Cities of La Ruta Maya
Although the jungles of the Yucatan, Guatemala and Belize offer up spectacular ruins that showcase the region’s Mayan past, don’t forget these cities too.
Merida
Mérida, the state capital of the Yucatan in Mexico, is a relaxed, charming city of narrow streets, colonial buildings and shady parks. Most Yucatan people are mestizos, Mexicans of mixed Spanish and Indian descent who take great pride in their Mayan roots. In Mérida you will find the commercial and cultural hub of the Yucatan.
Belize City
Belize is an English-speaking country, which became part of the British Empire in the 17th century and has been occupied by English soldiers up until 1994. Belize City is a ramshackle port where roughly a third of the country’s population of 200,000 lives. For such a tiny country Belize is home to a diverse mix of people and cultures. Sixty percent of the population are creole – descendants of African slaves and British pirates. Ten percent are pure-blooded Maya. A third are mestizos, and there are even several thousand Swiss German Mennonites – a separatist religious sect. It’s a hot, dirty, dilapidated but lively city, a strange mixture of Caribbean ease and African rhythm.
Guatemala City
Home to a quarter of the Guatemala’s nine million people Guatemala City is the largest urban sprawl in Central America. Migrant workers looking for jobs crowd into the city every day adding to the poverty which sits uncomfortably alongside glaring displays of wealth. The city has a huge market and surprising efficient buses that ramble around and add to the general chaos of the city.
Antigua
Rustic Antigua is the former capital of Guatemala and was founded in 1543, and the cobblestone streets add to Antigua’s charm. It’s a good place to meet travellers of all sorts. Although Antigua has been repeatedly damaged by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires and even floods it remains one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the Americas.
To find out more check out these Empire Builders programs on the history of Mexico and the Maya
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