A far cry from the bustle of travellers at
the Yucatán Peninsula’s more famous
ancient Maya citadels, Tulum and
Chichén Itzá, the ruins of Chunyaxché
sit quietly amid the Maya community
of Muyil, on the edge of the Sian Ka’an
Biosphere Reserve. As spectacular as
any archeological site in the region,
Chunyaxché retains a tranquil, almost
mystical quality, and its main temple
boasts the highest pyramid on Yucatán’s
east coast, standing 57ft tall.
Further into the interior, in the Maya
town of Señor, Mauro Yama Ek makes
sisal rope from the leaf of the henequen
plant. Known among the ancient Mayas
as ‘green gold’, henequen contains fibres
that are extracted from the leaf, dried and
then bound together to form an extremely
strong twine. Here, and across the Maya
Ka’an region, it’s used in a variety of ways,
including in the crafting of fishing nets,
baskets and hammocks.