Mexico has always been a popular destination for Americans given its proximity to the United States, being just on the other side of our southern border. Now there’s another exciting and wonderful reason for queer Americans to think about a trip to cities like Mérida or Valladolid: as of March 4th same-sex marriage is now legal in the Mexican state of Yucatán!
According to Them,
“the Mexican state of Yucatán has legalized same-sex marriage and banned conversion therapy in a groundbreaking move. In a four-hour session, Yucatán’s Congress voted 20-5 to pass a measure to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill modifies Article 94 of the state’s constitution to redefine marriage as any “free and voluntary legal union” between two people.”
Love is love and love wins!
The state of Yucatán would love to become a place where queer couples celebrate their love, their weddings, and their honeymoons. If you are looking for the “next Puerto Vallarta,” the “next Cancun,” or the “next Tulum,” look no further than southeastern Mexico. We all know the gays love something or somewhere no one else has been, bragging rights are big to us homos, lol! This semi-undiscovered region is set to become huge in the next few years.
I was lucky enough to meet up with a motley crew of eight journalists, publishers, and influencers from around the globe when I took a trip there last week. My first post-Covid trip abroad! Canadians, Americans, Colombians, and New Yorkers. What made it better is that we got along pretty well!
Overall it was great trip! Even though I am, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, “single and fabulous exclamation point,” I do love me a wedding! I am like Katherine Heigl’s character Jane in 27 Dresses, one day in the very far future my 27 besties will stand beside me as I walk down the aisle. (They know not to hold their breath waiting lol.) But getting to visit luxurious hotels and haciendas envisioning all the queer couples proudly declaring their love for each other warmed my insides, but not in a gross way.
For all you super bougie queens with an unlimited budget you want to get married or honeymoon at Chablé Yucatán, “a luxury Resort in the heart of the Maya jungle.” Luxury does not do this place justice. It was easily one of the most stunning places I have ever seen. If I won the lottery or pulled an Anna Nicole I would easily stay here. Rumors are that this is where Jennifer Lopez is having her next wedding!
Now that being said, my absolute favorite place we visited was the gorgeous Hacienda Xcanatan by Angasa. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, the service, food, scenery, people were all top notch. The decor was being set up for a party later that evening; you can feel the excitement in the air. The queer representation at this hacienda made us feel extremely at ease knowing members of our community would feel they belonged here.
I would be remiss if I did not give a huge shout-out to our hotel in Merida, the Hotel Villa Mercedes Mérida located right in the heart of the city. Highlights were the breathtaking pool, which came in handy after long days of exploring our surroundings, and the international cuisine. I am getting hungry just thinking about breakfast in the hotel restaurant, El Centro.
Speaking of food, this region is known for its unique style with influences from Mayan culture, as well as other parts of the world including the Caribbean and European influences. Given its proximity to oceans and water, ships from all over the world would find their way to the region. You can still see and taste the effects of a global palette. A favorite of the area: Sopa de Lima, a lime-flavored soup with meat, served with tortilla chips. We were quite lucky to taste quite a lot of this yummy appetizer. Each different soup served to us was so good, and magically tasted different from the last. The soup at our first stop after the plane ride, Hotel El Meson Del Marques, was perfectly seasoned and hit the spot.
I loved the outdoor atmosphere of Teya: Live Yucatecan Gastronomy located in an outdoor walking mall complete with live music. Another favorite gastronomy restaurant we visited was Museo de la gastronomia yuc. Both places served impeccable meals that were made fresh as we watched.
We have only began to touch upon the magic of this area. We were lucky enough to tour more beautiful locales and eat more delicious food. Stay tuned for another Travel Thursday piece in the near future highlighting the culture, history, and nightlife of the region. Suffice to say the state of Yucatán would be a brilliant choice for your destination wedding, honeymoon, or just a weekend getaway.
I cannot forget to thank our amazing, beautiful, kind, sweet, and knowledgable tour guide, Ismene Castro! And our driver Roberto! Thanks for taking such great care of us.
For more information on planning a trip to the state of Yucatán please visit Visit Yucatán.
That’s it for now, this is Robby your trusty travel guide signing out!
**photos in this article were generously provided by Marco Arrieta
Great article, informative and great references as what to expect also enticing.thanks Robert I’ll see you having your big day there sooner than later
Gay marriage is now legal here hooray 🙂 I’m going there this summer will be celebrating!