There’s something about bright and colorful buildings that makes them extremely popular and many of them become top tourist spots in the age of Instagram. Most of them come in different shades of pink and blue, but the Mexican town of Izamal is putting yellow on the map.
Known by the nicknames, “city of hills” and “yellow city”, this charming little town is one of the most popular day trip destinations near Mérida. It’s located only an hour away from the capital of Yucatán, and tourists from all around the world can’t resist its bright yellow walls.
Most of the colonial and religious buildings in this town were painted yellow, but it’s not really clear why. Some believe this happened in 1993, in honor of the visit of Pope John Paul II, while other stories claim Izamal was painted this way to celebrate the Mayan sun god known as Kinich Kakmó.
The remains of the ancient temple pyramid, known as Kinich Kak Moo, are Izamal’s most important archeological sites, but they’re not the only reason why people visit this charming town. Most of them are here to bask in the glory of amazing yellow buildings, including the city’s most Instagrammable attraction—Convento de San Antonio.