited Izamal in 1993 and held a special meeting and Mass specifically for the Indigenous people of the area. This has been one of Izamal’s claims to fame ever since. Note the beautifully restored altarpiece, the stained-glass window of St. Francis of Asissi, and the many statues along the walls. The second floor is where the statue of Our Lady of Izamal, Queen and Patron Saint of Yucatán, is housed. Note all the gold-leaf paint, crystal chandeliers, flowers and elegantly painted walls. A small church store with postcards and religious souvenirs is on the first floor. Izamal is a jewel of a colonial city, with just about
Visit the Museo de la Comunidad, located under the Convent in front of Cinco de Mayo Park, and the stunning Centro Cultural y Artesanal on the main plaza. It is a museum of Mexican folk art, café, handcrafts store, and spa. The horses and buggies that are by the plaza can take you all over town for a very reasonable price, or you can also visit the town at your own pace by renting a bike from Izamal Bikes. While in Izamal, make a point to visit Hecho a Mano on the Main Plaza. This unique shop is owned by American Jeanne Hunt, who believes a craft becomes art when it is unique. Also visit Galería Tres Pájaros with art and antiques.
Enjoy “Izamal en Domingo” on Sundays in Parque Zamná from 9 am - 3 pm., and visit the henequen Hacienda Aké at the archaeological site of Aké near Izamal. How to get there: It’s easy to go by car. Take the Cuota road toward Cancún, and exit at km. 48 towards Izamal at the Hoctún exit. The trip takes 45 minutes. Or go by bus, the station is at calle 67 between 50 and 52, with departures every hour. The cost of the ticket is $22 pesos one way, $44 pesos roundtrip. Where to stay: There are several little one, two, three and four star hotels. We recommend the Hotel Macanché, Rinconada del Convento, Green River, San Miguel Arcángel, Hotel Hacienda Izamal, Real Izamal, Posada Casa Antigua and Romantic Hotel Santo Domingo. For private villas contact: reservations@catherwoodtravels.com •••