The Mérida City Council, through its Tourism Unit and the Directorate of Human Welfare, in coordination with the EcoGuerreros group, presented the first edition of the Great Mayan Trail Hike.
This sporting and nature event aims to consolidate the Yucatecan capital as the main access point to this community-based and sustainable tourism circuit.
The event will take place from July 23 to 26 and will offer two participation options: a 110-kilometer challenge to be completed in four days, and a 60-kilometer option designed to be completed in two days.
The planned route includes historic trails, old railway lines, haciendas, and nature reserves, directly connecting participants with various Mayan communities in the region.
Organizers anticipate an attendance of between 100 and 150 hikers, of whom approximately 50 percent will be local residents, while the remainder will come from other parts of Mexico and abroad.
The official route will begin at Parque de la Ermita, located in the historic center of Mérida, and will proceed through the communities of Xmatkuil, Molas, Yaxnic, and San Antonio Tzacalá, before continuing to the towns of Cacao and Mucuyché, and concluding in the municipality of Tecoh.
Registered participants will receive logistical support, including luggage transfer between stations along the route, an official t-shirt, the Camino del Mayab Passport with commercial benefits, a certificate, and a commemorative medal crafted by artisans from Mucuyché.
According to municipal authorities, the activity aims to generate direct economic benefits in the communities through the consumption of local cuisine, services, and products, promoting community development and the preservation of biocultural heritage.
The Camino del Mayab project is part of the first generation of the Mérida Comunitaria program, a municipal government strategy to strengthen rural tourism.
Currently, this circuit holds one of the three National Declarations of Community Tourism issued by the Federal Ministry of Tourism, connecting a network of 14 indigenous communities with over 100 kilometers of trails.
In this edition, the Mérida City Council is acting as an institutional partner, providing logistical support in the areas of security, mobility, signage, sports, and urban beautification.
The formal presentation of the event included the participation of Andrés Gutiérrez Cervera, representative of Camino del Mayab; William Lubcke, director of the Sotuta de Peón hacienda; Iván Herrera Rosiles, Deputy Director of Sports for the City Council; Jacques Lomelí León, representative of Taco House; and Miguel Alejandro Pasos Cimé, Coordinator of Community Tourism.
Those interested in learning more about the registration process can complete the procedure through the project’s official digital platform.
Source: notirasa
