Mérida and trips in the area

Mérida is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, which in itself may not be a reason to visit. But the fact that the centre of this city of about a million people is literally bustling with life is worth a trip. Believe me, Mérida really does have a lot to offer, with concerts, theatre, dance performances or classes, parades, workshops all taking place every night. TIP: on Facebook, click on the "Events" box, enter Mérida as your location and you'll get a huge amount of stuff. 

Accommodation Mérida

We ourselves spent three days and three nights here, which allowed us to explore part of the city and take a few trips around the area. Our starting point was the Hotel Santa Ana, whose biggest advantage was its absolutely luxurious location: right next to Santa Ana Park, close to lots of different businesses and just a few minutes walk to the centre itself. We were able to use the hotel's parking lot for free, as well as the pool in the beautiful courtyard, where we were able to have breakfast in the morning (breakfast was a separate charge, but the prices were very reasonable and the food good). One night in this hotel cost us €29, and we had a room with two double beds and a fridge. Other accommodation in Mérida as follows:

• cheap: Casa Continental - rooms with air conditioning, fridge and coffee machine for a super price around €28
• medium: Hotel Merida - nice and well rated accommodation with prices around €56, or Hotel Real Toledo for €76 with breakfast
• luxury: Ya'ax Hotel Boutique - rooms in a modern style or a beautiful design but only for adults CIGNO HOTEL BOUTIQUE

What to do in Mérida?

In the introduction I mentioned how to easily find a list of cultural events taking place here. But if you don't have the time or the mood for that kind of entertainment, you can at least choose from the "permanent attractions". What you certainly can't miss in Mérida is the historic centre, where you can spend hours walking around. We mostly explored the neighborhood between Santa Ana Park and the main Plaza Grande, where you'll find plenty of souvenir shops and beautiful patios with restaurants, but also a few other parks with typical double benches, called kissing chairs. The biggest must-see in Plaza Grande is the San Ildefonso Cathedral, which has a video mapping show every Friday at 8pm (free entry). And of course, the giant colourful "Merida" sign is a popular photo spot. By the way, you will come across these town names everywhere in Yucatán, we saw them even in really small villages.

Another frequently recommended spot is the Paseo Montejo, a 6km-long avenue named after Merida's founder, Francisco de Montejo. The most interesting stretch is from the centre towards the Monumento a la Patria, where the promenade is lined with opulent villas and haciendas, now often used as museums, galleries, cafes or corporate headquarters. If you get a craving for ice cream, I recommend trying Te invoco y Suspiro - delicious! Paseo Montejo goes on like any other big street, in short, nothing too interesting. But history buffs will be impressed by the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, where you'll see hundreds of Mayan artefacts and explore the Mayan civilisation from many different perspectives. The museum has an official website, so check there for specific admission prices and opening times.

+ 2x TIP for a fine breakfast in Mérida:

• Pan & Køf.feé - a lovely modern café with good coffee and freshly baked yummies, not exactly easy to choose from :) Maybe a bit more expensive in price, but it's worth it.
• Hotel Colonial - all you can eat breakfast buffet style. Great selection, very attentive service, great price - 200 MEX/person (we didn't pay for Nina). You really do eat royally here, as some of the dishes for me fell more into the lunch category :)

Trips from Mérida

This list includes places we have personally visited, but also places that we have not included in our itinerary anymore. However, they can serve as further inspiration for you, and they are accompanied by photos from other sites, you can always find the source below the picture.

1) Sisal

Swimming in the sea an hour away from Mérida, that's what you want! Beaches with fine sand and very gradual entry into the water, (not only) ideal for children. In particular, we splashed on Playa Sisal - Playa Blanca. There is no entrance fee as such here, you only pay extra for places under shelters and sunbeds. For one such sheltered spot (and a sunbed) we were paying 150 MEX -> the price for the whole day and it doesn't matter how many people are under it. And while you're in this seaside town, be sure to try some fish or sea creatures. The local specialty here is octopus - look for pulpo on the menu. A bit chewy, but good for us :)

2) Progreso - San Crisanto

On our second trip to the beach, we picked up the direction of Progreso and continued on and on and on from there. The road is mostly lined with newly built villas, making many of the approaches to the sea barricaded. So you can pick a completely random beach like we did... or pay to join a private club with its own beach and facilities. I've also often come across San Crisanto beach, where you can hide in the shade of coconut palms.

Source: Puros Viajes (https://www.purosviajes.com/sepa-cuales-son-los-tentadores-motivos-para-viajar-a-san-crisanto-mexico/)

3) Celestún

This biosphere reserve, even listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, should not be missed, especially by wildlife lovers. The biggest attraction in Celestún is the chance to see flocks of stunning pink flamingos, pelicans, herons and crocodiles. You can see flamingos here all year round, but your best chance is from December to February, when they hibernate. If you are interested in visiting the reserve, check out this blog, where the author has clear info (in English).

Source: Lilla Green (https://lillagreen.at/see-thousands-of-flamingos-in-celestun-mexico/)

4) Salinas Rosas

If you Google salt ponds in the Yucatán, you'll probably only come up with Las Coloradas, which I knew we definitely wouldn't visit. For one thing, they're awfully far away from just about everything, probably the closest from Valladolid, and even then, two hours away for a few photos, no thanks. Secondly, it's become such a brutal attraction that the locals here have really jacked up the entrance fees. As of 2022, the price with a guide is 300 in Spanish, 330 MEX in English. Last but not least, you can be sure that the reality is far from the extremely colorful photos on instagram. Just try checking out some reviews, for example on Tripadvisor.

But by some coincidence I came across the lesser known salt flats just outside Mérida, which we stopped at on our way back from a swim in Progreso. Like what are we gonna say, it's not exactly rosy either, but at least we didn't have to trudge for X hours somewhere... oh and the entrance fee here is 20 MEX, so even if we saw crap, it wouldn't matter. Info in a nutshell: we didn't encounter any other tourists here, they have one information sign and the salt ponds were some slightly pinkish, some more orange and some just completely normal water.

5) Xcambó ruins

About three kilometres from the salt flats lies the archaeological zone of Xcambó, which we unfortunately did not manage to visit. However, I found only positive reviews, and the entrance fee should be 85 MEX.

Source: Yucatan Gobierno del Estado (https://www.yucatan.gob.mx/?p=xcambo)

6) Cenote El Corchito

Several open cenotes located on the outskirts of Progreso. It's not well marked on google maps, or rather you can't really tell where to go. The parking lot is actually on the main road, but you have to take a short boat ride to the cenotes, which was included in the price of admission (I think 120 MEX, nothing overpriced). 

El Corchito attracts especially families with children, as there are three cenotes in total, one of which is really very small, where kids can get by. Moreover, the area is part of an ecological reserve, so you can find lots of animals in the middle of the mangroves - raccoons, rhinos (or koatis), iguanas, turtles and various species of birds. When planning this trip, make sure you don't bring any food with you - it's controlled due to the animals and not feeding them.

Source: Zona Turística (https://www.zonaturistica.com/en/things-to-do/yucatan/progreso/el-corchito)

7) Sendero Jurásico

I'll also mention here this attraction for bigger kids - Dinopark just outside El Corchito. You can see the dinosaurs from the car, so it's really hard to miss. From what I dug into the reviews, most visitors left happy, just expect a higher admission fee (kids 3-10 years 100 MEX, 11-17 years 150 MEX, adults 200 MEX).

Source: ProgresoHoy (https://progresohoy.com/noticias/conoce-a-los-patrocinadores-del-nuevo-sendero-jurasico-de-progreso-10149277/)

8) Izamal

Now let's move on to the other side of Mérida, where this interesting yellow town is located. Its landmark is the Christian, and quite surprisingly yellow, Convento de San Antonio monastery + the adjacent historic streets in the same shade. You can visit it for free, or hire a guide who often offers a horse-drawn carriage ride followed by a tour of other interesting sites in Izamal. In fact, there are several other archaeological sites to see here - such as Pirámide Kinich Kakmó (free admission and photos below to give you an idea). 

9) La Capilla de Indios

We came across this half-ruined church by complete accident on our way from Izamal, but it just caught my eye, so I'm including it here too :) Actually you probably won't read about it anywhere, but on google maps you can find it under this name - Capilla sin techo - Pixila.

+ tip for trips 10 and 11 you can find in the previous article - cenotes around Homún and the hacienda Yaxcopoil, which are a stone's throw from Mérida. And in the last part of our Mexican wanderings we'll check out the city of Valladolid and also the modern wonder of the world Chichen Itza, so go right ahead HERE!

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