Oxkutzcab - the state orchard

Our cover photo for this town shows a Mayan lady showing her embroidery work from the door of her home in the village of Xo-uayan in the very southern part of the state.

In February, the publisher and editor of Yucatan Today went on an excursion to Oxkutzcab, the village that is nick-named the “orchard of the state.” Oxkutuzcab has many unique features that make it an interesting place to visit. Its first interesting point is its location right where the Convent Route and the Puuc Route meet. This fantastic location makes it the obvious place to spend the night so you can do one route the first day and the other route the next without returning to Merida.

Another interesting aspect of Oxkutzcab is the fact that it is a very Mayan village. Although it is considered a city because it has a population of 27,000 inhabitants, it is really a big town where you will find the majority of the people still using the typical huipil dress and everyone using trici-taxis for transportation.

The market in Oxkutzcab is fairly small meaning you can take it all in rather quickly.

On the façade of the market there is a huge, unique mural painted by the Mayan artist Baas. He is also the artist who painted the mural of the Act of Faith, the destruction of the Mayan codices that is in the Main Plaza of Oxkutzcab.

Being that this market is the gathering point of all the citrus and vegetable production for the entire region, you will find a different feeling about it in comparison to other Mexican markets. Stroll the market and take in all the colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables that the ladies have in their stands.

We went to Oxkutzcab and used it as a base. We then went adventuring, first to the Lol Tun caves (7 kms.), then on to Hacienda Tabi, just another 7 kms. From there we got off the beaten path and headed further south toward Xul and Xo-auyan. It is in these villages, which are truly just dots on the map, that we saw the Mayan ladies and young girls sitting in front of their thatched roof homes embroidering. We also saw groups of huipil clad ladies at the Commissary building learning to read and write in Spanish. We were told that after 6 PM you won’t see any women in the Plaza, the streets or in front of their homes. It was almost like Cinderella at mid-night at the ball.

Oxkutzcab is located in the southern part of the state, some 100 kms (60 miles) from Merida, in the "citrus belt". Oxkutzcab is an interesting place to stay and use as a base if you are interested in exploring the southern part of Yucatan state.

To optimize your time, consider doing the Convent Route one entire day, sleeping in Oxkutzcab, then continuing on the next day with the Puuc Route, ending up in Merida after doing the Light and Sound Show in Uxmal. Or you can stay in Uxmal after the Light and Sound Show.

In Oxkutzcab , you will find services such as hotels and restaurants and gas stations. Oxkutzcab was founded in 1841 and it has a population of 27,000.

Things to see
San Francisco Convent (1790 - 1851), San Esteban Chapel (1872), The Virgin Pilar Hermitage (1697), the train station (1947) and the wonderful, citrus aroma market, the huge tricycle taxi groups.

Puuc Route:
Lol-Tun caves, Labna, Xlapak, Sayil, Kabah, Sta. Elena (mummies), Uxmal

Convent Route:
Acanceh (Mayan pyramids, churches), Tecoh, Telchaquillo, Mayapan (Mayan pyramids), Tekit, Mama, Chumayel, Teabo, Tipikal, Mani and Oxkutzcab.

Hotel
Hotel Puuc
Calle 55 No. 80 by 44 in Oxkutzcab
Tel. (997) 975 0103
Email: hotepuuc@hotmail.com

Visit our map
 Map of Convent Route
 Map of Yucatan Peninsula

To read in Spanish click here