Imagine visiting a place where every building is painted the exact same shade of yellow.
Now if it seems like such a place couldn’t possibly exist, think again. It does exist and I’m going to tell you all about it.
Izamal is a town in southern Mexico that features yellow buildings, colonial architecture, and ancient Mayan ruins. It’s also home to a picturesque convent that was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
This vibrant destination is located 45 miles (72 km) east of Merida and 157 miles (254 km) west of Cancun. In Mexico it’s commonly referred to as the Yellow City, although it’s really more of a town than a city.
Either way, let’s dive right in and take a look at what Izamal has to offer.
Why Is Izamal Yellow?
I thought I’d start out by answering the burning question on everyone’s mind: Why is Izamal painted yellow?
Back in the days before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Izamal was widely associated with a Maya sun god called Kinich Kakmo. This deity was immensely important within Mayan religion as he had the ability to cause blistering heat and long periods of drought within the Yucatan Peninsula.
Flash forward to 1993. Pope John Paul ll has just announced that he’ll be visiting Izamal during his tour of Mexico. In case you’re wondering, it’s a big deal for the pope to visit a small town like this.
To prepare for his arrival, the town decided to paint everything yellow. From the stores to the houses to the monastery, they doused it all with a vibrant yellow color.
There are two theories for this. One is that the yellow color represents the sun god and is an homage to the traditions of the ancient Mayan civilization. The more likely reason is that this color is extremely prominent on the Vatican City flag and that they did this in order to impress the pope.
It should be noted that some buildings on the outskirts of the town aren’t actually painted yellow, or at least that’s what many sources say. However, I personally only saw yellow buildings while visiting Izamal.
What is there to do in Izamal?
There are a few main activities in Izamal:
- Visit the Convento de San Antonio
- Explore the town’s ancient Mayan ruins
- Spend time at the local market
Visit The Convento de San Antonio
The Convento de San Antonio was built between 1549 and 1561 atop the Mayan Pop-hol-Chac pyramid, which was the tallest of the six pyramids built by the indigenous natives of Izamal.
The Spaniards had a tendency to destroy symbols of Mayan religion so they tore down the pyramid and used the stones to build their lavish convent. Since it was built atop the tallest pyramid in Izamal, this convent can be seen throughout most of the town.
Today visitors can tour the convent and see interesting religious and historical artifacts. Within the convent there’s a museum dedicated entirely to the 1993 visit from Pope John Paul ll, which is Izamal’s main claim to fame. You can even see the exact chair that the pope sat in during this visit to this small Mexican town.
Explore Mayan Ruins
There are various small Mayan pyramids located throughout Izamal. The Kinich Kakmo pyramid is the most popular and it offers the best views of Izamal. If you remember from earlier, Kinich Kakmo is the name of the sun god that was worshipped throughout Izamal during the days of the ancient Maya civilization.
You can reach Kinich Kakmo by walking a few blocks north from the town center and then climbing to the top of the pyramid’s stone steps. From the top you can gaze out and see expansive views of the vibrant yellow town surrounding you.
Other ruins in Izamal include Itzamatul, El Conejo, and Habuk. Luckily Izamal is small enough where you could walk to all four ruins in a short amount of time.
Spend Time At The Local Market
You’ll definitely want to spend time at the local market while visiting Izamal. This market is located directly in the center of town and it’s right next to the convent that I mentioned earlier.
Within the market you’ll find vendors selling a wide variety of items. It’s a great place to sit down and experience local cuisine as there are many small restaurants situated throughout the market and the surrounding area.
How To Get To Izamal
If you look for Izamal on a map, you’ll notice that it’s located almost halfway between Merida and Valladolid, which is another stunning colonial city in this region.
The best way to get to Izamal is by taking a local colectivo (shared bus) from Merida, which is the largest city in the area. These public buses depart Merida multiple times throughout the day near the intersection of Calle 65 and Calle 54. This is about a five minute walk from Merida’s central plaza.
Upon arrival you should see a line of white buses parked on the street with signs that say Izamal. From there you’ll have to find someone who’s in charge of collecting payment in return for a ticket. The ticket costs about 30 pesos and the ride should take an hour each way.
It’s likely that you’ll have to wait for more passengers to arrive before the bus will even consider leaving. With this in mind, make sure to bring plenty of water as you may be sitting in the heat for a while before departing Merida.
The Yellow Town
As you can hopefully see, Izamal is a fascinating destination unlike anywhere else in the entire world. From its vibrant colors to its ancient ruins, the yellow town is one of Mexico’s best kept secrets.
Let the ignorant tourists keep Cancun and Cabo. We know that there’s always an Izamal for us.
Plan Your Trip To Mexico
Accommodations: We recommend using Booking.com and Hostelworld for reserving accommodations. Both of these booking sites are easy to use and they feature a wide range of options. You can compare prices, view photos, and read reviews to help you find the perfect accommodation.
Flights: We recommend using Kiwi to find cheap flights. Their interface is user friendly and they help you find the best deals on flights to any destination.
The closest airport to Izamal is the Cancun International Airport:
Travel Insurance: We recommend purchasing travel insurance from World Nomads. They’re one of the most trusted travel insurance providers and their plans cover a wide range of claims from overseas medical care to emergency evacuation. World Nomads will even allow you to purchase a plan if you’re already traveling abroad.
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Gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing!! I love getting to see the world thru your blog!
I’m very happy to hear that!
What a unique place! Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention – it’s so unusual 🙂
And thank you for reading!
Nice write up, we also enjoyed it there! Mexico has so much to offer when you start peeling back the layers right?
Yes that’s very true, all of the best destinations in Mexico are inland it seems. Thanks for the comment!
I enjoyed this post because not only have I not heard of this town, but I find it great that the residents came together in such a way when the Pope visited. I like the photo of the corner street where you can see the yellow paint has ended at the front of the building. Excellent post!
Thanks Kevin, glad to hear that you enjoyed it!