Coqui Coqui Casa de los Santos

Worth getting out of bed for

Whether painted its signature bright yellow to appease Mayan sun deity Kinich Kak Moo or to mark the Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1993, pueblo mágico Izamal certainly shines. Photographers can turn their Insta grids into El Dorado, and the curious ochre hue makes for cheery street-strolling. Well-placed to enlighten yourself about the city’s culture and history, Coqui Coqui Casa de los Santos sits at the intersection of Mayan mythology and Catholic colonialism, with the Itzamatul pyramid to one side (closed to visitors, but visible from the roof terrace) and the Franciscan sprawl of the 16th-century Convento de San Antonio de Padua (itself built on top of the Pop-Hol-Chac pyramid). If you're eager to clamber up something ancient, Kinich Kakmó has some uneven stairs that reward you with sweeping views. Recently unearthed Temple of Kabul has a well-preserved stucco face on its side and Hun Pik Tok, near the central plaza, and Chaltún Ha (along Calle 38) complete the circuit. Get to know the three cultures of Izamal (Mayan, colonial and contemporary) at the Centro Cultural Y Artesanal, which has a collection of jewellery, carvings, weavings and life-size Dia De Los Muertos figures. After, wander over to palm-tree-studded Parque Itzamna for a lazy ride in one of the rainbow-hued horses and carriages idling by its side. It’s easy to explore the fascinating Chichén Itzá complex, just an hour’s drive from Izamal, on a day trip; pack swimwear too, because you can make a pit stop at the dazzlingly blue, vine-draped Ik Kil cenote, before heading back to catch the town’s Sound and Light show (if it’s a Thursday, Friday or Saturday) or for a last dip in the casa’s plunge pool and drinks on your just-the-two-of-you terrace.

Local restaurants

Izamal might not have the culinary clout of say Oaxaca or Mérida, with very much a local dining scene, but you’ll still find yourself well-fed on menus that call on ancestral tradition. Take Kinich, named for the pyramid it sits next to, where you’ll dine under a vaulted palapa on Yucatecan plates: fire-roasted sausages from Valladolid with a tomato, sour orange and bean soup; chicken in a fiery consommé of burnt chilli, tomato, onion, epazote tea and regional spices; and white-tailed deer meat in a spicy almond sauce; with papaya candies for dessert. La Casona del Izamal has a similar feel – expect to be seated beneath a lot of woven palm fronds as you eat various meats marinated in chilli and orange – but is worth stopping by for its steak- and suckling pig-stuffed panuchos, rich cochinita pibil and crispy shrimp in four-cheese sauce. Its range of breakfast tacos also calls for a morning visit (before 11am).

Local cafés

For a grab-and-go bite, seek out the stalls selling marquesitas: crêpes filled with cajeta (thickened caramel), tropical jams, condensed milk, Nutella and sometimes cheese, too.

Local bars

Your best bet for a late night is to stock up on chilled cervezas, and maybe a bottle of tequila if shots are your game, from a nearby bodega to enjoy on your roof terrace; Izamal’s drinking scene is sparse and geared towards a college crowd. But, if you want radioactive-hued drinks amid decorated skulls, hit La Caterina (named for one of Dia De Los Muertos’ most recognisable figureheads), an easy stumble away.