MERIDA
The charming
and magical city of
Merida is located in the state of Yucatan, about 177 km (110
mi) from Campeche and 320 km (198 mi) from Cancun. Thanks to its
tropical climate and cool winds that blow in from the nearby coast,
temperatures range between 28º and 35º C (82º and 95º F) throughout
most of the year.
Founded upon the
ruins of the Mayan city T’ho, which was constructed with white
limestone and means "Face of Infinity," Merida is known today as the
White City. It has beautiful and solidly built colonial buildings
that house the city’s history, art, traditions and culture. In the
downtown Historic Center, you can visit the city cathedral, an
impressive 16th century
construction. Or you can go to interesting museums, such as the
Yucatan Museum of Archaeology, which you’ll find in Palacio Canton,
an elegant building dating back to the
Porfirian era. You can also take a ride in a horse-drawn
carriage down the city’s main avenue, Paseo
Montejo, which is lined with 19th
century mansions and well-known hotels. It’s a pleasant tour
blending sights of old and new.
While in Merida,
you can try many of the exquisite dishes characteristic of
Yucatecan cuisine.
Papadzules and panuchos are made with stuffed corn tortillas
and bathed in hot sauce. The traditional cochinita
pibil is pork marinated in orange juice
and served with beans and red onion.
You can also
use Merida as a base to visit old
henequen haciendas just several kilometers outside of the city. Many
of them have been converted into luxurious hotels. As part of the
exciting tour of Merida’s environs, you
can check out some amazing cenotes
(sinkholes) in underground river systems and you can take in
beautiful natural scenery at the Reserva de la Biosfera
Ria Celestun,
a biosphere reserve and habitat of hundreds of pink flamingos. Also
near the White City are many spectacular archaeological zones where
you can discover the grandeur of the ancient Mayan culture at sites
such as Uxmal,
Dibilchaltun and Chichen
Itza
