TOURING THE ZONA MAYA IN THE VILLAGE OF SE
What lies beyond the Riviera Maya? What adventures wait in the jungles south of known travel destinations like Playa del Carmen and Tulum? What sights can be seen by daring travelers in search of much more than the average beach vacation?
The Ojos Mayas organization took our small group to discover a little piece of the Yucatan Peninsula known as the Zona Maya (Mayan Zone), an area with numerous towns and ruins to explore in the southern part of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. After boarding the van in Playa del Carmen, we drove past populations like Muyil and Felipe Carrillo Puerto on our way to our final destination: the Mayan village of Señor. Situated 20 minutes inland of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, the town of Señor has recently opened its doors to travelers who want to experience historic and modern Mayan life in the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Señor has approximately 3,000 residents, many speaking only Mayan, although the younger generations have gradually switched over to Spanish. The village itself was founded about 200 years ago and was a central part of the Yucatan Caste War in the late 19th century.
Our first stop was at the headquarters for Xyaat (named after a regional palm tree), the locally-run organization that would take us on several visits to fascinating residents in Señor village.
Over a breakfast of fresh local fruits like pitaya, lime and banana, our group was introduced to 90-year-old Crecencio, who taught us how to work the henequen plant to create products like hammocks and twine. Speaking only Mayan (with translators in English and Spanish), Crecencio calmly shredded the henequen over a board then set the resulting strings on his knee to braid them into a long, thin rope.
Next, our guides Marcos and Angel took us to a bee hive unlike any I'd ever seen; the bees of this Zona Maya town live in hollowed out logs and tree trunks. These particular bees had no stingers, allowing us to get right up close. I was most fascinated by the Xunan Kab species that sets a bee sentry at the entrance to the trunk hive in 6-hour shifts. Xunan Kab honey has many uses in the Mayan culture, as an aphrodisiac and a healing power, and we even got the chance to try a sample.
We were then driven to the home of Catalina, the town's resident healer, who showed us her herb garden marked with the names of numerous healing plants. Our group got to smell the herbs and even taste a few while we learned how each is used in local medicine.
The next stop was at a small thatched roof home set by Señor's central plaza. Here, we sat and listened to 94-year-old Abundio, one of the town's most revered elders, as he sat in his hammock and told us tales of several battles from the Yucatan Caste War. Although these Mayan war stories aren't written in any history books, each proved the ingenuity and clever tactics of the local Mayans so many years ago.
My favorite part of the entire day was our drive out into the jungle, where we discovered the immense Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon). Our guide Marcos told us all about the local wildlife we saw, including termites, enormous ant hills and even the famous Chechen tree. I spent awhile soaking in the cool waters of the lagoon before we traveled back to nearby Señor for one of the best lunches I've ever had.
Back at Xyaat's headquarters, local ladies served us scrambled eggs with chaya, refried beans and fluffy handmade tortillas, as well as refreshing agua de sandía to wash it all down. Over a late lunch, our little group reflected on how incredible our day had been exploring the traditions and customs of the Zona Maya in Señor.
To learn more about day trips to the town of Señor as well as other social programs with the people of the Zona Maya, check out the Ojos Mayas website or book a tour here. Ojos Mayas is also on Facebook.