Yucatán's craft catalog
The Yucatán government lists a wide range of crafts:
- Gold and silver filigree.
- Textiles: embroidery, lace, openwork and cross-stitch; ternos, guayaberas and hipiles.
- Hammocks of cotton and other fibers.
- Plant fibers: henequen, straw and jipi-palm hats, rush and vine mats.
- Pottery, carved stone and wood, shell and conch.
- Musical instruments, leather, folk painting, toys, paper and corn husk.
Crafts by town
Some towns are known for specific crafts: Valladolid, for example, lists leather, henequen, hammocks, vine and stone among its crafts.
Buying responsibly
- Buy from the maker: at workshops and state and local fairs, where artisans sell their work.
- Value handwork: embroidery or a hammock can take weeks.
- Avoid tortoiseshell and other protected-species products, such as sea turtle shell, even if they appear in historical catalogs.
- Ask about materials and techniques.
Embroidery with Maya names
If you're buying textiles, look for xokbil-chuy (cross-stitch) and xmanikté (openwork), techniques passed down in families and workshops.
Crafts on your day trips
Mary Tours trips to Izamal and Valladolid leave free time downtown in each town to shop for local crafts. They leave from Calle 61 in downtown Mérida; see itineraries in the booking section.
| Craft | Material or technique |
|---|---|
| Hipil and terno | Embroidery and cross-stitch |
| Guayabera | Linen or cotton |
| Hammock | Cotton or henequen |
| Hat | Jipi palm |
| Filigree | Gold and silver |
| Pottery | Clay |
Fun facts
- Yucatán has a gold and silver filigree tradition.
- Corn husk is also a craft material.
- Yucatecan embroidery techniques have Maya names.
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
What should I buy in Yucatán?
Hipiles, guayaberas, hammocks, jipi hats, filigree and pottery, among other crafts.
Where should I buy crafts?
Directly from artisans, at workshops, in towns and at fairs.
Can I buy tortoiseshell items?
Best to avoid them: they come from protected sea turtles.
How can I tell if it's handmade?
Ask the seller and check the back of the embroidery.
