Governor of Quintana Roo Mara Lezama Espinosa announced the Beyond the Sun route, a new tourism project that seeks to create economic opportunities in less-visited areas of the state, particularly Lázaro Cárdenas municipality.
During Monday’s presidential morning press conference, Lezama said that the new tourist route will be a great opportunity to boost the economy of Lázaro Cárdenas and to improve the region’s connectivity.
“With an environmental and socioeconomic perspective, this project will allow the millions of people who visit #QuintanaRoo to explore archaeological sites, cenotes, underground rivers, caves, artisan workshops, flora, fauna, gastronomy, and adventure tourism,” Lezama wrote on Twitter.
Where is the Beyond the Sun route?
The Beyond the Sun route will cover the northern area of Quintana Roo. It will pass through villages such as Pacchen, Nuevo Xcán, Nuevo Durango, El Cedral, Kantunilkín, Solferino and the port city of Chiquilá, near Holbox island.
What are the tourist attractions on the route?
The route will include interpretive nature trails, a lagoon and the Jaguar Cenote in Pacchen, Lezama said. In Nuevo Xcán, visitors can explore its underground rivers, cenotes and participate in colorful wood art workshops.
Nuevo Durango will attract visitors interested in the Tumben Kuxtal cavern (Mayan for “new life”) and the Chulub Chac organic garden. It will also host embroidery and hammock weaving workshops.
In El Cedral, tourists will visit the Tres Lagunas lagoon system and the deer conservation reserve.
The municipal seat of Kantunilkín will showcase the region’s gastronomy with a variety of traditional dishes, prepared by Maya women.
The Millennial Tree, a sacred tree of over 750 years of age, will be a tourist attraction in Solferino, as well as its orchid garden and the El Corchal wetland.
Finally, the Chiquilá port will become a tourist and commercial destination where people traveling to Holbox will be able to buy artisanal pieces from local producers.
How is the route related to the Maya Train?
Lezama said that the new route is a key component of Section 4 of the Maya Train as Nuevo Xcán will be home to one of the train’s stations.
This week, the government said that Section 4 is now focusing on completing the route’s five stations, which are over 80% finished, as the Maya Train prepares to start operations in less than 60 days.
With reports by Milenio and La Jornada Maya
For all of the controversy surrounding the Maya Train, opening up new tourist attractions like those described in this article and creating opportunities for the locals is a great thing.
I’ve mentioned this before but it would be helpful if you had maps included in articles like this one. Thank you.
I agree maps would be helpful.
Me too
Maps that are posted in such a way that they can be printed on our home computers.
Yes, agree on the maps suggestion; the above images could be in Alabama for all we know. 😉
I hope conservation efforts precede and follow this project.