Everything You Need To Know About the New Train That Connects Mexico’s Top Sights

Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum — you’ve probably heard of all these hotspots since they’re what make Mexico’s famous Yucatan Peninsula one of the most popular destinations in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year with stunning beaches and incredible food. While some tourists might venture out beyond these areas to visit top attractions like Cenotes and Chichen Itza, generally they don’t stray too far from their loungers at the many all-inclusive resorts the area is known for.

Enter: Tren Maya (the Mayan Train), a new $28-billion rail route that connects dozens of must-see sights — especially hard-to-reach ones — in the hopes of luring travelers further afield and strengthening the economy in lesser-known spots.

After several years of construction, the highly anticipated Tren Maya partially opened in December 2023, offering service between Palenque and the Cancun International Airport. Although the train was initially slated to be fully operational in February 2024, a recent federal court order halted construction on the fifth section of the route (there will be seven in total), which will connect Playa del Carmen and Tulum, but crosses some environmentally sensitive terrain.

Upon completion, Tren Maya will traverse five Mexican states — Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas — offering a total of 34 stops along a nearly 1,000-mile-long route. This will make it easier to explore more remote archeological sites such as Calakmul, an ancient Mayan city nestled in the jungle, and Uxmal, a prehistoric town dotted with ancient buildings and ceremonial sites, among many others. Travelers will also be able to visit historic cities such as Merida, the Yucatan capital known for its rich Mayan history and colonial architecture, and Izamal, a small UNESCO-listed town famous for its striking yellow buildings and ancient sites. 

The Look of Tren Maya