Yucatán Magazine

Honest SocialBoosting Review: Why Creators Choose Them

Growing a social media account takes time and effort, making the early stages especially challenging for new creators who lack initial social proof. SocialBoosting offers engagement services like followers and views across multiple platforms, serving as one tool within a broader creator strategy to build initial momentum while quality content handles the rest. Understanding how...

Why Music Fans Are Choosing Mexico City for Concerts

Over the past few years, Mexico City has established itself as a major global center for live entertainment and musical events.

10 Best Proxy Websites for Web Scraping

Every data scraper eventually hits the same wall, usually the moment a target site starts serving CAPTCHAs instead of data. A reliable proxy network is the standard fix, but the market is crowded. The market ranges from established enterprise providers to affordable newcomers, such as the Dataimpulse proxy provider, with major differences in pricing, performance,...

What to know before moving to Mérida

Plenty of people come to Mérida for a week and leave convinced they’ve found the answer. Falling for the place over a long weekend takes no effort: shaded streets in the centro and beautifully restored houses. Some make the leap and get exactly what they came for; others sign a lease and then open their...

Tongits Plus: A Filipino Card Game Built for Online Play

For many Filipinos, Tongits is the kind of card game that needs little introduction. Once everyone gets their hands, the table usually gets a little more competitive. Tongits Plus takes that familiar game and brings it online on GameZone Here, players can join different tables, tournaments, and other card games. Manage your hand, form combinations,...

Volaris and Viva Set to Become a New Conglomerate: Más Vuelos

The formation of what will be Mexico’s largest aviation conglomerate is a done deal, according to national media outlets. The National Antitrust Commission is expected to approve the unification of Volaris and Viva (formerly Viva Aerobus) before the end of the current year. Mexico’s aviation regulatory body will have allowed the consolidation to proceed with...

In a Yucatán Cave, 8 Women Keep the Guano Hat Alive

In the small Yucatán community of Cuch Holoch, the best place to make a guano hat is underground. Eight Maya-speaking women, ages 28 to 70, gather there every day to weave sombreros from guano palm. They work inside a cave, where the damp air keeps the palm soft enough to bend without cracking. The women...

Costa Oriental: The Last Great Chapter of Maya Architecture in Yucatán

The eastern coast of Quintana Roo on the Yucatán Peninsula is home to a distinctive architectural tradition known as Costa Oriental. Developing during the Late Postclassic period, between 1250 and 1550 C.E., this style represents the final phase of Maya construction before the Spanish arrived in the Yucatán Peninsula. Unlike the towering pyramids of earlier...

Pib Season Begins: Get Ready for Mérida’s Mucbipollo Fair

Every October, kitchens across Yucatán fill with the smell of corn dough, achiote, and banana leaves. The reason is the mucbipollo, also called pib: an oversized tamale filled with chicken and pork, wrapped in banana leaves, and traditionally baked in an underground oven. Its name comes from the Maya word mukbil, meaning something buried. The...

Camino del Mayab Makes the Cut as a Green Project

Camino del Mayab, a network of walking and cycling routes that links Maya villages, old haciendas, and cenotes south of Mérida, has been selected for the NaturaTech LAC 2026 recognition, an international program that backs green projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Yucatán’s tourism department, Sefotur, announced the news Friday. Two juries reviewed 397...

Permits Weren’t Enough: 3 Boats Seized at Alacranes Reef

Three boats were seized at Alacranes Reef National Park after their passengers went ashore on Isla Pájaros, a tiny island that is off-limits to visitors because sea turtles and seabirds nest there. Profepa, Mexico’s federal environmental protection agency, announced the seizures Friday. The boats — the Gypsea, the Seamaster, and El Abuelo — were stopped...

What Hurricane? Cruise Ship Docks in Progreso as Isaías Passes

A cruise ship docked in Progreso on schedule Thursday as Hurricane Isaías churned offshore. The storm still kept the port’s fishing fleet on the beach and closed most of the malecón. The Carnival Breeze tied up at Progreso’s deepwater pier without trouble. The regional harbor master’s office closed the coast to small boats starting at...

Investors Send Sheinbaum a Warning: Mexico’s Debt Is Getting PriceyRising borrowing costs, sluggish growth and the financial burden of Pemex are testing investor confidence in President Claudia Sheinbaum’s economic policies

Mexico is finding it increasingly expensive to borrow money, raising concerns about the country’s economic prospects as President Claudia Sheinbaum struggles to convince international investors that her government can control spending and stabilize public finances. The warning signs are coming from international bond markets, where investors are demanding unusually high returns to lend money to...

At Refettorio Mérida, a Pan de Muerto Workshop With Purpose

Refettorio Mérida will host a baking workshop focused on preparing pan de muerto, a sweet bread central to Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations. The event is part of the Refettorio Aprende program. This educational branch of Refettorio operates on the principle that culinary training can improve lives. The workshops and donations collected support Refettorio...

Mexico Will Get its Historic Feathered Headdress Back, Austrian Political Candidate Vows

The debate over the Penacho de Moctezuma in Austria has recently resumed. Through a press statement, Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn announced his intention to campaign for the Austrian Federal Presidency in the 2028 elections. His political platform includes a distinct promise to return the historical feathered headdress to Mexico. The declaration featured photographs of the politician posing...

Why Isaías Spared Mérida the Heavy Rain, So Far

Mérida braced for a soaking Thursday. So far, Hurricane Isaías has delivered much less than many residents expected, and the reasons come down to the storm’s shape, size, and path. At 10 a.m., the U.S. National Hurricane Center placed Isaías about 270 km (170 miles) north of Progreso. Its maximum sustained winds had climbed to...

Cracked Walls, Lost Mangroves, Eroding Beaches: The Real Cost of Progreso’s Viaduct

Progreso is the primary coastal entry and exit point for cargo in Yucatán, Mexico. The port city faces a severe logistics crisis due to the sheer volume of commercial transportation. Every day, approximately 12,000 heavy cargo trucks travel through the urban center. These vehicles must navigate standard residential streets to reach the port facilities. The...

Hurricane Isaías: What Mérida Can Expect, and When

Hurricane Isaías will stay offshore, but Mérida and much of Yucatán are in for a wet, windy stretch that is expected to last into the weekend. Isaías became a hurricane at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Mérida time, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Its maximum sustained winds were 120 km/h (75 mph). It is the...

Visa Debit Casinos in Ireland: Rules, Payouts and Checks

Visa Debit After Ireland’s 2026 Credit Card Ban Card rules for Irish online gambling changed in February 2026. Players who compare Visa-friendly casino sites in Ireland now test one thing first, which is debit acceptance. Visa credit cards no longer work for gambling payments here. Visa debit stays usable, and the minimum age stays 18....

Yanni Esmeralda Romero Patrón Wins Prestigious Literary Award in Spain

The Yucatán literary community has gained renewed international prominence this week. Yanni Esmeralda Romero Patrón, a 28-year-old poet born in Mérida, has won the 2026 Young Creation Award from the Loewe Foundation. The Spanish institution recognized the Mexican author for her poetry collection titled “Gardenias de Tepito.” The award includes a financial endowment of 12,000...

Viviendas del Bienestar Expands with 3,120 New Apartments in Kanasín

A new residential complex named Condominios Kanasín is moving forward in Yucatán’s second-largest municipality, just across from Mérida’s Periférico to the west. The project is part of the federal Viviendas del Bienestar program and aims to build 3,120 apartments, expected to house at least 10,000 people. The cost of the condominiums has not been announced....

OSY’s horn star gets Mérida singing ‘Bésame Mucho’

The French horn started out as a hunting instrument, a descendant of ram and antelope horns. At the Palacio de la Música, it took the spotlight. Then it led the audience in a Mexican love song. Spanish hornist Juan José Pastor was the soloist for the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra’s third program of its fall season....

Mérida’s Water Infrastructure Struggles: Flooded Malls, Dry Taps, and Poor Management

The death of a wakeboarding instructor at the La Isla artificial lake is the latest wake-up call that Yucatán is failing to manage one of its most important resources—water. Rapid development is straining resources and harming public health and the local economy. The Peninsula sits on a porous karst aquifer, a geological formation composed of...

‘We Are Wayfarers’: Helping Yucatán Families Face Return

For two decades, absence has been part of daily life in Mama. Fathers, uncles and sons left for California, Oregon and Washington. Money came home. Phone calls and video chats filled the gap. Now, with immigration enforcement tightening in the United States, a small NGO called Ajxíimbalo’on is asking a question few others are: What...

Honor Your Pets: Mérida’s ‘Pixán Peek’ Day-of-the-Dead Altar

In Yucatán, Day of the Dead celebrations bring with them many unique ancient traditions back to life. Mérida’s city council has announced an event specifically designed to remember the animal companions who have passed away. As part of the annual Festival de las Ánimas, the city is organizing a massive altar to honor pets, blending...

La Gran Piramide: Exploring Uxmal’s Largest Pyramid

Uxmal is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Yucatán, known for its extensive ancient Puuc architecture. While the most famous structure at the site is undoubtedly La Pirámide del Adivino (Pyramid of the Magician), it is not actually the largest pyramid in the ancient city. The title of the largest pyramid belongs to...

Yucatecan Film Director Makes History at Ariel Awards

Progreso-born filmmaker Víctor Rejón Cruz has become the first person from Yucatán to win an Ariel, Mexico’s top film award, as a director, according to the state’s culture ministry. Rejón and co-director Irving Serrano won best short documentary Saturday for “Las voces del despeñadero.” The black-and-white film is a portrait of the cliff divers of...

Your Dollar Stretches Further as Peso Nears 1-Year Low

The U.S. dollar climbed to about MX$18.25 in early trading Monday. That extends a three-week run that has left the Mexican peso at its weakest level in nearly a year. Monday’s gain was small, about half a percent. But it adds to a sharp reversal. In early September, the peso traded steadily below 17 per...

Same-sex marriages in Yucatán jump 166% in 1 year

Same-sex marriages in Yucatán nearly tripled in 2025, climbing from 21 to 56 in a single year, according to new figures from Mexico’s national statistics agency. The 166% jump is the highest annual total in eight years of data compiled by Inegi, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, which released its 2025 marriage report...

Murky Water at La Plancha Raises Questions After Amoeba Death

The artificial lake at Parque La Plancha, one of the urban park’s main draws, is showing signs of neglect. During a recent visit, a reporter found the water murky and green. Leaves and other debris from nearby trees had piled up in several spots. Food wrappers and plastic containers floated on the surface, apparently tossed...

Abandoned Houses Fuel 7 Years of Crime in Jesús Carranza

For about seven years, residents of Mérida’s colonia Jesús Carranza have watched abandoned houses on their streets turn into hideouts. Now they say the problem has gotten too big to ignore. Neighbors describe break-ins at homes and businesses, stolen wiring and fixtures, and physical attacks. They link much of it to a group of roughly...

4 Arrested in Shooting of Alleged Crime Boss in Mérida

Yucatán police made quick work of arresting four people within hours of Friday morning’s shooting of a man whom Quintana Roo authorities have called a criminal leader in Cancún. Yucatán’s Public Security Secretariat, known as the SSP, said the suspects were two men and two women. Investigators began tracking them as soon as the attack...

Costco Plans 2nd Store in Yucatán, State Official Confirms

Costco is planning a second store in Yucatán, according to the state’s top economic official. Yucatán Secretary of Economy and Labor Ermilo Barrera Novelo said negotiations with the U.S. warehouse retailer are well underway. He said the state government is helping the company finalize the project in the near future. Neither Barrera Novelo nor Costco...

Alleged Cancún Crime Boss Shot Outside Mérida Home

A man identified by Quintana Roo authorities as a drug-trade figure in Cancún was shot and wounded Friday morning outside a home in Montes de Amé, a residential subdivision in north Mérida. The attack happened around 11 a.m. on Calle 32 between 79 and 81. The man had stepped out of his house to get...

Yucatán Now Has Mexico’s 2nd-Lowest Birth Rate

Yucatán now has the second-lowest birth rate in Mexico, and unlike the country as a whole, its rate is still falling. The state recorded 35.9 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age in 2025, according to INEGI, Mexico’s national statistics agency. Only Mexico City, at 31.1, was lower. The State of Mexico followed Yucatán at...

The Debate Over Mexico’s New Ban on Dual Citizens in High Office

A new constitutional reform requires future candidates for the presidency, state governorships, and the position of Head of Government of Mexico City to hold exclusive Mexican citizenship. This means individuals with dual citizenship will be categorically barred from seeking these executive roles unless they formally renounce their second nationality before registering their candidacy. The scope.…

Volaris Pulls Out of Tulum: The Growing Collapse at Riviera Maya’s Newest Airport

Volaris, one of Mexico’s largest budget carriers, announced it will suspend operations at the Tulum airport starting Jan. 7. This decision highlights a growing trend of airlines abandoning the airport, raising serious questions about the airport’s viability and continued operation. The Exodus of Domestic and International Carriers Other airlines that have called it quits at...

Hurricane Season in Yucatán, Calm Water in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles Boat Trips for an October Escape

The last days of September have followed a familiar script in Mérida. Tropical waves keep rolling in from the Caribbean, afternoon storms slow traffic on the Mérida-Progreso highway, and forecasters are watching for a possible Central American Gyre to the south. The Atlantic hurricane season runs until November 30, and for the Yucatán Peninsula the...

Yucatán Repeals Law That Criminalized People With HIV

Yucatán lawmakers have removed a crime from the state penal code that activists say treated people living with HIV as suspects simply because of their diagnosis. The state Congress voted Wednesday unanimously to repeal Article 189, which defined the offense of peligro de contagio, or “danger of contagion.” The same measure updates Yucatán’s anti-discrimination law...

The Fading Appetite for Mérida Restaurant Week

Every year, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán hosts a citywide dining promotion known as Mérida Restaurant Week. Organized by the local chapter of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry, the initiative aims to boost sales during traditionally slow economic periods. The eighth edition, scheduled from late September to...