Izamal
A 'magical town' where every building is painted golden yellow, centered on a 16th-century monastery built on the platform of a Maya pyramid.
Izamal lies about 90 km west of Valladolid, roughly 1.5 hours by car, and is also a popular day trip from Mérida. The Convent of San Antonio de Padua, in the old town center, was built in 1561 directly on the platform of a Maya pyramid. Its arcaded courtyard is very spacious. Pope John Paul II visited in 1993. The monastery and the surrounding street houses are uniformly painted golden yellow, and horse-drawn carriages can take you around the town. In the evening, the monastery hosts an audio-visual show.
Opening hours
Monastery approx. 06:00–20:00
Nearby sights
- Kinich Kak Mo Pyramid
- Cenote Yokdzonot
- Chichén Itzá
- Cenote Ik Kil
- Balankanché Caves
- Cenote Saamal (Hacienda Selva Maya)
- Cenotes Dzitnup (X'keken & Samulá)
- Cenote Oxman