Merida, the white city, a place where the Mayan culture, traditions, landscapes, food and above all the warmth of its people will make you feel at home. One of the most beautiful and pleasant experiences is to feel at home anywhere, as if it were your own home
WHAT'S IN MÉRIDA YUCATÁN?
Merida has several tourist and social attractions as it is a safe city with a lot of culture, the Mayan culture is the one that belongs to this state of Mexico.
In Yucatan there are different Mayan ruins outside the city of Merida, such as Chichen-Itza and Uxmal, great tourist attractions, in the area there are restaurants, hotels, tours, cenotes and small towns that if you are a traveler you will love. Besides the different beaches that Yucatan has just 20 minutes from Merida, such as Progreso, Chicxulub, Chelem, Las Coloradas, Celestun, these are the most popular and well known beaches, being Progreso and Chicxulub the most popular for cruise ships, restaurants and bars. All this is on the outskirts of the city of Merida, now if you are wondering what is in Merida, inside the city you will find museums like the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, Museo de Antropologia e Historia, Macay, among others, well known theaters like the Peon Contreras, Armando Manzanero, shopping malls like La Isla, Habor fashion mall, Altabrisa, Galerias Merida, City Center, Restaurants areas known as Harbor, Sky City, Santa Lucia, Paseo 60, Mercado 60.
The night clubs are located mostly in commercial plazas such as City Center, Plaza Mangus, La Isla and in well-known avenues such as Prolongación Paseo de Montejo and Av García Lavín.
PLACES TO VISIT IN MÉRIDA:
1-.Paseo de Montejo
If you are looking for a place to go in Mérida, take a Sunday walk or bike ride on the famous bike route (Sunday mornings only) on the famous Paseo Montejo, Mérida's most emblematic avenue (just over 3 km long). Admire the architecture of its old mansions dating from the colonial and Porfiriato eras.
2-.Visit the Canton Palace
This spectacular Neoclassical style building located on Paseo de Montejo now houses the Regional Museum, with its fantastic collection of pieces from the Maya culture. The Canton Palace was built in the first decade of the 20th century as the family residence of General Francisco Canton Rosado. General Cantón (1833-1917) was one of the most outstanding characters of his time. As a military man, he fought in the Caste War against the Maya rebels. He was a cattle ranch owner and railroad entrepreneur, and was governor of Yucatán from 1898 - 1902. In 1932, the Cantón family sold the building to the government of Yucatán. From then on it was successively the seat of the School of Fine Arts, the Hidalgo Elementary School and the governors' house. Later it simultaneously housed the Yucatecan Institute of Anthropology and History and the Crescencio Carrillo y Ancona Library, located on the main floor, as well as the Archaeological and Historical Museum of Yucatán, in the basement.
It is currently the Museum of Regional Anthropology of Yucatan, its imposing architecture captures the views and cameras of everyone who passes through its streets.
Services
The museum provides the following services:
-Guided tours in Spanish to school and special groups by prior arrangement.
-Lectures and book presentations.
-Concerts in the "Chapel" Hall.
-Free Sunday workshops for children from 6 to 12 years old.
- Student programs for social service, internships and volunteer work.
- Restrooms and elevator for the handicapped
- It has an independent bookstore "Educal" that works during the same hours of the museum.
Hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access fee:
$65 pesos MX ( credit and debit card payment accepted). Exempt from payment every day: Children under 12 years old, students, retirees and pensioners with valid ID. On Sundays, admission is free for all Mexicans.
3-.Admire the imposing Monumento a la Patria (Monument to the Homeland).
On Paseo Montejo itself, admire the imposing Monumento a la Patria. Don't miss the detail of each of its engravings that evoke different moments in the history of Mexico and Yucatán in particular.
4-.Visit the Montejo Palace or Casa de Montejo
The Montejo house is a building constructed between 1542 and 1549 by the conquerors of the Yucatán Peninsula, the Montejo - In the center of the city, admire the facade of the famous Palacio or house of Montejo, ordered to be built by the conqueror of the region, Francisco de Montejo, in the second half of the 16th century. Today, this building is home to an elegant museum sponsored by Fomento Cultural Banamex, and is one of the most famous houses in Mérida, one of the most emblematic properties in Mérida, preserving its colonial architecture and history. One of the oldest houses in the city located on one of the sides of the main park (main square) of the city of Merida. Built in the 16th century, it stands out for its facade carved in quarry stone and furniture of the time. It is one of the most photographed sites in the Centro Histórico and currently houses art exhibits in its temporary rooms.
5-. Visit the Cathedral of San Ildefonso.
Recently, the cathedral has just been spectacularly illuminated, which, at nightfall, allows spectators to admire its beautiful architectural details even better.
6-.Try the famous marquesita
Try the traditional Yucatecan marquesitas de queso de bola at "Polito" in Santiago Park or in any of the plazas and public parks located in the downtown area of Mérida.
7-.Visit the Macay Museum
Located next to the Cathedral, the Macay Museum is inside the Ateneo Peninsular, one of the most emblematic buildings in Mérida, on Calle 60, 58 and 63, this building is known by most Meridanos as Ateneo Peninsular. This building was built in colonial times, but from the moment it was completed, it became a singular chronicler of our capital city, for many and diverse reasons. In the beginning, its function was to house the bishops of Yucatan, and its original title indicates it: Palace of the Archbishopric or Episcopal Palace. Admire its magnificent collections of art objects ranging from Mayan pieces to complex artistic expressions such as graphics, concept paintings, watercolors and digital art.
8-.Taste and Enjoy the best of Yucatecan Cuisine.
(panuchos, salbutes, lime soup, cochinita pibil, among other delicious dishes) Merida is one of the 10 best cities in Mexico to pamper your palate in the different restaurants located in the first square of the "white" Merida. We recommend you visit Los Almendros and La Chaya Maya.
9-.Hop on the Turibús
Mérida's turibus makes stops at various strategic points of the city, allowing you to get to know different corners of the capital while you take the most fun pictures with your partner, friends or family.
10-.Visit the legend tours
On weekends, participate in the interesting tours of legends that are organized in the center of the city. With several years of experience, this original "dramatization of stories" is gaining more and more fans and followers every day. At the end of the tour, visit the "casa chica", a small and cozy bar located on Paseo de Montejo.
11-.Sign up for guided tours of the history of Mérida.
If you like history, sign up for the guided tours which depart daily - and at various times - from Mérida's Plaza Central. Register in advance at the tourist information booths located under the arches that decorate the Palacio Municipal building.
12-.Taste the Famous Xtabentun
Many people say that to get to know each region you need to know what drink is made and drunk there. In Mérida, you can't miss a drink of the famous Xtabentún, an alcoholic drink made from flowers that is offered in most of the different establishments downtown and in different shopping malls.
13-.Escape to Izamal, Magical Town of Yucatan.
Located only 67 km east of Merida. There you can see the remains of three imposing pyramidal constructions from the Mayan era, as well as a fantastic convent in whose atrium, the largest in Latin America, Pope John Paul II offered a great mass in 1993.
14-.Visit the archaeological site of Chichen-Itza.
One of the wonders of the world, located 120 km east of the Yucatan capital following the highway to Cancun. In this fantastic capital of the Mayan world, you cannot miss El Castillo, El Cenote Sagrado and the curious construction known as El Caracol or El Observatorio.
15-.Visit the Yucatan coastline
Just 20 minutes from the city is the Port of Progreso and only 45 minutes from Merida is located Celestun, incredible reserve where, at dawn or dusk, hundreds of flamingos show off their pink plumage perching on the banks of the river or near the mangrove areas and springs, about 4 hours away is Holbox, a beautiful island located in Q. roo Yucatan, to get to Holbox you will have to go to chiquila a small town where you will have to take a ferry to get there, a natural spectacle!
16-.Visit the Cenotes of Yucatán
Due to its peculiar geography (limestone soils where cenotes abound), Yucatan is an invitation to explore these curious natural formations that are nothing more than water mirrors connected in a subterranean way. On the outskirts of Merida, we recommend you venture to Cuzama, where after an incredible tour in a truck (a kind of wagon pulled by mules) you can bathe in the clear waters of three fantastic cenotes. Be sure to visit them!
17-.Visit the Iconic Haciendas of Yucatán
Another tour you can take starting from ancient Ti'ho (as the Maya called the settlement that preceded colonial Merida) is to discover the haciendas of the region. If you take the road to Progreso you can stop to visit Xcanatún; if you go to Cancún, those of Teya or Temozón; and to Campeche, those of Poxilá, among other stupendous constructions today converted into luxurious boutique hotels. In Yucatán there are many amazing stories, many of the zones and neighborhoods of the city of Mérida carry history and names of national and local heroes: Miguel Hidalgo, Morelos, Salvador Alvarado, Benito Juárez, Francisco I. Madero, among others. Madero among others.
18-. Visit the Casas Cámara (Twin Houses)
Inaugurated on December 24, 1911, the Casas Cámara, better known as "the twin houses", were built at the beginning of the 20th century by engineer Manuel Cantón with plans brought by the Cámara brothers, Ernesto and Camilo, from France, who wanted the houses to have a European style. They are a reference for the meridians. Built with French-style architectural elements, since the plans were drawn up in France (as can be seen in the ironwork on the doors and balconies), they are a favorite place to photograph, and are undoubtedly one of the most iconic houses in Mérida. Because they are private residences, you will only be able to see the outside of these houses. Paseo de Montejo #492 x 45 and 43. Visit the list and history of Mérida's colonias.
19-. Mexican Night at the Remate
Nightlife in Mérida is also an opportunity to enjoy traditions to the fullest at the Mexican Nights at the Remate Paseo de Montejo. Every Saturday you can enjoy live music, regional gastronomy, and numerous sales of typical handicrafts.
20-. Visit the Great Museum of the Mayan World
Take advantage of your nighttime stroll to visit this precinct of imposing avant-garde structure. In addition to housing a magnificent museum on Maya history and culture, it also has a projection room, a cafeteria, and also offers a light and sound show outside.
Now tell us, did you like Mérida?