A Maya religious center
Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) presents Izamal as a Maya religious center and records more than 2,500 years of occupation at its civic-ceremonial core. Its pre-Hispanic structures are scattered through today's town: houses and streets sit alongside pyramids.
Pyramids in the middle of town
The standout structure is Kinich Kakmó, north of the main square. INAH has identified other groups such as Itzamatul, Habuc, Tuúl and Chaltún Ha, some opened to visitors under a project announced in 2023. Sources link Izamal to ancient sacbeob, the Maya white roads.
The convent on the pyramid
After the conquest, the Franciscans built the convent of San Antonio de Padua on a pre-Hispanic platform called Ppap Hol Chak, according to INAH. It's the perfect image of Izamal's history: a colonial layer on top of a Maya one.
Izamal today
Today Izamal is a Pueblo Mágico (an official "magical town"), known for its yellow façades and for three eras living side by side: Maya, colonial and modern.
Tips
- Check with INAH which groups are open and when.
- Explore on foot; distances are short.
- Bring water and a hat: the sun bounces off the yellow walls.
Izamal from Mérida
Izamal is an hour from Mérida, ideal to combine with cenotes or Chichén Itzá. Mary Tours visits Izamal on several trips: Izamal and two cenotes, Izamal and the Santa Bárbara cenotes, Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid and the Maya Train version; there's also a transfer to Izamal and Santa Bárbara. They leave from the office at Calle 61 #518-B in downtown Mérida; prices are in the booking section.
Fun facts
- In Izamal the pyramids stand in the middle of the modern town.
- The Franciscan convent rests on a Maya platform.
- Izamal has more than 25 centuries of history.
Related tours
Towns · 9 h
Izamal and two cenotes
Izamal’s yellow first, then two cold cenotes
from $1,300 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road. The guide uses it to explain where Izamal comes from before you arrive.
- 9:00 AM The yellow town — The convent and its atrium, among the largest on the continent, the baroque altarpiece, and then free time around the streets.
- 10:20 AM On to the Homún ring — Forty more minutes to the cenote area.
- 11:00 AM Yaxbacaltún cenote — The first swim, landing right after the morning’s walking.
- 12:15 PM San Antonio cenote and lunch — A semi-closed cenote that feels nothing like the first one, and lunch served right there.
- 3:15 PM Back to Mérida — Back to Mérida, arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Guide, Entry to both cenotes, Lunch
Not included: Drinks
Cenotes · 9 h
Izamal and the Santa Bárbara cenotes
Izamal early, and the whole afternoon in four cenotes
from $1,550 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Izamal.
- 9:00 AM Izamal — The San Antonio de Padua convent, raised on a Maya platform, the Kinich Kakmó pyramid and the yellow streets.
- 10:30 AM On to Homún — An hour and a quarter through small towns to the cenote grounds.
- 12:00 PM Santa Bárbara cenotes — Five hours inside: Cascabel in a cavern, Chaksikín with its shaft of light, and Xooch and Pool Cocom in the open. You move between them by bike or cart, and lunch is served on site.
- 5:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back.
Included: Transport, General culture guide, Entrances, Lunch
Not included: Drinks
Archaeology · 11 h
Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid
Four stops in one day, and none of them rushed
from $1,200 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Izamal. The guide uses the drive to set up what comes next.
- 9:00 AM San Antonio de Padua Convent — The story of the 16th-century Franciscan convent told in its atrium, then free time to walk the yellow town.
- 11:15 AM Chichén Itzá — Guided walk through the Temple of Kukulkán, the Sacred Cenote, the Ball Court, the Tzompantli and the Jaguars and Eagles platform.
- 1:45 PM Regional lunch in Kaua — Buffet of Yucatecan dishes: cochinita, relleno negro, lime soup and meat-free options.
- 3:00 PM Selva Maya cenote — The swim lands exactly when the sun is at its worst. Changing rooms and showers on site.
- 4:20 PM Valladolid — Francisco Cantón Rosado park with its original railings, the church of San Servacio and the murals in the town hall.
- 8:00 PM Back in Mérida — We drop you off where the day started.
Included: Air-conditioned transport, General culture guide, Regional buffet lunch
Not included: Chichén Itzá entrance, Cenote entrance, Drinks
Archaeology · 11 h
Maya Train, Chichén Itzá and Izamal
The Mérida–Izamal leg by train, the rest by road
from $1,600 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Transfer to the station — From the office to the Maya Train station in Mérida.
- 9:18 AM Maya Train ride — Forty minutes from Mérida to Izamal. Ticket included.
- 10:15 AM Izamal — The yellow town, the three-tier Baroque altarpiece and free time on the main square.
- 12:30 PM Chichén Itzá — Guided walk through the Sacred Cenote, the Temple of Kukulkán, the Jaguars and Eagles platform and the Ball Court.
- 2:30 PM Lunch in Kaua — Buffet of typical regional dishes.
- 3:45 PM Selva Maya cenote — The swim of the day, with the heat already easing off.
- 5:00 PM Back to Mérida — Two hours on the road back.
Included: Transport, General culture guide, Maya Train ticket Mérida–Izamal, Midday meal
Not included: Chichén Itzá entrance, Cenote entrance, Drinks
Transfers · 8.5 h
Transfer to Izamal and Santa Bárbara
The yellow town and four cenotes, with no group schedule
from $2,650 MXN per vehicle
Frequently asked questions
How old is Izamal?
Its ceremonial core has more than 2,500 years of occupation, according to INAH.
What pyramids are in Izamal?
Kinich Kakmó and other groups such as Itzamatul, Habuc, Tuúl and Chaltún Ha.
What was the convent built on?
A pre-Hispanic platform called Ppap Hol Chak.
How do I get to Izamal from Mérida?
On Mary Tours trips that include Izamal or with its transfer.
