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San Simón — Beyond Uxmal and Into the Wild

Ten miles south of Uxmal’s majestic ancient Puuc capital is San Simón, a tiny community where people live off the land, much like their Maya ancestors.

San Simón is full of gorgeous jungle paths just begging to be explored. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

In San Simón, cell phone service and amenities are limited to a small shop selling the basics. The nearest options for anything more than that are Muna or Santa Elena, both roughly an hour away.

Citrus orchards in San Simón depend entirely on rain to grow. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Adding to the town’s sense of isolation is that there is only one way in or out, which oddly enough is through Uxmal’s parking lot. 

Tell the guard at Uxmal’s parking lot that you are going to San Simón to be waived through without paying the fee. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

The road, though by no means a highway, is in much better shape than one would expect. With all the twists and turns, it’s best to play it safe, go slow, and enjoy the view. 

Along the way, there are several opportunities to stop for photos and check out the region’s flora and fauna. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

The way to San Simón is dotted with the ruins of stone temples dating back millennia. Most of these structures have been reduced to piles of rubble, but paying close attention can reveal several interesting architectural details, such as carvings.

As tempting as it may be, remember that removing any objects from historical sites, guarded or not, is a federal crime. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

But even without getting out of the car, it is possible to spot some exciting examples of restored architecture on the way… but blink and you will miss it,

A Puuc-style Maya elite residential complex sits on the side of the road on the way to San Simón from Muna. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

The landscape in San Simón is dominated by ejidos, where local farmers maintain fields of corn, squash, and other staples.

An ejido is a communal land tenure system created after the revolution of 1910. Ejidos are primarily used for agriculture but can also include other activities like raising livestock and tourism. 

Ejidos are used for many purposes, but the cultivation of corn typically takes up the most land as it is the most basic food staple across Yucatán. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Small-scale honey production is also practiced in San Simón’s ejido, so if you come across apiaries, do not disturb them. 

Apiaries in rural areas like San Simón tend to be at the end of jungle paths, far away from the noise of passing cars and motorcycles, which can stress out the bees. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

San Simón’s town center, if you could call it that, is dominated by an old hacienda whose grounds are now used chiefly for playing soccer.

San Simón’s hacienda likely dates back to the late 19th or early 20th century. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Folks in San Simón, though not shy or particularly skeptical of outsiders, enjoy the calm of their community and follow their ancient traditions. Originally from Teabo, Lizeth Yahpat moved to San Simón after marrying her husband who has lived in the community most of his life. Lizeth says she enjoys living in such a small place because she knows the community is strong and her children can roam around without a care in the world.

A small garden of traditional medicinal plants in the backyard of San Simón’s primary school. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Lizeth is also one of the eight women working with archaeologists in Uxmal on restoration projects, something she says she is very proud of and is looking forward to sharing with her children and saying, “Look at what your mom helped to do.” 

Lizeth Yah Pat poses for a portrait in front of San Simón’s hacienda. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

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