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The Mystery and Origin of the Maya Culture
 VisitMexico.com
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November 18, 2010
 It was on this side of the country where the Maya won over territory from the jungle to build their mathematically perfect pyramids; then the Spanish arrived and, in their place, they developed towns and cities that revolved around beautiful Baroque style churches or plantations and ranches around their haciendas.
Today, from the Yucatan Peninsula to the border with Guatemala, this route holds great natural beauty, cultural wealth and centuries of history that have left their mark on the warm inhabitants.
Destinations that make up the Route
TUXTLA GUTIERREZ
The Mexican entrance to Central America is this Chiapas city, which has also been a cultural center for the region, partly because the poet Jaime Sabines who was born here, left an important Cultural Center to the city. Tuxtla, which bubbles with the comings and goings of travelers that cross the city every day, also hides the monumental beauty of the Cañón del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon), a crevice where the Grijalva river runs, at a depth of more than one kilometer.
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS
In San Cristobal, more than foreigners, there are converts: travelers who arrived here and fell in love with this Colonial town with a Pre-Hispanic spirit. By simply visiting its markets one can observe that, the wealth of local cultures has found a space for expression in this place, definitively a place to be seen. From the typical attire, made of textiles full of color and different styles, you can recognize the diversity of its people. Here, the Spanish heritage can be witnessed in the architecture and culture.
PALENQUE
In what seems to be an extraterrestrial apparition, vestiges of one of the most important Mayan cities are unveiled in the middle of the thick jungle. Between the humidity of the air, the greenery in the landscape and the heat that never ceases, there is no visitor who does not wonder how a civilization managed to build these constructions, under such difficult conditions. The beauty of the site is highlighted by the background landscape and makes the experience of this trip a wonderful adventure.
VILLAHERMOSA
Known originally as San Juan Bautista, the capital of Tabasco is marked by the course of the Grijalva river. Bordering Las Ilusiones lagoon, the city extends nested in green vegetation and a tropical climate. The mandatory stop for visitors used to be, and still is, La Venta Park-Museum, one of the most original museums in the world because of its thematic tour: conserving the local flora and fauna, you will find the large Olmeca heads in this natural garden, which were rescued from archaeological sites in the region.
CAMPECHE
In Campeche, you can still breathe the sort of relaxed air you find in a small town. The city's small center, protected by a wall, hides houses that are surprisingly well conserved. It would seem that each façade is always recently painted. The Independence Plaza is filled during the afternoons, with locals that go out for some fresh air, while the imposing cathedral is illumined as soon as night starts to fall. Not only is it the only fortified city in the country, but its downtown area was also declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
MERIDA
If there is a corner in Mexico that managed to capture the European splendor of the beginning of the 20th Century, it has to be the Montejo Avenue in Mérida. The magnificence of estates on this avenue reminds us of a bonanza that is hard to imagine today. Beyond the splendor, which was the result of the henequen (a type of plant used for rope making) export peak, Merida is a Colonial city, rich in cultural traditions and with a very special gastronomy, featuring delicacies as original as panuchos, papadzules or queso relleno.
CHICHEN ITZA
It may well be that today it is one of the new wonders of the world, but the truth is that in Mexico, we have known for a long time that few things can match this Mayan city that hides in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula. The enormous complex at Chichén Itza and the architectural beauty of its edifices convince visitors of a single thing: the Maya were an advanced culture rivaled by few.
IZAMAL
It is called "the yellow city" and you don't need anything else than one look at it to realize that the name is a very literal reference. But the most impressive thing about this small Colonial town is its huge convent, with an enormous open chapel, designed to evangelize the largest number of indigenous people. Izamal is famous because of the cultural mix it has, and from the convent of Nuestra Señora de Izamal, you can see a series of mountains that are in fact none other than Mayan pyramids that surround the town.
VALLADOLID
At the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, this Colonial city is famous for its architecture and its very rich gastronomy full of different flavours and ingredients. Although for many it is only one more step in the route, since it connects Mérida with the Riviera Maya, the truth is that visiting this city is an experience that combines very well the Maya spirit of the peninsula with the Colonial legacy of the architecture. In addition, there are at least a dozen cenotes (sink holes formed in lime rock) that are worth exploring.
CANCUN
Cancun is a planned paradise, and this is evident when travelling along its enormous costera (coastal road), where some of the largest hotels in the country are found. What was once a fishing town is today a city full of life and opportunities. The entertainment options here are designed to satisfy all interests, and that's why you have a choice between spending the afternoon shopping around or practicing extreme sports in a thematic park in the area.
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Chiapas
In Chiapas, treasures abound: from the Pre-Hispanic heritage preserved in local ethnic groups to the Colonial influence in its towns and cities, and also the flora and fauna is so diverse that they would be enough to fill a natural history museum. The attractions cannot be counted in one hand – or in two – and the only problem for the traveler is to have enough time to discover them all.
Tabasco
“Tropic: why did you give me hands full of color? All that I touch will be filled with sun.” This sentence from a well-known poet from Tabasco summarizes the essence of a state where the leading feature is the jungle’s green, regardless of whether it is the city or small coastal towns. All the cultures that spent some time here, beginning with the Olmeca, have found a way to coexist with flora and fauna that seem to swallow everything on their path.
Campeche
In Campeche, life is calm and with no rush. These coasts, which suffered attacks by pirates like John Hawkins and Francis Drake in other times, today enjoy a tranquility that is hard to find in other parts of the country. With some of the most beautiful Mayan archaeological sites and a strong Colonial inheritance in the cities, this treasure, just like its capital, seems to also be protected by a wall that keeps it outside the passage of time.
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