Here’s a roundup of news from the Mexican Caribbean and Yucatan.

Tulum International Airport opens

Quintana Roo’s fourth airport opens on December 1 in Tulum. Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport has a 3.7-kilometer-long runway, two passenger terminals, one of which is for private flights, and even has been solar panels to mitigate the environmental impact.

Airlines that have already confirmed that they will be offering flights to Tulum include Aeromexico, United, American Airlines, Delta, Spirit and Viva Aerobus, among others. Flights from the U.S. will be starting in March 2024.

All aboard the Tren Maya

This may be something to think about for a future vacation. Travel by train on a route through southeast Mexico that takes you to some of the Maya World’s most famous archaeological sites, natural wonders, colonial towns, Mayan communities and more on board the Tren Maya. The Campeche to Cancun section of the route is slated for inauguration on December 15, and the sale of tickets began on December 1 for limited dates. The Palenque-Escarcega section is planned to open at the end of December and the remaining stages during 2024.

Stations along the route from Cancun to Campeche include Leona Vicario, Valladolid, Izamal, Merida, Calkini and the colonial city of Campeche.

The southern half of the circuit through the Riviera Maya and southern Quintana Roo, which will continue into Campeche and connect in Chiapas and Tabasco is under construction.

Eventually the Tren Maya circuit will link the five states of southeast Mexico and passengers will be able to visit ancient cities such as Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Calakmul and Palenque, all World Heritage Sites.

Mayan Wind Fest comes to Cancun, Mexico’s largest sailing event

In January 2024, Cancun will host the Mayan Wind Fest, an event for kite surfers, windsurfers and wind foilers from the Mexican Caribbean and all over the world, with a regatta for Optimist sailboats.

The festival will take place from January 19-21 in the bay between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, in the stretch of water in front of Puerto Cancun.

Ancient Uxmal reveals more of its secrets

Visitors to Uxmal, the World Heritage Site in southern Yucatan, will find more temples to explore as the area around El Palomar is studied and restored.

Archaeologists and workers from local Mayan communities have already explored and restored the Patio Hundido and Grupo Tardío clusters of squares, platforms and temples. They are associated with a massive temple pyramid and two lateral buildings called the Grupo Triádico, which date from 400 BC to AD 250. An elevated staircase links this temple to El Palomar, a later building from AD 750 to 820, which owes its name in Spanish (El Palomar means dovecote) to its ornate roof crest consisting of nine triangles with carved open niches.

Another staircase links El Palomar to the Patio Hundido and a central altar, built between AD 820 and 1000.

To the north of the courtyard a sacbe leads to the Estructura Redonda and Stela 18, depicting the faces of Chak Chel and Tlaloc, the rain god of central Mexico.

(Source: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia)