Izamal
One of the oldest continuously inhabited towns on Earth, the famous Yellow City of Yucatan has thrown open the doors and the train is just the early, exhilarating first step.
Izamal is the famous Yellow City of Yucatan. So-called because nearly all of the houses and buildings are painted in the same yellow-ochre, the town is just outside its own little station on the Tren Maya. In fact, the station itself is painted in the same color. A taxi from the station takes just 15 minutes to reach the center of town.
People have long visited Izamal for the simple charm of the town center, the old monastery and the municipal market. The surrounding landscape is perforated by dramatic and mysterious cenotes. The pyramids of Kinich Kakmó, Tu'ul and Itzamatúl, bear witness to the fact that the city is one of the longest inhabited towns anywhere in the world. Excavations have uncovered settlements here that date back to 750 BCE. The surrounding landscape is perforated by dramatic and mysterious cenotes. The land is sun drenched, verdant, and alive people to meet, places to explore, and scampering animals ready to say hello.
The sopa de limón is as good as any on the peninsula. Papadzules, papaya jam, and famous black stuffing make it a complex and fulfilling gourmet scene. Local artisans stock much of the remaining space in the market. And this spills out into the surrounding streets, especially around the Feast of San Ildefonso (April 3rd) and the Feast of Santo Cristo Negro de Sitilpech (October 18). The Virgin of Izamal is feted on December 8, and these three make up the three great pilgrimage feasts for which the city is famous across the peninsula.
On the Tren Maya, travel time to Izamal is just under three hours from Cancun. From Mérida, the trip is about one hour and ten minutes. Lots of buses are arriving from Mérida all the time too. The trip is exhilarating and one you will never forget.
