Chichén Itzá’s New Visitors Center Fails To Impress in Just About Every Way
Chichén Itzá, Mexico’s most visited archaeological site, reopened June 1 after an unprecedented 13‑day closure caused by a bitter dispute over the relocation of hundreds of vendors and artisans.
FEATURED
Chichén Itzá’s New Visitors Center Fails To Impress in Just About Every Way
Chichén Itzá, Mexico’s most visited archaeological site, reopened June 1 after an unprecedented 13‑day closure caused by a bitter dispute over the relocation of…
Peón Contreras Comeback Tied to New International Arts Festival
Mérida’s fire-damaged Teatro José Peón Contreras is on track to reopen in about two years, and when it does, the city will mark the…
Pakal the Great: The Maya King Defined by Art and Beauty
Pakal II, also known as Palak the Great, is one of the most recognizable figures in Mesoamerican history, but this has little to do…
First 12 Locomotives Arrive for Mayan Train Cargo Line
The first 12 locomotives for the Tren Maya’s freight line have arrived in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, marking a milestone for the cargo project…
Lifestyle
Mérida Gets Its First Super-Cheap Capsule Hotel
Mérida now has a place to stay that skips the usual hotel room altogether. Kapsul…
Fans Flood Monumento a la Patria After World Cup Win
Green jerseys, waving flags and a fair number of costumes filled the plaza around Mérida’s…
The Amazonas de Yaxunah’s New Field: A Promise Unfulfilled
The Amazonas field, built by the previous state administration, now stands as a symbol of…
At Maxcanu, Doña Bellita Cooks up a Longaniza to Rival any Spanish Chef
In Yucatán, there is no shortage of opportunities for great meals. However, as the secret…
When One Governor Builds It and the Next Tears It Down
One of the more telling footnotes in Yucatán’s political history involves not a palace or a prison, but a pair of columns that stood at the northern edge of Mérida for barely a decade — long enough to be photographed,…
Culture
Blackouts Cast a Shadow Over the 2026 El Cuyo Beach Festival
With the El Cuyo Beach Festival just weeks away, hotel operators and tourism businesses in…
Lasers Deployed to Clean Monumento a la Patria After March 8 Protests
Following damage to the Monumento a la Bandera during the March 8th women’s day protests,…
How Japan took over Mexico’s imagination and media market
Despite the powerful cultural influence of American media in Mexico, another nation has held sway…
A City Covers itself in Axolotl Imagery as Real Species Disappears
Beneath this explosion of axolotl murals and branded transit lies an uncomfortable contradiction.
Pakal the Great: The Maya King Defined by Art and Beauty
Pakal II, also known as Palak the Great, is one of the most recognizable figures in Mesoamerican history, but this has little to do with his military prowess. Pakal II is, without a doubt, the most famous member of the…
Archaeology
How Stele 18 of Uxmal Has Transformed the Understanding of Maya Ritual Life
The recent presentation of a book published by INAH, authored by archaeologists Eduardo Huchim and…
Diego Rivera’s Anahuacalli Archaeological Museum and its New Exhibits
The name Anahuacalli translates from the Nahua languages as “Home of the Anáhuac,” a term…
Yaxunah’s Popol Nah: Its Fall and Enduring Legacy
In many ways, Yaxunah is a prototypical Maya regional capital; however, several aspects make it…
A Guide to Hecelchakán’s Archaeology Museum and its Remarkable Artifacts
The Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán is home to an impressive…
Where to Find Easy-Access Cenotes in Yucatán
Every cenote is beautiful in its own way, but not every cenote may be right for you.
Nature
Mexican Authorities Seize 11,175 Smuggled Sea Turtle Eggs
A routine car inspection revealed a man smuggling 11,175 sea turtle eggs in the state…
Where to Find Easy-Access Cenotes in Yucatán
Every cenote is beautiful in its own way, but not every cenote may be right…
Solar Megaprojects Blocked in Maya Communities After 7-Year Battle
Two massive solar farm projects planned for the jungle of southern Yucatán have been permanently…
One of the World’s Most Endangered Foxes Gets a Last Chance on Cozumel
For years, the story of the Cozumel fox was one of whispers and shadows. We…
Carol Kolozs Fischer, the Visionary Behind a Luxury Landmark
Carol Kolozs Fischer, whose second act in life was to cement Mérida’s reputation for luxury, died on June 17 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 77. News of his passing started circulating more than a week after…
People
Mexico’s Top Arts Medal Goes to Sculptor Gerda Gruber
A sculptor who left Vienna half a century ago and eventually found her artistic home…
Mérida Painter and Writer Enrique Trava Díaz Dies at 69
Enrique de Jesús Trava Díaz, a painter and writer known for his contributions to the…
Joanna’s 50-Year Journey of Love and Life in Yucatán
Fifty years ago, what began as a work assignment became a life-defining decision. In January…
Christian Rasmussen: A Visual Explorer’s Legacy in the Yucatán
Christian Rasmussen has spent over five decades blending a sharp artistic vision with careful anthropological…
Distrito Arte Mérida Opens Its Business Center
Mérida added a new mixed-use development to its rapidly expanding north side Thursday with the official inauguration of Distrito Arte Mérida’s Business Center. The complex will eventually combine corporate offices, retail spaces, green areas and residential towers. Gianni Rosa, general…
REAL ESTATE
Residential development would transform Tepakán, a tiny village in rural Yucatán
A significant residential development project is under consideration for the small municipality of Tepakán, Yucatan,…
Airbnb advice: 5 things hosts removed from their rentals
Previously, we asked people for some expert Airbnb advice. The question was about income-property essentials…
Colonial Palace: Mérida home for sale turns heads up, down and around
A highlight of the most recent Mérida Showcase of Homes was this stunning Colonial Palace on…
A Mérida Couple Finds Peace in a Weekend Quinta
Photographs by Richard Leo Johnson Around the corner is an early 20th-century movie theater refashioned…
Mérida Gets Its First Super-Cheap Capsule Hotel
Mérida now has a place to stay that skips the usual hotel room altogether. Kapsul Express bills itself as the only capsule hotel in Mérida. Instead of a standard room, guests book a private sleeping pod, a format that started…
LODGING
LODGING
A 7-Year Rescue Mission Ends With a Major Award for Hotel SevillaThe win adds another chapter to an already-decorated year for the property and its owner, Mexico City-based Grupo Habita, which Hospitality Design named its 2026 Hotelier of the Year earlier this spring.
A corner property in Mérida’s historic center that sat in ruins for years has just…
The Magic Formula That Made Grupo Habita Mexico’s Top Hotelier of 2026
Mexico City-based Grupo Habita, which recently unveiled its long-awaited Hotel Sevilla property in Mérida, is…
Luxury & Elegance at the Best 5-Star Hotels in Mérida
Whether you prefer colonial mansions or something altogether newer and more modern, the best 5-star…
Enjoy Authentic Old Mexico @ These Historic Luxury Hotels in Mérida
Travelers are turning to accommodations that offer authentic Ycatan experiences. Find out more with these…