Imagine a traffic-free Mérida; not one skyscraper, no Periférico loop road, no Costco, Burger King, or any other franchise, and just 575,000 inhabitants. That’s what Mérida was like on January 15, 1988, the date the first Yucatán Today was hot off the Heidelberg printing presses at our printing company.
Over the years, Yucatán Today has gained the reputation of being the traveler’s bible to the state of Yucatán. Starting out as a tourist-guide magazine for day-trippers, we have morphed and grown as the city has. We are the go-to reference for not only tourists but also the local Yucatecos, the growing expat community, and now, most recently, the new community of “new Yucatecans” – the people from other states in México who are flocking to Mérida.
With these varied audiences of readers that use Yucatán Today, we aim to not only share all there is to see in Yucatán but to also help each of them understand, appreciate, and adapt to the Yucatecan essence and culture: the reason they came here in the first place. We don’t want to see the Mayab turned into a Disney World or plastic Mexican show. Our monthly articles always offer insight into Yucatecan traditions and ways of life. Have you read about why knives are stuck in the ground or chairs are turned upside down to ward off rain before a wedding or party? Or about how cenotes are not exactly underground swimming pools? We’ve had the time to cover it all.
During these 35 years, we’ve seen many changes, not only in Mérida and the entire state, but also with technology and everyday life, which prompted the birth of Yucatán Today online. This is where you will find the archives of years of unabridged articles and information. With no space limit like with printing, online is the real encyclopedia.
The print magazine isn’t going anywhere, though. How many times have you seen something online and then can’t find it again? How many times have you been on the road only to discover you can’t access the maps on your phone because there is no coverage? Perhaps that’s why something that has remained a constant is our readers’ desire to actually hold the magazine in their hands; to be able to earmark it, jot down notes, and be able to reference it easily.
We celebrate Mérida’s growth with its more than one million people, the skyscrapers, and the franchises galore, and we celebrate Yucatán Today for sharing the beauty of our state with everyone who is here.
We thank all our sponsors and readers for their continued support and faith in us. We also wholeheartedly thank our team who put the magazine together, and who make sure each of our 10,000 copies sees the light of the day, without fail, on the 15th of every month.
By Judy Abbott
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