Travel Guide Oxkutzcab

110 km south of Merida, in the heart of the Ruta Puuc, Oxkutzcab is a small town authentically Mayan founded in 1550 by the Franciscan missionary Diego de Landa. It has some interesting buildings that are worth a visit, including the Church of San Francisco de Asís, which faces the main square and has a baroque altarpiece, and the old train station, built in 1881, which has an architecture that imitates the Puuc style of the old Mayan cities. The Virgen del Pilar hermitage, built in 1681, dominates the complex from the top of a hill. The city's market is surely the highlight, as it is the centre of the region's citric production. Alongside lemons and sweet oranges, all the tropical fruits - pitaya, mango, sapote, papaya - that are grown in the area are also sold. Oxkutzcab is also a good base to reach the Grutas de Loltún, which are only 8 km southwest of the city