Izamal

About

Izamal was originally an ancient Mayan city, and one of their most important religious sites, with a dozen temples dedicated to the creator deity Itzamna and to the Sun god Kinich Ahau. When the Spanish arrived, they built their settlement on top of the Mayan city, but because of the huge amount of work it would take to completely disassemble the monumental pagan structures, they instead built their own religious buildings on top of them. The Convento de San Antonio de Padua covers the Mayan acropolis, with second largest atrio in the Christian world after the Vatican encircling the entire site. The town itself is a charming place to simply amble - nearly all of it buildings have been painted a cheery yellow, and on the outskirts, you’ll find several Mayan ruins, including Mexico’s most massive pyramid.