Mani
The place where it all happened
Nobody knows the exact facts surrounding the founding of Mani, the place where it all happened, but we do know it has been around since Spanish colonization. In Pre-Hispanic times it was a chiefdom ruled by Tutul Xiu, and a ceremonial center where offers were sent for the annual festival honoring Kukulcan.
After the destruction of Mayapan, Yucatan was divided into chiefdoms; Mani was one, with Tutul Xiu as its lord; that’s where the legend about its name, “it all happened,” comes from. It was Tutul Xiu who established an alliance with Montejo, contributing to the conqueror’s success. The Mani convent was the third founded in 1549, dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, whose sculpture stands at the front entrance. Mani’ss history also includes the infamous and sad “Auto de fe” by the Franciscans, led by friar Diego de Landa. On July 12, 1562, a significant amount of Mayan cult images, sacred objects and codices were burned, as they were considered to be heresy; this was the end of an inquisition ordered by Diego de Landa, as mentioned above, with the support from the mayor, against the natives who kept a clandestine worship site in the region. Nowadays, Mani is a quiet town; during your visit, you?ll find it impossible to stop admiring the beauty it has boasted since its construction, as it looks like a great fortress. Mani is a picturesque village that keeps its Mayan traditions and its colonial spirit, which we can see and admire in the facades of the buildings that have been there since colonial times.
You can access the town several ways; one is on the former highway to Chetumal, with a detour in the city of Ticul, and through the municipality of Dzan to the municipality of Oxkutzcab, 10 km away. Another way is on the Convent Route road.
The famous “El Principe Tutul Xiu” restaurant, where you can try poc chuc, one of the best-known dishes in Yucatan cuisine: a grilled marinated pork filet served with pickled onions on the side.
Only 100 mt away you’ll find the X’cabachen cenote, where prince Tutul Xiu got water along with his people after a battle with the Cocom clan.
