Alicia & Daniel
Things To Do
Downtown and Paseo Montejo
There is no need to go too far to enjoy Mérida. Our first recommendation before booking any special activities is simply to wander around Mérida's downtown and Paseo Montejo. With their unique colorful architecture and lively streets, both areas are the perfect introduction to first meet the city. Wandering around this area it is possible to find multiple restaurants, bars, shops, and to appreciate the local architecture. It is also likely that your hotel will be located somewhere around this area.
Gastronomy
The gastronomy of Yucatán is a mixture of old and new techniques accompanied by endemic products of the region. If you come from abroad, you'll find gastronomy from Mérida quite different from what you think of as Mexican food. Among the most traditional restaurants are: Museo de la gastronomía yucateca La tradición Manjar blanco Katún Yucatan also offers contemporary or non-traditional restaurants such as: Kuuk Néctar Picheta Catrín And you can go to try some drinks at the following tours: Cata de mezcal en Mérida Tour de cantinas
Towns and Archeology
"Pueblos Mágicos" are towns with unique culture, food, physical location or local traditions that make them attractive to visitors. Some examples close to Merida are: Izamal Maní Sisal Valladolid Yucatán also has multiple archeological sites, which are the legacy of the Mayan civilizations that inhabited the region, among the most popular are: Chichen Itza (We will visit this one on Sunday if you'd like to join please let us know!) Dzibilchaltún Mayapán Ek Balam Uxmal Labná
Crafts and Museums
All over the state, handicrafts are made from different materials such as shell, snail, wood and carved stone, clay pots, henequen fiber and cotton fabrics, embroidery, lace and cross stitch, suits, guayaberas and hammocks, straw and jipi palm hats, reed and bejuco mats, bags and leather shoes. The state of Yucatan also has about 48 museums and galleries, among the most popular are: Choco - Story Gran museo del mundo maya (Great museum of the Mayan world) Museo de la ciudad de Mérida (Museum of the city of Merida) Palacio de la música (Music Palace) Museo de antropología e historia (Museum of Anthropology and History) Museo de arte popular de Yucatán (Yucatan Folk Art Museum)
Cenotes and Ecological Reserves
The state of Yucatan has more than 3,000 cenotes, about 537 species of birds to observe of the 1,062 that exist in Mexico, 14 species of endemic birds, 5 protected natural reserves and 340 km of coastline. Ecological reserves: The state has several semi-protected areas inhabited by wildlife or geological formations of special interest, among them are: Las coloradas Rio lagartos Ría de celestún Arrecife alacranes Cenotes The cenotes are ponds fed by fresh water from rain or subway rivers, the Mayas gave them a sacred use and called them Dz'onot, which means "cavern with water". Cenote Ik Kil Cenote San Ignacio Cenote Xlacah Cenote X-Batún Cenote Yokdzonot Cenote Chelentún Cenote Mucuyche
Beaches and Ecotourism
Beaches Yucatan's beaches are often located near towns or fishing communities, which and keep the sandy beaches clean and preserved. We provide some examples below, however we strongly suggest trying other natural activities which are more unique in Mérida: Río lagartos y las coloradas Telchac Puerto Dzilam de bravo San Felipe Palmar Celestún Other ecotourism activities are becoming popular as an option for visitors given that Yucatan is surrounded by jungle. Some activities include: Campamento de lujo (Luxury Camp - Glamping) Aventura nocturna en pueblo fantasma (Night adventure in a ghost town) Meliponario (meliponarium) Aldea maya (Mayan village ) Grutas Santa Rita (Santa Rita grotto) Grutas Lol Tun (Lol Tun grotto ) Grutas chocantes (shocking caves ) Senderos Eco-Arqueológicos (Eco-Archeological Trails) Parque ecológico (Ecological park ) Recorrido en Kayak (Kayak Tour ) Paseo en manglar y cenote (Mangrove and cenote tour) Los 7 cenotes (the 7 cenotes)
Bars and Nightlife
Good and bad news... Apparently bars in Mérida had a hard time during COVID and therefore it is now unclear which places reopened and which ones could not make it. However, good news is that finding a place to drink in Mérida is quite simple while walking around downtown or Paseo Montejo. We also particularly recommend La Negrita, a place with nice drinks, good environment, and of course people dancing!