Merida, Mexico

 

The capital of Yucatán, Mérida is one of Mexico's finest old colonial cities and is perfectly located to serve as a base from which to explore the region's many fine Mayan sites, including Chichén Itzá and Tulum. It's an equally popular day trip or overnight stopover from the resorts of the Mayan Riviera. Established in 1542 by the Spanish, Mérida is laid out on a grid pattern, making it easy to explore its numerous attractive parks and fine old buildings. The European influences are everywhere, particularly in the old city squares and plazas where evidence of French architecture can still be seen. It's also a remarkably neat and tidy city, something of a badge of honor for its citizens who like to dress in white, giving the city its long-standing nickname of Ciudad Blanca, the "white city."

Plaza Mayor - also known as Plaza de la Independencia - is both the commercial and cultural hub of Mérida, and is a good place to start a walking tour of the old city center. In addition to being surrounded by some of Mérida's most important buildings, it's also a very pleasant space to simply hang out thanks to its shady palm trees, beautiful flower gardens, and fountains. Covering an entire city block, it's as popular among locals as it is tourists due to its regular markets with vendors selling everything from food to crafts and souvenirs. It's also lined with a number of good restaurants offering traditional Mexican fare. Also of interest is the Municipal Market, just a short walk south of Plaza Mayor and worth visiting for its many products made from locally produced sisal including hammocks and panama hats, huipiles (Mayan-style dresses with brightly colored embroidery around the neck), and guayabera shirts for men.

One of Mexico's most important museums, the ultra-modern Gran Museo del Mundo Maya is dedicated to the Mayan culture that is evident everywhere in Yucatán. Comprising of four large permanent exhibitions housing more than 500 relics, highlights of this impressive collection include ancient engravings and sculptures, historic documents, and textiles dating from the pre-Spanish period, as well as fascinating displays covering the Maya during the colonial period. Of particular interest is the section dealing with the Maya culture as it exists today, as well as a superb hi-tech audio-visual show exploring the long history of the local people, which can also be seen at night as it's projected onto the building's exterior.

On the east side of the Plaza Mayor, occupying the site of an earlier Maya temple, stands Mérida Cathedral, built between 1561 and 1598 and the largest church in Yucatán. Despite its rather plain façade, the building's interior boasts a rich décor notable for its many references to the town's Mayan and colonial histories. One of the first you'll see is a painting above a doorway of the Maya ruler, Titul-Kiú, shown visiting conquistador Francisco Montejo in Tihó. Other notable features include the Chapel of the Christ of the Blisters (Capilla del Cristo de las Ampollas), with its 16th-century Indian woodcarvings famous for the blisters left after the wood was charred during a fire. Part of the cathedral since 1645, the relics here are the subject of special celebrations held each October.

In the picturesque Parque Cepeda Peraza (or Parque Hidalgo) stands the quaint Church of Jesús, or the Church of the Third Order (Iglesia de la Tercera Orden), a favorite church for weddings. After enjoying the park and the church's superb 17th-century exterior - it was built as part of a convent that later served as a Jesuit seminary - be sure to pop inside for a look at the fine high altar with its exquisite altarpiece of carved and gilded wood made in the Plateresque style, a tradition common to communities with talented silversmiths. Afterwards, take a ride on one of the fun "calesas," horse-drawn coaches in Parque Cepeda Peraza that will take you past some of the town's most interesting colonial architecture.

MACAY: The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Yucatán known locally as MACAY, is one of the state's most important museums. This superb gallery is a joy to explore for its many excellent permanent and temporary exhibits of both modern and contemporary art. Highlights of its permanent collection include works by leading Mexican artists including Gabriel Ramirez Aznar, Fernando Castro Pacheco, and Fernando García. The facility also serves as an important cultural establishment offering numerous workshops and programs, and boasts a library, café, and shop. English language guided tours are available, as well as audio guides. Also of interest is the Museum of Popular Art (Museo Regional de Arte Popular) with its fine collections of textiles and costumes, pottery, jewelry, toys, and musical instruments

Mérida's superb Natural History Museum (Museo de Arqueología e Historía) lies in the beautifully restored former government building known as the Palacio del General Cantón. The collection in this imposing 19th-century building consists mostly of material associated with the Maya civilization's heyday, although other advanced cultures from pre-Columbian Mexico are also well represented. Collection highlights are the sacrificial gifts retrieved from the cenotes at Chichén Itzá, as well as reproductions of the sketches of the Maya sites drawn by archeologist Frederick Catherwood and photographs taken by Teobert Maler at the turn of the century.

The south side of Plaza Mayor is dominated by Casa Montejo, one of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture in Mexico. Built in 1549 as the residence of the wealthy Montejo family who owned the building until 1978, the palace's magnificent Plateresque façade once extended along the whole of the south side of the square (although somewhat smaller today, it remains impressive). Inside, its large and handsome rooms are laid out as a museum set around two courtyards and are furnished with antique furniture imported from Europe. Of particular interest is the coat of arms of the Montejo family, as well as the stone sculptures of a conquistador standing with one foot on the bowed head of a conquered Maya

A must-visit in Mérida is the sumptuous Government Palace (Palacio de Gobierno). Built in 1892 and decorated with 31 interesting murals painted by the Campeche artist Fernando Castro Pacheco between 1971-74, the building and its beautiful central courtyard is considered something of a masterpiece. In addition to its fine murals, the building also houses a rich collection of paintings by other leading Mexican artists, the best of which can be seen in the History Room. They cover topics from the Spanish invasion to their often harsh treatment of the Maya. After enjoying these historically significant murals, spend a little time exploring this splendid old building, in particular the balcony for its fine views over the cathedral and Plaza Mayor.

In the city's historic old post office building, the City of Mérida Museum deals specifically with the community's development through the centuries. Of special interest are exhibits dealing with locally produced textiles, in particular henequen, once referred to as "green gold" for the prosperity it brought to Mérida. Also of interest are exhibits dealing with the pre-historical period and the years prior to colonization by the Spanish. Another worthwhile attraction is the fun Railway Museum of Yucatán, established by train enthusiasts to preserve and collect items related to the state's once busy railroads. Highlights include a number of old engines and rail cars, as well as related displays and artifacts.

The famous Maya site of Uxmal, 80 kilometers south of Mérida in the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula, is one of the most unified and beautiful pre-Columbian sites in Mexico. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, Uxmal dates back to the sixth century and in contrast to Chichén Itzá shows little Toltec influences. In addition to the many fine examples of the dominating Puuc styles - seen in the thin limestone cladding in square or lattice patterns on top of smooth walls - are its many panels of Chac masks (the rain god) with long curved noses and snakes with stiff bodies. Particular buildings of note are the Pyramid of the Soothsayer, at 35 meters the highest building in Uxmal and notable for its oval base; and Temple I, the oldest building and notable for having a date chiseled into a door lintel revealing the building's age (it was built in AD 569) as well as the famous sculpture known as the Queen of Uxmal on its façade. Also of interest is the on-site museum with its four stone heads of the rain-god Chac and hieroglyphic panels.

Mayapan. is a Pre-Columbian Maya site a couple of kilometers south of the town of Telchaquillo in Municipality of Tecoh, approximately 40 km south-east of Mérida and 100 km west of Chichen Itza. Mayapan was the political and cultural capital of the Maya in the Yucatán Peninsula during the Late Post-Classic period from the 1220s until the 1440s. Estimates of the total city population are 15,000–17,000 persons, and the site has more than 4000 structures within the city walls, and additional dwellings outside. The site has been professionally surveyed and excavated by archeological teams, beginning in 1939; five years of work was done by a team in the 1950s, and additional studies were done in the 1990s. Since 2000, a collaborative Mexican-United States team has been conducting excavations and recovery at the site, which continue.

 

Campeche. Unesco World Heritage. Campeche, a Mexican state on the Yucatán Peninsula, spans limestone hills, rainforests and Gulf of Mexico beaches. Its namesake capital is a colonial-era harbor city with baroque Spanish architecture, cobblestone streets and a walled historic district. Its preserved fortifications include Fuerte de San Miguel, housing an archaeology museum displaying artifacts from local Mayan sites including Edzná and Isla de Jaina. The city retains many of the old colonial Spanish city walls and fortifications which protected the city (not always successfully) from pirates and buccaneers. The state of preservation and quality of its architecture earned it the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Originally, the Spaniards lived inside the walled city, while the natives lived in the surrounding barrios of San Francisco, Guadalupe and San Román. These barrios still retain their original churches; the one in Guadalupe is almost 500 years old. About 150 km south of Merida

 

 

Hotels

Diplomat Boutique Hotel 9.7 on Booking.com & on TripAdvisor. & their own web site 4 rooms. Offering an outdoor swimming pool and free breakfast, the Diplomat Hotel is located within Mérida's historic centre, 1 km from the Plaza Grande Park and 800 m from the Zoo. Free WiFi access is available throughout. The rooms here will provide you with a flat-screen TV, air conditioning and cable channels. Featuring a shower, private bathrooms also come with a hairdryer. At The Diplomat Hotel you will find a bar and free street parking. Guests can find a variety of restaurants within 300 m. The property is 650 m from Parque de la Paz and 550 m from Parque Santiago. Mérida International Airport is 6 km away.

Hotel Merida Santiago 9.7 on Booking.com and on TripAdvisor. 7 Rooms. Located within Merida's Historic Centre, 1 km away from the city's cathedral and 200 m from Santiago Park, Hotel Boutique Merida Santiago offers an outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi, a restaurant, a library and a gift shop on-site. The spacious rooms feature air conditioning, a safety deposit box, and seating area. They also have pool views, flat-screen TVs and iPod docking stations. Guests will be able to enjoy cold water provided in the in-room fridge. Free breakfast is included with the rate. The hotel offers lunch and dinner meals, plus there is a variety of restaurants available with 300 m from Hotel Merida Santiago. The Santiago Market is 200 m away. Guests can also enjoy the garden and library of Hotel Boutique Merida Santiago. The Zoo and Century Park is 10 minutes’ walk form the hotel. A great variety of restaurants and bars can be found in Paseo Montejo Avenue. Merida International Airport is 10 minutes' drive away. The property is 1.5 km from Paseo Montejo, the most emblematic avenue in the city.

Casa Lecanda 9.4 on Booking.com and on TripAdvisor 7 Rooms. Featuring beautiful tiled courtyards, a pool and luxurious rooms, Casa Lecanda Boutique Hotel Adults Only is a striking property located next to Mérida’s Paseo Montejo Boulevard. Set in gardens, it has charming lounge areas, a terrace and a restaurant. Each spacious room at Casa Lecanda Boutique Hotel Adults Only has high ceilings and tiled floors. All rooms have a large bathroom with a rain-effect shower and a skylight. There is free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV and an iPod docking station. Each room offers views of the hotel’s pretty patios and grounds. Guests can enjoy a range of international cuisine in the Casa Lecanda’s à la carte restaurant, which serves a continental breakfast. There is also a stylish wine and tequila bar. Casa Lecanda Boutique Hotel Adults Only is just over 1 km from Mérida’s cathedral and surrounding old town. The city’s airport is a 15-minute drive away.

Roses y Xocolate 9.3 on Booking.com and on TripAdvisor 17 Rooms. In 2 colonial mansions in Mérida, this boutique hotel offers an outdoor pool and a spa specialising in chocolate treatments. The elegant rooms include free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TV. Rosas&Xocolate Boutique Hotel+Spa is situated on the beautiful Paseo de Montejo Avenue. Mérida Cathedral is 1.5 km and Mérida Train Station is around a 10-minute walk away. Each bright room features high ceilings and local wood, glass and bamboo. Rooms include a BOSE sound system with a DVD player and iPod dock. The spacious bathrooms come with L’Occitane toiletries. Rosas & Xocolate's bistro serves fine à la carte cuisine, while the lively Moon Lounge has an open-air terrace. There is also a tequila bar and a chocolate boutique.

Central America Holiday