Maní Pueblo Mágico received the Best Tourism Villages recognition from the UNWTO

MÉRIDA, Yucatán, (December 10, 2021).- This Thursday, the Magical Town of Maní , received the Best Tourism Villages recognition from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the highest international distinction that recognizes this destination as an example of rural tourism with recognized cultural and natural values.

What to see in the Magic Town of Maní?

The municipality houses an abundant built heritage from the colonial era.

In the first place, there is the convent of San Miguel Arcángel, founded in 1549, it was built mainly between the 16th and 17th centuries using the stones of pre-Hispanic Maya constructions as raw material.

The initial works were in charge of Fray Juan de Mérida, constituting the third conventual complex to be founded in the province, after Campeche and Mérida.

It is made up of a large rectangular atrium, an open chapel, the main church with four chapels, a cloister, the convent complex, an orchard, a waterwheel, and the remains of the old Indian school.

Inside the church and the convent, there are wall paintings from the 16th century and seven altars with five polychrome altarpieces from the 17th century, which are exceptional examples of Mexican colonial art.

Xcabachen Cenote

Also, in the place you can visit the Xcabachen cenote, which is in the center of the town.

Also, Maní stands out for its textile art known as X’manikté, which means “everlasting” and refers to the eternal. It is one of the oldest embroidery techniques in Yucatán.

Likewise, there are more than 30 meliponarios in the municipality, an ancestral activity inherited by the Mayas.

How to get to Maní?

Maní is located approximately 90 kilometers from the City of Mérida, bordered to the north by the municipality of Mama, to the south by Akil, to the east by Teabo and to the west by Dzán.

Access is by road, through three routes: from the northeast through Mama, Chumayel, Teabo and Tipikal; from the west through Muna, Ticul and Dzán; or from the south through Tekax, Akil and Oxkutzcab.

Anniversary of Maní as a Magical Town

Maní obtained its recognition as a Magic Town on December 2, 2020, and within the framework of the first anniversary of the designation, Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal verified the new design of the letters alluding to this municipality and gave the UNWTO award to the mayor host, Fredy Interián Bojórquez.