Izamal: The Magical Yellow Town

There are number of designated magical towns in Mexico - two of them are in the Yucatan Peninsul: Izamal and Valladolid.

Izamal is known as The Yellow Town. The Centro area of Izamal is painted yellow - all the colonial buildings, the market, the huge convent - everything!

Izamal is also a mix of three cultures - the ancient Mayan, the colonial, and the present-day city.

We walked the cobblestone streets, lined with beautiful yellow-painted buildings.

We toured the largest Franciscan convent in the Yucatan, built over Mayan ruins. Pope John Paul visited the convent in 1993. And, the convent has the 2nd largest enclosed atrium in the world, after St. Peter’s in Rome.

To be designated as a Magical Town by the Mexican government, certain criteria has to be met. This includes:

• 20,000+ population
• historical or cultural significance
• community involvement in retaining history/culture
• near tourist attraction(s) or near a big city

Izamel didn’t disappoint.

Enjoy the pics!