Xoy: Maya Milpa and Seed Traditions

Xoy brings together a traditional Maya milpa and the care of native seed varieties with religious traditions. The government of the state of Yucatán also lists the town as an archaeological site in the municipality of Peto. Agriculture, religious life, and cultural heritage offer different thematic perspectives for considering Xoy as a potential travel destination.

Maya Milpa and Seed Diversity

The traditional Maya milpa in Xoy follows the phases of the moon to plan clearing, sowing, and harvesting. The tradition thus encompasses several stages of fieldwork, not just the timing of sowing. The phases of the moon guide when work is done; the variety of crops adds another dimension to this timing by reflecting the diversity of native crops grown in the milpas. If you are interested in agricultural traditions, work planning and plant diversity are two distinct but interconnected perspectives.

A scientific study published in 2019/2020 recorded 22 native crop varieties in the milpas of Xoy: eight varieties of maize, seven varieties of lima beans, four varieties of squash, and three varieties of common beans. Maize and lima beans are close in number, with eight and seven varieties respectively; together, they account for 15 of the 22 recorded varieties.

A study of the Maya milpa in Xoy highlights the family as a decisive factor in preserving biodiversity; at the same time, conserving native seed varieties is a priority for milpa farmers.

Seed Care in Xoy

Nazario Poot Palomo, a maize producer and member of the Guardianes de semillas collective in Xoy, keeps 18 native seed varieties at his home and regularly tests their germination capacity. The test adds a recurring step to storage: it shows whether the stored seed varieties can germinate. While the crop survey counts plant diversity, this perspective focuses on the germination capacity of a specific seed stock.

A cultural report from 2014, updated in 2023, also mentions the community of Xoy’s own Nalxoy maize seed, from which four varieties have emerged. The three figures refer to different things: 22 varieties were recorded in the milpas, Nazario Poot Palomo preserves 18 seed varieties, and four varieties emerged from the community’s Nalxoy maize seed. They cannot be added together as a single stock total because they refer to crop diversity, personal seed care, and community seed.

Religious Life and Cultural Heritage

A report dated April 9, 2026, names five religious brotherhoods in Xoy that existed at that time and were dedicated to the town’s patron saint: señoras, jóvenes, labradores 1, labradores 2, and señoritas. The report also describes a procession during the celebrations in honor of the Virgen Dolorosa; it passed through Xoy to the parish church in the town center dedicated to the Virgen Dolorosa. The brotherhoods refer to religious groups, while the procession describes a celebration connected with the church in the center. In this way, the organizational structure and the specific course of a celebration stand alongside each other as distinct aspects of religious life.

The government of the state of Yucatán lists Xoy as an archaeological site in the municipality of Peto. The place and the administrative level are clearly distinguished: Xoy is named as the site, and Peto as the municipality to which the town belongs. This archaeological connection adds another facet of cultural heritage to the agricultural and religious perspectives.

Discover more destinations: Muna, Kaua, Río Lagartos, Uman, San José, Chocholá, Tibolón, Yokdzonot

For the main travel overview: Yucatán.