Valladolid

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San Gervasio Souvenirs from Valladolid

In its main plaza, the mestizo women sit in a row in front of the church, offering their traditional cross-stitch embroidery, and in the beautiful park, with its wrought-iron fence and leafy trees full of blooms, one can savor fresh fruit, delicious Yucatecan appetizers, or a typical sweet.

Majestic San Gervasio Church dominates the plaza. It was built with the stones of ancient Mayan ruins, just like most of the churches allover the Yucatan. Above the portico, you can see the body of a sculpted Mayan serpent incorporated into the Franciscan architecture.

Both the San Roque Museum and the Government House are painted with the beautiful murals of Manuel Lizama that speak volumes of the history of Valladolid. The town was founded on May 28th, 1543, by Francisco de Montejo, el Sobrino, on top of the ancient Mayan city of Zaci. It is also called the Heroic City because of the many war-related events that took place throughout its history. This is where the Caste War began in 1847 and the first spark of the Mexican Revolution was ignited on June 4th, 1910, amongst others.

At the end of the Calzada de los Frailes (Friars's Promenade), a beautiful cobblestone street with restored colonial facades and old-fashioned street lamps, the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena rises majestically in the middle of the vast Sisal district plaza. It was built in the fortress style by Friar Juan de Merida in the 16th century. Thanks to its natural well, or cenote, its ample orchard and its waterwheel, it was self-sufficient during difficult times; firearms from the Caste War have been found at the bottom of the natural well. Some of the altars that decorate the somber church still have their original paint.

Two of the most beautiful natural cenotes (sinkholes) are in Valladolid. In the outskirts, Cenote Dzitnup (probably the most photographed of all the peninsula's cenotes) lays at the bottom of an impressive cave lit by a ray of sunlight that penetrates through a crack in the vaulted ceiling; and in the city center, the Zaci Cenote is a natural open-air pool 165 feet in diameter and 295-foot deep, surrounded by rocky walls.

Valladolid has one more charm, its fine cuisine. In the countless restaurants, visitors can enjoy the most succulent specialties: lime soup, mondongo (beef broth), roast pork loin, sausage and pickled turkey, just to mention a few.

Traditional and modern all at once, Valladolid has excellent tourist infrastructure. It is strategically situated midway between Merida and Cancun, and is also only a few miles from numerous places of interest, such as the archaeological zones of Chichen-Itza and Ek Balam, and the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.