Mérida

Mérida is the capital of the state of Yucatan in Mexico. It has a population of about 750,000. The ambiance is colonial and the climate is tropical. The daytime temperature varies; in January, it is about 25 and in June, about 35 degrees Celsius. To beat the heat, most people are busiest in the mornings. They have lunch and siesta, then go back to work for a few hours in the late afternoon. The cool breezes from the Gulf of Mexico drift into Mérida in the evenings and this is when many of the residents spend their time outdoors. You can see them visiting and talking as they stroll along the streets, sit in the plazas or dine in the many sidewalk restaurants.

Understand

Merida is a city of contrasts. You will find elegant hotels, restaurants and malls in the northern part of the city. Downtown, there are hotels and restaurants to suit every budget. A large central market and numerous small shops are found all around the main plaza. Merida has a rich cultural life which also reflects its diversity. Many free concerts, performances and other events are held daily.

From Merida, it is easy to take day trips to a vast array of destinations: archaeological sites, ecological parks, typical villages, caves, beaches, colonial missions and more. Take your time and really explore the Maya sites… walk for miles along the Gulf of Mexico… attend a village festival… photograph the wildlife… crawl through a cave or swim in a cenote...

International visitors to Merida find many commodities that are familiar: an English language library; a large international community, familiar franchise stores and restaurants, movies and music in English and plentiful entertainment. Those who have time to spend several months in Merida, will also encounter many opportunities to become a volunteer — helping women, children, the disabled, the elderly, the sick and the illiterate. Spiritual growth centers are also to be found.

If you are interested in learning Spanish, learning about Latin America and learning more about yourself in the process, Merida is an excellent place to do so.

Buy

• Merida is a great place to pick up a good quality hammock.

Sleep

• Hotel Luz en Yucatan urban retreat, Calle 55 #499 x 60 y 58 (three blocks from the Zocalo), +11-52-999-924-0035, => has quaint fully furnished apartments, complete with kitchen and private bath, in a former nunnery. In addition, Spanish language lessons, salsa dance lessons, yoga lessons and water aerobics classes are available. The rates vary from 300–800 pesos, depending on facilities and also how "successful" you rate yourself to be.

Get out

• Uxmal
• Chichen Itza

This text of this article is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0. It has been slightly modified to fit the general design of this website. The authors of this document are Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel, Evan Prodromou, Ryan Holliday and the following WikiTravel users: Brendio, Xltel. The original version of this article can be seen at http://wikitravel.org/en/Mérida.