Yucatan Magic, If You Know Where to Find It
经过Steve Gillick/
Mexico’s Yucatan State is a magical place to spend a vacation … as long as you know where to find it! It’s often confused with the Yucatan peninsula as a whole, which includes the states of Quintana Roo (Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, etc.) and Campeche (the walled city of Campeche and the jungle city of Calakmul, etc.). And when travelers correctly place Chichen Itza as part of Yucatan State, many believe that the complex of Mayan ruins is the only reason to visit the Yucatan. Simply spoken, they are wrong!
On a recent trip to the Yucatan, we explored many of the sites, tasted the delicious food, sampled refreshing beverages, and enjoyed great conversations with Yucatecos (the people of the Yucatan). But throughout our journey, we had questions in mind about Mexico tourism’s “new direction,” where some $300 million was to be re-allocated — from the promotional tourism boards across the country, to the Mayan Train that would connect the towns and cities of the Yucatan peninsula.
The cuisine
那么,谁比尤卡坦州旅游副部长米格尔·安德烈斯·安德烈·埃尔南德斯(Miguel Andres Hernandez)更好地问?这位非常友善的副部长加入我们在梅里达的圣卢西亚(Parque de Santa Lucia)共进晚餐。我们从所有旅行者感兴趣的东西开始:食物。当我们嚼着黑痣的玉米肉馅辣味酱的美味开胃菜,以及带有扇贝的章鱼酸橘汁腌鱼,Miguel谈到了现在在市场上的1,500种不同类型的龙舌兰酒(以及最近雇用的Yucatan Mixologists的主持人,以帮助游客欣赏饮料)。
He noted the growth of gastronomy in the area, not only with 15 new chefs in Merida alone, but also in the appreciation of classical cuisine. A “pib” is the Mayan word for an underground oven. And we were told that 50%-60% of Mayan food is cooked underground. In some towns, Valladolid for example, 73% of the people are of Maya-Mixtes heritage, and therefore in the Yucatan, the norm is to find that gastronomic expectations have been greatly exceeded.
The Mayan Train
Miguel went on to talk about the Mayan Train, which he described as a great concept “if, in fact, it’s built.” (As a matter of note, Enrique Peña Nieto, the past President of Mexico, canceled plans in 2012 to build a Cancun-to-Merida train due to austerity cuts). The benefits of the project would have far-reaching effects. It would protect historic sites and the environment; promote tourism, education and entrepreneurialism; and would go the distance in taking a sustainable approach to the culture of the Yucatan.
Miguel指出,“三十%的人乘坐游轮返回墨西哥的人”,因此第一印象非常重要。副部长断言旅游伙伴关系也很重要。在对尤卡坦人采用最佳实践的背景下,不断对其他领域的成功,尤其是波多黎各瓦拉塔和里维埃拉·纳亚里特的成功。
米格尔(Miguel)提到,玛雅火车站尚未确定,但是肯定需要包括波多黎各进步(Puerto Progresso)(尤卡坦半岛上的港口城市),梅里达(梅里达izamal。(神奇的城镇是由一个委员会指定的,“魔术经验”考虑了特定的标准,例如自然美感,文化丰富,传统,手工艺品,食品,节日,非凡的热情好客等)。
理由去
Miguel reminded us that Tianguis Turistico, the annual tourism fair, would be held in Merida in 2020 to showcase not only the city, but the treasures of the Yucatan. And when asked why travelers should consider a holiday in the state, he noted the following:
- The Yucatan is safe for tourists. It has been rated one of the safest places in Mexico for the last 12 years. “We don’t even have aggressive merchants,” Miguel said.
- Accommodations are plentiful. Merida has 7,300 hotel rooms, out of the 13,000 available in the state; and Yucatan tourism is currently working with Airbnb.
- The Yucatecos enjoy telling their stories. “Talk to the locals, and hear real history from the source,” Miguel noted.
- Out of the 6,000 cenotes in the country (a cenote is a surface pool, connected to a subterranean water source), the Yucatan boasts 3,000 cenotes that are open to the public, “and every one is different.”
- 尤卡坦(Yucatan)具有巨大的多样性:海滩,森林,自然保护区和19个向公众开放的考古遗址。
旅游副部长还提醒我们,“我们的天气良好”。而且,尽管邻国的价格往往更高,但“尤卡坦州的体验质量较高”。
为什么Yucatan在我的“必须重新访问”列表中
Our own travel experiences bore out much of what Miguel Hernandez told us.
我们飞往坎昆机场,旅行了两个小时前往瓦拉多利德。在ElMesónDelMarqués酒店过夜后,一个精美的converted依17thcentury house, we walked a few blocks to explore the town square, with the imposing Church of San Servacio (started in 1706), and the historic murals in the Municipal Palace that explain Valladolid’s nickname of “The Heroic City.” Nearby is the 16th世纪圣贝纳迪诺·德·锡耶纳(San Bernardino de Siena)和塞诺特·扎西(Cenote Zaci)(白麻雀鹰的cenote)。
The drive from Valladolid to Izamal is roughly 90 minutes. Once you enter the downtown area, the typical reaction is, “Oh my goodness!” The Franciscan Convent of San Antonio de Padua, built from, and over, one of the Mayan pyramids, is amazing. And the town, itself, is a real treasure for photographers, with beautiful colonial buildings and an easy climb to the top of the 34-meter (112-foot) pyramid, Kinich Kakmó.
Zamna餐厅的午餐包括Yucatan特色菜,包括Salbute(蓬松的,油炸的玉米饼,带有土耳其,秋葵,番茄和洋葱),panucho(一块馅玉米饼,塞满了黑豆,肉类和蔬菜)和longaniza(带有Achiote烟熏的猪肉疗法),所有这些都被chaya(当地菠菜状植物与柠檬水混合在一起)。
On the way to Merida, we overnighted in luxury bungalows at the Hacienda Sotuta de Peón; and enjoyed an excellent, entertaining tour of this active Sisal plantation. The tour ended with a horse-and-wagon ride to the nearby cenote for some relaxation and a lemony Mezcal Margarita.
在梅里达(Merida),在卡萨尔·巴拉姆(Casa del Balam)酒店,我们距离广场市长仅几步之遥,该市长在所有四个方面都有令人垂涎的历史。这包括蒙特霍房屋中绝对令人惊叹的立面(1540);梅里达大教堂,是所有美洲最古老的大陆大教堂(1598年完工);州长的宫殿(充满了历史画和壁画);和市政厅。
在通往奇钦ITZA的路上,我们乘船探索了Celestún生物圈储备,以观看Cormorants,粉红色的火烈鸟,宏伟的护卫舰和美丽的红树林。
最后一天,我们相遇在4:45步行道n the path from the Mayaland Hotel to Chichen Itza. With the help of our guide’s very strong flashlight, we enjoyed a pre-dawn tour of the complex, witnessed a brilliant sunrise, and then headed back to Cancun Airport.
From the Magical Towns to the magic of discovery, history, culture, gastronomy, nature, and so much more, the Yucatan is high on my “must re-visit" list.