EAT, DRINK, SEE

Mérida and the surrounding region has a ton to offer when it comes to eating, drinking, and sightseeing. We’ve compiled a few favorites (and classics) below, but it’s a great city for walking around and making your own discoveries.

For eating and drinking in Mérida, we recommend you head to Calle 47, where you’ll find a ton of bars and restaurants. There are also lots of choices near Parque de Santa Lucía, a lively, central square.

Shopping is a bit more spread out throughout El Centro, with many boutique shops to discover. As for sightseeing, there’s plenty to do in Mérida proper, but you may also want to venture outside the city and visit some cenotes and archeological sites.

Here are some resources to get you started: Condé Nast Traveller, Michelin Guide, Lonely Planet, New York Times, Yucatán Tourism, Vogue, Tripadvisor, Travel to Mérida

EATING

Regional Yucatecan cuisine is a mix of Mayan heritage and influences from the Caribbean, the Dutch, the Lebanese, and the Spanish. This article will give you a good idea of what to expect.

In addition to traditional Yucatecan restaurants, Mérida is home to some world-class chefs, including Roberto Solís, who has worked in the kitchens of Copenhagen’s Noma, New York’s Per Se, and London’s The Fat Duck, and hosts an annual gathering of chefs from around the globe for a gastronomic expo.

Here’s a range of places you might want to check out:

DRINKING

Mérida boasts a vibrant cocktail culture, with a mix of traditional cantinas and modern bars offering unique drinks, including those featuring local flavors like chaya, as well as a growing speakeasy scene.

Some of our favorite watering holes

Malahat is the city’s first speakeasy and maybe it’s toughest to find. Extra points (and delicious drinks) for anyone who manages it. Here’s a hint: it involves a parking lot behind Parque de Santa Lucía and an industrial refrigerator door.

A couple other speakeasies you should chase include Flamel and 47th Street Piano Bar.

El Gato calls itself a “hideaway with a Raymond Chandler vibe” and we can confirm. Different DJs spin nightly and you never know what you’re going to get.

Acervo Mezcalero is a small and festive cocktail bar with an impressive mezcal collection and friendly bartenders. Bird, which is right next door, is also a good hang for “beer, pizza, and vinyl records.”

Patio Petanca is an outdoor bar with petanque courts, great drinks and food, and giant Jenga!

Dix Bar is a must if you’re in the mood for a very fun drag show. Xoxo Club is another highlight. Click here for some other gay bars to check out, if that’s your jam!

SIGHTSEEING

There is a lot to see and experience in Yucatán, and below we’ve highlighted our top picks, both within the city of Mérida and the surrounding area. You may also want to check out the links at the top of this page for other suggestions.

IN MÉRIDA

The best way to experience the city is on foot. You will want to explore two areas in particular: El Centro and Paseo de Montejo.

Paseo Montejo & Gran Parque la Plancha

Paseo de Montejo begins at the Monumento a la Patria and continues south into El Centro. This beautiful, tree-lined boulevard includes many of the historic homes of Mérida, now converted into shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

At the southernmost end of Paseo de Montejo, knows as el Remate, you can walk east on Calle 47 to the newest park in the city, Gran Parque la Plancha. It’s a family-friendly destination with various playgrounds, walking and biking paths, a splash pool, a food court, el Museo de Ferrocarril (the railroad museum), and other attractions.

El Centro

Walking west from el Remate, along Calle 47, you’ll venture deeper into El Centro. Here, you’ll find lots of great boutique and artisanal shops, nearly all of the restaurants and bars we highlighted above, plus museums, parks, and plenty of history.

There are many walking tours available, including this private tour and this gastronomic tour. But you can also organize your own excursion, and here are a few places we recommend you check out:

El Mercado de Santa Anna, an open-air market where you’ll find many traditional taco and torta stands.

Teatro José Peón Contreras, a historic theater and opera house finished in 1908, where you can catch a performance nightly. You can also tour part of the theater during the day.

Parque de Santa Lucía, a plaza that features one of best restaurants in town as well as (free) traditional song and dance performances on Thursday nights.

La Plaza Grande is the central square of Mérida, containing some of the most historically important buildings in the city, including La Catredal de Mérida, El Palacio del Gobierno, and el Museo Casa Montejo.

IN YUCATÁN

While you’re in town, you may want to venture outside the city, where you will find ancient ruins, open water pools called cenotes, and, of course, beaches.

Ruins

One of UNESCO’s New Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is a 90 minute drive from the center of Mérida. If you’re not planning to rent a car, you can book a tour from the city center, which includes transportation to/from.

About an hour south of the city, you can also visit Uxmal, an ancient Mayan city. (Pro tip: this is a far less crowded destination.)

And Mérida has its own archeological sites, including Dzibilchaltún, which is only a half hour’s drive from El Centro.

Cenotes

There are between 6,000 and 9,000 cenotes in the region, including one in the parking lot of Mérida’s very own Costco!

These deep limestone sinkholes are a popular local attraction, and while there are literally thousands to choose from, we recommend visiting Cuzamá, a town about an hour southwest of El Centro.

There, you’ll find three beautiful cenotes to explore and swim in. We recommend taking a guided tour instead of trying to do it on your own, as, among other perks, you’ll be driven around in a horse-drawn cart! You can book a tour leaving from El Centro, but a far cheaper option would be to get to Cuzamá and hire a guide there. There is a central parking lot with a visitor’s center where you can book a local guide. Be sure to bring Mexican pesos.

Here are some resources to check out:

• 365 Days in Yucatán – No. 163: The 3 Cenotes of Cuzamá
• X’tohil: A Guide to the Cenotes in Cuzamá, Yucatan
• Visiting the Cuzamá Cenotes

Beaches & other destinations

In addition to ruins and cenotes, here are a couple more recommendations:

Izamal is a small city about an hour west of Mérida known as “La Ciudad Amarilla” (the yellow city) due to its uniquely colored buildings. You’ll find Mayan ruins, charming colonial streets, and the Convento de San Antonio de Padua (pictured above). The best place to eat in Izamal is Restaurante Kinich.

If you want to go to the beach, the closest to Mérida is in the town of Progreso, about half an hour north of the city center. Make sure to stroll down the malecón (boardwalk) where you’ll find great outdoor seafood restaurants with a view of the Gulf of Mexico (yes, Mexico). And a good place to take kids (and learn about the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, since this is where it hit!) is the Museo del Meteorito.