Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño presented a formal plan to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for a two-phase expansion of the Tren Maya into the Central American nation. The plan’s first phase would involve extending the Tren Maya rail network just 7 km to the border between Mexico and Belize. The second and more ambitious part…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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’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…
When French artist Alben opened his latest exhibition, “Accumulations,” at La Sala Art Gallery, over 400 people attended. The show highlights Alben’s unique process of encapsulating everyday objects—such as candies, toys, and religious symbols—in resin to create sculptures that explore memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time. Alben’s background is rooted in graffiti and street…
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…
Designer Marjorie Skouras launched her latest collection of caftans Thursday night at Casa T’ho in Mérida, marking the debut of her new pop-up store. The store was created not just as a showcase of her signature designs but also to support a cause close to her heart: the Kookix Music School. Located in the rural…
After years of construction, authorities gathered to formally inaugurate the new U.S. Consulate General building in Mérida. The modern, US$600 million high-security facility behind Harbor Mall, which will open in spring 2025, replaces an unassuming complex on Calle 60 closer to the Centro. Consulate services include immigration, visa processing, and document handling for both Mexican…
Set against the historic backdrop of Centro Cultural La Cúpula in Mérida, the upcoming Brutalidad Mate exhibition brings together two distinct but harmonizing visions of artistry and heritage. At its core are the fashion designs of Marta Cabané and the jewelry creations of Irving Urquidi, both of whom strive to awaken our senses to the…
When protestors create traffic chaos, what’s a driver to do? From Tijuana to Tulum, blockades are a longstanding protest tactic in Mexico. One such protest snarled traffic Friday on one of the Yucatán’s most vital roads, the Mérida-Cancún federal highway. Vehicles backed up for miles in both directions on one of the busiest routes on…
The long-running conflict over the Mayaland Hotel within the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá has led to serious allegations of corruption, legal irregularities, and abuse of authority. The dispute began in 2020 when hotel owner, entrepreneur Fernando Barbachano Herrero, agreed to sell the Mayaland hotel to businessman Rodolfo Rosas Moya for nearly US$20 million. According…
Far south of the city in Xmatkuil, Yucatán’s state fair will wrap up its 2024 edition on Sunday. The fairgrounds have everything you would expect from a state fair: food, snacks, livestock exhibits, concerts, and plenty of rides. Despite its popularity among locals, the fair is poorly attended by Yucatán’s expat community. It’s hard to…
Fishing boats are fishing boats. Some differences in beam and length, draw and height, construction material, and means of propulsion, but basically, they take you to the fish. However, when it comes to fly fishing, there is a clear-cut difference between a drift boat on a trout river and a tarpon boat in the mangroves….
Celebrated writer and journalist Elena Poniatowska has spoken out against the proposed 2025 Federal Expenditure Budget (PPEF), which includes a 30% reduction in funding for Mexican culture. Calling the move “very serious,” the 2013 Cervantes Prize winner expressed her concerns on social media and during a roundtable discussion at the announcement of the II SOPHIA-FILCO…
Pia Rosado and Eva Lucía Reyes previewed over 30 restored homes in Mérida’s historic center before choosing 18 to present in their new hard-bound volume. Now their book is hot off the press.
School-age children in Mexico learn that the Mexican Revolution kicked off in 1910 and ended with the signing of the constitution of 1917, thanks to the battlefield victories of Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa — both of whom would be assassinated in the following years. Or did it? There’s a case to be made that…
Where better to display a collection of over 200 gramophones, phonographs and music boxes than in one of the Centro’s grandest Art Nouveau townhomes? Until now a private residence, Casa Modeon Mérida invites visitors to view a most unlikely collection of mint-condition musical antiques documenting the music industry’s evolution from 1820 to 1930. The exhibition…
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