Aldea Maya Ek Balam

The community of Ek Balam offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the living heritage of the Maya through active participation in traditional activities that are part of everyday life. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed at the Unajil Ek Balam Tourist Center, whose name means “house of the black jaguar.” This space serves as the gateway into the community.

From there, you will take a walking tour through the village streets, allowing you to appreciate its peaceful atmosphere, vernacular architecture, and the warmth of its people. The experience is designed for you to visit three different households, where practical workshops transmit ancestral knowledge.

In the hammock-weaving workshop, you’ll observe the artisanal process behind one of Yucatán’s most iconic crafts. You’ll also be taught the basic technique to weave part of a hammock yourself—an act of patience, artistry, and connection to history.

Next, in the handmade tortilla workshop, you’ll learn the entire process of corn preparation, from nixtamalization to its transformation into a tortilla. You’ll get to prepare your own tortilla on the comal and taste a special ancestral dish: huevos encamisados, a traditional recipe that is part of the region’s culinary legacy.

Finally, the embroidery workshop introduces you to the art of machine embroidery. You’ll learn how to handle the thread and needle to create your own embroidered handkerchief, a keepsake of both creativity and cultural exchange.

Beyond the workshops, this experience also opens the doors to traditional homes, their backyards, and the community’s natural surroundings, offering a respectful and enriching immersion into daily life.

Visiting Ek Balam is much more than a tour—it is a living connection with the Maya identity, with their gastronomy, art, hospitality, and worldview. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of a real community, learn from its people, and take home a truly transformative experience.

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Contacto: 

Mario Tuz 
https://unajilekbalam.com/
​https://www.facebook.com/unajilekbalam/​

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