The Sweetest Event: Orange Fair in Oxkutzcab Oxkutzcab, also known as the “state’s orchard,” is a city located in the south part of Yucatán that offers one of the most interesting annual fairs in our state and even decorative figures made out of oranges During the fair you will be able to see trains In 2024, the fair will be held from December 5 to 15, and the main attractions are the figures and representations made from oranges and citrus fruits, such as: huge arches, replicas of buildings and archeological sites due to the creativity and ability of the Oxkutzcab farmers All of this is possible thanks to the donation of approximately 10 thousand various fruits from farmers who collaborate to proudly show the fruits they have cultivated Why an orange fair? The answer is simple, most of the oranges (and tropical fruits) that are produced in the more than 100 farms around Oxkutzcab supply the supermarkets and stores all over the Yucatán península and they are even exported to other countries!  The Orange Fair 2024 in Oxkutzcab will take place from Thursday This fair takes place every year with settings in the main park and the “Teatro del Pueblo.” This will be the 34th edition of the fair The first edition took place in 1985 as a way to promote the regional farming sector it has become a popular attraction that draws visitors from all over the country It features over 90 booths divided into sections for agricultural production Some family activities have become part of the event such as the coronation of the queen of the fair One of the most anticipated events of the entire fair is the sweetest orange contest a unique award given to the regional producer whose fruit has the highest Brix level which is crucial for maintaining its flavor and freshness Visit Oxkutzcab and enjoy the sweetest flavors in Yucatán Photography by Yucatán Today for its use in Yucatán Today First published in Yucatán Today print and digital magazine no. 347, in November 2016 and enthusiastic promoter of the natural and human beauty of Yucatán we accompany the traveler so that they can experience the authentic essence of Yucatán In 2018, renowned chef and writer Samin Nosrat filmed the Netflix documentary series Salt Fat Acid Heat Nosrat traveled to different parts of the world to understand how salt and heat are used by various cultures to create the best dishes on the planet the state of Yucatán was the place she visited to explore the complexities of citrus and acidic flavors   It comes as no surprise that an internationally acclaimed chef chose our state to represent acidic cuisine out of all the cities and we’ve become true masters of citrus cultivation All the magic happens in the south, in the area known as the "Southern Fruit Subregion." This zone includes the municipalities of Akil, Dzan, Maní, Oxkutzcab, and Ticul Geographers Ana García de Fuentes and Juan Córdoba y Ordóñez mention in a chapter for the book "Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Humano en Yucatán" that although the subregion only covers 3.3% of the state's territory and is home to only 4.5% of Yucatán's population it produces 45.6% of all citrus harvested in the region And the citrus fruits produced locally are outstanding: no store-bought fruit will carry the flavor provided by anything you try while you’re exploring southern Yucatán (while in season The variety of fruits harvested is vast but among the most common are Persian lime If you’re used to shopping for citrus at the supermarket or are visiting from other places in the world and mandarin oranges might have touches of color This is due to our warm weather; while elsewhere their skins change color as the leaves turn in the fall in Yucatán they need to continue producing chlorophyll (the substance that makes plants green) to protect themselves from getting sunburned ask your “Marchante” (vendor) whether they’re already “buenas”.    It’s worth mentioning that taking care of citrus trees is quite a challenging task According to a document from the National Agricultural Planning the temperature has a significant influence on the development of lemon and grapefruit lengthening or shortening their ripening processes specific pH levels in the soil and specific irrigation patterns or rainfall are required for optimal growth But the efforts of farmers in southern Yucatán are not in vain the state ranks sixth nationally in orange production considering México is among the top five citrus producers worldwide and the first when it comes to limes specifically.    the Representation of the Ministry of Agriculture in Yucatán stated that 10% of the region's citrus is used for the production of juices The remaining 90% is consumed without processing "directly from the fields." Several kilograms are sent to states such as Jalisco they are also used locally to prepare traditional dishes such as marinated turkey and Cochinita Pibil The high quality of the work of Yucatecan farmers is undeniable Anyone who has tasted a Sopa de Lima or a good Puchero can testify to the excellence of the southeast if you happen to be in the southern part of the state don't forget to stop by and buy some "Chinas" (as Yucatecos call oranges) so you can experience firsthand the delights that Yucatán has to offer Photography by Yucatán Today for use in Yucatán Today Don't miss our best articles and the monthly digital edition before anyone else Yucatán — La Feria de la Naranja kicked off last night with the coronation of their Orange Queen The Orange Fair is pretty much like any other fair: A Mayan purification ceremony followed  by vaquería music from the Jaranera band was first on the agenda a circus show and singers at the Teatro del Pueblo and the Julio Matos Fuentes field where unique and creative installations using oranges will be featured Two mega structures decorated with citrus represent the iconic Mayan structures Arco de Labna and the Temple of the Adivino and some 100 tons of fruit were used in the citrus exhibition with dance recitals and music concerts daily For more information and photos from the fair, follow the city’s Facebook page. Yucatán Magazine has the inside scoop on living here. Sign up to get our top headlines delivered to your inbox every week Fundación BAI did the thing they do best: Administer free HIV tests and educate the public about safe sex The first cryptocurrency supported by Mexican real estate is in circulation backed by more than 1,500 hectares/3,707 acres of development in Yucatán and Cancun The electric Ie-Tram is now connecting La Plancha with the Tren Maya Station in Teya The cost of electricity in Yucatán is about to rise once again Energy sector analysts say the increase is likely to be about 3% The price hike comes less than a year after a 4% increase in the cost of electricity was announced last April “On average people in Yucatán pay 17% more than the… Soriana shoppers will bag their own groceries starting today and other grocery chains in Mexico are under pressure to also send home tens of thousands of elderly checkouts baggers at risk of coronavirus work for tips packing groceries at Walmart and other chain stores through… But the plan would not see Carnaval return to Paseo de Montejo but rather move it to the Parque de la Plancha Advertise With Us Fernando Buenfil Góngora owns the Hotel Classico in Oxkutzcab, Mexico. He built the hotel with 15 years worth of remittance money he earned working in San Francisco, California. Mexico's Yucatan peninsula juts out into the Caribbean Sea like a defiant fist. Three thousand miles away, the San Francisco Bay area looks like a miniature version of it. The two may be separated by distance but they depend on each other. Yucatan needs the work and San Francisco needs the workers. Their decades-long relationship has developed into something of a love affair, which returning migrants find hard to forget. But for the migrants' relatives who have stayed behind, the benefits of immigration have begun to lose their luster. In the city of Oxkutzcab, in the heart of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, a man tooted his bicycle horn as he pedaled down the narrow streets. He sold sweet bread from a basket for a few pesos a piece, a meager way to make a living. Jobs like his have pushed nearly one third of Oxkutzcab’s population to migrate north. Fernando Buenfil Gongora is the man locals associate with the ultimate immigrant success story. Like many ethnic Mayans who live here, he’s short and stocky. Buenfil owns the Hotel Classico, built with 15 years worth of remittance money. He worked his way from busboy to bartender at an upscale Asian restaurant in San Francisco. "I have the Golden Gate Bridge and I have another cable car here," Buenfil said pointing to murals inside his 11-room hotel, which is like a shrine to San Francisco. Maria Juvencia Chan and her husband take pride in their ability to make a living for themselves in Mexico. Neither have immigrated to the United States for work. The top floor is painted canary yellow and features rooms with bay windows. Today the hotel keeps most of his family employed. His remittance money also helped his sisters pay for college. “[Financially] I'm okay," Buenfil said. "I can survive with this. I'm not making much, like in San Francisco, but I'm happy to be here with my family." But Buenfil confesses leaving San Francisco was like swearing off a mistress. He misses the city. So much so, that he’s cut off all contact with his friends there. He fears being pulled back. “I feel like part of my life is in San Francisco," he said. "I feel like if I go there I’m gonna stay ... So I don't wanna leave my family.” Family is what ultimately yanks many Yucatecos back to Mexico. For Buenfil, it was his dying father. Now he’s married with an infant daughter. A motorcycle taxi driver in the city of Oxkutzcab shows off his love for the city of San Francisco, where nearly one third of the local population immigrates illegally in search of work. Traces of San Francisco are everywhere in Oxkutzcab. A few restaurants serve Asian dishes like Pad Thai and chicken dumplings in addition to cheeseburgers and tacos. The San Francisco Giants logo is displayed on taxi cab windows, baseball hats and tattoos.  Oxkutzcab is far from the mega tourist destinations of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which attract millions of Americans annually. Seventy percent of locals live in moderate to extreme poverty. But the consistent flow of U.S. dollars, which averages $120 million a year in the state of Yucatan, has nurtured a modest middle class. They drive newer model trucks and carry smartphones. It’s common to see a two story American-style home built next to a traditional adobe hut.   As a teenager Juan Carlos Chablé CoCom would wake at 3 a.m. to unload crates of pineapple destined for the downtown market in Oxkutzcab. He made the equivalent of $26 a week, not enough to take his future wife out to a nice dinner. When they married, they moved in with his parents. The central market in downtown Oxkutzcab, Mexico. "I couldn't make it," he said. "I was barely making enough to feed us." So he went north. Chablé spent two years in San Francisco kneading pizza dough, washing dishes and garnishing salads. He saved up enough to move back to Oxkutzcab and build a spacious four-room home with a patio and a fancy wrought iron gate. He now has two kids and owns a motorcycle taxi. On a good week he’ll make the equivalent of $120. But lately he’s been feeling restless.    "I want to go back to San Francisco," he said. "I have hospital bills to pay off and I struggle with the day-to-day expenses." Chablé keeps his savings in three yogurt containers atop his refrigerator. All three are empty, save for one American dollar. Chablé wants to earn more dollars and open up his own car wash. But those who stay behind, mostly women and children, are less convinced that immigration is the solution to their money troubles.   Sofía Cocom wears the traditional garb of Mayan women in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Cocum is against her son's wish to immigrate illegally to the United States to work. Next door Chablé's mother Sofia rinsed a chicken before lunch. She squatted in a tattered Mayan embroidered dress. Her sink was a large plastic bowl, her faucet a lawn hose and her stove a pile of firewood. She scoffed at her son's desire to leave again. "He's crazy," she said. "He has his house and a motor taxi for work. What is he missing. He's got everything he needs." Chablé's wife is also against his leaving. Now that their children are in school she's offered to get a job, but Chablé won't allow it. "Here it reflects badly on a man if his wife is working," he said. "You will be ridiculed for failing to provide for your family." In a nearby neighborhood, 30-year-old Maria Juvencia Chan swatted flies off chunks of raw pork meat. She has never hesitated at the thought of work. Chan and her husband run a small butcher shop and food stand. She also makes her own soaps to sell. With their earnings, they’ve raised two kids, built a home, a drive a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta. Neither has migrated to the U.S. for work. Chan takes pride in this.   "It’s difficult no matter where you go," she said. "But if you apply yourself and work hard you can make it in Mexico." This story was produced in collaboration with reporter Mely Arellano and Round Earth Media's Mexico's reporting project. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world AMLO’s flagship environmental project, may have resulted in the loss of forest cover nearly the size of New York City A motorcyclist observes an intentional forest fire in the jungle along a road in Oxkutzcab region Flaws in President Lopez Obrador’s flagship environmental project risk undoing its good intentions XLinkedInEmailLinkGiftFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy March 8, 2021 at 4:00 AM ESTBookmarkSaveThis article is part of the April 19, 2021 issue of Green.Chevron RightIn the hills of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula the jungle abruptly stops and dozens of saplings grow scattered around charred tree stumps The seedlings are a sign of the government’s vast reforestation program known as Sembrando Vida But so too is the burned out clearing; in this part of Mexico the project is linked to widespread destruction as well as regeneration shares her journey of courage and resilience Lea la versión en español aquí. Rosalinda “Rosy” Sánchez is extremely proud to have been born in the Yucatan Peninsula and that pride is reflected in the food she makes from her small food truck in Roseland growing up in a small town an hour and a half from Mérida the tourist capital of the state and home of Mayan culture in Mexico I learned to make tortillas for panuchos,” said Sánchez and empanadas by hand and on the spot from her “"Yucamami" food truck at the Mitote Food Park The cochinita pibil is served in small cubes and is prepared in advance due to its slow cooking process The cuisine of the Yucatán state is rich in spices rooted in the Mayan region “I bring the achiote from Mérida,” she said “It is the seasoning already prepared to make Cochinita pibil Also known as “recado colorado,” achiote paste is a blend of seasonings with its main ingredient being the red seed of the achiote sold in blocks in the markets of southern Mexico and Guatemala and to a panuchos stand where she developed her first culinary instincts “I am an only child; my grandmother raised me.” She remembered a little stand that sold panuchos in Oxkutzcab where she learned by the vendor to prepare the street delicacy When she was about to start elementary school her aunt took charge of her support and brought her to Mérida despite her struggles throughout most of her years in school she became an executive secretary at a Mexican state-owned petroleum company branch who was working in a shoe store in downtown Mérida Her three children were born in Mexico and now live in the United States: Rubí Maribel “We have been in this country for 38 years,” she said My husband was already working at the national electric company But then our daughter was brought to this country ‘Let’s go.’ And that’s how we ended up here.” Redwood City was their first home and their first challenging experience away from their homeland not knowing how to read and write in English The Sánchez and her youngest children had to sleep on the stairs of a building in the cold The owner of the Redwood City jewelry store allowed Rubí Maribel and their daughter to stay in a small area inside This limited space also served as a secret refuge for Rosy the owner of the jewelry store was leaving,” she said “and we went to sleep ‘like thieves.’ At six in the morning I had to take my children out into the cold The first sight of their American dream materialized in their initial rental room in Redwood City “We were there for about 7 years,” she said the Sánchez family changed homes several times as work arose Sánchez spoke about her first job in California with visible discomfort “I was young when I started working at a restaurant called Rositas the owner didn’t want to let me leave and he harassed me I didn't accept it and called my son-in-law to come pick me up I left the restaurant as soon as I could.” she spent a decade working as a carpenter in a furniture store in San Francisco’s Mission District “I remember changing the colors of luxury furniture,” she said she made tortillas for panuchos which she sold from her home Sánchez and her husband faced a harsh reality when they arrived in the United States in 1986 despite the famous promise of a better life the family began to reap the fruits of their efforts “If you go to Redwood City and ask who sells the best panuchos Life had been peaceful until the arrival of COVID-19 which unexpectedly disrupted Sánchez’s panuchos business “When the pandemic struck,” she remembered “the apartment owner realized I was selling panuchos and kicked me out.” He told her she had 30 days to vacate the building life took a new turn with a view toward Santa Rosa but now I realize that God’s blessing always accompanies us,” she said Her journey to Santa Rosa was helped by her grandson who owns Los Gallos Taquería in Rohnert Park Upon learning about his chichí’s situation - “chichí” means “grandma” in Mayan - he invited her to leave Redwood City and open her own food stand in Santa Rosa ‘I’m going to buy you a trailer so you can sell your Yucatecan food,’ ” she said “That’s how my grandson put everything together who is a wonderful person and gave us the opportunity to be inside.” right in the space that has become the meeting point of Roseland and a favorite place for lovers of Latin street food Last May, this outdoor space received national coverage on “Good Morning America.” Among the food trucks that appeared in the television segment was Doña Rosy's She looked happy holding a platter displaying her Yucatecan delicacies “We also offer veggie panuchos and salbutes,” she said The chicken and tomato sauce are made with olive oil.” She and her husband appreciate the freshness of the food and that diners enjoy it They also thank people who stop by their stand to taste the menu Everything has to be fresh and made to order,” she said Doña Rosy treasures her life in Santa Rosa she is finally living her California dream lovingly referred to as “The White City” due to its pristine streets What sights stand out most in your recollection of Mérida "El Paseo Montejo (a historic thoroughfare) Mérida on Sunday (when the market replaces vehicular traffic) "Wiijeech huá - Ko’ox janal Yucamami — “Are you hungry You can contact La Prensa Sonoma editor Raquel Issenberg at raquel.issenberg@laprensasonoma.com Oxxo will continue to grow its brand in Yucatán with 100 new locations The convenience store giant will invest 500 million pesos over the next three years in municipalities such as Tekax The move is part of a strategy that seeks to expand market reach outside of Mérida into smaller communities Concerns regarding Oxxo’s expansion revolve around the disappearing mom-and-pop shops known affectionately as tienditas.  Earlier: Some Amazon deliveries can be picked up at Oxxo part of Oxxo’s success lay in the fact that many customers use its stores for more than just shopping and the purchase of mobile telephone credit are extremely popular cost a little more after Oxxo takes its fee.  This most recent round of investment would create 4,750 new jobs in Yucatan according to a document present to Yucatán Gov Oxxo reported having nearly 20,000 locations operating through Mexico The chain has 409 stores in the state of Yucatán and employs 3,600 workers there The company also has stores in South American countries such as Colombia and Perú and is developing a strategy to bring the brand to Brazil and Chile Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and translation degrees from universities in Mexico With Tamaulipas’ legislature coming on board same-sex marriage is now legal across all of Mexico The northern border state on Wednesday amended the state’s Civil Code The vote follows victories for marriage equality advocates in Tabasco and Guerrero Mexico’s state-owned oil company PEMEX is claiming that crude oil residues showing up on Campeche’s beaches are natural phenomena a growing number of citizen patrols want to keep it that way The popular coastal community of Rio Lagartos has unveiled its revamped boardwalk Local and state authorities hope that the improvements will help attract tourists back to the coastal community in large numbers once the COVID-19 sanitary emergency has passed Rio Lagartos is a popular destination for activities such as kayaking three cold fronts and a tropical storm — all within 27 days — damaged between 20 and 25 buildings in Yucatán’s archaeological zones The National Institute of Anthropology and History in Yucatán reported the loss of some architectural elements as well as landslides that undermined some ancient structures The state government is violating Uber drivers’ right to work charges Silvia América López Escoffié of the Citizens’ Movement in Yucatán It doesn’t matter which month you come to visit there will most likely be a festival somewhere Did you know that many of the festivals have religious origins?  They are known as the “Patron Saint Festivals I encourage you to read about them and check out what is going to be happening while you are here—or maybe even plan another visit to make sure you catch them Every January, the city sets out to celebrate the founding of Mérida—January 6 During Mérida Fest you will find many dance performances a march between Santa Lucía Park and Plaza Grande This takes place on January 5 in the evening and ends at midnight with the Mañanitas: the traditional Mexican birthday song www.merida.gob.mx/meridafest     and lots of color await you every year during the Carnaval de Mérida The date changes yearly and is based on Easter Sunday.  More info: www.merida.gob.mx/carnaval      Activities during the festival include traditional Yucatecan dances This is a festival where it is customary to make a garment for the image of Christ and lay down at its feet.  FB: Fiesta Tradicional De Chumayel     You will not believe everything that you are going to see made from our beloved Queso de Bola, or Edam Cheese. This festival highlights street food, traditional dishes, and inventions made from this popular ingredient. It has been held at the Motul main square, but also at different locations in Mérida This is a delicious event with plenty of offerings so it’s a good idea to keep up with them on Facebook FB: Festival Nacional del Queso de Bola-Yucatán This festival is oh-so-perfectly refreshing for breaking up the tropical heat in the summer Besides offering ice cream and popsicles you will also find frappés the dates and location may vary; we’ll keep you posted FB: Festival del Helado en Yucatán     From July 14 to August 4 the town of Halachó is in festival mode and the local fair are all festivities you shouldn’t miss.   FB: H. Ayuntamiento Halachó 2021-2024     Honoring Santo Domingo de Guzmán the first two weeks of August FB: H. Ayuntamiento San Felipe Yucatán 2021-2024     The Dzityá artisans get together every summer (late July/early August) and offer the best of their products, which include stone, wood, textiles, and jewelry. Food and fair activities are also offered. Just minutes north of Merida This year the dates are from July 25 to August 3 www.merida.gob.mx/tunich     Welcome to the village of Tekit, the Capital of the Guayabera, where you will find the finest garments. The good news? This fair is held twice a year in August and December, and is only a 50-minute drive from Mérida The 2024 summer edition is from July 20th to August 4th.  FB: Feria de la Guayabera Tekit     October is when we honor our departed loved ones is a time when the local traditions and culture relating to death are lived by all You will see altars honoring departed loved ones www.merida.gob.mx/animas     and goods exhibitions attract thousands of people during the last three weeks of November to this fair www.feriayucatan.gob.mx      Stands, decorative figures, parade floats decorated with citric fruits,  plus cultural events, dances, and contests are all part of this mega agricultural fair. Can you imagine an enormous sculpture of the Pyramid from Chichén Itzá crafted out of oranges? You’ll find it in Oxkutzcab (known as the “orchard of the state”), located 1.5 hours from Mérida This 2024 it will be from December 7 to the 17th.  FB: H. Ayuntamiento Oxkutzcab     December 8 is when the yellow town of Izamal honors Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The statue of this saint is housed in the San Antonio de Padua Convent. Festivities begin on November 29 and go on for two weeks. Visit Izamal and enjoy the pilgrimages and the serenade to the Virgin on December 7 in the evening FB: Feria Izamal 08 DIC     This religious celebration and fiesta is held from December 19-26 in the village of Espita Things begin in the church with the lowering of the saint from its niche on December 19 FB: Ayuntamiento de Espita     this festival begins when the Three Kings or Wise Men statues are lowered from their niches in the church an Alborada (march from a Ceiba tree to the bullfight ring) including lots of food stands and mechanical rides.  FB: Tizimín de Reyes  Yucatán continues to enjoy its status as the state with Mexico’s lowest crime numbers, according to the Semáforo Delictivo. The database uses a traffic light to communicate its findings Yucatán overall has more green lights than any other region and had no red lights — which would have indicated an alarming level under one of 11 classifications The findings are based on official figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Security System tracking homicide The final three categories are recent additions to the survey; 166 domestic violence cases dominate the February chart These aren’t crime rates but raw numbers so larger municipalities will stand out because their populations are larger Yucatán scored cautionary yellow lights for February’s four murders 18 business robberies and 166 domestic violence cases individual municipalities received some red lights 13 commercial burglaries and 145 domestic violence cases Domestic burglaries were worse in Hunucmá and Tekax According to the National Survey of Victimization and Perception of Public Safety and the 2017 Mexico Peace Index Yucatán is the state where fewest crimes occur throughout the year That supports data from Lantia Consultores a firm that found Yucatán had Mexico’s fewest homicides with an average of 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017 Six Yucatecan municipalities have all green lights: Kanasín and Oxkutzcab where several crimes were previously reflected The February statistics contrast remarkably with other states The traffic-light chart has the most red signals in Aguascalientes The interactive Semáforo Delictivo chart is here. Plans have been unveiled for the construction of a new sports arena in Mérida’s north with a maximum capacity of 32,000 spectators The Fifth District Court suspended the amparo process requested by residents living near loud Centro cantinas questioning if the complainants really lived near the nightclubs Given the measles outbreak in Europe and the United States Mexico’s Ministry of Health recommended travelers take preventive measures Mexican immigration agents can no longer conduct stop-and-search operations on buses and highways after the Supreme Court ruled that such checks are racist While that may be a relief to tourists riding an ADO bus without a passport the landmark ruling stems from a case involving migrant workers from Mexico’s poorest region… Mérida City Hall has announced its 2021 Christmas tree collection drive The city is encouraging residents to drop off their Christmas trees at one of seven locations every day from Jan The collected Christmas trees will be composted and… nearly one hundred Cuban residents in Mérida protested against their home country’s communist regime Lol-Tún is a cave and archaeological site located in the municipality of Oxkutzcab, in Yucatán’s south. Given its location near Puuc archaeological sites such as Kabah and Sayil it is often considered part of the “Puuc touristic route,” despite not truly fitting this moniker architecturally The name Lol-Tún derives from the Yucatec-Maya words Lol meaning flower Archaeological and paleontological discoveries suggest that the human occupation of Lol-Tún goes back more than 10,000 years These early inhabitants likely belonged to the Clovis culture which covered much of the Americas researchers have discovered the bones of mammoths and deer — some dating as early as the Pleistocene and other artifacts dating to the Maya period have also been discovered in Lol-Tún pointing towards a prolonged period of Mayan occupation One of the most interesting archaeological discoveries found at Lol-Tún is a stone head perhaps previously belonging to a larger sculpture which is widely believed to be Olmec in origin.  their high levels of erosion have made it impossible to glean information regarding the date of their erection or any other details.   Visitors to the site will also notice large stone phallic sculptures common to the area in the 5th Century CE.  In much better condition is a large circular stone disc with the side-facing portrait of a man.  The time period when the Maya first began to inhabit Lol-tún is a source of controversy. Some maintain that the cave had already been occupied by a small number of people as early as the 12th Century CE, after the abandonment of nearby cities such as Xlapak and Sayil others argue that it was not until the caste war beginning in the 17th century that the Maya took refuge in Lol-Tún.  ample evidence of barricades dating to the caste war has been found in Lol-Tún adding credence to the latter theory — though it’s still likely that the cave had been home to small numbers of people before that This idea is backed up by the presence of Mayan cave paintings representing human faces, as well as handprints. Similar paintings have been discovered in several other caves and are thought to date to as early as the 8th century CE as otherwise getting lost in a dark damp cave would be inevitable The cave system is roughly two kilometers long and quite a hike as the ground is extremely irregular and very slippery at times The facilities at Lol-Tún are quite good and feature ample parking The caves are open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and tours are offered in Spanish and English Please note: As of the writing of this article Lol-Tún is one of several archaeological sites in Yucatán still closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Make sure to check if the site has reopened before scheduling your adventure Lol-tún also tends to close to the public after particularly heavy storms as sections of the cave inevitably flood.   After its radical renovation over the last few months and ahead of the Independence Day celebrations all eyes are on the Plaza Grande in Mérida.  This historic square has been a Maya shrine a site for pledging allegiance to Spanish kings and the epicenter of citizen protests and festive celebrations.  Its… For people used to the architecture and setting of Mayan archaeological sites in the Yucatán or northern Guatemala Mixco Viejo is likely to appear as somewhat of an oddity Bullfighting at Plaza de Toros Mérida has come to an abrupt halt Just days before what would have been the fifth event of the series Toros Yucatan announced in a statement that they were ending the season due to causas de fuerza mayor Cushions filled with polyfoam can get lumpy but that’s just the beginning of its disadvantages Restoration work on the Monumento a la Patria could start as early as October if INAH approves a plan of action in time Light-and-sound shows in Yucatán were canceled in March due to the COVID-19 -pandemic the Diario de Yucatan has reported that Yucatan’s culture and tourism authority expects the spectacles to return to Chichén Itzá and Uxmal next February.  The mixed-media experiences have been held in Yucatán since the 1970s