Izamal has become more accessible than ever with the launch of a special Sunday-only tourist train departing at 8:30 a.m from Merida's downtown train station. The 40-mile journey takes approximately 90 minutes on the train's comfortable, air-conditioned cars. Visitors receive a guided tour of the city, including city sites, a horse-drawn carriage ride and lunch. The return train arrives back in Merida around 5:00 p.m.

The city was named for Itzamna, a mythical character of exceptional wisdom, and is said to predate even Chichen Itza and Uxmal.
Despite the city's bustling popularity between 850 and 1000 AD, it was later abandoned, as were most major Mayan cities that peaked around this time. When the Spanish arrived, the city was nearly deserted.

One of the city's most famous sites is the majestic convent of San Antonio. Built partially from the stones of some of the city's ancient pyramids, the convent was completed in 1561. It is said to be only second in size to St. Peter's in the Vatican and was chosen by St. John Paul II to host a multi-ethnic event during one of his visits to Mexico. The convent is connected to the monastery's principal church, the Santuario de la Virgen de Izamal.

The second-most significant structure in Izamal is the pyramid of Itzamatul, built in dedication to the city's early founder and rising 72 feet into the sky. Itzamatul is just one of approximately 80 pre-Hispanic structures that have been discovered over the
years through excavations and restorations.