Yucatán Peninsula

When famous Hernández de Córdoba dropped his anchor at the shores of this part of the world in 1517, he encountered Mayan population of this region. All communication broke down quickly between the two peoples largely due to the language barrier. Hernández de Córdoba mistakenly called this region “Yucatán” thinking that this is the actual name given to the peninsula by the Mayans. Today, Mayan is still the first language of peninsula’s inhabitants who have learned Spanish as a second language.

Indigenous religious practices continue to persist within the region intertwined with some form of Catholic rituals. The Mayans dedicate themselves to corn production, fishing, hunting, farming and hammock-weaving, but most recently, and in great numbers, Mayans have joined the ranks of the tourism industry/development. The Mayans support the tourism industry in Cancun, Mayan Riviera, Playa del Carmen, and Cozumel among other destinations in Yucatán peninsula, Mexico by working in restaurants, hotels, and providing services of multilingual guides at archaeological sites.

The foreign and Mexican developers continue to expand through the construction of hotels, condominiums, commercial and residential investment properties along the Yucatán coast in efforts of transforming the “wild tropical forest region” into a luxury destination.
“The peninsula’s interstate borders form a “Y”, Quintana Roo sees the Caribbean sun rise on the eastern coast, and Campeche faces the Gulf Coast to the west. Flat limestone scrubland and tropical forest dotted with cenotes (freshwater underground rivers enclosed by naturally forming underground caves) dominates the landscape. Because of the highly porous limestone subsoil, above-ground rivers do not exist in the Yucatán. Poor soil and the lack of water make farming difficult, so maize remains the staple crop. The prominence of the rain god Chac at most Maya ruins testifies to the eternal importance of the seasonal rains, which fall from May to late summer. “The Yucatán” refers to the peninsula, not the state, whereas “Yucatán” without the article can refer to either entity. Yucatán state’s rich history draws thousands of visitors each year, who come to scramble up and down the incomparable Chichen Itza and other majestic May ruins, marvel at old colonial towns, explore the area’s many dark caves, and take a dip in the cenotes. Quintana Roo’s luscious jungle, crystalline coastline, and monumental Maya ruins were idylls beneath the Caribbean sun until the government transformed the area from tropical paradise to tourist factory. Cancun rapidly became the beachhead for what some wryly call “the second conquista” and the nearby beaches and ruins following in suit. Although its countryside is dotted with Maya ruins, its coastline is over 200 km long, and its colonial history predates Veracruz’s, Campeche pulls in fewer visitors than Yucatán to the north or Quintana Roo to the east, perhaps because it lacks a kind of swaggering grandeur-ruins and modest and relatively inaccessible, while the beaches are kept humble by wind and rock.”[1]

In my next articles, I will talk about Campeche and its place in the Yucatán peninsula; followed by my personal conquest of the tourist roads leading from Merida through Chichen Itza, through Coba, through Cancun, through Tulum, through the Mayan Riviera, to the famous strip of Cancun. I will describe the trips and events which might be pursued on your own or through organized trips. Don’t forget to check my website at ocean view mexico for further details on this topic. There are many investment opportunities to own a piece of this paradise along the Caribbean Coast in Riviera Maya, Mexico as well as other destinations.
[1] Excerpt from Lets Go Mexico (2000).