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Excitement for the new Maya Train is heating up, as President Andrés Manual Lopéz has announced its inaugural route from Chiapas to Cancun will take place on December 15th, 2023.
This incredible piece of infrastructure seems to be all anyone has been talking about for the past couple of years, bringing with it just as much excitement as there is controversy.
Regardless of all of it, the first route will be ready to go in the very throws of the busy winter season in the Mexican Caribbean and is already expected to become a hugely popular transport system, creating even better connectivity to the entirety of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Along with a few other important projects that have been in the works for quite some time, governments have been responding to the record-breaking year they have been experiencing in the tourism industry.
Everything from building a new airport in Tulum to awarding more towns with the coveted “Magical Town” titles and even expanding archeological and environmental zones for tourists, the most anticipated of all them has to be the Maya Train.
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It is no surprise that a route to and from Cancun will be the first to operate as it currently stands as the most popular place for tourists when visiting the region.
The beauty of the Maya Train is that it will be able to take some of the pressure off the already inundated transport services they have, such as buses and taxis.
There is also a hope that it will entice more people to step away from Cancun and spend their time in other areas, whether just for the day or a short overnight stay at the many treasures that exist beyond the famous hotel zone.
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This is exactly why the Tulum International Airport is also beginning operations in December: to create better connectivity overall and open up more of the stunning region to tourists who perhaps would never have ventured otherwise.
So, what do you need to know about the Maya train and the first inaugural route this December?
The route that begins on December 15th will be a 500-mile-long journey between Cancun and Palenque, Chiapas.
Along the way, there are tons of incredible places to see and visit, such as cities like Valladolid, Akumal, and Puerto Morelos, as well as archeological sites and environmental zones that rank highly on the list of things tourists should do in the region.
What would have been a far more intricate and somewhat difficult area to cover in a short space of time, with transportation links few and far between, this state-of-the-art train will be able to get you there in a matter of hours!
Cost and prices have yet to be set in stone but should be announced within the next month, with prices for tourists expecting to be in the $50 price range, while locals will receive a lower rate to travel.
There has been some controversy around the building of this huge infrastructure project among some locals, environmentalists, and archeologists, who have argued that natural and historical zones will be affected by the building works.
There is a debate on just how much tourism will affect local communities and their historically and culturally rich surroundings, as more connectivity to the region will inevitably bring even more tourists looking for their next slice of vacation paradise.
Section Five of the Maya train has delayed its opening date until next year due to the complex nature of preserving the landscapes it is building into, with President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador confirming they did not want to “affect underwater rivers and cenotes.”
And so, if the summer is anything to go by, Cancun and the rest of the Mexican Caribbean can expect another astounding result in the tourist sector this winter.
As connectivity grows, with routes beginning this December from the Maya Train, as well as Tulum International Airport, there is nothing getting in the way for tourists to plan their next incredible adventure to this once-in-a-lifetime destination!
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