The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The spectacular beaches, tropical forests, and Mayan Ruins are among the many reasons why wanderlusts from around the globe visit this region.
If you’re a Plein air painting enthusiast looking to explore, make memories, and capture the scenic beauty of the Yucatan peninsula on canvas, below are 8 locations you should consider adding to your list of must-visit places:
Dzibilchaltún Archeological Park
Dzibilchaltún Archeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a great place to visit for many reasons.
First, it has some genuinely fantastic architecture you can paint in front of or inside. Second, this park was once home to actual Mayan people! And thirdly, Dzibilchaltún Archeological Park has been around for centuries, so there are plenty of steaming-with-heritage places where you can find inspiration for your paintings if you want it.
It’s a great place to be creative and artistic. You can paint the Mayan temples, the people living there, or even the scenery around you.
Las Catalinas
Las Catalinas is in the state of Campeche, which is known as one of Mexico’s most beautiful states. This small town has become a popular destination for tourists who want to enjoy its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife.
Las Catalinas’ beach fronts are home to hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops offering everything you need during your trip away from home, including art galleries full of local artists’ work, including abstract paintings for everyone.
Tulum Town, Mexico
Tulum is a small town on the coast of Mexico, located along the Caribbean Sea. It’s popular among tourists who want to visit one of Mexico’s most stunning beaches.
The city has many great things to do and places to visit, including exploring its famous ruins and seeing incredible natural beauty at nearby Mayan archaeological sites like Coba and Chichen Itza. Tulum also offers plenty of excursions to scenic places that will fuel your creative juices.
Riviera Maya, Mexico
Riviera Maya is a small town in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It’s located on the Caribbean Sea and is a popular vacation spot for people from all over Mexico and abroad. The area has many beautiful beaches where you can swim or dive underwater with friends and family.
Riviera Maya also has some fantastic restaurants where you can eat delicious meals while watching dolphins swim by or enjoy the fresh air outside your hotel window!
Cancun
Cancun is a city in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is on the Yucatan Peninsula’s eastern shore.
Cancun has been popular for being one of Mexico’s most visited tourist destinations for years and continues to be so today. Millions of people visit Cancun to enjoy its beaches and hotels.
Still, this destination also offers many other attractions such as museums, beautiful gardens, and parks, making it an ideal place for Plein air painting.
The Chichen Itza Ruins, Mexico
Located in Yucatan and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, this ancient city was once one of the largest in pre-Columbian Maya civilization.
The ruins spread over an area of about 2.5 square miles. They were built by several groups over 600 years, and we can only describe their style as Classical Maya architecture.
Chichen Itza means “Seven Cenotes” or “Seven Wells.” This refers to seven natural wells used by Mayans for water supply or ritual ceremonies during festivals like Los Diablitos (Day of Angels) and El Todos los Santos (All Saints Day).
Uxmal National Park, Mexico
Uxmal National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. According to Wikipedia, Uxmal is considered one of the most important Mayan cities and was once home to an estimated 15,000 people.
Today it remains an important site for tourists visiting Mexico and locals who continue to live there.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site features some of the best examples of Maya architecture ever found; you can even visit ruins built by humans before Columbus discovered them.
Akumal Island, Mexico
Akumal is a small island off the coast of Mexico. It’s known for its sea turtles and is popular with divers, snorkelers, and anglers. The area around Akumal has many beautiful beaches and coves to explore on foot or by boat and many locations to sit and paint until your heart swells with awe at the breathtaking beauty.
Akumal Island was once home to Mayan ruins that are now submerged under water as part of a sinkhole caused by heavy rains in 2007. This island has two main beaches: Playa del Carmen (Bahia de Tulum) and Playa del Carmen North (Bahia del Sol). Both offer great views from their respective shores, but they’re also both within walking distance from each other, so you can easily spend an entire day here exploring both if time allows.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a beautiful location for your next Plein art painting trip, let this list inspire you.
