Mérida Ice Rink is Open — But How Does It Work in This Climate?Watching families glide across the ice in Mérida, of all places, offers a glimpse of how engineering can bend reality
When Saturday’s thermometer hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in Mérida, hundreds of families lined up to do something that seems impossible in this tropical city: ice skating. The free “Magia sobre Hielo” rink opened Dec. 7 along Paseo de…
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Galopina Casa Silvestre Hosts European Chefs at Farm-to-Table Residency
A boutique retreat in Acanceh is hosting a series of international chef residencies that bring European culinary techniques to the Yucatán Peninsula’s regenerative agriculture…
New High-Tech Restoration For Mexico’s Oldest Cathedral
In Mérida’s downtown historic center, a delicate and technologically advanced restoration is underway at the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, the oldest of its kind…
Yucatán Magazine’s Hacienda Issue Is Here and It’s Worth Celebrating
Issue 16 of Yucatán Magazine is a meditation on Yucatán’s haciendas. More than architectural marvels—our haciendas are living chronicles that bind past to future,…
Popeyes In Mérida Escalates Chicken Sandwich Wars
Popeyes is bringing its Louisiana-style fried chicken to Mérida. Construction crews are building the restaurant’s first location in Yucatán’s capital on Calle 41 x…
What The Tren Maya Could Learn From Vietnam’s New Trains
Since its inaugural trip in 2023, the Tren Maya has encountered delays, engine failures, derailments, lawsuits, and ongoing protests. Direct service to Palenque has…
Groundbreaking Maya Research Takes Center Stage at Yucatán’s Ichkaantijoo Conference
For information on our Central Mexico tour in February, CLICK HERE! From Dec. 8 to 12, 2025, the Centro INAH Yucatán will host the…
SoHo Galleries Exhibit: A Young Artist is Inspired by the Old Masters
A Mexico City artist who draws inspiration from Spanish masters and Mexican modernists will showcase his work in Mérida. César Mauricio Ruiz Quiroz, 20,…
The Impending DJI Ban and Its Global Ripple Effect
A storm is brewing in the skies above the United States, and its turbulence may soon be felt across the rest of North America…
Mérida Ice Rink is Open — But How Does It Work in This Climate?Watching families glide across the ice in Mérida, of all places, offers a glimpse of how engineering can bend reality
When Saturday’s thermometer hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in Mérida, hundreds of families lined up to do something that seems impossible in this…
Hool: Archaeology In 21st-Century Mérida Suburb
For information on our Central Mexico tour in February, CLICK HERE! Mérida’s northernmost major suburb, Fraccionamiento Las Americas, is the city’s largest 21st-century development,…
Galopina Casa Silvestre Hosts European Chefs at Farm-to-Table Residency
A boutique retreat in Acanceh is hosting a series of international chef residencies that bring European culinary techniques to the Yucatán Peninsula’s regenerative agriculture…
New High-Tech Restoration For Mexico’s Oldest Cathedral
In Mérida’s downtown historic center, a delicate and technologically advanced restoration is underway at the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, the oldest of its kind…
Sheinbaum Delivers Scholarships as New School Rises in Caucel
Not all the action is north of Centro. In Mérida’s rapidly expanding western edge, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered scholarships and inspected the construction of a new technical high school in Ciudad Caucel. During the visit to CBTIS 305, Sheinbaum…
NEWS
La Casa Del Pueblo, Its History, Magnificent Architecture, And Legacy
La Casa del Pueblo (The People’s House) is one of the most striking examples of…
Cool Cats: Young Artists from Otoch Will Shine at Hennessy’s Exhibition
Young painters from Casa Otoch will showcase their artwork at an annual exhibition on Nov…
New Colonial-Era Film Production Seeks 200 Extras in Yucatán
An international film production is coming to Yucatán, and local residents have a chance to…
Modern Maya Renaissance Flowers at Los Pinos FestivalMore than 70 artisans brought traditional crafts, food, and music to Mexico City’s former presidential complex in CDMX
Yucatecan hammock weavers, traditional cooks, and Maya musicians transformed Mexico’s former presidential residence into a…
Are Expats in Mexico Taxed on Foreign Income? What to Know
Picture this: you’ve made the move to beautiful Yucatán, you’re sipping your morning coffee overlooking…
Visa Costs to Double, Targeting Digital Nomads in Mexico
Mexico plans to double the cost of temporary and permanent residency visas starting in 2026,…
Yucatán Tourism Growth Posts Record as International Visitors Surge 25%
Yucatán has emerged as one of Mexico’s strongest performing tourism destinations, with the state recording…
Foreigners Face Prison After Passport Fraud Attempts in CancúnMexico shows it is tough and sophisticated in cracking down on fake documents
Two foreign nationals are facing serious criminal charges after attempting to obtain Mexican passports using…
Lifestyle
Yucatán Magazine’s Hacienda Issue Is Here and It’s Worth Celebrating
Issue 16 of Yucatán Magazine is a meditation on Yucatán’s haciendas. More than architectural marvels—our…
Popeyes In Mérida Escalates Chicken Sandwich Wars
Popeyes is bringing its Louisiana-style fried chicken to Mérida. Construction crews are building the restaurant’s…
The Quiet Season: Why Yucatán Was Spared in 2025’s Unpredictable Hurricane YearDespite three record-breaking Category 5 storms in the Atlantic, the Peninsula experienced its calmest season since the pandemic—thanks to atmospheric patterns that defied all predictions
When the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on Sunday, we breathed a collective sigh…
What Could Mérida Centro Look Like One Day? AI Renderings Spark Debate
Conceptual images showing what Mérida Centro might look like if the city pedestrianizes two major…
Why Mérida’s Arty 1st Walmart Looks That WayHow a retail giant brought an unexpected cultural gift to Paseo de Montejo
Most Walmarts around the world aren’t known for their beauty, and most architects wouldn’t brag about having designed one. Mérida’s first Walmart is a little different. Most shoppers hurrying through the parking lot of Mérida’s Paseo de Montejo Walmart barely…
HISTORY
50 Moments in History that Defined the Yucatán Peninsula We Know and LoveWhile ancient Maya civilization laid the foundation, the 20th century truly shaped the modern Peninsula
While ancient Maya civilization laid the foundation, the 20th century truly shaped the modern Peninsula.
The Last Maya King: Jacinto Canek’s Rebellion of 1761How a convent-educated baker became the leader of Yucatan’s most legendary Indigenous uprising
The year 1761 was supposed to be like any other in colonial Yucatan. Spanish rule…
How the Mexican Revolution Still Shapes the Country Today
The Mexican Revolution may have ended in 1920, but its transformation of the country continues…
Maya Museum Celebrates Indigenous Heritage with Traditional Games and ArtsMérida’s Gran Museo del Mundo Maya hosts week-long celebration of International Day of Indigenous Peoples
The Gran Museo del Mundo Maya in Mérida kicked off a week-long celebration of International…
Culture
SoHo Galleries Exhibit: A Young Artist is Inspired by the Old Masters
A Mexico City artist who draws inspiration from Spanish masters and Mexican modernists will showcase…
The Impending DJI Ban and Its Global Ripple Effect
A storm is brewing in the skies above the United States, and its turbulence may…
Progreso Opens Registration for Christmas Walk on World’s Longest Pier
The annual Christmas walk along the Progreso pier returns for 2025, with registration now open…
What is Behind Guatemala’s Increasingly Assertive Position Over Its Ownership of Belize
Of all the territorial disputes in the Western Hemisphere, the one between Guatemala and Belize…
Groundbreaking Maya Research Takes Center Stage at Yucatán’s Ichkaantijoo Conference
For information on our Central Mexico tour in February, CLICK HERE! From Dec. 8 to 12, 2025, the Centro INAH Yucatán will host the annual Ichkaantijoo Archaeology Conference, drawing archaeologists, anthropologists, epigraphers, and heritage specialists from Mexico and around the…
Archaeology
Hool: Archaeology In 21st-Century Mérida Suburb
For information on our Central Mexico tour in February, CLICK HERE! Mérida’s northernmost major suburb,…
Groundbreaking Maya Research Takes Center Stage at Yucatán’s Ichkaantijoo Conference
For information on our Central Mexico tour in February, CLICK HERE! From Dec. 8 to…
Xtogil: From Chichén Itzá To Its Role In Mayan Power Politics
An archaeological site of the Maya culture; Xtogil’s ancient past is known to few, even…
New Insights About El Osario at Chichén Itzá Prove It’s More Than Just a Smaller Temple of Kukulkán
Because Chichén Itzá is so full of amazing structures, and the fact that most tourists…
Archaeology
Xtogil: From Chichén Itzá To Its Role In Mayan Power Politics
An archaeological site of the Maya culture; Xtogil’s ancient past is known to few, even…
New Insights About El Osario at Chichén Itzá Prove It’s More Than Just a Smaller Temple of Kukulkán
Because Chichén Itzá is so full of amazing structures, and the fact that most tourists…
4,000-Year-Old Maya Sculpture Unearthed North of MéridaINAH reveals discoveries in Sierra Papacal, during the salvage works on the Mérida-Progreso section of the Maya Train
Archaeologists working on the Maya Train project have discovered a limestone Maya sculpture that could…
The Maya Arch: A Feat Of Imagination, Artistry, and Function
One of the most immediately identifiable features of Maya architecture is the corbel arch. Corbel…
Baby Jaguar, Born in Captivity at Oaxaca Sanctuary, Offers Hope
The birth of Yazu, the baby jaguar born at the Yagul Sanctuary in Oaxaca, will lift the spirits of anyone concerned about the species’ long-term survival in Mexico. According to the latest National Jaguar Conservation Alliance census, 5,300 jaguars were…
Nature
Santa Maria Parrot Refuge Survives Flood Thanks to Elevated Aviaries
Heavy rains across Yucatán left a wildlife sanctuary underwater, but the birds remained safe due…
Yucatán’s ‘Bat Sweep’ Called Illegal and Dangerous‘They have no idea of the damage to the environment and human well-being they are going to cause’
Conservation organizations are demanding the immediate halt of a program by Yucatán’s state government that…
The Cave Guardian: What Drives Roberto Rojo UndergroundSpeleologist documents the world beneath Yucatán—and fights to protect it from destruction
Roberto Rojo was 30 meters underground when the drilling started. Stalactites that had formed over…
Ceiba Tree Celebrated as Mérida Moves Forward with ReforestationAncient reverence meets modern conservation as Yucatán’s capital celebrates a milestone in urban forest protection
After planting 100 new trees in the Mulsay neighborhood, Mérida reached an environmental milestone this…
Nature
Mexico Creates 4 New Fishing Refuges, Including 2 in Yucatán
Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries established four new fishing refuge zones this fall,…
Baby Jaguar, Born in Captivity at Oaxaca Sanctuary, Offers Hope
The birth of Yazu, the baby jaguar born at the Yagul Sanctuary in Oaxaca, will…
Santa Maria Parrot Refuge Survives Flood Thanks to Elevated Aviaries
Heavy rains across Yucatán left a wildlife sanctuary underwater, but the birds remained safe due…
Yucatán’s ‘Bat Sweep’ Called Illegal and Dangerous‘They have no idea of the damage to the environment and human well-being they are going to cause’
Conservation organizations are demanding the immediate halt of a program by Yucatán’s state government that…
US Consul General Reflects on His 1st Year at Mérida’s New ConsulateJusten Thomas oversees US$211 million diplomatic complex while embracing local customs
The 45-year-old diplomat oversees operations at the $211m Mérida Consulate, the largest US diplomatic investment in the Peninsula’s history.
People
Being an Expat in Yucatán: Here Are the Basics
Merida, Yucatan, is a city of around a million people, with expats living mainly in…
The Remarkable Rise of Mauricio Vila DosalYucatecan senator’s academic leave reflects a decades-long preparation for Mexico’s highest office
Senator Mauricio Vila Dosal’s decision to pause his Senate career and pursue a Master’s in…
Expat Interview: Annie and Murdoch Thread the NeedleAfter leaving London and raising a family in New York, two lifelong travelers find their happy place under the Yucatecan sun
With Murdoch Morrison and Annie Walwyn-Jones, stories unfold as naturally as a conversation over tea…
Yucatecan Boy, 7, in Bangkok to Compete for Muay Thai World Cup
Faraz Monroy Obledo has made history as the first Mexican 7-year-old to train and compete…
People
Expat Interview: Annie and Murdoch Thread the NeedleAfter leaving London and raising a family in New York, two lifelong travelers find their happy place under the Yucatecan sun
With Murdoch Morrison and Annie Walwyn-Jones, stories unfold as naturally as a conversation over tea…
Mexico’s President and the Vibrant Jewish Community She RepresentsClaudia Sheinbaum’s historic presidency spotlights a thriving but insular Jewish population of 40,000 that has found remarkable success in Mexico
When she assumed office in October 2024, Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, made history on multiple…
Why 2025 Has Been Rommel Pacheco’s Most Transformative Year
Former Olympic diver and current Sports Commission director of Mexico’s National Sports Commission, Rommel Pacheco,…
The Cave Guardian: What Drives Roberto Rojo UndergroundSpeleologist documents the world beneath Yucatán—and fights to protect it from destruction
Roberto Rojo was 30 meters underground when the drilling started. Stalactites that had formed over…
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 Calle 66 in the Santa Ana neighborhood. Now this soaring, luxurious masterpiece is on the market, turning home buyers’ heads right, left, up and down. …
REAL ESTATE
Casa Serena: An Architect’s Personal Vision On the Market at Cabo Norte
A contemporary residence represents something rare in luxury real estate: a home designed by an…
Opinion: Mérida Housing Boom Must Spread to the SouthYucatán is Mexico’s hottest real estate destination, but it can’t keep growing unless we expand our focus beyond the north, expert says
Mérida’s booming real estate market needs to break free from its northern focus, according to…
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…
REAL ESTATE
Annual Progreso Home Tour Allows a Look at Beach Life in Yucatán
I’ve learned a lot about living in Yucatán’s coastal communities thanks to the annual Progreso…
How Yucatán’s Iconic Pasta Tiles Are Made
Pasta tile floors, practical in a hot and humid climate like Yucatán’s, started emulating decorative…
Showcase of Homes 2024: 6 Fabulous New Private Spaces
Get out your comfortable shoes and prepare to be invited into six luxurious private homes…
Casa Ocea: A View With a Few Rooms
This Chuburná beach home is a testament to the power of collaboration, a love for…
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 hotels in Mérida have got you covered.
LODGING
Decu Downtown Mérida — Luxury with Local Flare
Located in Mérida’s historic downtown, Decu Downtown is a unique hotel that seamlessly combines luxury…
The Most Unique Places To Stay in Mérida
Fancy a litle fun with your next fancy getaway? These unique places to stay in Mérida are…
18 Hot Spots to Visit in Mérida to Hang Out
Nothing beats spending time where the locals like to hang out. Check out this list…
The AKEN Mind Mérida Hotel: Modern Oasis with Local Roots
AKEN Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the relaunch of its second property in Mexico, the…
LODGING
Decu Downtown Mérida — Luxury with Local Flare
Located in Mérida’s historic downtown, Decu Downtown is a unique hotel that seamlessly combines luxury…
The Most Unique Places To Stay in Mérida
Fancy a litle fun with your next fancy getaway? These unique places to stay in Mérida are…
18 Hot Spots to Visit in Mérida to Hang Out
Nothing beats spending time where the locals like to hang out. Check out this list…
The AKEN Mind Mérida Hotel: Modern Oasis with Local Roots
AKEN Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the relaunch of its second property in Mexico, the…