Valladolid, Yucatán, México

Valladolid is a charming colonial city located in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is 160 km (100 miles) southwest of Cancun and 40 km (25 miles) east of Chichen Itza.

Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico

Most tourists who come here spend only a half an hour or so while passing through on their way to Chichen Itza or Merida. This is a shame. It's worth spending at least a night in Valladolid, wandering its streets or relaxing in its main plaza. During the evenings, the plaza fills with locals who come to chat and enjoy the breeze. One of the main characteristics of the park is the fountain and the “love chairs,” which are two connected cement chairs that face one another so that lovers can sit and enjoy conversations, hand holding, and gazing into each others' eyes. Unlike Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or even Tulum, where you will pay “tourist prices” for everything, the cost of most things in Valladolid, from meals to hotel rooms, is quite economical, making it a perfect base to stay for a day or two while you explore the surrounding area.

History

The city of Valladolid has a long history that shaped the destiny of both the Yucatan region and the Mexico itself. In 1542, Francisco de Montejo “el Sobrino” (nephew) received a document from his uncle Francisco de Montejo “el Adelantado” granting him the right, in their words, to conquest and pacify the east of the Yucatan Peninsula. To do this, El Sobrino needed to establish a base that would serve as a stronghold and a fortress. After traveling through the east, he found a large expanse of land surrounding a lagoon called Chouac-Há, which means “long water.” The Spaniards thought it was the place to build the new city. Chouac-Ha would become the operations base where they would conquer many Mayan tribes that lived nearby. On May 28th, 1543, Montejo El Sobrino renamed the village Valladolid, in honor of a Spanish city.

As was common in those days, once a new city was founded, the provisional authorities started to assign lots to every one of the Spaniards. The Spaniards would profit from the land, while the Indians would be forced to do all the work. In Valladolid, the land was split up among 45 Spaniards.

Soon after settling there, however, the Valladolid pioneers began to think that the mosquitoes and the humidity from the ocean made it an unhealthy place to live. After some prodding, on March 24, 1545, El Adelantado allowed the settlers to move the town to Zaci-Val, just to the south, taking the name Valladolid with them.

The following year, the Indians began to rebel against the Spaniards. They were upset about the occupation of Zaci-Val, being forced to do all the Spaniards' work, and being required to pay them tribute to boot. The rebellion was eventually crushed by Merida’s army with the help of some Indian collaborators. Once Valladolid was secure again, the Spaniards returned to conquering the surrounding Indian villages.

This continued for three more centuries, with the Spaniards attacking the Indians, the Indians rising up only to be pushed back down by the better equipped and richer Spaniards. All of it culminating in one of the bloodiest and cruelest wars to take place in the Yucatan, the War of Castes. On July 18th 1847, Captain Eulogio Rosado was informed that Mayans were getting weapons from Belize and preparing for an assault against the Spaniards. On March 14th 1848, Valladolid residents fled the city for Merida. While more than 10,000 people left by foot and horse, more than half would never reach their final destination.

During the War of Castes, hundreds of Spaniards and unknown numbers of Indians were killed. The city of Valladolid, Tizimin, Espita, Rio Lagartos, Peto, Sotuta, as well as a host of other villages were taken by the Mayans. The Yucatan government requested help from Mexico but they were busy fighting the United States at the time. They asked Spain and England for weapons, but were turned down. They were so desperate, in fact, they even offered to give up the sovereignty of the Yucatan itself in exchange for help, but to no avail.

Mexico eventually came through, and the Yucatan was annexed to the Mexican territory. Just before the arrival of the Mexican Army, however, the Mayans withdrew to prepare their lands for planting. When Mexico’s army arrived, there were few Mayans remaining to fight. One by one the Mexicans took back the villages the Spaniards had lost. Many Indians fled to the south to escape the fighting. From 1851 to 1864, Mayans were captured and sent to Cuba as punishment for the uprising. The war lasted decades, and didn't officially end until 1901, when General Ignacio Bravo finally took Chan Santa Cruz, now Carrillo Puerto, located 150 km (100 miles) south of Playa del Carmen. When it was over, the future of Valladolid, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the country of Mexico would have changed forever.

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