Cinziabi
27 mar 202010 min
Aggiornato il: 29 apr 2020
In January 2019, we were planning to "wander" around the Yucatan, and one of the many stops was to visit Las Coloradas, so we decided to organize our "do-it-yourself" tour: map in hand, we check where we could stay for at least one night, not to do everything in one day (from Playa del Carmen round trip): we focused on Tizimín ... which is located a few km from Rio Lagartos (from where the tours with the spears depart) ... We check on Booking if there are hotels and ... let's go!
A surprise awaits us!
Tizimín, whose meaning in the original language is "Tapir or Danta" (the sacred and totemic animal of the supreme Maya's God), also known as Othe (City of kings), is located north-east of the State of Yucatan , area of Mexico where we find not only fascinating colonial cities (such as Valladolid), countless archaeological sites with their own Mayan pyramids, kilometers and kilometers of beaches, there is also an area of about 450,000 hectares for agricultural/zootechnical use, of which Tizimín is the "capital": an area fertile where we find pastures with its cattle ranches, cultivation of cereals, valuable wood trees (cedar, jabin, tzalam, etc.) and active sawmill industries ..
Tizimin can be reached both by car (from Mérida take the highway towards Valladolid and at km 150 head north following the signs (even if you are in Quintana Roo follow the signs for Valladolid), both with the line buses and with the colectivos ( from Mérida you can take a collective taxi from the center on Calle 65 x 52 y 54).
Before entering the city if you come from Valladolid, you can witness a splendid phenomenon: see dozens of colorful butterflies accompanying you for several kilometers. If you go in winter, the landscape is painted in ocher tones and is of incredible beauty.
Tizimín, (which is located about 200 km west of Cancun - 42 km south of the port of Rio Lagartos in the Gulf of Mexico - about 167 km from Mérida - 89 km from the famous Mayan site of Chichén Itzá) is not the typical tourist destination, we will never see "Tour in Tizimín" ...
But this small and quiet town offers tourists "do it yourself", like we are, some attractions worthy of being seen.
Tizimín has recently been included in the list of travelers for being an "obligatory" passage to Las Coloradas and its pink waters.
And precisely because it is a city of passage, it is not given due attention to tourism, but, having been there for 4 days, I did not want to share what this small town has offered to our eyes.
Entering the city you are greeted by a tranquility and peace never felt: the smile will be born involuntarily. The inhabitants are warm and friendly and their joy is pleasantly involved: locals, cowboys and Mayan Indians mixed together, form a single "pueblo".
Being inhabited mainly by Mayan populations, the Yucatec language is widespread, it still retains its traditions, visible above all in women's clothing.
As I said before, Tizimín is not the classic tourist place, but still there are comfortable hotels, restaurants with varied cuisine and travel agencies that promote "tours" to nearby places.
The center of Tizimín is a small historic center with Renaissance buildings. An example is the temple and the former convent of SS. Re, founded in 1563 by the Franciscans, a structure with wrought iron windows and doors and 3 niches believed to belong to the statues of the 3 Magi,
And the Three Kings (Melchiorre, Gaspare and Baldassarre) are the patrons of Tizimin, whose devotion is very strong and pilgrims come from very far, especially in the last two weeks of December until January 6, where Tizimin dresses up for the party to celebrate their patrons.
The Feria des Reyes is a festival where masses, pilgrimages, parades alternate with dairy tastings, concerts, agricultural, industrial and commercial exhibitions, livestock exhibitions, mariachis on the streets ... A real Mexican Fiesta.
Programma 2020
But the most interesting thing about this big Fiesta is the bullfight, which takes place in a "plaza de toros", a very special arena for our eyes, where we see rock shows suitable for everyone from children to old people, until culminating with the real bullfight.
Now: surely many of you, like me, do not "sympathize" with bullfighting ... and rightly ... but we must also understand that it is culture and tradition (as we are the Palio di Siena or Calcio in Costume in Florence ) ... and for this reason we have a duty to respect.
In any case, what we witnessed was a "bullfight to laugh", where even the children went down to the arena and where the "diet" takes a low blow: a succession of sellers who sell everything and more to satisfy your stomach !!
But the incredible thing is the structure of this arena ... a huge palapa with a capacity of about a thousand people (maybe more), 4 floors including the ground floor, bamboo, wooden planks, log stairs and covered of dried palm leaves ... we didn't want to think about hell if a fire had broken out ...
A structure that is unthinkable, unworkable but above all prohibited!
And for this reason, this year too we returned at the end of February with a friend of ours, just to make him aim for this genius of architecture ... but surprise! The completely empty square !!
We could not believe it ... talking to some inhabitants, they explained that it was built on the occasion of the Feria, but then dismantled the day after the closure ...
An incredible thing in our land!
Ah! I learned that this year Tizimin joined the Guinnes Book of Records having prepared a Rosca de Reyes (a typical Mexican dessert of the day of the epiphany) 3009 meters long !!! Congratulations to the Panaderia El Angel De Oro
Walking through the narrow streets you realize that nature wins on concrete, invading walls and windows, recovering its own land, giving our eyes a naturalistic visual view of the city.
As in every city in Mexico, the market cannot be missing in Tizimín!
Since the are different cultures, the market has an unbeatable attraction ...
Spices of all types and colors, fleshy fruits that just seeing them makes you want to dive into them,
immagini dalla rete
... plants like Chaya (also called "the gift of God", or spinach tree, perennial broadleaf shrub typical of Yucatan, capable of curing more than 100 diseases),
and then local cheeses, in particular the "queso ranchero" ... yummy!
Not to mention the "tamales", prepared by women and also sold on the street ...
immagini dalla rete
.... "fake" bags, local crafts, natural products from oils, essences, 100% natural healing creams.
Tizimín is also known for the production of fabrics and textile products. For a very particular souvenir, I suggest you buy one (or two or three or ...) "guayabera", a typical Mexican shirt or blouse with a personalized design and if you are lucky, maybe you will also find unique pieces: the prices here are really cheap.
immagini dalla rete
But above all the cocktail of colors, people, children ... this is the fantastic point of the Mexican markets.
This small Mayan city has awakened all our senses in us and has seduced us since the butterflies have welcomed us.
Consiglio: Tip:
per alloggiare: to stay:
Calle 44 No 388 entre 49A y 49B, Centro - Telefono: +52 986 863 2364
Pulito, tranquillo e staff cordiale sempre pronto ad aiutarti. parcheggio incluso
Nel 2019 prenotammo con Booking, e ci siamo tornati nel febbraio di questo anno (2020) senza prenotazione e ... ci hanno riconosciuti!!!!
Clean, quiet and friendly staff always ready to help you. parking included
In 2019 we booked with Booking, and we returned in February of this year (2020) without a reservation and ... they recognized us !!!!
per mangiare: to eat:
Tres Reyes Restaurant (cucina tipica) (traditional kitchen)
Restaurant Bar Yepez (cenare su un terrazzino affacciato alla piazza assaporando un ottimo Ribeye alla griglia) (dine on a terrace overlooking the square while enjoying an excellent grilled Ribeye)
Anche i dintorni di Tizimín sono da visitare:
The surroundings of Tizimín are also worth visiting:
- Ek Balam
un sito archeologico dove è incredibile l'enorme statua di Ek Balam e dove un cenote si nasconde tra le sue rovine Maya.
an archaeological site where the enormous statue of Ek Balam is incredible and where a cenote hides among its Mayan ruins.
- Kulubá
altro sito archeologico quasi sconosciuto, situato a sud-ovest di Tizimín.
another almost unknown archaeological site, located south-west of Tizimín.
- Las Coloradas...
vedi prossimo articolo - see next post
- Cenote Kikil
dove la ricca natura si riflette nelle sue acque
where rich nature is reflected in its waters