7 Reasons to Visit Merida

Merida, Mexico

4min read

Published 17 September 2019


Share


While Cancun might have the beaches and the resorts, it’s in the nearby city of Merida that you can find the best of southern Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history.

Merida is the largest city in the Yucatan, but for years it’s a city that’s been overlooked by travellers in favour of the sun and sand of the Riviera Maya. Times are changing though, and Merida is finally being recognised by tourists for what it is, and that's the cultural capital of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Merida is where the Mayan world meets the colonial, and you’ll find authentic Mayan food across the city, and even ancient Mayan ball games being played in the square. There are ramshackle, yet colourful Spanish-style streets to wander, museums waiting on every corner, and vibrant local markets to lose yourself in.

Here are the 7 best reasons to visit Merida:

zocalo-at-night-ps.jpg
zocalo-at-night-ps.jpg
zocalo-at-night-ps.jpg

Zocolo, Merida - Image: Richard Collett

 

Merida’s Mayan Culture

While ruined and abandoned Mayan sites such as Chichen Itza might have you believe that the Mayan civilization faded from existence a long time ago, a visit to Merida will soon have you understanding otherwise.

Unusually for Mexican cities, the majority of Merida’s population is of Mayan descent, and on the streets and in the markets, mixed amongst the Spanish you’ll hear different dialects and local languages that have been spoken here for thousands of years.

Merida is proud of its Mayan culture and heritage, and in the central plaza, you can catch fiery demonstrations of the old Mayan Ball Game, known as Pok-ta-Pok.

merida-cathedral-ps.jpg
merida-cathedral-ps.jpg
merida-cathedral-ps.jpg

Merida Cathedral - Image: Richard Collett

 

El Gran Museo del Mundo Maya

In fact, Merida is so proud of its Mayan heritage that the city built the extravagant El Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, the largest museum in Mexico dedicated to the Mayan world.

This is the Grand Museum of the Mayan World, and it’s the best place in the country to delve deeper into Mayan history. Housed in a new, purpose-built exhibition hall outside the city centre, the modern edifice of the museum hides the wealth of history found within

You can learn about the Yucatan Peninsula in the prehistoric age, through to the Mayan rise and collapse, the arrival of the Spanish, and Mayan society today.

museo-del-mundo-maya-ps.jpg
museo-del-mundo-maya-ps.jpg
museo-del-mundo-maya-ps.jpg

Museo del Mundo Maya - Image: Richard Collett

 

Mayan Ruins

Of course, as fascinating as the archaeological exhibits are in the Grand Museum of the Mayan World, nothing beats getting out and seeing that Mayan history firsthand. Before the Spanish Conquistadors founded modern Merida in 1542, there was a Mayan city here for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

The Spanish built their new city on the ashes of the Mayan, and little remains in Merida of the pre-Hispanic architecture that once stood here. Nearby though, other Mayan cities escaped the destruction. At Uxmal, you can find the excavated remnants of enormous temples, in a ruined city that was once the pride of the Mayan world. In Izamal, you can find abandoned Mayan temples that rise high above the colonial houses right in the heart of the town itself.

izamal-mayan-ruin-ps.jpg
izamal-mayan-ruin-ps.jpg
izamal-mayan-ruin-ps.jpg

Izamal Mayan ruin - Image: Richard Collett

 

Colonial Streets and Architecture

The city the Spanish Conquistadors built became one of the most glorious in the New World, and one of the biggest charms in Merida is the abundance of ramshackle streets and colonial architecture.

In Merida’s main square, the Zocalo, you can find the two towers of the Spanish cathedral rising high above the city, a cathedral which dates back to 1598. You can spend days wandering through the streets, admiring the colourful and rustic buildings, while many hotels and hostels are found in converted, heritage-listed homes.

Sundays in the Square

In colonial-era cities, the Zocalo is the centre of life, and in Merida, the square is always a busy and crowded place to be. Throughout the week you’ll find cultural events taking place in the main square, and in the evenings there are concerts, light shows and plenty of food stands.

It’s on Sundays though, that the Zocalo truly comes alive, as the square becomes home to the biggest food market in Merida. The streets are closed off, and you can sit back and order serving after serving of Tacos and Tortas, while enjoying icy cold Coronas in the sunshine.

street-food-2-ps.jpg
street-food-2-ps.jpg
street-food-2-ps.jpg

Street Food in Zocalo - Image: Richard Collett

 

Yucatan Food

It doesn’t have to be a Sunday to enjoy incredible food in Merida, because the city is overflowing with restaurants and eateries. While you can find all the classic ‘Mexican’ dishes across the city, what makes Merida's food scene so great is the focus on local cuisine and traditional Mayan dishes.

Sopa de Lima, or Lime Soup, is a signature dish of Merida, while if you’re looking to try authentic Yucatan cuisine, then delve into the delicious, slow-roasted pork delights of Cochinita Pibil

cochinita-pibil-ps.jpg
cochinita-pibil-ps.jpg
cochinita-pibil-ps.jpg

Cochinita Pibil - Image: Richard Collett

 

Merida’s Markets

While the Sunday food market in the Zocalo is the most famous - and also, most touristy - of Merida’s markets, across the city you can find plenty more markets to explore all through the week.

In fact, you can’t walk far without finding small markets and street food stalls set up in the small squares hidden across the city, and these cheap, local setups offer some of the best food in Merida. The larger markets are the cultural traveller’s delight too, and if you can, try to visit the Mercado San Benito, a sprawling undercover marketplace where you can find everything from food to a new pair of shoes.

market-2-ps_0.jpg
market-2-ps_0.jpg
market-2-ps_0.jpg

Merida Street Food market - Image: Richard Collett

 

...loading
Flight Centre

© Flight Centre (UK) Limited, Registered in England No. 02937210.

* 0800 calls are free for landlines and mobiles. 0333 calls are included within inclusive minutes package on mobiles, otherwise standard rates apply. 0844/0845 calls are 7p/pm plus your local carrier charge. Prices are per person twin share, correct as at the date of publication, subject to change and may be higher/unavailable for certain dates. Airfares are economy on specified airlines from London, unless otherwise stated. For full booking conditions visit Booking Conditions. Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. We will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but not all the parts of your trip are listed on it, those parts not listed will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk.