Are you daring and want to explore a place full of mystery? Would you like a day of adventure, hunting for ghosts? If you answered yes to these questions, then you’re ready to visit the ghost town Misnebalam. Best of all, it’s very close to Mérida!
Yucatán has a ghost town
Yes, Yucatán has a ghost town! It’s a place that combines adventure, mystery, and ghosts: Misnebalam, a former henequén farm located in the precinct of Santa María Yaxché just off the Mérida – Progreso highway. It had a prosperous past and is now famous for the appearance of spirits, particularly the child “Juliancito”, among other supernatural phenomena.
The origin of the ghost town
Would you like to know the origin of these urban legends? Let’s begin with the name of the hacienda: it comes from two Maya words: “Misne,” cat tail, and “Balam,” jaguar. For many years it was an important site for the production of henequén and it housed more than 150 inhabitants, many of them workers with their families. Today it is completely abandoned, for more than a decade. Its inhabitants grew tired of the the appearances of ghosts, including the original owner of the hacienda, Don Fidencio G. Márquez, who was assassinated in 1921 on one of the roads or “sac bé” that led from San Ignacio to his estate; and Juliancito, who committed suicide at the hacienda after being abused by one of the workers; not to mention other phenomena and unexplained sounds that appear there.
Juliancito from Misnebalam
It is precisely because of Juliancito that this town recently became famous, as several magazines and television programs dedicated to the study of supernatural phenomena carried out investigations on this apparition after the publication of a video of “airsoft” players (a similar sport to “Gotcha” that is played in real settings). The video of their games in Misnebalam captured a child in the images of the camera.
You will definitely feel an unexplained air of mystery as you enter the abandoned houses, with the overhanging tres and the silence that prevails. The remains of the hacienda and artifacts that have survived the abandonment and the passage of time, as well as the graffiti you’ll find on their walls, adds to the sense of mystery. A different experience…and if you are lucky you can witness some of these strange phenomena as well as the presence of Juliancito. Dare to explore the site and overcome your fears! Don’t forget to tell us everything about your visit to the ghost town, Misnebalam.
What to do:
Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm you can take the 8 km “ghost route,” where you can discover the nooks and crannies of Misnebalam for 2 hours, at a cost of $50 pesos. It includes a bicycle, a helmet and a guide. If you don’t use the bike, it costs $30 pesos. Suitable for ages 16 and up. Contact: Ana Cohuó: Cel. 9991 93 00 42 or Griselda Cohuó: Cel. 9995 09 73 20, Cooperativa Caminos del Mayab.
How to get there:
Take the Mérida-Progreso highway and turn right at km 22 just before the bridge of San Ignacio, and continue approximately 8 kilometers to Misnebalam.
Editorial by Violeta H. Cantarell
Born in Mérida, Violeta is a communicologist dedicated to writing and creating content on tourism, fashion, and entrepreneurship. She has recently started working as an English-Spanish translator.
Photos by Andrea Mier y Terán for exclusive use of Yucatán Today
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