Mérida artists open their studios for annual tour
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Mérida artists open their studios for annual tour

The Merida English Library once again presents its annual Artist Studio Tour, offering art enthusiasts an intimate glimpse into the creative spaces of more than 50 local and international artists. The three-day event, running Feb. 14-16, showcases the diverse artistic community thriving here. Visitors can explore more than 30 studios throughout Mérida, with a concentration…

Henry Ponce: 30 years preserving Mérida’s modern soul

Henry Ponce: 30 years preserving Mérida’s modern soul

Henry Ponce has spent three decades crafting a vision that goes far beyond architecture and design. “I would love to be remembered as somebody who really loved the city and worked to try to make the city better,” he reflects, encapsulating a career dedicated to more than just constructing buildings. Ponce’s path to architecture was…

Rhythm and resilience: One coach’s journey is changing the face of indoor cycling

Rhythm and resilience: One coach’s journey is changing the face of indoor cycling

Ride the World, a three-day celebration of indoor cycling, has drawn 44 elite instructors and hundreds of enthusiasts from every corner of the globe to Mérida. With more than 35 classes set to take place, this event promises an exhilarating collision of athleticism, artistry, and community—spotlighting some of the most inspiring figures in the international…

Yucatán archaeological sites see significant price increases for foreign visitors

Yucatán archaeological sites see significant price increases for foreign visitors

Foreign visitors to Yucatán’s archaeological treasures face steeper entry fees in 2025 following a series of price adjustments implemented on Jan. 1. The most notable increase affects Chichén Itzá, where international tourists now pay MXN $648 (approximately USD $31.33) per person — a combination of updated fees from both the Cultur Board and the National…

Mexicana a de Aviación faces big challenges after 1st year
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Mexicana a de Aviación faces big challenges after 1st year

The state-owned Mexicana de Aviación is struggling to maintain operations just over a year after its launch, facing financial difficulties, legal challenges, and operational setbacks. The airline currently operates with only two aircraft and maintains a 45% occupancy rate, falling significantly short of initial expectations. In early January 2024, Mexicana suspended service to eight destinations,…

Between Cuba and the US, Yucatán faces new immigration reality

Between Cuba and the US, Yucatán faces new immigration reality

Yucatán is facing a new immigration reality with the arrival of Cuban rafters and the potential mass deportation of Yucatecan migrants when Donald Trump takes office as U.S. President. Miguel Ángel Martínez Contreras, president of Poder Migrante Mexicano (Mexican Migrant Power), says in Diario de Yucatán that the state is unprepared for this challenge, which…

First part of OSY winter ’25 season celebrates Ravel
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First part of OSY winter ’25 season celebrates Ravel

The upcoming season of the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra features a variety of musical performances and celebrates the 150th birthday of composer Maurice Ravel. Beyond his famous Bolero, which revolutionized the art of orchestration, Ravel wrote impressive works like the ballet Daphnis et Chloé, full of rhythm and new sonic colors, Le Tombeau de Couperin, and…

Yucatan’s MACAY museum crisis deepens as artists declare institution ‘extinct’

Yucatan’s MACAY museum crisis deepens as artists declare institution ‘extinct’

The Ateneo de Yucatán Museum of Contemporary Art (MACAY) finds itself at a crossroads, with government officials and local artists presenting contrasting visions for its future. Anna Goycoolea Artís, director of the INAH Yucatán Center, maintains that MACAY will be integrated into the planned Yucatán History Museum project. “We envision it as part of the…

Inmates bake 1,300-foot Rosca de Reyes to celebrate holiday with families
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Inmates bake 1,300-foot Rosca de Reyes to celebrate holiday with families

The Mérida Social Rehabilitation Center (CERESO) hosted a gathering where inmates, their families, and authorities shared a massive Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings’ Bread) spanning 1,300 feet. The traditional ring-shaped bread, eaten throughout Latin America on Jan. 6 to celebrate Día de Los Reyes, commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts for…

Mérida Fest celebrates 483 years of urban evolution
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Mérida Fest celebrates 483 years of urban evolution

Mérida celebrates its 483 years with Mérida Fest 2025 with nearly 200 events — most of which are free. Municipal president Cecilia Patrón Laviada announced the festival’s wide range of cultural and artistic activities, which will run from Jan. 5 to 26. As part of the festivities, Chilean singer Mon Laferte—whose heartfelt performances and unique fusion…

Historic Tizimín fair boosts livestock breeding amid cultural celebrations
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Historic Tizimín fair boosts livestock breeding amid cultural celebrations

Yucatán Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena inaugurated the Tizimín Expo Fair 2025 (or the Feria de Reyes), one of southeastern Mexico’s most emblematic celebrations combining livestock, commercial, and cultural traditions. Running until Jan. 19, the fair features an extensive program of religious, cultural, and recreational activities alongside its traditional livestock exhibition. During the opening ceremony at…

Property damage is the most common crime committed in Yucatán
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Property damage is the most common crime committed in Yucatán

Property damage, threats, and theft were the most frequently reported crimes in Yucatán, according to federal security agencies. Drug dealing and domestic violence also increased compared to the previous year. The latest report covers data through November. Property damage led the statistics with 639 reports, peaking in February, April, May, and July with over 50…

Mérida Open makes historic jump to WTA 500 status
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Mérida Open makes historic jump to WTA 500 status

The Yucatan tennis landscape is about to transform as the Mérida Open Akron advances to WTA 500 status, tournament director Gustavo Santoscoy García announced Thursday. The elevation from WTA 250 marks a significant milestone for Mexican tennis and particularly for the Yucatán region. “This is great news for Mexican tennis and special in Yucatán,” said…

Chichén Itzá Airport shows signs of revival as more tourists arrive

Chichén Itzá Airport shows signs of revival as more tourists arrive

The Chichén Itzá Airport shows renewed activity in Yucatán’s Kaua municipality. The facility already handles small passenger aircraft from Quintana Roo and package delivery services. But this weekend demonstrated the airport’s potential when 23 passengers arrived from Toluca. They headed directly to the renowned Chichén Itzá archaeological site.  Armando Geded Lope, delegate of the Tourism…

Roof over historic Mexican church collapses despite years of ignored safety appeals

Roof over historic Mexican church collapses despite years of ignored safety appeals

The San Luis Obispo church, the second-oldest monument in the Mexican state of Campeche, experienced a partial roof collapse on Sunday afternoon following years of unsuccessful requests for structural reinforcement. No injuries were reported, as the building was closed for maintenance during the incident. Witnesses described hearing an explosion before dust began billowing from the…

The birth of the sandwichón: A Yucatan party tradition
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The birth of the sandwichón: A Yucatan party tradition

It’s not really a sandwich, not really a cake. Few stories capture the spirit of culinary innovation quite like that of the sandwichón, a beloved party staple that emerged from the creative mind of a baker-turned-troubadour in the Yucatán Peninsula. The tale begins with Petronilo Vázquez Madera (1900-1970), a visionary baker born in the small…

Yucatán, a safe haven, risks being overwhelmed by its success
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Yucatán, a safe haven, risks being overwhelmed by its success

Yucatán faces mounting environmental challenges as its reputation for safety drives rapid development and population growth. That’s the message from Bloomberg News columnist Juan Pablo Spinetto, who notes that its remarkably low crime rates have attracted both domestic and international migrants to Mexico’s safest state. Yucatán’s homicide rate stands at approximately 2 per 100,000 residents,…

Shoe store spreads Christmas cheer by leaving free shoes on the sidewalk

Shoe store spreads Christmas cheer by leaving free shoes on the sidewalk

In a heartwarming display of holiday spirit, Gabriel Benois has found a simple yet meaningful way to give back to his community. Outside his family-owned shoe store, La Sandalia in Mérida’s Santa Ana neighborhood, a small rack filled with new footwear and gift boxes sits alongside a modest sign reading, in Spanish: “Choose the one…

A quiet anniversary for Teatro Peón Contreras 2 years after fire
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A quiet anniversary for Teatro Peón Contreras 2 years after fire

Shuttered since a ruinous fire two years ago, the Teatro José Peón Contreras is clad in scaffolding, and its stage is silent. And it likely will remain that way until late 2025, according to INAH. The restoration of the Jose Peon Contreras will continue for at least 10 more months, said Anna Goycoolea Artís, the head…

La Plancha park captures awards at national architecture competition

La Plancha park captures awards at national architecture competition

Parque La Plancha in Mérida emerged as a standout winner at the 2024 National Biennial of Mexican Architecture, earning two major recognitions. The 50-acre public space project received both a silver medal for innovative lighting design and an honorable mention for landscape architecture. Nine other projects from the region received honorable mentions, including the Maya…

Mérida Fest 2025 will feature 199 events across the city

Mérida Fest 2025 will feature 199 events across the city

Mérida’s annual cultural festival will return Jan. 5-26, 2025, celebrating the city’s 483rd anniversary with nearly 200 events across multiple venues. Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada announced the program will expand beyond the city center to include events in the Caucel and Cholul districts. The festival program, selected by a committee of arts professionals, will showcase…

Chichén Itzá Airport set to compete with Tulum and Cancún in 2025

Chichén Itzá Airport set to compete with Tulum and Cancún in 2025

Chichén Itzá Airport in Kaua is preparing to compete with Tulum and Cancún airports in 2025 with the anticipated arrival of its first two commercial airlines, according to airport director José Miguel García Vales. Currently, Chichen Itza Airport exclusively serves private flights carrying tourists from Quintana Roo and other parts of Mexico, handling a mere…

Mexico commemorates Tren Maya anniversary with new postage stamp

Mexico commemorates Tren Maya anniversary with new postage stamp

Mexico’s postal service, Correos de México, has issued a new commemorative postage stamp celebrating the year since the Tren Maya was officially inaugurated. The first commemorative sheet has 25 stamps that, when in a single sheet, depict a Mayan Train collage and will have a circulation of 750,000. Ariadna B. Gómez and José Briseño led…

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