Visiting Izamal: The Yellow City in Mexico

Best time of the year to visit Izamal

Like with the rest of the Yucatán peninsula, the best time for visiting Izamal the yellow city is during the dry season, from late November through April. During these months the weather is cooler, drier and less humid than during the more humid rainy season. It’s worth noting that it can get unpleasantly hot in Izamal during March and April. So for those that prefer slightly lower temperatures, the months of November, December and January might be the best time to visit. The average temperatures during those months ranges around 25°C (77°F).

How much time do you need In Izamal

Izamal is small, so you’ll only need a couple of hours to see the main points of interest. A day trip should give you enough time to explore Izamal. However, if you have time and want spend the night there, here are your accommodation options.

I visited Izamal on a day trip from Mérida, where I stayed at Casa Continental which I can highly recommend! I did quite a bit of research on accommodations in Mérida before choosing this one, and it did not disappoint. Amazing value for money, comfy beds, A/C, helpful staff and it’s also very close to two great cafés – Baretto and Latte Quatro Sette.

visiting izamal the yellow town — photo edited with the **mexico preset pack, available here**

Things to know before visiting Izamal

Although visiting the yellow city Izamal is fairly straight forward, there are a few things you should keep in mind. To start with, it can get very hot in the middle of the day, so I’d recommend trying to get there early in the day so that you can explore before it gets too hot. Ideally, you’d want to sit down somewhere to eat during the hottest time of the day. Note that not many restaurants in Izamal seem to have A/C. If you find yourself in a desperate need of cooling down (which I did multiple times during the day haha) the only place I found with A/C was the Oxxo supermarket. Truly a lifesaver. I visited in late April and it was very very hot.

Another thing to keep in mind when visiting Izamal is that there aren’t too many attractions, so don’t expect there to be a long list of things to do and see. Visiting Izamal is mostly about wandering through the colonial streets and admiring all the fascinating yellow buildings. On that note, visiting izamal is bound to include a lot of walking, so wear comfy shoes!

Why is Izamal yellow?

When I first heard of Izamal, I immediately started wondering why the entire city was painted in yellow. The answer is apparently not clear. A popular theory is that it was painted in preparation for Pope John Paul’s II visit to Izamal in 1993, in the same colours as the Vatican flag – yellow and white. However, it has been reported that Izamal was already yellow before that time.

The other theory is that Izamal was painted in yellow to honour the god of the sun. Given that here is a pyramid in the middle of Izamal honouring this god, this theory is perhaps more probable.

How to get to Izamal

Getting to Izamal can be done by public buses, colectivos, organized tours or by renting a car. Depending on where you’re visiting from, public buses or colectivos are usually the best options. When visiting Izamal from Mérida, the best option is to take a public bus from the company Oriente. The journey takes just over one and a half hour, the buses depart from Terminal de Autobuses Noreste, located on the corner of Calle 67 y 65, click here for the Google Maps location. Tickets are sold at the terminal and cost 35 pesos each way. Here are the options you have to get to Izamal:

Public bus: taking a public bus to Izamal is very efficient and affordable, especially when visiting from Mérida or Valladolid.
Renting a car: is a good option if you plan to explore more of the Yucatán peninsula. However, I wouldn’t recommend renting a car for one day just to drive to Izamal, it’s just not worth the hassle in my opinion. Taking a bus would be so much easier.
Colectivo: A colectivo is a shared van, often referred to in Central America as chicken bus. Colectivos have no fixed schedule, instead they leave whenever they fill up. Normally they fill up in just 10-15 minutes, but it can take longer. Prices are about the same as for public buses, 30-40 pesos (1.5-2 USD). Colectivos will take longer than the buses as they stop every time someone wants to get off or get on, so I’d recommend taking a public bus instead.
Organized tour: There are plenty of tour companies throughout the Yucatán peninsula that offer trips to Izamal. Typically, these day trips include transportation, usually in a mini van, sometimes a lunch as well as often including a visit to one or two cenotes. These trips are booked directly from the tour operators, normally a day or two in advance.
Private tour: if you are traveling with a group and want to make your trip to Izamal as easy as possible, a private tour would be something worth checking out. Being picked up and dropped off directly at your accommodation and being able to customize the trip to your preferences is of course very convenient. However, it wouldn’t really make sense price-wise unless split between a few people.

this is the bus station in Izamal – photo edited with the **Mexico preset pack**

Things to see in Izamal

Although the best thing to do in Izamal is simply to wander around and admire all the yellow buildings, there are a few things you shouldn’t miss.

visiting izamal the yellow city — seen from inside the courtyard at Convento de San Antonio – photo edited with the **Mexico preset pack**

Convento de San Antonio de Padua

Founded in 1549, Convento de San Antonio is undoubtedly the the symbol of Izamal. Once a center for worship of supreme Mayan god of sun, this impressive building is now a Franciscan Monastery and it’s certainly one you can’t miss when visiting the yellow city of Izamal. Convento de San Antonio was built on top of an ancient Maya pyramid known as Pop-hol-Chac. The pyramid was destroyed and its stones were used to build this catholic temple. You are bound to be fascinated by the massive courtyard, which is actually the second largest closed atrium in the world. You should know that there is no entrance fee to enter the Convento de San Antonio.

Parque Itzamna

Parque Itzamna is the main square in Izamal, located in front of the Convento de San Antonio. It’s a beautiful place to sit down and perhaps grab the famous Mexican marquesitas, from one of the street vendors. This is also where you’ll find a colourful sign spelling out the city’s name.

Kinich Kak Moo

Another important attraction in Izamal is the mayan pyramid Kinich Kak Moo. Located just three blocks away from the Convento de San Antonio, it’s the largest pyramid in Yucatán and the third one in Mexico. The pyramid is named after the sun god and was one of the most important temples in pre-Columbian times. It’s one of the few pyramids that is still allowed to climb, probably because it hasn’t become as crowded as more famous Mayan sites such as Chichen Itza. From the top you have panoramic views of Izamal and surrounding areas. Entrance to Kinich Kak Moo is free of charge.

Izamal Centro

Izamal Centro, or downtown Izamal, is the most beautiful part of the city. This is where you’ll find most of the picturesque streets as well as the most important places to see. The further you get from the center, the less cute the streets tend to be – and you might even spot a house that’s not yellow!

izamal colectivo — here you see a colectivo, which is one of the ways to get to Izamal – **edited with the Mexico preset pack**

Mercado de Izamal

Mercado de Izamal is a typical Mexican market where you can try local tacos, exotic fruits and vegetables, or pick up some souvenirs. Here you can get a feel for the daily life in Mexico as you will see a lot of locals doing their daily shopping. On the weekends there is sometimes live music going on.

Where to eat in Izamal

You will find that most restaurants focus on traditional Yucatán cuisine, so a visit to Izamal is a perfect opportunity to try the delicious local cuisine.

Kinich restaurant: Arguably the most famous restaurant in Izamal. An upscale restaurant with open-air seating, serving traditional Yucatán style food.
Hun Pic Tok: A small cafeteria located in a beautiful quiet courtyard with outdoor seating. They have fresh juices and coffee as well as some local dishes.
Loncheria y Antojitos La Guadalupana: A real Mexican place with a variety of local food at local prices! Great option for those wanting to eat where the locals eat at very affordable prices

I hope you found this post helpful and that you feel more prepared for visiting Izamal the yellow city. If you want to get notified when I publish new blog posts, just click the red bell in the bottom right corner or follow me on Instagram where I usually announce new posts :))