A people of today
Mexico's Atlas of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) places Maya communities in Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo. Language is one marker of identity, but identity can't be reduced to a single practice or way of dressing.
A language with hundreds of thousands of speakers
A study published by Mexico's INAH, based on the 2021 national census, reports more than 774,000 speakers of Yucatec Maya in Mexico. Over 90% of the speakers cited in Yucatán are bilingual in Maya and Spanish. Other INAH research finds communities with differing language vitality.
The milpa and the corn cycle
The Atlas documents ceremonies tied to corn, the milpa and rain. The milpa, a field of corn, beans, squash and chile, remains central to diet and ritual life in many communities.
Fiestas and community
- Patron-saint fiestas.
- Vaquerías and regional fairs.
- Communal meals and pilgrimages.
- Hanal Pixán, to remember the dead.
Communities keep and transform these traditions in today's world.
How to engage respectfully
- Learn a few words of Maya and use them.
- Ask permission before photographing people, ceremonies or altars.
- Buy directly from artisans and producers.
- Don't treat Maya culture as a show from the past.
In the towns, from Mérida
Mary Tours trips pass through inland towns such as Homún, Izamal, Kaua and Valladolid, where Maya culture is part of daily life. They leave from the office on Calle 61 in downtown Mérida; details are in the booking section.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Yucatec Maya speakers in Mexico (2021 census) | More than 774,000 |
| Bilingual speakers in Yucatán | Over 90% |
| States with Maya communities | Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo |
Fun facts
- More than 774,000 people speak Yucatec Maya in Mexico.
- Most Maya speakers in Yucatán are bilingual.
- The milpa remains at the heart of ritual life.
Related tours
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
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 · 7 h
Hacienda Mucuyché
A stone channel joining two cenotes
from $1,800 MXN per person
See itinerary
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM · daily
- 9:30 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to the estate, in the municipality of Abalá.
- 10:30 AM Check-in and historical tour — A guide from the estate itself explains how the henequen business worked and what survives of it.
- 11:00 AM Carlota and Azul Maya cenotes — Two hours in the water. To move between the cenotes you cross the channel, swimming or along the stone path.
- 1:00 PM Time for lunch — Yucatecan food at the estate restaurant, paid per order. There is a pool for anyone who wants to stay in the water.
- 3:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back.
Included: Transport, Guide, Entry to the hacienda and cenotes
Not included: Food, Drinks
Cenotes · 7 h
The four cenotes of Santa Bárbara
Four different cenotes and a lunch made by hand
from $1,450 MXN per person
See itinerary
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 10:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Homún, through the ring of cenotes.
- 11:00 AM Cascabel cenote — Closed, cave type. You descend inside and the water sits in half-light: the most striking of the four.
- 11:30 AM Chaksikín cenote — Semi-open. You go down between limestone walls painted with Maya-themed murals.
- 12:00 PM Xooch cenote — Semi-open, with a shaft of light that falls straight onto the water mid-morning.
- 12:30 PM Pool Cocom cenote — Open and surrounded by vegetation. You swim along a channel out to the wide part.
- 1:30 PM Regional lunch — Home cooking with hand-made tortillas. Plenty of time to eat without rushing.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back, arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Certified guide, Entry to all four cenotes, Regional lunch
Not included: Drinks with lunch
Frequently asked questions
Do the Maya still exist?
Yes. There are living Maya communities in Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo.
How many people speak Yucatec Maya?
More than 774,000 in Mexico, per 2021 census data cited by INAH.
What traditions continue?
Ceremonies tied to corn and rain, patron-saint fiestas, vaquerías and Hanal Pixán, among others.
How can I visit communities respectfully?
Ask before photographing, buy directly from producers and learn a few words of Maya.
