For a winter break I decided to travel south into Mexico for a much needed vacation and some sought after sunshine.
I traveled through crowded pristine beaches and colonial capitals in search of “real Mexico” Not far into my search I found the City of Hills, Izamal. Situated in the very center of the Yucatan Peninsula Izamal just may be the capitol of “real Mexico.”
Yellow painted colonial buildings surround the historic downtown and stand proud next to the 16th century Franciscan Monastery. Built upon the site of an ancient Mayan pyramid, the monastery is the largest in the Yucatan and dominates the town’s center. A walk through the open market and the town square is a pleasure, here you will see horse drawn carriages or “calesas” line up and await new passengers. Taxiing by carriage is still the favored method of transport by locals. There are artisan workshops dotted throughout the village and they can easily be visited if you choose to travel by carriage upon the cobble stoned roads from one shop to the next.
Not far from the monastery, the ruins of an ancient pyramid stand protruding from the ground with its steep stairway reaching towards the sun. Rich in culture, diversity and smiles, Izamal is certainly not to be missed if you want to see Mexico for real!
To find out more about Izamal visit: http://www.yucatantoday.com/
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