Student Essay: Life in Felipe Carrillo Puerto

by Ángel Nahaut

Felipe Carrillo Puerto is a quiet city located in the center of the state of Quintana Roo. If you want to relax and take a break from the noise and the big buildings, this is the right place. Even though there are no beaches in the city, its location is perfect to visit some of the most beautiful places in Mexico. Also, there is a rich culture which is very interesting to know about. We’ll go through each of these points.

The tranquility is one of the main reasons you would want to visit the city. Thanks to the fact that there are no big buildings, there’s not a lot of traffic, among other reasons, the city is really quiet and peaceful. You can ride a bike around the city while feeling the wind in your face, while breathing fresh air and eating some snacks. It’s really charming.

There are some good restaurants and places in the city you can visit such as the different parks that we have here in the city; the domes, where you can go and do exercise or the pools, which are really good to spend a whole day having fun and eating. Though we do not have a mall, we have a place for almost every activity you like. If you do skating, we have a place to do it, if you like running, we have a place to do it. You will be amazed.

The park is one of the main attractions in the city where you can try some crazy snacks such as marquesitas with any topping you like (gummies, cheese, chocolate, fruits) and tosti-elotes (chips with corn, cream and cheese). At night, it is decorated with lights that look beautiful and you can see the big clock illuminated with color lights.

If you come in specific seasons of the year, you can enjoy different events that are part of the local traditions, such as a fair celebrating the day the Tres Reyes Magos arrived at Jesus birth place, where you can get in mechanical games and eat some French Fries or the Day of the Dead where people commemorate their family members, or even Christmas, where the park is decorated with figures made with lights and a big tree. Our location allows us to enjoy nature. You can see the trees full of flowers on the street, or you can find an IGUANA anywhere. You can listen to the birds singing and see horses walking in the street. As well as the trees on your way when traveling to another city.

If you want to do more activities, you can always travel to the main attractions around the city. Thanks to its location, you can visit places like Tulum, Cancun or Chetumal, which are no longer than 3 hours away. You can go to the beach in Tulum and Cancun, and visit water parks in Playa del Carmen such as Xcaret and Xel-ha, or adventure parks like Xplor and Xenses. La Reserva de la Biosfera de Sian Ka’an and Bacalar are good places to visit too if you would like to visit some lagoons or cenotes. Chetumal, the state capital, is great for going to watch a movie, enjoying the lagoon, and having dinner.

While you are staying here, you can learn about the culture of the city, in places like La Casa de la Cultura in which you can see paintings, read books, watch music and dance presentations, etc. or El Santuario de la Cruz Parlante where you can visit a church with a secret tunnel, a cenote and the Cruz Parlante, which was part of the Guerra de Castas, a war that happened around and in the city and that was a sacred being in the ancient Mayan culture. The museum is also a great place to learn about the culture, since you can find traditional instruments, models of the city and paintings as well.

You can eat in any of the local restaurants and you’ll enjoy the traditional food that is served here, which of course, it’s amazing. Empanadas, panuchos and sopes, just to name some, are great examples of local food you can try here in the city.

To conclude, we can say that it is a delightful and lovely small city, in which you can spend your days relaxing far away from the noise of the big city, having fun in the park or the pool, enjoying nature and traveling to the beach if you want. For sure, learning a little bit of the Mayan language, speaking with the local people and getting to know a new culture is something you will never forget. Going to the park at night and eating a marquesita while looking at the sky is an amazing experience you can’t miss.