Town Hunucmá, Yucatán
The market town on the road to Sisal, dominated by a fortress-like 16th-century Franciscan church and its huge atrium.
From Mérida: 30 min by car (30 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
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Plan your visit to Hunucmá
Tours to Hunucmá
Day trips around Sisal sometimes stop in Hunucmá; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Merida
From Merida: Chichen Itza Tour, Izamal, Cenote Ik Kil and Food
★ 4.9 (578) · From US$74
How to get to Hunucmá
- From Mérida: about 30 min by road (~30 km)
- 23 km southeast of Sisal
- Nearest airport: Mérida (MID), 1 h 7 min by car to Sisal
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Tours from Merida, near Hunucmá
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Hunucmá
Hunucmá is the town you pass through on the way from Mérida to Sisal, about 23 kilometers inland from the port and the seat of the municipality that Sisal belongs to. With some 28,000 people it is a busy market and service town, but its center holds one of the most imposing colonial churches in this part of Yucatán.
After the Spanish conquest of northwestern Yucatán in the 1540s, Franciscan friars gathered the scattered Maya settlements of the area into mission towns, and here they built the convent and church of San Francisco de Asís, partly with stones taken from earlier Maya shrines. The result looks like a fortress: thick masonry walls, a tall and plain façade, and a vast open atrium in front, designed to hold large congregations of Maya converts who heard Mass outdoors.
The church still anchors the main square, with the market and food stalls around it. Hunucmá is worth a short stop for the church and a meal on the way to or from the coast, and it is also where the road to Celestún branches off to the southwest.
How to get to Hunucmá
Drive from Mérida: 30 min, 30 km
Hunucmá lies on federal Highway 281, the road from Mérida to Sisal: about 29 km west of central Mérida, roughly 30 minutes, and about 24 km south of Sisal, around half an hour. The buses and colectivos between Mérida and Sisal stop in town.
23 km southeast of Sisal
Directions from Sisal on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Hunucmá
- Mérida · 30 km by road, 30 min
- Campeche · 176 km by road, 2 h 20 min
- Valladolid · 192 km by road, 2 h 40 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Hunucmá: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Around the spring equinox (March 20–22) the sun lines up behind the Franciscan church, a light effect locals gather to watch. Por Esto · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- You can walk the town on your own; Hostería & Ecoturismo Sihunchén, about 10 minutes away toward Ucú, runs guided birding tours and trips to Sisal. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Yucatán Today · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Hunucmá: what to see and do
See the fortress-like church and former convent of San Francisco de Asís.
Walk across its huge open atrium, built for outdoor Masses.
Eat at the market and food stalls around the main square.
Stop on the way between Sisal and Mérida or Celestún.
Plan your trip
Tours & activities
Day trips around Sisal sometimes stop in Hunucmá; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MID (Mérida): about 1 h 7 min by road to Sisal, then 23 km more to Hunucmá, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mérida (MID), about 1 h 7 min by road from Sisal, the base for Hunucmá.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sisal: download a map of the way to Hunucmá before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.
Photos
When to go to Hunucmá warm
Hunucmá shares the climate of Sisal, 23 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Sisal
Weather in Hunucmá now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Sisal your base
Hunucmá is an easy trip from Sisal, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Motul · Yucatán · 62 km away
Closest to Hunucmá
-
Yaxché de Peón · Village · 13 km away · Yucatán
-
Oxcum · Village · 14 km away · Yucatán
-
Ucú · Village · 14 km away · Yucatán
-
Dzibikak · Village · 15 km away · Yucatán
-
Sac Nicté · Village · 15 km away · Yucatán
-
San Antonio Chun · Village · 15 km away · Yucatán
-
Oxholón · Village · 17 km away · Yucatán
-
Caucel · Village · 18 km away · Yucatán
Near Hunucmá
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.