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The Mayan Train is the largest infrastructure project launched in Mexico in years. Traveling in a loop around the Yucatan Peninsula and as far southwest as Palenque, that’s huge improved connectivity among some of the country’s top tourist attractions since its launch last December.
These include Cancun, the bustling resort town on the Caribbean coast, the party capital and archaeological zone, the all-in-one Tulum and even charming, lesser-known places such as Bacalar, best known for its multicolored lake, and Merida, a hugely historic city with preserved colonial architecture.
Unfortunately, not all of the Mayan Train’s scheduled lines are in service, and some tourists are noticeably disappointed when they land in Cancun, hoping to catch a scenic train to the nearest beach town, only to find out some stations are not open yet.
The project isn’t expected to be finished until March at the earliest – knowing Mexico, there will likely be further delays – so if you’re flying to the Mexican Caribbean this winter and are keen to test out this brand new rail line, Where can you go exactly?
So are Tulum, Playa Del Carmen and much of the Riviera Maya not available currently as Mayan train destinations, but you can still travel here five incredible places (in this exact order):
Chichen Itza
Officially the most visited tourist attraction in all of Mexico, Chichen Itza is now more accessible than ever, with its own Mayan train station.
This means it is no longer necessary for tourists who book expensive day trips or pay exorbitant transfer fees when visiting the archaeological complex.
That’s already great news, but if you’re not familiar with the historic site, you might be wondering what makes Chichen Itza so special: to put it simply, it is among the best preserved and most impressive ancient cities. known to mankind.
With a towering step pyramid, richly decorated temples With unique sculptures and a number of sacred cenotes – sinkholes filled with the bluest water previously used as sacrificial chambers – it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a surviving symbol of the former Mayan civilization.
Izamal
Izamal is a charming, cobblestone settlement vying for the title of the most Instagrammable small town in Mexico, if not the world. a stone’s throw away from the larger city of Merida, easily distinguished by the endless rows of bright yellow painted houses.
The Mayan Train also stops here, and if you choose to get off today, some of the main sights that might interest you, apart from the picturesque streets, are the lesser known Mayan pyramid of Kinich Kak Moo and the enormous monastery of San Antonio de Padua.
This yellow-washed gem – in keeping with the city’s overall theme – was one of the first built by the Spanish in the New World, at a time when most of Mexico was still a colony, and the central Atrium in size the second is after the Vatican.
Merida
Next on the Mayan Train Line you will find Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan (named after the peninsula), and possibly one of the most beautiful cities in the country, famous for its stunning Spanish-era architecture and multicultural heritage.
It is a city of two conflicting cultures, Mayan and Spanish, with many of the historic buildings you see today actually built from dismantled, much older pre-Columbian structures, including the imposing cathedral and colonial palaces that dot the city dominate. horizon.
In addition, Merida has been called the safest major state capital in Mexico due to its low rate of pickpockets and other forms of petty crime: based on the U.S. State Department’s own figures. definitionsafety levels are comparable to those in European countries such as Iceland, Finland and Norway.
Maxcanu
The first stop on the Merida-Campeche line, Maxcanu, is a quaint, relaxed pueblo That has largely thwarted the toxic overdevelopment that plagues most of the Yucatán: Prices still reflect living standards in Mexico, restaurants tend to be family-owned, and gentrification is not a widespread problem.
It’s hard to say if this will continue for long with the arrival of the train, and therefore more tourists, but if you’re looking for a chance to experience ‘deep Mexico’, away from the luxurious resorts and Americanized coast , then this might be a good time to visit Maxcanu while it’s still a ‘secret’.
In addition to its pristine Mexican character, it has a number of Mayan ruins in the areasuch as Oxkintok, where a unique Mayan labyrinth has been excavated, the ruined Chunchucmil and the other Calcehtok caves.
Campeche
The last entry on this list and the last stop on the Merida-Campeche line, San Francisco de Campeche is yet another beautiful colonial treasure built atop a conquered Mayan city, although unlike Merida, there are very few traces of it the previous settlement is left.
Campeche is special because most of the city walls built in Spain remain intact: it is one of two cities in North America, along with Quebec City in Canada, to have preserved them. historical value really cannot be measured.
While the Spanish lived within the walls, the indigenous Mayans were pushed to the outskirts, and this heartbreaking, yet inherently fascinating history can be seen everywhere today, albeit in indigenous-dominated neighborhoods with a clear Mayan character, or 500 years old, ornate colonial churches.
Find out more about the Mayan Train and all the incredible places you can visit once it’s fully launched here.
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