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Huge racks of traditional leather huarache sandals can be found in all Yucatán markets.

Campeche showcases its traditional music and dances with free concerts in the charming setting of the Colonial patio of the Casa Seis and, with a more eclectic program, from the bandstand of the Parque Principal.

The very best introduction you can have to the Yucatán’s distinctive music and folklore – the gentle, romantic music of guitar trios, the graceful jarana dance – is to go to one of these free concerts in the lovely setting of Mérida’s Parque Santa Lucía. Held every Thursday for nearly 40 years, they are loved by locals still more than by tourists.

Fine silverware from Taxco in central Mexico is found in Yucatán stores, as well as amber from Chiapas.

The Puerta de Tierra, or “Land Gate,” in the old city walls of Campeche provides the backdrop for a spectacular audio-visual show that uses the architecture well to evoke tales of pirates, sea battles, and other events in the city’s maritime past (see Puerta de Tierra).

The great Mayan cities of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal are used as venues for daily shows in which their giant temples are dramatically lit in changing colors (included in the site ticket). Some parts of the commentary, “imagining” the cities’ ancient history, are pretty far-fetched, but the visual effects are certainly spectacular (see also Sound and Light Show& Sound and Light Show).

Every village and town in the Yucatán also has its own fiesta, when the streets are covered in bright garlands, work ceases, and music is heard non-stop. To find out when any are due, ask in tourist offices, look out for posters, or check local papers.

Many Mayan villagers carve wooden figures based on ancient images.