Temozon, A Furniture-Hunter’s Dream

Just an hour and a half drive from Merida is a small pueblo called Temozón.  It’s proximation to the larger town of Valladolid makes it an ideal second stop on a day trip to this wonderfully beautiful area. 

                We first heard of Temozón through our Spanish teacher, Lulu.  She said that if we wanted great hand-crafted furniture, this was the place to go.  So off we went one day in search of the little town supposedly filled with wood artisans.  We found the town just 10 kilometers north of Valladolid, less than two hours from our front door.

                There is only one main road through Temozón, so you are sure to pass every carpenter’s shop in town.  Some specialize in specific pieces, such as chairs, both rocking and otherwise.  Others offer a host of pieces, from sofas, chairs, and side tables, to beds, wardrobes, dressers, and much more.  Stop at every one because you will be constantly surprised at the variety of woods, styles, and finishes.  The carpenter we chose to build all the furniture for our B&B will make anything, and do it beautifully. 

                Jose has an open tienda on the East end of town.  His strong, hand-finished furniture caught our eye from the road.  Upon closer inspection we were excited to see the love and care he put into each piece.  Jose uses mainly three types of wood:  pine, cedar, and tsalam, a local hardwood with beautiful blonde streaks running through it.  We had all our furniture made of tsalam, with a light brown finish. 

                As I said, Jose will make anything you desire; we gave him a picture of a desk and he copied it exactly.  But he also has available many stunning pieces ready to go.  We especially love his sofas and chairs; they exude a strength of character, yet have a wonderful delicate quality that you just have to see. 

                It may be a bit difficult to send furniture home, but we feel it will be well worth the effort.  This is furniture your nieces and nephews (or children and grandchildren) will be enjoying for generations.  And the cost of shipping it is far outweighed by the savings of the furniture itself.  I daresay you could not find this furniture in the U.S. for many times the cost of it in Temozón.