Pueblo Mágico Izamal, Mexico

Yellow City of Izamal Mexico Pueblo Magico

The colonial town and Pueblo Magico Izamal, Mexico is famous for its yellow houses and beautiful yellow-painted San Antonio Convent.

Also called The Yellow City of Mexico, Izamal is a unique city in the Yucatan Peninsula, located between Merida and Valladolid.

In our Izamal Yucatan Guide we will give you an overview all around Izamal and show you the city with incredible photos.

Pueblo Mágico Izamal, México

The Yellow City In Yucatan

Table Of Contents

Izamal Yucatán, Mexico
Izamal Pueblo Mágico
The Yellow City In Mexico
Things To Do In Izamal, Mexico
Getting To Izamal, Yucatán
Izamal Tour
Izamal Hotels
Izamal Restaurants

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Izamal Yucatán, Mexico

The Yellow City Mexico in colonial town Izamal, Yucatan Peninsula — The Yellow City Mexico in Izamal

Izamal is a colonial town in the Yucatan Peninsula founded by the Spanish on top of an ancient Mayan city during the mid 16th century.

The city was known as “La Ciudad de Los Cerros“, the “City of the Hills“, because of the many pyramids. Izamal was also known as the “City of Cultures”. The latter is because of its pre-Hispanic past, the Spanish colonial period, and the present time.

Izamal Pueblo Mágico

Izamal was named a Pueblo Mágico in 2002. The yellow town is since one of the 132 „magical towns“ in Mexico.

A Mexican Pueblo Magico is home to unique and special characteristics like their natural beauty, culture, tradition, folklore, historical relevance, arts and crafts, or cuisine.

The Yellow City In Mexico

Yellow painted houses at Izamal Mexico Yellow City — Yellow painted houses at Izamal – The Yellow City, Mexico

The most obvious marker why Izamal is such a unique town worth visiting is the yellow color of the convent and buildings. All the houses in the center of Izamal are painted in Yellow with white and red accents. That’s why Izamal is also called Mexico’s “Yellow City“.

Why Is Izamal Painted Yellow?

It is not entirely known why Izamal “The Yellow Town” is painted all in yellow. One theory is because of the visit of the current pope in the 90s. Another theory has it that Izamal is painted yellow to honor the Mayan sun god Kinich Kakmo.

Things To Do In Izamal, Mexico

If you are planning on visiting Izamal, exploring the yellow painted historic center is definitely the top thing to do in Izamal and most likely the reason why you want to visit the historic town in the first place.

Here are a few of the best things to do in Izamal, Mexico:

Convento de San Antonio de Padua, Izamal

The Izamal Convent was build atop of a Mayan ruin. The Franciscan colonial building was even constructed with the Mayan site’s very own stones.

The yellow Izamal convento de San Antonio features one of the worlds largest enclosed atriums. Only St. Peter’s Basilika in the Vatican has a larger atrium.

Atrium at San Antonio Convent in Izamal, Mexico — Atrium at San Antonio Convent in Izamal, México

In contrast to the ex-convent in Uayma, the San Antonio Convent in Izamal still functions as such.

Izamal Mayan Ruins & Pyramids

Kinich Kakmo Pyramid. Mayan Izamal ruin in Mexico. — Kinich Kakmo Pyramid in Izamal

Izamal had quite a few pyramids in ancient Mayan times. To this day remains of the following Mayan pyramids in Izamal can be seen:

IZAMAL RUINS

Kinich Kakmo Pyramid

Itzamatul Pyramid

Habuk

Archaeological Zone of Izamal

Temple of Kabul

El Conejo

Kinich Kakmo Pyramid

Kinich Kakmó has the biggest surface area of all the pyramids in the Yucatán Peninsula. Overall in Mexico, the Kinich Kakmó pyramide is the third largest, after the Pirámide del Sol in Teotihuacán near Mexico City and Cholula in Puebla.

Julia has been to all of the three largest pyramids in Mexico and they are huge! It’s hard to believe how big they are, you have to see it for yourself.

You can climb up the Kinich Kakmó pyramide like at the Teotihuacán and Cholula pyramids too. From the top, you will have a nice view of the yellow houses in Izamal and the San Antonio Convent.

It’s very easy to get to Kinich Kakmó as the ruin is located right in the center of town next to the same-named and popular Kinich Restaurant.

Itzamatúl Pyramide

Itzamatúl is the second-largest pyramid in Izamal. In ancient Mayan times, the temple was dedicated to the god Zamná.

Izamal Cenotes

Unlike in Valladolid, there is no cenote in town, but there are quite a few cenotes near Izamal that you can visit during the same day trip.

Izamal Cenotes

Cenote Chihuán aka Cenote Izamal

Cenote Yokdzonot

Cenote Francisco Ayun Nah

Homun Cenotes Near Izamal

A little bit further away from Izamal, you will find the Homún Cenotes. The town of Homun is about an hour Southeast of Izamal and boasts many amazing cenotes.

If you stay around the area of Izamal, you should make a day trip of out it and visit at least one of the incredible cenotes in Homun. They are beautiful!

Cenotes de Homun

Cenote San Antonio

Cenote Yaxbacaltun

Cenote Wolpoch

Cenote Hool Kosom

Cenotes de Cuzamá

Cenote Chunkuy

Reserva Estatal Geohidrológica Anillo de Cenotes

Cenote Mani-Chan

Nah Yah Cenote

Cenote Paraíso Papakal

Getting To Izamal, Yucatán

Horse carriage in Pueblo Magico Izamal, Yucatan, Mexico

The Yellow City Izamal is located in the state of Yucatan. The colonial town is located inland, far off the major tourist destinations of the Riviera Maya. The closest bigger town near Izamal is Merida.

Izamal Mexico Map & Location

For the exact location of Izamal, Mexico and Izamal Map, see Google Maps here.

Merida To Izamal

Merida To Izamal By Car

The closest major town near Izamal is Merida. From Merida to Izamal it is 70 km / 44 mi and approximately a 1-hour drive by car. You will drive the paid Cuota Merida – Cancun Highway.

Bus from Merida to Izamal

You can take a bus from Merida to Izamal. This is a fairly cheap option if you don’t want to drive.

Merida to Izamal Bus Schedule

The Merida Noreste Bus Station on Calle 67 between 50 and 52 streets serves the Merida – Izamal bus route with multiple departures a day. The same goes for the route back from Izamal to Merida.

Autobuses Oriente is a major bus company that serves this route. Check their website for prices and Merida to Izamal bus schedule.

Valladolid To Izamal

Valladolid To Izamal By Car

The next nearest town to Izamal is the colonial town Valladolid. From Valladolid to Izamal it is 110 km / 68 mi and approximately a 1.5 hours drive by car on the toll road Cuota Cancun – Merida.

We have visited Izamal from Valladolid and took the paid road. The drive is super straightforward, quite literally. The road conditions of the paid highways in the Yucatan Peninsula are very good and there is never any traffic.

The drive back from Izamal to Valladolid is the exact same route.

Valladolid to Izamal Bus

Autobuses Centro runs the bus route from the center of Valladolid to Izamal. Check their Facebook page for prices and schedules. Look for the route Cancun – Merida, and vice versa. Izamal is a stop on the way.

Cancun To Izamal

If you are staying in Cancun and want to visit Izamal from there, the drive is 260 km / 162 mi and takes about 3.5 hours to get from Cancun to Izamal by car.

Cancun To Izamal By Bus

Autobuses Centro runs the bus route from Cancun to Izamal. It is the same route as from Valladolid to Izamal, as Valladolid is just a stop on the way there as well. Check Autobuses Centro’s Facebook page for prices and schedules.

Look for the route Cancun – Merida, and vice versa. Izamal is a stop on the way.

Izamal Tour

If you don’t want to take the bus or make the drive yourself, there is a day trip to Izamal from Merida. The private tour to Izamal also includes swimming in cenotes.:

➤ Izamal Magic Town & Cenotes Tour from Merida

San Antonio Convent atrium in Izamal, Yucatan Peninsula

Izamal Hotels

Izamal is a small and fairly unknown colonial town in Yucatan, but it has some really nice hotels. The best thing about the hotels in Izamal is, that the prices are a lot cheaper than in the main tourist areas at the Riviera Maya.

A newly opened small boutique hotel, the Coqui Coqui Izamal, opened recently in town. The Coqui Coqui boutique hotels are known for their luxurious and unique rustic style.

See an overview of the best hotels in Izamal, Mexico below:

Izamal Hotels

Hacienda Sacnicte
*****

Izamal Hacienda Santo Domingo
****

Hotel Rinconada del Convento
****

Hotel San Miguel Arcangel
****

Coqui Coqui Casa De Los Santos
Residence & Spa

Hotel Tuul
***

Villa San Antonio de Padua
****

Hotel Hacienda Izamal
***

Hotel Los Arcos Izamal
Budget Option

Izamal Restaurants

Kinich Restaurant Izamal Yucatan, Mexico

The most popular and top rated restaurants in Izamal are the following:

Popular Izamal Restaurants

Restaurante Kinich Izamal

Restaurante La Conquista

Restaurante Zamna Izamal

Restaurante Marisqueria La Jaiba

Traditional Mexican food is on the menu at Restaurants Kinich Izamal

Restaurante Kinich Izamal

We had lunch at Restaurant Kinich in Izamal and can not recommend it enough. Kinich Izamal serves local traditional Mexican food in a very nice setting.

The prices at Kinich Izamal are a little bit on the higher side, but the menu is is absolutely delicious and the margaritas go down like water! 🙂