Tulum Art Club
Weathered hands working clay at the Espadas Family pottery workshop in Uayma, Yucatán
EXPERIENCE · UAYMA, YUCATÁN

MayanPottery

Clay, fire anda family tradition.

Work with clay alongside the Espadas Family and discover a pottery tradition preserved through generations in Yucatán.

UAYMA·BEGINNER FRIENDLY·MATERIALS INCLUDED

BOOK YOUR EXPERIENCE
THE EXPERIENCE

Start withthe earth.

The experience begins with clay. Not a pottery wheel. Not a production line. Not a souvenir workshop.

You learn through the material itself, shaping a piece by hand while discovering the techniques, tools and knowledge preserved by the Espadas Family.

No previous experience is required.

Hands shaping a clay vessel on a wooden work table in the Uayma workshop
A member of the Espadas Family arranging finished pottery in the workshop
A family member shaping a clay pot outdoors beside a woodpile
THE FAMILY

Meet theEspadas.

The Espadas Family has preserved and practiced traditional clay techniques across generations in Uayma, Yucatán — working with local materials, hand-building methods and tools that have changed very little over time.

Tulum Art Club has collaborated with the family since 2018 through workshops, cultural exchange and artist residencies. What began as a conversation about materials became a long relationship built around a shared idea: that a craft survives when it is practiced, taught and paid for fairly.

The workshop you visit is their own. You are received by a member of the family, in their space, at their pace.

WORKING TOGETHER SINCE 2018
Visitors seated outdoors listening to an introduction about Mayan clay
“You don't just learn how to shape clay.You learn where the knowledge comes from.”
THE PROCESS

Madeby hand.

Clay is prepared, worked and shaped without a wheel. The hands do the measuring. The tools are few and worn.

Close detail of clay hands emerging from dark earth
Finished pieces — vessels, animal forms and figures from the family's repertoire.
Finished pieces — vessels, animal forms and figures from the family's repertoire.
Tools of the workshop — worn, repaired, still in use.
Tools of the workshop — worn, repaired, still in use.
Firing takes place in a traditional wood oven on the workshop grounds.
Firing takes place in a traditional wood oven on the workshop grounds.
A boy filling clay pots on the ground at the workshop
WHAT TO EXPECT

A few hoursworking differently.

  • 11:00Introduction and cultural context0
  • 11:20Hands-on pottery session1
  • 13:00Agua de lima / refreshment2

Schedule based on the workshop as documented. Times are confirmed with you when you book.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
  • All materials
  • Guided pottery session
  • Cultural introduction
  • Agua de lima / limonada
OPTIONAL

Traditional local food can be arranged in advance. Ask when you book.

WHAT TO BRING
  • Biodegradable sunscreen and repellent
  • Water and a snack
The decorated red and white church facade of Uayma, Yucatán
THE PLACE

Go beyondTulum.

The experience takes you away from the usual Tulum circuit and into the Espadas Family's workshop in Uayma, near Valladolid.

The place is part of the experience: a small Yucatán town, its painted church, dirt yards, wood smoke and the pace that comes with them.

UaymaYUCATÁN · MEXICOOPEN IN MAPSExact workshop address shared on confirmation.
The Espadas Family workshop yard in Uayma
YOUR PIECE

Make somethingwith your own hands.

During the session you shape your own piece, guided step by step. Most people arrive with no experience and leave with something they made themselves.

Finishing, firing and how your piece reaches you are arranged directly with the family on the day — it depends on the piece and the oven schedule.

Two ceramic figures holding bowls, made at the Espadas workshop
A finished hand-built clay piece from the workshop
BOOKING

Ready to workwith clay?

BOOK THE POTTERY EXPERIENCEOR MESSAGE US ON WHATSAPP
PRICE
$1,260 MXN per person · VAT included
DURATION
Approx. 2–3 hours
GROUP SIZE
Minimum 4 guests
LOCATION
Uayma, Yucatán
AVAILABILITY
By reservation — dates confirmed on request
LANGUAGE
Spanish and English
COMING WITH A GROUP?Private sessions can be arranged for groups, retreats and teams, with the workshop reserved for you.ASK ABOUT A PRIVATE SESSION
Guests working clay at a table during the workshop
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