Famous for its white-washed facades of colonial-era buildings, Merida is the capital of the Yucatan and serves as a gateway to Uxmal and the Puuc Zone, an area known for its pre-Hispanic history and extravagant henequen haciendas. The city is built on a large plain, currently inhabited by three-quarters of a million people, and is characterized by colonial and French architecture, Caribbean atmosphere and Mayan cuisine, which make this place an enchanting destination. It offers sports in the open sea in Yucalpeten, as well as a magnificent example of environmental preservation in Celestun, with its large flamingo population.

Merida is also a place of extreme weather, which easily shifts in one day from sunny mornings to fierce midday hailstorms and back to clear evening skies, perfect for a horse-drawn carriage tour of the Paseo Montejo.

Although Merida is inland a short trip to Progreso, a sleepy unassuming port city, will bring you on the warm shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Things here are very laid-back and simple and have nothing in common with the flashy beaches of bigger resort destinations.

A little further from Progreso is the more ecological coastal lagoons and mangroves of Telchac Puerto, Chicxulub and Yucalpeten.

The city’s combination of sub-humid and warm climate is only slightly relieved by the prevailing wind from the east. The average high temperature is 33° degrees Celsius. There is a season of short, sharp rains between June and September. To beat the heat, most people are busiest in the mornings. They have lunch and siesta, then go back to work for a few hours in the late afternoon.

 

Temperature in Celcius	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Maximum	28	30	32	34	35	34	33	33	32	31	30	28
Minimum	17	18	20	21	23	23	22	22	22	21	20	18
Rainfall (mm)	30	20	20	20	70	140	130	140	160	90	30	30

In the far northeast of the state, 100 km outside Merida, stands the Celestun Biosphere Reserve, regarded as one of the most important wetlands in the peninsula, and a sanctuary for species such as sea turtles, crocodiles, monkeys, jaguars, white-tailed deer and several migratory birds that nest and breed there, such as the elegant pink flamingo. The reserve has an area of over 80,000 ha, two types of climate and vegetation consisting mainly of mangrove swamps and low forest. Boats are available for touring and photographing the area.

Rio Lagartos has North America's largest pink flamingo colony residing on a 120,000 acre wildlife refuge. Another 260 bird species call this refuge home, as well as many reptiles, monkeys, deers and other wildlife.

Cuzamá is a nearby village and is famed for three beautiful cenotes (cave formations). Take the Tres Cenotes tour. A hired guide will take you 9 km roundtrip via a horse-drawn railcar to visit three cenotes. The entrance to Bolonchoojol is a hole in the ground with a ladder constructed by welding old railroad ties. Inside is well-lit cavern with crystal clear water and huge stalactites and stalagmites. Chansinic'che is another cenote at Cuzamá, also accessible with a railroad tie ladder, but a faster way to enter is to dive from a precipice near the surface (about 10m). Chelentun is much more open, and can be reached by a concrete staircase built into the rock, with a handrail. The entire cave is swimable.

The capital of Yucatan, the state that once occupied the entire peninsula separating the Caribbean from the Gulf of Mexico, lies 36 km south of Puerto Progreso and is an hour and a half's flight from Mexico.

The city is built on a large plain that vanishes into the horizon, without ever rising above 10 m above sea level, which enabled it to grow into an almost perfect square that is currently inhabited by half a million people. The city is also located in the approximate epicenter of the Chicxulub Crater. Almost no surface water exists, but several cenotes (underground springs and rivers) are found across the state.

The majority of these people are descended from the Mayans, the builders of Uxmal and Chichen Itza. Although these cities had already been abandoned by the time the Spaniards arrived, the Conquest was delayed until 1542 here, when Governor Francisco Montejo founded Merida, nearly twenty years after the fall of Teotihuacan.

The revolts that followed were compounded by pirate raids and in 1847 the Indians launched a "War of the Castes" against the whites that lasted until 1912. During the last third of the 19th century, the henequen industry dominated everything, creating immense fortunes and fostering backwardness, as a result of which the Revolution soon acquired a powerful social component in Yucatan. Following the henequen crisis, the state was diversified and nowadays tourism is one of its main activities.

This is a wonderful destination for speleology enthusiasts:

Grutas de Loltun
The most elaborate cave system yet discovered of the Yucatan is Loltun, just north of the archaeological site of Labna. Its 1.5 km of tunnels and labyrinths filled with stalagmites, stalactites and artefacts reveal long human occupation dating back 2,500 years.

Grutas de Balankanche
Not far from Chichen Itza, these underground caves with carved stalagmites, stalactites and subterranean pools who were discovered in 1959. It is believed that it was a site of ancient Mayan worship.

The Club de Golf Yucatan in Merida, offers visitors a beautiful 18-hole golf course, par 72, with a 6,605 yard course for this exciting sport.

Just a short distance away from Merida, at the seafront of the village of Puerto de Progreso, you can water-skiing, Jet Ski or take a boat out to the Alacranes Reef and explore the impressive marine architecture in the sea's crystalline waters. It is also a wonderful place for motorcycle enthusiasts.

Yucatan's cenotes (gigantic limestone sinkhole) have become a favourite among rappelling and underground diving enthusiasts, who rappel down their vertical walls on ropes and dive in the underground reservoirs. Some of the most beautiful cenotes include Balamcanche, Dzitnup, Xlacah, Xlaca in Dzibichaltun, Zaci in Valladolid.

Uxmal
This archaeological site used to be a Mayan ceremonial center, and is located only 70 km from Merida. What makes this site notable is the parallel piped shape of the buildings, of which the most outstanding are the Piramide del Adivino (The Soothsayer's Pyramid), "El Cuadrangulo de las Monjas'' (The Nun's Quadrangle) and the Palacio del Gobernador (Government Palace).

Puuc Zone
Just beyond Uxamal stand Kabah, Sayil and Labna to name a few. These sites, dating from the Terminal Classic between 750 and 1000 AD, have facades adorned with fine stone mosaic and enormous masks with hooked noses usually identified with Chaac, the rain god.

Labna
This was a religious center and the residence of priests, military leaders, and noblemen. The arch formed by two chambers is particularly interesting; also outstanding are the Palacio and El Mirador buildings and their beautiful decorations.

Architecturally, several buildings in Merida still preserve their colonial flavour, including Casa de Montejo, the Palacio Municipal and the Palacio de Gobierno, all magnificent mansions with baroque details and wrought-iron windows. The Plaza Mayor is lined with historical buildings. Other buildings include the Palacio Canton, the Iglesia de las Monjas, the Convento de San Juan de Dios and the conquistadors' haciendas on the outskirts of Merida. Many of these buildings are found on the beautiful tree-lined avenue El Paseo Montejo. It's a great place to walk in the evening.

Visitors are always pleasantly surprised by the Ateneo Museum of Contemporary Art in Yucatan with its exhibition of works by Yucatan's residents. The Museum of Yucatan Songs offers a taste of Caribbean romanticism while the Museum of Anthropology documents Mayan culture and history on the peninsula.

Casa de Montejo is the most notable Plateresque-style 16th century civil building in Mexico. The balconies on its beautiful facade are decorated with fine ironwork. Above these is a bas-relief carved on cantera stone of the coat of arms of the original owner, Francisco Montejo.

The Cathedral Merida is the second oldest cathedral in America, after that of the Dominican Republic. It was built from 1561 to 1598 with a renaissance facade and marble altars.

The Nuestra Senora de la Consolacion church was completed in 1633. It has only one cannon-vaulted nave, and an apse with Gothic nervures. The most original feature is a robust mirador from where one can admire the view of a part of the city.

The Santa Isabel or the Buen Viaje Hermitage, a single-nave construction, has a facade with a bell gable, small vaults, an ironwork balcony and choir loft window.

There are plenty of smaller colonial cities around Merida like Izamal, chosen by the Franciscans for the awesome Convento de San Antonio de Padua and Valladolid, a lovely town with wonderful religious structures and main square.

Once a rich region with the natural fiber henequen plantations, you can now find abandoned colonial-era haciendas dating from the 17th and 18th century. Some haciendas have been restored and may be visited or serve as inns. Some of the most interesting ones are Hacienda San Antonio Cucul, Hacienda Petectunich, Hacienda Yaxcipoil and Hacienda Uayalceh to name but a few.

Other archaeological sites, a little further away, are worth a day trip:

One of these is Chichen Itza, one of the largest and best maintained sites in Mexico. The grounds cover about 15 km2 and much is still to be excavated. The towering Castillo displays a mixture of Toltec and Mayan influences, filled with cosmological symbols. The site also contains a sacred well, an Observatory, a ball court, the Temple of Warriors and the nunnery.

Also noteworthy is the site of Edzna, located in the Campeche region of Mexico. One of the most important archaeological sites in the country, it is believed that it was at one time inhabited by over 70,000 Mayans. The central plaza contains some fascinating buildings and has the 31m tall Pyramid of the Five Niches.

The University Folkloric Ballet troupe present their show at the Peon Contreras Theater every Tuesday. This is a beautiful Italian-style theater was inaugurated in 1908, and is the place where they put on other types of shows and events.

There is a season of political satire played with humour and skill at the Hector Herrera Regional Theater in Merida.

Bohemia and romantic music in Merida are closely linked to those of Cuba and Colombia. In the evening, nightclubs, plazas and saloon bars are filled with the music of pianos and guitars that recall Ricardo Palmerin and Armando Manzanero.

Merida has many attractive hotels, some with colonial gardens and flowering patios. Most properties are clustered either in the historic city center or along the stately Paseo Montejo. Prices are moderate to inexpensive.

It boast as well a wonderful Mayan-inspired Convention and Exposition Center and can accommodate up to 7,000 guests.

For souvenir shopping, travelers can visit downtown shops carrying local handicrafts and artwork. The lively open-air markets held on Sundays at the Casa de las Artesanias, have a wonderful atmosphere and carry a variety of henequen, wooden, shell, leather and pottery handicrafts. Other popular articles are the hammocks that are perfect for relaxing in this tropical climate as well as traditional candy.

The various flavours of the Yucatan peninsula are internationally renowned. Although it has several main dishes based on pork such as (beans with pork or poc chuc) it also has poultry dishes such as (turkey with black stuffing) while deer farms have made it possible to sample traditional venison dishes once again.

There are also intriguing dishes such as lime soup, exotic drinks such as Xtabentun, an anise liquor mixed with the nectar of the local flower and others such as rice milk, drunk throughout the country.