Mexico || The Magical City of Izamal

Izamal Yucatán Mexico So many places in Mexico feel like other worlds.

Magical worlds.

Stunning riots of color and vibrancy coupled with rich, cultural heritage.

Oh I miss it so much!

And today’s travel post just so happens to be on one of the most magical towns in ALL of Mexico.

Izamal. Beautiful, lemony, vibrant yellow Izamal.Izamal Yucatán MexicoIzamal, rightly so, is considered a ‘Pueblo Mágico‘.

A Magic Town.

Only a small number of Mexican towns receive this special designation from the Board of Tourism as it is only given to towns that “offer visitors a ‘magical’ experience – by reason of their natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance”.

And WOW does Izamal ever live up to the name…
Izamal Yucatán Mexico The entire city is painted in a vibrant marigold yellow.Izamal Yucatán Mexico And on a cloudy day, the yellow buildings feel like they’re positively glowing.
Izamal Yucatán MexicoThe town is centered around the Convento de San Antonio de Padua, one of the oldest and most important buildings in all of Mexico.

Completed in 1561, it’s a marvel to see in person (but more on that in just a minute!).Izamal Yucatán MexicoCan we just talk about what a hidden gem this little town is?Izamal Yucatán MexicoI couldn’t resist the urge to shoot down those lovely yellow streets.Izamal Yucatán MexicoRight across from the convent we spent a little time at the lovely Hotel Rinconada del Convento,Izamal Yucatán Mexico which has a marvelous pool with a stunning view of the convent beyond.Izamal Yucatán MexicoWhere we proceeded to find a new ride for a tour around the city… ATVs!Izamal Yucatán MexicoNeedless to say Seth was excited.Izamal Yucatán MexicoActually we were ALL pretty excited.Izamal Yucatán MexicoIzamal has light enough traffic on the roads that we were able to wind all through the surrounding yellow streets at incredible speeds,Izamal Yucatán Mexico snapping HUNDREDS of photos along the way.

It seriously was the perfect way to sight-see in this magical town!Izamal Yucatán MexicoAfterwards we ascended the steps to Izamal’s famous convent.Izamal Yucatán Mexico It’s hard to believe this convent is over 450 years, isn’t it?Izamal Yucatán MexicoWhat an amazing piece of historical architecture!
Izamal Yucatán MexicoAll decked out in Izamal’s signature yellow hue atop the town’s tallest hill.Izamal Yucatán Mexico This large atrium here inside the convent is notable too for being the second largest in size next to the Vatican!Izamal Yucatán MexicoIsn’t the altar stunning? The original altar burned in a fire believed to have been started by a candle so this gilded altar was installed in the 40’s.Izamal Yucatán Mexico It certainly made for some beautiful photos!Izamal Yucatán MexicoAnd this shot I did of photographer Simeon may very well be my favorite from our entire trip to Mexico!Izamal Yucatán MexicoAnd this shot of Erin walking through the ancient hallways.Izamal Yucatán Mexico Next to the church there is a lovely garden,Izamal Yucatán Mexicocomplete with Virgin Mary statues,Izamal Yucatán Mexico and all sorts of cacti!Izamal Yucatán MexicoAs well as other local foliage.Izamal Yucatán MexicoWhich we spent quite a bit of time in exploring and shooting.

Hi Ana!Izamal Yucatán MexicoThe rest of the convent is just as beautiful to walk through.Izamal Yucatán MexicoAnd there are several places with rows of prayer candles outside the church as well.Izamal Yucatán MexicoAfterwards we walked through the center of the town (thanks for leading the way, Sofía!).Izamal Yucatán MexicoMeeting a few adorable local residents along the way.Izamal Yucatán Mexico And making our way through this amazing grand archway through the older parts of town.Izamal Yucatán Mexico Past stunning yellow buildingIzamal Yucatán Mexico after stunning yellow buildingIzamal Yucatán Mexico after stunning yellow building.
Izamal Yucatán Mexico Aren’t the borders on some of these houses amazing?Izamal Yucatán MexicoI wish I could find architecture like this back home!Izamal Yucatán MexicoEspecially some of these stunning old doors.Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexico Eventually we arrived at our final destination in Izamal — Restaurante Zamna.Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexico The interior of this restaurant is gorgeous, with plenty of wicker lamps and hammocks hanging from the open-air ceiling.Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán MexicoWe started with rounds of Micheladas (one of my favorite foods in Yucatán),Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexico and large pitchers of Chaya Water — one of the most refreshing drinks you can try!Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexico In the back Zamna has a hut where fresh tortillas are made to order — a very rare thing to find these days in Mexico and well-worth seeking out.Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexico Especially because of how fresh the tortillas TASTE!Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán MexicoWe started our meal with chaya empanadas filled with creamy queso,Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexicoplenty of rounds of fresh salsas,Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán Mexico and some delicious tostadas!Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán MexicoEverything was presented with delicious pickled onions and some vibrant green hot peppers which we were warned not to eat.
Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán MexicoAnd which Seth immediately took as a challenge!

Let’s just say he needed A LOT of chaya water and agua to recover from that bite!Restaurante Zamna Izamal Yucatán MexicoWe finished our meal with fresh scoops of coconut sorbet — the perfect cooling finale to such a hot, Yucatán day.

Izamal is easily one of the most enchanting, stunning, and magical places I’ve ever visited. I can’t WAIT to come back and take Hubby for an ATV ride through this legendary yellow city!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary visit to Izamal through the Mexican Board of Tourism to facilitate this post. Review and all opinions are ALWAYS my own.

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