Why visit Yucatan?

Yucatan, located in the southeast of Mexico, was the home of the ancient mayan civilization, which preceded the aztecs by various centuries and was one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient America.

The archaeological sites of Uxmal and Chichen Itza, the latter recognized as one of the new wonders of the world, have both placed Yucatan in the sight of the world, not only because of the remainders of the ancient mayan culture, but also because of its traditions and cultural elements that survive to these days.

As a result of being located in a penninsula, Yucatan’s culture always developed independently of the rest of Mexico, and although they share many elements of the mexican culture, there are significant differences that make yucatan’s culture distinctively unique.

Some examples of this uniqueness are its gastronomy, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, their local versions of mexican traditions such as Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) known in Yucatan as “Hanal Pixan”, as well as its musical culture, portrayed by the jarana music, troubadores (trova yucateca) and guitar trios.

Another of Yucatan’s distinctive elements are the old sisal and maiz haciendas, which had their golden time at the end of the XIX century and brought great prosperity to their owners, which is evident in the quality and luxury of the constructions of haciendas of that time.

Most of the former haciendas of Yucatan are now abandoned, followed by the decline of the sisal rope trade, but many of them have been purchased and restored as hotels, restaurants, event halls, museums or even private homes.

Yucatan is also famous by the natural formations known as “cenotes” which are underground bodies of water, some are in the open but the most impressive are in caves. Because they’re connected by subterraneal rivers, some take on the adventureous practice of spelunking diving, although most visitors of cenotes simply want to swim in their crystal clear waters, which were sacred places for the ancient mayans, in which they placed offerings to their divinities.

Yucatan’s penninsula, by virtue of its geographical location between the Mexican Gulf and the Caribbean Sea, and its unique natural characteristics, is also home to over 500 species of birds, some of which are unique to Yucatan and others are migratory birds, such as the beautiful pink flamingos, which each year nest in the mangrove area. It is also very common to see the lovely Momoto bird, locally known as “Toh” (Eumomota Superciliosa). Yucatan is truly a paradise for bird watching enthusiasts.

Finally, we cannot miss mentioning the best attractive that Yucatan has: Its people. Noble men and women that are direct descendants of the ancient mayans, whom keep their tongue and traditions alive, incredibly talented artisans, of friendly personality that will make you feel at home and that do not hesitate in telling you about their unique culture.

There’s no doubt that Yucatan is a magical place that is worth visiting many times. Whenever you feel like coming to Yucatan, know that you have a home here, in Hacienda Santa Cruz Regadio.