Mayan Portal

This emblematic sculpture was created by Arturo Tavares Padilla. The Mayan Portal is a 16 m high, 60 ton bronze structure. It was placed in the Parque Fundadores on December 21, 2012, when several people believed it would be the end of the world; however, it represents the end of a cycle and the beginning of another that will last 5,125 years. The author of this magnificent work also thought that humanity was ending a cycle of darkness and beginning a new cycle of light, and this arch is a gateway to a state of elevated consciousness.

The sculpture represents a man and a woman holding hands and forming an arch. The male is standing on a spiral of wind and the female on a spiral of water. The man and the woman are aligned by the stars. At the base of the sculpture there are several people, who represent humanity.

There are other elements that symbolize Mayan culture, such as a man playing a sea snail, considered an aerophone musical instrument used by the Mayans; or the hoops of pre-Hispanic ball games. There are also some marine animals.

like turtles and dolphins.

For all these reasons, we chose the Mayan Portal as the “Symbol of Playa del Carmen.”

Written by: Lilicervantes.com