The Astonishing Man Made Island City Mexcaltitan in Nayarit

The place is quite far away from civilization and, therefore, is surrounded by fenlands and picturesque lush mangrove forests inhabited by many colorful birds, among which can be seen flocks of white herons and cormorants. The island itself is small, its length is about 400 meters, while the number of residents, according to the census in 2010, is about 1000. Mexcaltitan Island is about 35 km from Santiago Ixcuintla and reaching this place is not easy. However, despite its location, the city is absolutely calm and peaceful, there is no crime.

The Mexcaltitan Island seems very mysterious. The name of the city has been interpreted to mean a variety of things such as “land of herons” or “in the house of the moon.” According to some legends, it stands on the site of the ancient city of Aztlan ("land of herons"), from which the Aztecs, who called themselves May-Kshee-kah, headed south in the search for a better place to live in in the year of 1091 and settled about a half thousand kilometers away from it in Tenochtitlan. According to another legend, the place served the Aztecs as a place to sleep during a long journey to the promised land. However, there is no proof concerning this legend, and many excavations have not confirmed many other, similar legends.

Residents of the city like to fish and shrimp, it is, in fact, their main work. In the rainy season, lasting from August to September, the streets turn into canals and the city begin to look like Venice, while all the people living there switch from usual transport to boats and sail through the streets. Some people even call it Mexican Venice, but, despite the fact that the city becomes so romantic as Venice, tourists very rarely reach this place because of the island's location, which is why, tourism is poorly developed there.

Additionally, Mexcaltitan, Nayarit, Mexico every year from 28 to 29 June hosts a grand carnival in honor of the Holy apostles Peter and Paul. These days the inhabitants of the town dress up in costumes from the skins of jaguars and decorate their hair with bright feathers, as did their ancestors. Also, they look forward to shrimp season all year long and celebrate the day when it starts.

Source:Globe Trotting