MÉRIDA, MEXICO
Mérida, a vivacious city in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, has all of the intangibles of a traveler’s paradise. The food? Delicious, authentic, and cheap. The atmosphere? Colorful, relaxed, and artistic. The nightlife? Full of mezcal, palomas, and Mariachi bands. The additional perks? Gorgeous city parks, beautiful weather, and in close proximity to many ancient ruins. Needless to say, be sure to stop here during your Mexican escapades; there’s nothing the “White City” doesn’t have to offer!
Attractions:
Plaza Grande: The heart of Mérida - full of good vibes, live music, and street vendors. You can easily spend hours sun-bathing, relaxing and people-watching here!
Stroll down Paseo de Montejo: Don’t leave Mérida without walking down its most famous street! This historic, 4-mile (6km) boulevard is lined with trees, shops, and mansions. Make it a point to stop by the iconic Monument to the Fatherland!
Chichén Itzá: These Mayan ruins are considered to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World for good reason - they are vast, commanding, and historic! The site is open from 8:00am-5:00pm and the entrance fee is 486 MXN ($25 USD). The best way to get here is to take a first class bus from ADO’s Terminal CAME. The bus ride is 1.5 hours and costs 150 MXN ($8 USD); buses leave at 6:30am, 8:30am, and 9:30am.
Free Walking Tour: A great way to get acquainted with the city! Tours are 2 hours in length, start daily at 10:00am at Parque de Santa Lucía, and are offered in both English and Spanish. Tips are encouraged based on what you think of the experience!
Catedral de San Ildefonso: If Plaza Grande is the heart of Mérida, then this church is the soul! The Cathedral of Mérida is one of the oldest cathedrals in Latin America (at nearly 500 years old) and is built on old Mayan ruins. It is free to enter and located across the street from Plaza Grande. If you are interested in a tour, they are offered on Saturday mornings.
Parque de Las Américas: This lively park is always buzzing with activity! You can find street vendors hawking marquesitas (a Yucatán dessert crepe filled with chocolate, nutella, jam, or caramel), kids playing in the playgrounds, or live music playing in the open-air theater! It is 4 city blocks in length, family-friendly, and a great spot to read, exercise, or relax.
Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve: If you’re in Mérida between November and April, take a trip to see the famous flocks of wild flamingos! It’s marvelous! You can get here via public bus or tour. The bus ride is 2 hours and costs 60 MXN; buses leave hourly from 5:00am-8:00pm from Noreste Bus Station. Bartering a boat ride in Celestún will be half the price of purchasing a tour from Mérida. Tours from Mérida are 7-8 hours and cost around $100 USD.
Cenotes Cuzama: Experiencing a refreshing swim in a Mexican cenote is a must do! To visit, you need to first get to the small town of Cuzama. The bus from Mérida is 1.5 hours, costs 20 MXN ($1 USD), and leaves from Noreste Bus Station; buses leave every 2 hours. From Cuzama, take a horse-drawn mine cart for 400 MXN ($20 USD) to visit the three surrounding cenotes. The experience of the cart ride is just as exciting as the swimming!
Uxmal Ruins: Although they don’t receive the notoriety of Chichen Itza, these ruins are magnificent in their own right! Buses to Uxmal run every two hours from 6:00am-6:00pm (from ADO’s Terminal TAME); the ride is 1.5 hours and costs 65 MXN ($3 USD). The entrance fee is 413 MXN ($21 USD) and the site is open from 8:00am-4:30pm daily. If you are choosing between these ruins and Dzibilchaltún, go with Uxmal!
Progreso Beach: This port city on the Gulf of Mexico is a 45-minute colectivo ride from town. Colectivos can be found near the intersection of Calle 60 & Calle 65 (one block from Plaza Grande); the ride costs 80 MXN ($4 USD). You can also take a 1-hour bus from the Auto Progreso Terminal; buses leave every 10 minutes from 5:15am-10:15pm and cost 25 MXN ($1 USD).
Other attractions include: Parque de Santiago, Mayan World Museum of Mérida, Parque de La Mejorada, Palacio Canton, and Parque de Santa Ana.
Accommodation:
Hotel - Casa de las Palomas by Sercotel: Less than 15 minutes on foot from both Plaza Grande and the start of Paseo de Montejo, this hotel is perfectly located inside a traditional, colonial building - giving visitors a classic and cozy feel.
Hostel - Nomadas Ecohostel: This hostel is incredible! It is located right in the middle of town (25 minutes walking from Terminal CAME) and has a nice kitchen and pool. The best part is that they also offer free lessons/classes for salsa, cooking, and yoga! I definitely recommend staying here!
Transportation:
Mérida’s main bus station is ADO’s Terminal CAME; all buses below leave from here (unless expressly denoted otherwise).
Valladolid is 2.5 hours by bus from Mérida and costs 192 MXN ($10 USD); buses leave 10+ times daily.
Tulum is 4 hours by bus from Mérida and costs 369 MXN ($19 USD); buses leave 5 times daily.
Havana, Cuba is 5 hours by bus and flight from Mérida and costs upwards of $100 USD. The bus from Mérida to Cancún’s airport is 4 hours and costs 550 MXN ($27 USD); buses leave twice daily from Terminal Altabrisa at 12:20am and 12:25pm. Direct flights from Cancún to Havana are 1 hour and cost between $80-$110 USD.
Caye Caulker, Belize is 9 hours by bus, taxi, and ferry (via Chetumal) from Mérida and costs $84 USD. The bus from Mérida to Chetumal is 5.5 hours and costs 470 MXN ($23 USD); buses leave 4 times daily (12:00am, 10:00am, 4:00pm, and 10:30pm). From Chetumal’s bus station, take a taxi to the pier (10 minutes; $1 USD). The ferry from Chetumal to Caye Caulker is 3 hours and costs $60 USD (please note ferries leave every other day at 3:30pm). If you take the 10:00am bus from Mérida, you may not catch the 3:30pm ferry to Caye Caulker. A safer option is below.
The route to Caye Caulker via Belize City takes 11 hours and costs $52 USD. The bus from Mérida to Chetumal is 5.5 hours and costs $23 USD (see above for times). From Chetumal, take the next bus to Belize City (4.5 hours; $8 USD); buses leave every 30 minutes. Once in Belize City, take a taxi to the pier (5 minutes; $3 USD). The ferry from Belize City to Caye Caulker is 45 minutes and costs $18 USD. Ferries run this route 9 times daily and the last one leaves at 5:30pm.
There are no fees associated with leaving Mexico or entering Belize.
San Ignacio, Belize is 13-14 hours by bus (indirect; via Chetumal and Belize City) from Mérida and costs $34.50 USD. The first bus from Mérida to Chetumal is 5.5 hours and costs 470 MXN ($23 USD); buses leave 4 times daily at 12:00am, 10:00am, 4:00pm, and 10:30pm. The second bus from Chetumal to Belize City is 4.5 hours and costs $8 USD; buses leave every 30 minutes. The last bus from Belize City to San Ignacio is 2.5 hours and costs $3.50 USD; buses leave every 30 minutes as well.
As stated above, there is no departure fee for Mexico or entrance fee for Belize.
San Cristóbal de las Casas is 17-18 hours by bus from Mérida and costs 1,134 MXN ($57 USD); buses leave nightly at 11:45pm and arrives in SCDC the next day at approximately 5:00pm.
If you get lucky and can find a seat, VivaAerobús offers 3-4 non-stop flights weekly from Mérida (MID) to Tuxtla (TGZ). Flights are 1.5 hours and cost $35 USD. From Tuxtla, SCDC is 1.5 hours by bus and costs 48 MXN ($2 USD); ADO runs this route 10 times daily.
Mérida International Airport (MID) is 10km (6 miles) outside the city center and accessible via taxi.
Taxi: The ride is 25 minutes and costs 200-210 MXN ($10 USD); rates are fixed and posted on the taxi booths.
Unfortunately, I did not do a great job of photographing my time in Mérida. Thank you to the following photographers for sharing your work with me - Jorge Ramírez, Jess Torre, Estefania Cortes, Jorge Zapata, Proy Digi, Alvaro Rosado, Funk Lutz, Carlos Medellin, Alejandro Contreras, Darvin Santos, and Luis Pizarro!