The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have forced at least 40 private schools in Yucatán to permanently shut down. Mexico’s association of private schools has expressed grave concern over the situation and has warned about an educational gap that will result from the closures. Private schools in Mexico are plentiful and attended by students…
The birth of a jaguar cub in Mérida’s city zoo was announced on Mayor Renan Barrera Concha’s Twitter account. The feline, which is endemic to the Yucatan, has become an endangered species due to factors such as habitat loss. The birth of jaguars in captivity is an uncommon occurrence, with the previous birth being recorded…
Medical students on Monday marched on Merida’s Paseo de Montejo to protest unsafe conditions. The protestors demanded answers for the deaths of three colleagues, among them Mariana Sánchez, who was murdered in rural Chiapas, where she interned. The protestors carried signs reading “do I have to die before the university does something?” and “Mom, sorry…
Aleks Syntek promotes Mérida in new music video for his song “Eclipse Total.” The music video was filmed at several of Mérida’s most iconic locations, such as the main square, the Peón Conteras theater, and the tower at the municipal palace. The singer explained during a press conference, “as the video is titled Eclipse de Luna …
Mexico’s Institue of History and Anthropology has announced that it will open a new section of Chichén Itzá to the public in 2022. The area, known as “Chichén Viejo” or old Chichén, features several ancient structures including an archway and a temple full of phallic figures. Though the existence of these structures has been well…
In the early hours of Jan. 29, yet another fatal accident was reported on the Mérida-Cancún toll highway. On this occasion, one driver lost his life when he was thrown from his vehicle after being struck by a refrigeration truck. On Jan. 24, a 2-year-old was killed and three of his family members were injured…
Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera Concha has announced that the city will not be canceling Carnaval altogether. The carnival is to be a hybrid event, with online components and a festive caravan that will traverse the city. The reported cost of the hybrid Carnaval is to be 13.7 million pesos, or about US$676,693. “This year we…
In a small ceremony, Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila Dorsal talked up his administration’s revamping of the boardwalk in Dzilam de Bravo. Improvements to the boardwalk include new LED lighting, palm trees, benches, park equipment and repairs to much of the existing infrastructure. The revitalization effort also saw an improvement to 1.8 kilometers of roads in…
Mexican women have long excelled in the art world both at home and abroad. But there is one name that always seems to come up when someone says the words “female Mexican artist.” That’s right, Frida Kahlo. There is no denying that the legacy of Frida Kahlo is an inescapable force in Mexican art and…
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has authorized the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines by the private sector. But no entity other than the federal government has been able to procure the coveted vaccines. The main obstacle is availability, as countries and companies around the world scramble over an extremely limited supply. Mexico has warned consumers against…
Friends are rallying around a UK celebrity agent who is in a coma at a Cancun hospital due to COVID-19. Terry Mills caught coronavirus presumably in Cancun during a business trip. Mills, who is 38 and a cancer survivor, has developed pneumonia and is in a coma at Playa Med Hospital in Cancun. His friends…
The popular coastal community of Rio Lagartos has unveiled its revamped boardwalk. Local and state authorities hope that the improvements will help attract tourists back to the coastal community in large numbers, once the COVID-19 sanitary emergency has passed. Rio Lagartos is a popular destination for activities such as kayaking, mangrove tours, and observing birds…
At an event held at a park in Cholul, Mérida’s city hall unveiled a new application for mobile phones designed to help users identify a wide range of plant life native to Yucatán. The application which is called ÁrbolMID, launched on Jan. 26 to coincide with world environmental education day. The application, which is only…
Passengers to the US now have a new COVID-19 testing option when departing from Mérida. Travelers wanting to get tested at the airport will be required to show their itinerary and boarding pass. The test, administered by DQ Mérida Integral, is designed to detect antigens and requires the insertion of a special 6-inch cotton swab in…
Though numbers of tourists visible at attractions such as the city zoo and Mérida’s main square remains lower than in past years, artisans and shop owners continue to offer their goods and services. Local tour operator Sergio Solis said that Mérida has continued receiving Mexican travelers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, due to its reputation for…
According to the new census data, Mexico’s population stands at just over 126 million, with approximately 2.3 million residing in Yucatán. Mexico stands as the 10th largest country in the world by population, slightly above Japan and below Russia. And 36% of Mexico’s population is concentrated in 10 metropolitan areas, led by Mexico City with…
For the second day in a row, Alejandro Lemus set a new fresh-water freediving world record, descending 94 meters into cenote Ucil. Lemus broke his own record, set the day before, by 12 meters. Lemus announced that he will now attempt a new free diving record, this time without the use of flippers. Freediving is…
Clarifying some confusing new lanes and symbols on the streets, Merida’s City Hall has placed a series of informational panels along Paseo de Montejo. The panels outline the three phases of construction and implementation of Mérida’s new bicycle lanes. During the first phase, which has already begun, the city has started to paint lanes and…
Yucatán has announced a statewide polystyrene ban effective June 19. The news comes on the heels of similar measures taken in December, intended to eliminate the use of plastic straws and some types of plastic bags. Harry Rodríguez Botello Fierro, Yucatán’s ecology commissioner, highlighted the importance of the polystyrene ban and suggested that the state…
Izamal is a sleepy colonial city an hour east of Mérida. Much like Mérida, the city was built in the 16th century atop the ruins of a large Maya settlement. The city is known to Yucatecos by the moniker Ciudad de las Tres Culturas — the City of Three Cultures. This makes reference to the…
Yucatán has maintained its spot as the safest state in México, according to the federal safety watchdog. Yucatán also achieved first place, as the state with the highest perceived level of security for women in 2020, according to Mexico’s demographics institute, INEGI. The state government credits much of Yucatáns success to its “Yucatán Seguro” or…
Thousands of ancient artifacts and structures belonging to the ancient Maya civilization have been uncovered along all four stretches of the Tren Maya project. Authorities report that specialists have been deployed over 80 times to recover archaeological remains from construction sites. However, details are still unclear regarding the precise nature of these finds and how…
Nelia Braga Méndez began designing and making children’s clothing and costumes in her workshop in 2012. When a friend lost her baby, she decided to make her first ”memory bear,” which is made from garment which had belonged to the one who died. “The idea started as a way to offer comfort to parents who…
After being adrift in the Gulf of Mexico for nine days aboard the vessel “Rey Marino,” five fishermen were rescued in Yucatán. The fishermen found themselves in this dire situation due to an engine failure approximately 150 kilometers from the coast of Sisal. Crew members were forced to eat raw fish during their last three…
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