Valladolid, Yucatán
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Valladolid (; Saki in
Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
) is a city located in the eastern region of the Mexican
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
of
Yucatán Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...
. It is the seat of Valladolid Municipality. As of the 2020 census the population of the city was 56,494 inhabitants (the third-largest community in the state after
Kanasín Kanasín (In the Yucatec Maya language: “tense or strongly tightened”) is a city in the Mexican state of Yucatán and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. It is located in the northwestern region of the state, forming par ...
), and that of the municipality was 85,460. The municipality has an areal extent of 945.22 km2 (364.95 sq mi) and includes many outlying communities, the largest of which are Popolá, Kanxoc, Yalcobá, and Xocén. Valladolid is located approximately 170 km (105 mi) east of the state capital Mérida, 40 km (25 mi) east of Chichén Itzá, and 150 km (93 mi) west of
Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...
. On August 30, 2012, Valladolid became part of the ''
Pueblo Mágico In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
'' promotional initiative led by the Mexican tourism department.


History

Named after
Valladolid Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
, at the time the capital of
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
. The name derives from the Arabic name Balad al-Walid بلد الوليد, which means "city of al-Walid", referring to
Al-Walid I Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ( ar, الوليد بن عبد الملك بن مروان, al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān; ), commonly known as al-Walid I ( ar, الوليد الأول), was the sixth Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad ca ...
. Valladolid in Yucatán was established by
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
Conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...
Francisco de Montejo Francisco de Montejo (; 1479 – 1553) was a Spanish conquistador in Mexico and Central America. Early years Francisco de Montejo was born about 1473 to a family of lesser Spanish nobility in Salamanca, Spain. He never documented his parentage ...
's nephew on May 27, 1543 at some distance from the current town, at a
lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...
called Chouac-Ha in the municipality of
Tizimín Tizimín is a city located in the Tizimín Municipality in the Mexican state of Yucatán, It is located in the Coastal Zone of the same state. It has an average height of 20 meters and is located at a distance of 1,492 km from Mexico City, ...
. However, early Spanish settlers complained about the
mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...
s and humidity at the original location, and petitioned to have the city moved further inland. On March 24, 1545, Valladolid was relocated to its current location, built atop a
Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...
town called ''Zací'' or ''Zací-Val'', whose buildings were dismantled to reuse the stones to build the Spanish colonial town. The following year the
Maya people The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical reg ...
revolted, but the rebellion was suppressed with the support of additional Spanish troops from Mérida. In 1705 there was a revolt by local Maya; the rebels killed a number of town officials who had taken refuge in the cathedral. When the revolt was suppressed, the cathedral was considered irreparably profaned, and was demolished. A new cathedral was built the following year that still exists; it was oriented to face north unlike most other Colonial churches in Yucatan which face east. Valladolid had a population of 15,000 in 1840. In January 1847, the native Mayas rioted, killing some eighty whites and sacking their houses. After a Maya noble was shot by firing squad, the riot became a general uprising. It was led by Jacinto Pat, batab of Tihosuco and by Cecilio Chi of nearby Ichmul. The city and the surrounding region was the scene of intense battle during Yucatán's Caste War, and the Ladino forces were forced to abandon Valladolid on March 14, 1848, with half being killed by ambush before they reached Mérida. The city was sacked by the Maya rebels but was recaptured later in the war. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Valladolid was the third largest and most important city of the
Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
, (after Mérida and
Campeche Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...
). It had a sizable well-to-do ''
Criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish race-based colonial caste system (the European descendants) Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South Ameri ...
'' population, with a number of old Spanish style mansions in the old city. Valladolid was widely known by its nickname The Sultana of the East.


Sights

Valladolid is a popular city in which to explore the history and culture of the Yucatán Peninsula. Notable sights include the colonial-era ex-
convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
and church
Convent of San Bernardino de Siena A convent is a community of monks, nuns, Brother (Christian), religious brothers or, Religious sister (Catholic), sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catho ...
(named after saint
Bernardino of Siena Bernardino of Siena, OFM (8 September 138020 May 1444), also known as Bernardine, was an Italian priest and Franciscan missionary preacher in Italy. He was a systematizer of Scholastic economics. His preaching, his book burnings, and his " bon ...
), which was built by Franciscan missionaries between 1552 and 1560 in the Sisal neighbourhood. In downtown Valladolid is the Cathedral of San Servacio (named after
Saint Servatius Saint Servatius ( nl, Sint Servaas; french: Saint Servais; li, Sintervaos; hy, Սուրբ Սերվատիոս ''Surb Servatios'') (born in Armenia, died in Maastricht, traditionally on 13 May 384) was bishop of Tongeren —Latin: ''Atuatuca ...
), located in the main square of the city. The center of the city's grid-like road structure features a plaza — Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado — surrounded by restaurants and shops. Located close to the heart of the city is the Cenote Zací, a landscaped freshwater
cenote A cenote ( or ; ) is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. The regional term is specifically associated with the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used for ...
or underground sinkhole in which visitors can explore and swim. There is also a restaurant on the premises of the Cenote Zací and artisans selling
handcrafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
. Valladolid is a popular base for visiting nearby major Mayan ruins such as Chichén Itzá and
Ekʼ Balam Ekʼ Balam (English pronunciation ) is a Yucatec-Maya archaeological site within the municipality of Municipality of Temozón, Temozón, Yucatán (state), Yucatán, Mexico. It lies in the Geography of Mesoamerica#Northern Maya lowlands, North ...
, as well as
Cenote Ik Kil Ik Kil is a cenote outside Pisté in the Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán, Mexico. It is located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula and is part of the Ik Kil Archeological Park near Chichen Itza. It is open to the public for swimming. ...
. Many principal sites are marked with bilingual signage to make them more hospitable for English-speaking tourists.


Gastronomy

The typical dish of the region is ''Lomitos de Valladolid'' which is a pork dish in fresh tomato sauce; ''
Cochinita pibil Cochinita pibil (also puerco pibil or cochinita con achiote) is a traditional Yucatec Mayan slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Peninsula. Preparation of traditional cochinita involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, a ...
'' meat marinated in ''
achiote ''Bixa orellana'', also known as achiote, is a shrub native to Central America. ''Bixa orellana'' is grown in many countries worldwide. The tree is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also called or ) obtained ...
'', and spices, wrapped in
banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...
and barbecued or baked in a pit; ''lechon al horno'', ''bistek de cazuela'', ''relleno negro'' which is turkey cooked with a paste of charred chillies and vegetables with bits of hard-boiled eggs, ''frijol con puerco'' and chicken in ''
escabeche __NOTOC__ Escabeche is the name for a number of dishes in Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino and Latin American cuisines, consisting of marinated fish, meat or vegetables, cooked or pickled in an acidic sauce (usually with vinegar), and colored w ...
''. Valladolid is also known for its ''
longaniza Longaniza (, or ) is a Spanish sausage (embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisines of ...
'' which are a type of pork-based salami sausage with traditional condiments. Local traditional candies are based on materials from the region such as honey, coconut, corn and others. Traditional ice cream is also very popular. The most common flavours are coconut, corn and fruits of the region as '' guanabana'', ''
mamey sapote ''Pouteria sapota'', the mamey sapote, is a species of tree native to Mexico and Central America. The tree is also cultivated in the Caribbean. Its fruit is eaten in many Latin American countries. The fruit is made into foods such as milksh ...
'' and others.


Climate

The climate in the Yucatán Peninsula is hot and dry. There is also tropical rain with hot and predominate trade winds most times of the year. Valladolid features a tropical wet and dry climate. The city lies in the trade wind belt close to the Tropic of Cancer, with the prevailing wind from the east. Valladolid's climate is hot and humidity is moderate to high, depending on the time of year. The average annual high temperature is 33 °C (91 °F), ranging from 28 °C (82 °F) in January to 36 °C (97 °F) in May, but temperatures often rise above 38 °C (100 °F) in the afternoon in this time. Low temperatures range between 18 °C (64 °F) in January to 23 °C (73 °F) in May and June. It is most often a few degrees hotter in Valladolid than coastal areas due to its inland location and low elevation. The rainy season runs from June through October, associated with the Mexican monsoon which draws warm, moist air landward. Easterly waves and tropical storms also affect the area during this season.


Transportation

Valladolid has a structured road service which makes it easy to travel around. Travellers driving through the Yucatán Peninsula have the option of taking the federal road or the toll route and both roads go through Valladolid. In the city there are taxi services at reasonable rates and public transportation which is popular for students and locals but not recommended for tourists. There is an
Autobuses de Oriente Autobuses de Oriente, S.A. de C.V. (Autobuses of the East, Inc.; usually known as ''A.D.O.'') is one of the largest Mexican bus companies, running first-class and executive-class buses, and serving roughly the eastern half of the country, with se ...
bus terminal situated in the heart of the city which serves to the travellers going to all major cities in the Yucatán Peninsula, such as Mérida,
Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...
,
Playa del Carmen Playa del Carmen, known colloquially as 'Playa', is a Resort town, resort city located along the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is part of the municipality of Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, Solidaridad. As of 2020, the city's ...
, and
Tulum Tulum (, yua, Tulu'um) is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribb ...
as well as archaeological sites such as Chichén Itzá,
Cobá Coba ( es, Cobá) is an ancient Maya city on the Yucatán Peninsula, located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The site is the nexus of the largest network of stone causeways of the ancient Maya world, and it contains many engraved and scul ...
, and
Ekʼ Balam Ekʼ Balam (English pronunciation ) is a Yucatec-Maya archaeological site within the municipality of Municipality of Temozón, Temozón, Yucatán (state), Yucatán, Mexico. It lies in the Geography of Mesoamerica#Northern Maya lowlands, North ...
.


References


Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005
INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
Yucatán
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México


Notes


External links

*
Valladolid Photo Essay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valladolid, Yucatan Populated places in Yucatán Populated places established in 1543 Tourism in Mexico Pueblos Mágicos 1543 establishments in New Spain