Maya Missions: Exploring Colonial Yucatan

Famous for its ancient Maya cities, the Yucatán peninsula is also dotted with hundreds of Spanish colonial churches and chapels, the majority of which are virtually unknown to the visitor. Maya Missions fills this information gap, and remains the only guide in English to this special artistic heritage. Created with the traveler in mind, Maya Missions suggests six itineraries, each accompanied with detailed maps, plans and directions: Starting from the old fortified port of Campeche, we continue to the provincial capital of Mérida, where we review such notable buildings as Mérida Cathedral, the first cathedral in Mexico, La Casa de Montejo, the finest Plateresque palace in the Americas. We also visit historic Valladolid, the second city of Yucatán, also home to a cathedral and a grand 16th century monastery. The heart of the guide is its routes exploring the 16th century missions, ornate baroque churches and rustic Indian chapels that are to be found in small towns and villages across the peninsula. Prominent monuments include Izamal, a vast monastery built atop a former Maya pyramid, and Maní, a former royal Maya city famous for its mission and open chapel. Richard Perry's detailed line drawings illuminate and amplify the text. Maya Missions is an ideal reference book, too, complete with a helpful glossary, index and suggestions for further reading.