Mérida

Merida was so much better than Cancun, not so touristy and more real. I really felt like I got a taste of Mexico. There was a great market to shop and barter at, where I bought a blanket that’s lasted 10 years and is super warm. It’s very hot but totally comfortable, because the breeze always blows and there is no humidity. It was fantastic!

but still an incredible time! there is such a wonderful sense of community in this city. always something going on. the greatest is when they have outdoor concerts and they take over the street to set up chairs and a stage. the weather is warm and pleasant (at night) and you don’t realize how long you are out there just listening. my hotel was really pretty, affordable and extremely hospitable. look up “hotel maison lafitte”. just note they don’t have elevators for your luggage because it used to be a mansion (it’s converted) so mind there is going to be only staircases… (we had wheels on our suitcases)

we explored a cave (gruta) and a few hidden lagoons (cenotes). we visited chichen itza and uxmal (mayan ruins). we rented a car and drove to progreso. merida is great because it’s central to everything. best week i had all year. i would try to go in the spring though for the weather’s sake – avoid that humidity and rain – because i never sweated so much or got bitten by so many mosquitoes in my life! :)

Coastal cities in Yucatan are great, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen. But if you want to experience real Mexico, I recommend to get to Merida. Not crowded by American tourists like Cancun. People are relaxed. It’s also a good base to visit nearby ruins, if you are interested in history.

We honeymooned there less than a month ago.

It has been a while since I have been to Merida…’think we stayed in the Hotel Maria del Carmen (nice pool!). It is terribly hot in the interior of the Yucatan, but Merida makes a good home base for trips to the ruins in the surrounding areas…and the beach is less than 2 hours away. If you want to relax and kick back, the pace in Merida is perfect.

I lived there for about 4 months, kinda difficult because the place is really hot, sometimes people can be mindclosed and there are not too many places to have fun at nights… eventhough I gotta say I liked that city.

Pretty city, nice people, and a good place to study spanish.

Not worth visiting…worth staying.

We stayed in Merida and used it as our home base as we took day trips to Uxmal and Tulum and the surrounding areas. Cute shops. Great place to buy a handmade hammock or a jipijapa/panama hat. I believe we stayed at the Hacienda Inn or something like that. It was nice. Lots of children panhandling outside the church. Took a horse carriage tour around the city. That was pretty interesting!

This is a Beautiful Colonial city but it hasn’t been preserved. You can still see the old colonial roots here though. The heat is pretty overwhelming – nights don’t cool down much, and there are no sea breezes as it is somewhat inland. Built on limestone shallow flatland it is surely FLAT! The most amazing thing was flying in during August and September the Frambuyante trees which have bright red flowers convert the view from the air into a red blaze all over the city. There are many other unusual trees and the fruit is different too. I have been wondering what I ate at a bus stop there – it was wonderful a green lime like fruit that grew in bunches and when very easily peeled had a whitish/pinkish inside that was very sweet with a lightly tart taste. Great fruit – wonder what it is called – I forget. The Guayaveras the city is famous for are magnificent 4 pocket shirts – I love the hand embroidered ones. (stay away from the silk – just too hot!) The main plaza is gorgeous and a nice cathedral. Actually it is not someplace where I would want to spend a long time as there is not that much to do and it’s just too hot. Head for Guatemala and gain a little altitude!