Discover Historic Sisal
Mexico's 200 Year Old Forgotten Seaport
For those who haven't been here before, Sisal is a sleepy fishing village on Yucatan's north seacoast. For those who have been here before, you may be surprised by the recent changes.
The State Government has been pouring money into Sisal giving the town center and main plaza a major face lift. New streets, lights, store fronts, and restaurants designed to attract tourism to the area.
However, today's Sisal still offers visitors a window to a time when life was more peaceful. Sisal was founded in 1811 as Mexico's main seaport for the export of sisal, a rope derived from the agave plant native to Southern Mexico. In those days, Sisal Rope was in demand and used by merchant marine and navel vessels worldwide. Lighthouses and fortresses were built at Sisal to protect the village from marauding pirates. Today these monuments bear silent witness to a time long past. Later when the Sisal boom ended with the advent of modern synthetic ropes, the small town became a forgotten seaport.
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