You’ll have to grab a boat from La Batanga to make your way to the island city of Mexcaltitán de Uribe, the Burano of Mexico. The story goes that Mexcaltitán, but it’s worth it. Founded in 1116, the story goes that it was the site of the Aztecs’ first attempt at building an empire. When they realized that they’d mistaken the sign they believed they’d been sent, they continued on, eventually founding their great city at Tenochtitlan in 1325. But the similarity in the cities’ layouts remains the strongest indicator that Mexcaltitán was originally intended to be the site of one of the greatest empires in Mesoamerica. If you’re there in the rainy season, you’ll get to watch locals get around on small row boats, winding through the canals formed by the high sidewalks. But anytime of year the city is known for its shrimp and seafood. On hot days, locals will lay their shrimp catches out along the sidewalks to crisp up in the sun. They’ll then use these crispy shrimp in everything from empanadas and tortillas to moles.
