Mexico
Celebrating Maya Culture in the Mexican Caribbean
Article and photography by Jennifer Bain
Scrambled eggs came laced with chaya picked from a backyard “spinach tree.” Bowls of potaje were studded with local white beans and vegetables and topped with a single slice of sweet, firm banana. Corn tortillas were handmade over an outdoor wood fire.
Washed down with glasses of jamaica (hibiscus), the deeply delicious lunch that Felicia Chulin served in her home in the Maya town of Tihosuco was as simple as it was memorable.
The agricultural town about two hours west of Tulum has a population of 5,000 and a historical and cultural story to tell. U Belilek Kaxtik Kuxtal — a cooperative society whose name means “the way to search for our existence” — invites people to come for meaningful community tourism experiences.
Led by Carlos Chan Espinosa, whose Yucatec Maya was translated to English, we learned about the Maya calendar, played a traditional wooden musical instrument called a tunk’ul, and watched Rosy Pat make thread from seed pods picked from local cotton trees.
A visit to the fascinating Caste War Museum unpacked the story of 400 years of Maya resistance to foreign attacks on their culture, land and beliefs, and detailed the Caste War of 1847 to 1901 as the Maya sought to establish and preserve their autonomy.
We stood in the shell of a huge church, finished in 1839 and painted yellow like the corn that grows here. Templo Del Santo Niño Jesús was almost destroyed during the resistance and abandoned in the jungle. Rediscovered in the 1930s, this symbol of pride is now being restored.
“Our cooperative seeks to preserve the most authentic customs of the community,” said Chan Espinosa, explaining how they draw on eight local women and two men to showcase different areas of expertise.
After lunch, we walked to another home where artisans Graciana Uicab and Nidelvia Uh had set up a table to sell honey, traditional medicines, embroidery and crochet. It’s always a joy to see exactly where your tourism dollars go.
Before the pandemic, Tihosuco received several hundred visitors a year, including college students and other Mexicans. These days it’s more like 100, but the welcoming community is eager for more.
Flying into Tulum’s new Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport, I divided my stay in the Mexican Caribbean between two boutique hotels. Michelin-recognized, adults only Milam isn’t near the beach but has a jungle vibe and villas include personal indoor pools. The family-friendly Chiringuito Tulum is on the beach in the hotel zone’s southern section.
Tulum was my base to daytrip around Maya Ka’an, a region of natural, historical and cultural importance to the Maya people that’s home to Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are five entrances to the reserve but mine was from the village of Muyil with Community Tours Sian Ka’an, another community-based ecotourism initiative created by the local Maya.
Guided by biologist Nubia Nuñez, we hopped in a six-passenger fishing boat and explored lagoons and connecting canals once used by the Maya as trade routes. We wove through mangroves and wet savannah, ogled egrets and herons, respectfully watched manatees from a distance as they poked their noses up for air, and spotted a crocodile in brackish water near the Caribbean Sea.
At a small dock that seemingly materialized out of nowhere, we stepped into the jungle to hear about a Maya archaeological site called Xlapak that once served as a trading post and astral observatory.
Then we jumped off the dock and floated for nearly a kilometre down the mangrove-lined canal. They call this contemplative floating, and as currents pushed me far ahead of my group, I had precious time to myself to quietly connect with the natural beauty of Sian
Ka’an.
