City Umán, Yucatán Municipality of Umán Mérida and around
A busy city just south-west of Mérida on the road to Campeche, built around a tall 18th-century Franciscan church with a big dome.
From Mérida: 20 min by car (18 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to Umán
Where to stay near Umán
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Umán.
Tours to Umán
Day trips and guided outings from Sisal often include Umán; with a local guide you can get there 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 Umán
- From Mérida: about 20 min by road (~18 km)
- Nearest airport: Mérida (MID), 1 h 7 min by car to Sisal
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Tours from Merida, near Umán
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About Umán
Umán is the seat of the municipality of the same name, about 18 km south-west of Mérida, and with Kanasín it forms part of Mérida's metropolitan area. It has grown fast: from about 2,000 people in 1900 and 26,657 in 2000 to 56,409 at the 2020 census, which makes it the fourth-largest city in Yucatán. The whole municipality, with 67 localities, had 69,147 people in 2020. Federal Highway 180, the road from Mérida to Campeche, runs through the town, and just outside it Federal Highway 261 branches off south towards Uxmal and the Puuc hills.
The settlement is older than the Spanish conquest; it belonged to the Maya chiefdom of Ah Canul, and after the conquest it was given in encomienda, with Francisco Hernández among its first holders. In 1825 it was attached to the district of the Camino Real seated in Hunucmá, in 1881 the state congress made it a villa, in 1921 it became the head of its own municipality and in 1991 it was raised to the rank of city. The name is usually explained in Maya as 'his purchase', or perhaps 'his road'. Like the rest of the area it lived from henequen for a long time; after the crop collapsed in the late 20th century the economy turned to industry, commerce and services, closely tied to Mérida.
The centre of town is the church and former convent of San Francisco de Asís, built in the 18th century. The church stands out for its very tall, slender walls, which give it the look of a fortress, and for its large dome; of the convent beside it, on the left, only part of the façade and the remains of a chapel survive. Several smaller chapels were built in the 20th century, among them those of Guadalupe, La Candelaria, La Mejorada, San Marcos, Santa Cruz and San Juan de Dios. Umán's main festival honours the Santo Cristo del Amor from 13 to 15 September, with gremios, a fair and dances; on 4 October the townspeople sing the mañanitas to Saint Francis before dawn, followed by Mass and a vaquería. The municipality also has Maya remains in the town itself and at Bolón, Hotzuc and Kizil, and restored haciendas such as Yaxcopoil and Xtepén.
How to get to Umán
Drive from Mérida: 20 min, 18 km
From Mérida take Federal Highway 180 south-west, the road towards Campeche; Umán is about 18 km from Mérida's centre, roughly 25–30 minutes by car depending on traffic. The church is on Calle 20 in the centre. From Umán, Federal Highway 261 continues south to Yaxcopoil, Muna and Uxmal.
Directions to Umán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Umán
- Mérida · 18 km by road, 20 min
- Campeche · 154 km by road, 1 h 55 min
- Valladolid · 181 km by road, 2 h 25 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
What to see in Umán 1
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
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Hacienda Yaxcopoil · Landmark · 16 km from the centre
A henequen hacienda on the Mérida–Uxmal road kept as a museum, unrestored, with its Moorish double arch, machine house, 1913 diesel engine and Maya relics.
Map of Umán
Neighbourhoods and villages of Umán
Part of Umán or just outside it, closest first.
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Hunxectamán · Village · 3 km from the centre
A small comisaría just north of Umán whose old hacienda, still private, shows a red arched gateway and an arcaded main house. -
Tanil · Village · 4 km from the centre
A small village between Umán and Mérida built around an old hacienda, whose tall brick chimney and red walls still stand by the main road. -
Dzibikak · Village · 5 km from the centre
A village north-west of Umán whose henequen hacienda, rebuilt from ruins after 2005, now hosts weddings and concerts. -
Oxholón · Village · 6 km from the centre
A village west of Umán where the crumbling walls, gate pillars and crenellated house of an old hacienda stand among trees. -
Tebec · Village · 6 km from the centre
A former hacienda village south-east of Umán, laid out around a big lawn with a long main house, a chapel and a church with bell gables. -
Xtepén · Village · 6 km from the centre
A village 6 km south of Umán on the old Campeche road, with a privately restored 17th-century hacienda and a tradition of stone carving. -
Oxcum · Village · 7 km from the centre
One of Umán's larger comisarías, a former henequen hacienda north-west of the city with a wide park and an old stone arch. -
Sac Nicté · Village · 7 km from the centre
A hamlet west of Umán around the overgrown ruins of a henequen hacienda once owned by the Molina Solís brothers. -
Ticimul · Village · 7 km from the centre
A village between Umán and Mérida with a pink church with a bell gable and the old buildings and chimney of a henequen hacienda. -
Bolón · Village · 9 km from the centre
One of the largest villages of Umán municipality, west of the city, with an old church with a stepped bell gable and Maya remains. -
Petecbiltún · Village · 9 km from the centre
A hamlet of former hacienda land south-east of Umán, near Hotzuc, that emptied out in the 20th century and has since been resettled. -
Poxilá · Village · 9 km from the centre
A hacienda village south-west of Umán whose long red estate buildings line the road, near the larger village of Bolón. -
Xcucul Sur · Village · 9 km from the centre
A small former hacienda village east of Umán, with a simple church, a tidy main park and overgrown hacienda ruins. -
Hotzuc · Village · 10 km from the centre
A small village south-east of Umán whose henequen hacienda was built with carved stones taken from an ancient Maya site. -
San Antonio Chun · Village · 12 km from the centre
A former hacienda village at the western edge of Umán, with a small church to St Anthony, an old well and the stone walls of the estate.
Day trips and tours from Umán
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Umán and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around Umán
- The nearest airport is Mérida (MID).
- The best months to go are January, February, November, and December.
- 15 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Umán.
Before you go to Umán: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Santo Cristo del Amor festival 13–15 September; Saint Francis of Assisi on 4 October, with dawn mañanitas, Mass and a vaquería. Wikipedia (es); Diario de Yucatán · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Umán: what to see and do
See the tall walls and great dome of the 18th-century church of San Francisco de Asís.
Look for what is left of the Franciscan convent, to the left of the church.
Walk the main square and the arcaded buildings around it.
Come for the Santo Cristo del Amor festival, 13–15 September.
Continue south on Highway 261 to Hacienda Yaxcopoil and on towards Uxmal.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Umán
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Umán.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Sisal often include Umán; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MID (Mérida): about 1 h 7 min by road to Sisal, then 43 km more to Umán, 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 Umán.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sisal: download a map of the way to Umán before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Umán warm
Umán shares the climate of Sisal, 43 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Sisal
Weather in Umán now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sisal
Sisal is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Umán, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
Near Umán
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.