Yucatan Connection

19/03/2021

An interesting alternative to the Celestun wildlife reserve visit is to Rio Lagartos. Northeast of Merida. It takes a much longer drive but it is absolutely worthwhile. As in many places in our beloved county, the name of the village is not accurate on may accounts; first, it is not a river (rio), there are non in the Yucatan peninsula, but a ria, which is sort of an estuary. Second there are no Lagartos (alligators), we have crocodiles instead (no need to translate). As in Celestún, you will be able to spot many bird, species (flamingoes included). The big plus are the salt flats at Las Coloradas (next to the salt company site); beautiful pink ponds making a dramatic contrast with the blue skies. Our recommendation: go see for yourselves ! www.yucatan-connection.com

17/09/2019

A common stop among Yucatan visitors is to an hacienda “henequenera”, or sisal plantation. Not visiting an hacienda while in Merida, is like skipping Notre Dame in Paris or Central Park in NYC. Some of our US visitors say that our “henequén” or sisal also goes by the name of h**p or twine.
You can literally count a hacienda or two by town, village, or municipality in (mostly) central Yucatán state. The list of hacienda can seem endless, and many of them are just a mount of rubble.
In this article you will find images of Uayalceh, Yaxcopoil and Mucuyche, all of them at different stages of disrepair, but still giving an idea of what they once were.
https://www.yucatan-connection.com/yucatan-sisal-plantations/

07/08/2019

Pirates and piracy as a conversation topic goes from high to low depending on the releases of the Pirates of the Caribbean saga. Taking out the formidable sea creatures, invincible vessels and outrageous bounties, there was indeed significant pirate activity for more than 200 years in this part of Mexico and the Caribbean. https://www.yucatan-connection.com/pirates-in-campeche/

06/02/2019

.Merida is amongst the oldest cities in Mexico (not as old as Campeche, also in the Yucatan) so there are a significant number of old colonial building – our Spanish heritage- , from Franciscan churches to stately family homes and government buildings. Sadly, the “modern” Spanish settlement was built by tearing down the old Mayan temples from T’ho, a regular practice in those days.

https://www.yucatan-connection.com/merida-in-motion/

21/09/2018

On occasions, wandering (sort-of) aimlessly around the downtown area can produce nice surprises. On a recent cloudy morning I came across the old railway station, after more than a couple of years of absence. The main building continues to impress visitors, but it starts to show the lack of regular maintenance. Other than the main hall and a couple of adjacent rooms, most of the property is off limits.
https://www.yucatan-connection.com/merida-old-railway-station/

04/05/2018

Uayma is often bypassed by Valladolid visitors, in spite of it’s proximity (a 10 minute drive). The town does not have the “pueblo mágico” distinction, but it is definitely worth a visit. http://www.yucatan-connection.com/uayma/

25/08/2017

Just found a not-so-old Yucatan promo by Chayanne. Nice settings........

http://www.yucatan-connection.com/chayane-merida-promo/

04/06/2017

http://www.yucatan-connection.com/56-2-Itzimna.html

17/05/2017

More pics at:
http://www.yucatan-connection.com/55-2-Garcia+Gineres+Neighborhood.html

Merida has grown beyond our wildest dreams. Roaming about the García Ginerés neighborhood and it's grand homes is a treat, despite the state of disrepair of many of them.

17/05/2017

Merida has grown beyond our wildest dreams. Roaming about the García Ginerés neighborhood and it's grand homes is a treat, despite the state of disrepair of many of them.

11/05/2017

The Yucatán has started to show off it's beautiful colors with Lluvia de Oro trees in full bloom and the magnificent Flamboyán trees are about to start..............do not miss going outdoors and enjoy the views !!!

http://www.yucatan-connection.com/54-2-Trees+and+flowers+of+the+Yucatan.html

11/05/2016

Following is the link to the article on the website.
http://www.yucatan-connection.com/53-2-Izamal.html
Nice weekend ! Buen fin de semana !

This magnificent town is a true example of a

30/04/2016

Although the beautiful Franciscan monastery atop the Mayan platform is one of the key landmarks in Izamal, the next striking reature is the number of pyramids (5 total) in the downtown district. The most widely known is Kinich Kak moo, offering fantastic views of the monastery. On very clear days, -locals say-, you can spot Kukulkan pyramid at Chichen Itza, some 75 km away. Most visitors stop here, so we suggest you walk 2 blocks east of the monastery and find your way up to Izamatul pyramid. For unknown reason (at least to us) the INAH (the federal archaeological authority) is not charging for visiting the pyramids at Izamal, so you might as well take advantage of this free visit, as who knows when they might change this !

11/03/2016

How about a refreshing cenote dip with the experts ?

It comes as no surprise that the temperature in Merida is about to rise sharply. Weather-wise, May is the worst time of the year, but this late "winter" (sure, winter with +30C !!) has been unusually warm (euphemism for hellish). What's the best way to cool down ? You bet !, a nice, long refreshing swim at a cenote.

Most of us have visited a couple of cenotes, but few have had the experience to snorkel and scuba dive in them. So how about rounding up up your friends and family and have Freedom Divers provide the basics ? Call us and we can help you organize a fantastic day trip.

29/04/2015

For those of you planning to spend time on the less traveled roads, consider a visit to the municipality of Yaxcabá. Distance-wise it will be like traveling a bit farther than Chichen Itza; from Mérida, you will take the the old federal highway to Cancun instead of the toll way.

http://www.yucatan-connection.com/52-2-Yaxcaba.html

18/06/2014

Rediscovered from the air by biologist Cyrus L. Lundell of the Mexican Exploitation Chicle Company on December 29, 1931, the find was reported to Sylvanus G. Morley of the Carnegie Institute at Chichen Itza in March 1932.
http://www.yucatan-connection.com/51-2-Calakmul.html

06/06/2014

You might be aware that the catch phrase of the promotion campaign of the neighbor state of Campeche is “the hidden treasure of Mexico”, which I think it is quite accurate. Not only is the capital city a real beauty (under intense renovation these days), it has unique archaeological sites. This time, a little bit of information on Edzna, which less than an hour’s drive from Campeche.
http://www.yucatan-connection.com/50-2-Edzna.html

22/03/2014

Try something different next weekend. Spend the day at the beach at Sisal, about an hour away from downtown Merida (to the West). It is quaint, few tourists, nice beaches and good seafood.
http://www.yucatan-connection.com/49-2-Sisal.html