All about Uayma in Mexico

Uayma is a small quiet Yucatecan town in the state of Yucatán with less than 3,000 inhabitants, located about 15km west from Valladolid. Uayma was founded in 1549.

Uayma has become quite popular in recent years thanks to its beautifully adorned 17th-century church of Santo Domingo with its colorful facade.

Church of Santo Domingo

The unusual church is often considered one of the most striking in all of Yucatán. The former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is now attached to the church, but it is no longer used as a monastery.

The church was built by the Spanish. As was customary at the time, stones from surrounding Mayan temples (including Chichén Itzá) were used for it. The design with the star patterns that run across the church is continued inside the church.

While the colors outside fade more quickly due to the tropical climate in Yucatán, the walls inside are even more colorful in red, yellow, green and blue tones.

The colors also have a meaning: blue stars on the facade represent the original worship of Mary and red represents the blood of Christ.

During the Caste War of Yucatán in the 19th century, the church was set on fire by the Cruzob Mayas and practically destroyed. However, the church was restored in the 20th century.

Other places of interest

Even though the church is clearly the main attraction of Uayma and the reason why most tourists come here, there are other beautiful places in Uayma. In addition to old Mayan and colonial buildings, some newer buildings have been constructed in the style of the church.

The Casa de Los Pianos, for example, incorporates many of the architectural elements into its own design, sits just across the church and you can even rent it with its four bedrooms.

There is also a building opposite the main square of Uayma, which is hard to miss. The Casona Santo Domingo de Guzmán is blue in color and its design reflects many of the church's motifs.

Combine a trip

A long journey just for Uyama is probably not worth it, but if you visit Valladolid (14km east of Uayma) or Chichén Itzá, (40km west of Uyama) you can combine it with a visit to Uayma.

In particular, there is a direct road connection from Valladolid and it is only 15 minutes away. In colonial times Uayma was a major stop on the so-called El Camino Real (in English: The Royal Road) between Mérida and Valladolid.

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