20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN MéRIDA (MEXICO)

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Merida It is the capital of Yucatan, its most populated and traditional city, known as “The White City”. We wanted to visit it since our friends Silvia and Carles moved and lived here for a while, and finally we could cross it out of our particular map. If it falls within your future travel plans, in this post we will tell you everything you can see and do in Merida, Mexico.

1. First, to know the historical Center from the hand of a professional, you can join the guided visit which is organized from Monday to Friday at 9:30 from the tourist office, in the Municipal Palace. You will have to arrive 5 minutes before registering, and it is done in both Spanish and English. It's free, but you know, a tip at the end of the visit is always appreciated.

2. Although you can go through the most significant points of the center at your own pace. Start by visiting the Big square, the epicenter of Mérida, where many of the city's great attractions are located. Of course, here are the colorful letters of MÉRIDA.

3. And its architectural jewel, the San Idelfonso Cathedral (free). It was built in the 15th century and it is the oldest on the mainland in America (that of Santa María de la Encarnación in Santo Domingo is the oldest in the continent). Inside is the"Christ of Unity",considered the sculpture of Jesus Christ crucified in the world's largest indoor wood. On its facade, every Friday at 20:30 a project is projected Sound and light show that you can not miss!

Find cheap accommodationin Merida here. We stayed at the Doralba Inn Hotel

4. Right next to the Cathedral is the Macay Museum It houses samples of modern and contemporary art (free admission). It is attached to the cathedral by the Revolution Passage, a gallery of modern style with the vaulted ceiling quite imposing.

5. Definitely worth a visit the House of the Montejo, built between 1543 and 1549 by Francisco de Montejo, the conqueror of the Yucatan Peninsula. Today it is a house-museum whose portico remains practically the same as in the original building. It is one of the few examples of Plateresque architecture in the Americas. Inside you can visit 5 rooms and a garden to appreciate how the house should be in the colonial era. Admission is free and is located on 63rd Street. At 11am there is a free guided tour.

6. We continue in the Plaza Grande to, this time, take a look at the city Hall, which dates from 1735 and was used as a jail! If you agree in Mérida on Monday, at 21 you have an unmissable date: attend a typical Yucatecan dance show (it's called Monday's dairy). It's free. In addition, at any time you can go up to the second floor and look out the windows that overlook the square.

7. And another of the palaces that attract attention on the sides of the square is the Government Palace, which has 27 murals by the painter Fernando Castro that can be visited in the art gallery on the second floor. Admission is free.

8. The streets that have more atmosphere when night falls are the 60th street and the 62nd street, in the colonial neighborhood of Santa Lucia. There are few options for dinner or a margarita.

9. In 60 with 57 you will run into the headquarters of the Autonomous University of Yucatan, one of the most famous in southern Mexico, in a white building dating from the 16th century very beautiful. You don't have to be a student to enjoy it, exhibitions and shows are organized here frequently, and on Friday at 9:00 pm the University Serenade and the traditional Folkloric Ballet take place.

10. If you are looking for a 100% local place, where to rest for a little while, we recommend the Hidalgo Park. It is also a great area to find good and cheap stalls and restaurants. Other very handsome Parks are the Santiago parkwhere on Tuesdays at 20:30 a dance with music from the 40s is celebrated, and somewhat further away Park of the Americas, especially for children and where on Sundays various activities take place.

11. A park with a lot of atmosphere at night is the Santa Lucia Park. Here on Thursday at 9 pm a serenade is celebrated, with music, dances and Yucatecan dresses.

12. From this same square leave the guided bus tours (the bus) that cover both the center of Mérida, as the Paseo Montejo and its mansions. The company is called Carnavalito and they leave at 10:00, 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 (on Sundays only at 13:00 and 15:00), they last about 1 hour and a half and cost 120 pesos. You can book online or in the office, we made the one at 19 and it is highly recommended!

13. At one end of this square is the Church of Santa Lucia, which today looks radiant and brightly colored. However in the past there was nothing alive here, because it was the cemetery of the city. If you notice, in the square of its entrance there is still an arch built in the wall, although now covered, that corresponded to the entrance of the cemetery. This area has been used for the construction of several hotels and, apparently, the cases in which guests are disturbed by strange companies are not isolated ...

14. Do you want to be surrounded by Mexican art? Approach the Nahualli gallery, the house of artists Abel Vázquez and Melva Medina, open to the public so that you can enjoy his works of painting and sculpture. Curiosity: Nahualli means hidden, hidden. It is located on Calle 60, number 405, in the Santa Ana neighborhood.

15. Other ideal places to get closer to local life are the San Juan Park, with the church of San Juan Bautista, the central source of the Negrita and the St. John's Arch (one of the 5 arches that remain standing in the city). And the Santa Isabel Hermitage Park, with the hermitage raised over an atrium that is reached by the 64A street, for us, one of the most beautiful streets in Merida.

16. Of the great attractions of Merida is the Paseo de Montejo, which extends for more than 5 km, being the longest street in the city. And one of the most curious: did you know that it is inspired by the Champs Elysees of Paris? Although the streets of the center of Merida, full of colorful colonial houses, are the most, the Paseo de Montejo has its charm, especially because it is dotted with the most elegant mansions of Merida (Casa Peón de Minarete, Casa Quinta Montes Molina, Casas Twins ...).

17. This great avenue will be interrupted by the Homeland Monument, a compliment to the history and culture of Yucatan and Mexico.

18. Near here is the La Candelaria Temple. Although it does not call attention to the outside, it keeps a great secret inside. Its altarpieces are the only ones that were saved from burning in the 1910 revolution.

19. Do you like to visit local markets? Then go to Lucas de Galvez Market. Here you will find everything from street food to gifts to take home! The Bazar García Rejón It is another market you can visit, especially if you want to buy handicrafts.

twenty . Try some regional specialty of Yucatan: its cuisine is amazing and goes beyond the famous cochinita pibil (that anyway, everything is said, we freaks hehe). Two of the recommended restaurants are La Negrita and La Chaya Maya, just be prepared to wait your turn! To have something Sister Republic and Bela Chela, both with craft beer.

20 + 1. And finally, try a sorbet or a champola in the Sorbetería Colón, which prepares its specialties since 1907!

Here we leave you a interactive map with all the points that you cannot miss on your visit to Merida.

If you have more time you can take advantage of your stay in Merida to make some excursions in the surroundings. These are the best:

- The call Route of the Convents, a tour that passes through small towns and old convents. The main stops are: Oxkutzcab, Peanut, Chumayel, Mama, Tekit, Tecoh and Acanceh.

- You can also tour the Puuc Route, which includes a combination of spectacular activities such as visiting Mayan temples, bathing in cenotes or entering a cave. The essential points of this route are: the archaeological sites of Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labná, Oxkintok and the Grottos of Calcehtok and those of Loltún.

- Another very interesting excursion is that of Celestun, where you can see (with any luck) hundreds of flamingos.

- We arrive from Valladolid and Izamal and if you do not plan a stop in these two cities ... you will regret it. Visit them, even for a day.

You see that Mérida is one of the most interesting cities and with more things to see and do in the Yucatan Peninsula. We hope that with these proposals we will help you plan your visit!