Mérida (Mexico) - Mérida (Messico)

Mérida is a city of Southern Mexico, capital of the federal state of Yucatán.

To know

Mérida is the major cultural and financial center of the Yucatán peninsula. It takes its name from the city of the same name Spanish ofExtremadura, the Augústa Emérita of the Romans. Mérida is nicknamed "The White City" (La Ciudad Blanca), according to some for the reason that the facades of the first colonial-era buildings and their decorations were treated with lime and according to others because its streets are kept particularly clean.

The city boasts one of the largest historic centers in the Americas, surpassed only by those of Mexico City is Havana. Colonial houses are in a decrepit state but many have been restored since the second decade of the 21st century. More and more wealthy families move to these ancient residences restored to their former glory. This is the case, for example, of Las Casas Gemelas, completed in 1911 by Camilo and Ernesto Cámara Zavala. The twin houses are two of the few "Belle Époque" buildings on the Paseo de Montejo still used as private residences. They are owned by the Barbachano and Molina Méndez families respectively. The Barbachano villa had illustrious guests such as Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco and the then first lady of United States, Jacqueline Kennedy.

In June 2007, the restoration of the post office near the central market was completed and immediately afterwards the collections of the civic museum and the art gallery were transferred there.

When to go

The best time to stay is from November to March in correspondence with the dry season. Mérida has a tropical climate, with frequent rains in the summer months (June to October).

Background

Mérida was founded on January 6, 1542 from conquistador Francisco de Montejo el Mozo on the ruins of the Mayan center Ichkaansihó which in the Mayan language means "Five hills". The center was also known as T'Hó but was abandoned when de Montejo arrived there. Historian Juan Francisco Molina Solís noted that when Spanish soldiers entered T'Hó in 1541, “there were barely 200 palm-leaf shacks occupied by about a thousand poorly fed natives living among towering ruins and hills covered with jungle".

In the seventeenth century, in order to protect the city from indigenous uprisings, a plan of walls was proposed, which was only partially built. Today remain the arches of Dragones and Puente in the neighborhood of the Mejorada and the other of the Barrio of San Juan.

At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, local planners freed themselves from the dogmas of colonial architecture and opened large avenues inspired by those of Paris. The greatest example of these avenues is the Paseo de Montejo overlooked by the rich residences of the landowners of the time. At that time Mérida was a prosperous city thanks to the large-scale cultivation of henequen, a plant of the Agavaceae family, in great demand for the production of cordage and twine. Thanks to export revenues, Mérida was able to afford electric lighting and trams years ahead of other cities in the Mexico.

Korean immigration to Mexico began in 1905 when more than a thousand people settled in the countryside around Mérida to work on the henequen plantations.

In August 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the city on his third trip to Mexico. The city hosted two bilateral United States - Mexico conferences: the first took place in 1999 between Bill Clinton and Ernesto Zedillo) while the second took place in 2007 (George W. Bush - Felipe Calderón).

In recent years, major scientific competitions and world events have been held in Mérida such as the FITA Archery World Cup Finals, International Cosmic Ray Conference, Physics Olympics, etc.

In the years 2000 and 2017 Mérida was the American capital of culture and in April 2014 it hosted the VI Summit of the Association of Caribbean States.

How to orient yourself

Odd-numbered streets run east-west while even-numbered streets run north-south.

The center of Mèrida is there 20.967-89.62351 Plaza Grande (Plaza Mayor), at the intersection of calles 61 and 62. Its official name is Plaza de la Independencia. It is a beautiful tree-lined square overlooked by the cathedral and the government building, as well as a number of bars and restaurants. In the colonial period it was the Plaza de Armas where the military parades took place and still today the ceremony of raising and lowering the flag takes place.

How to get

By plane

• 20.93382-89.66322 Mérida International Airport "Manuel Crescencio Rejón" (}) (7.6 km southwest of downtown. Accessible via road 261.). International flights are limited to American cities while domestic flights are operated by airlines

• MAYAir Cancún, Chetumal, Cozumel, Villahermosa.
• Aeroméxico (Mexico City)  

Cancun airport also has flights from European cities. From there you will have to take a bus or another plane.

By bus

Mérida has more than one long-distance bus terminus. Travelers who come from Cancún (4 hours), Playa del Carmen and Villahermosa can get off at 20.98704-89.619433 terminus of the Hotel Fiesta Americana or the other, much more uncomfortable, said 21.01484-89.5844 Altabrisa Terminal, located on the outskirts, a couple of blocks from the Plaza Altabrisas shopping center. Other bus stations are:

• 20.96224-89.630945 Mérida Central de Autobuses (CAME), Calle 70 No 555 between calles 69 & 71, ☎ 52 999 920 4444. It is the first-class bus station of the ADO bus lines (Autobuses De Oriente). The most expensive buses are those of the Platinum line with numerous extras and above all more space to stretch out the legs while at a lower level are the 'ADO GL' and 'OCC' buses. 
• 20.96258-89.629976 Terminal de Autobuses Mérida (TAME), Calle 69 No 554 between 68 and 70, ☎ 52 999 924 0830 x2909. Located next to the previous one, it is the station reserved for 2nd class buses. The destinations are the same. 

How to get around

What see

Plaza Grande and surroundings

• 20.967122-89.6225891 Cathedral of San Idelfonso (Cathedral of San Idelfonso). Free admission. Mon-Sun 06: 00-12: 00 and 16: 00-19: 00. It is the oldest cathedral in Mexico, built on the site of the Mayan Xbac-Luum-Chaan temple. The temple stones were incorporated into the new building and a series of original Mayan sculpture fragments remained embedded in the outer walls. Construction began in 1561 and was completed in 1599, with the exception of the bell tower, which was finished 200 years later in 1774. It is a rather austere style building, due in part to the fact that the church was run by the Franciscan order. and partly because of the looting suffered during the Mexican Revolution. Inside, the sculptures of the stations of the cross and the painting above one of the entrance portals stand out, depicting the baptism of the Mayan ruler of Maní.

The large crucifix in the apse facing the main altar is called Cristo de la Unidad, a symbol of reconciliation between the Mayan community and the descendants of the gods conquistadors Spaniards.

The crucifix is ​​also noteworthy in a side chapel on the left aisle El Cristo de las Ampollas, replica of a wooden sculpture from 1645 that was brought from the village of Ichmul, after miraculously surviving a fire that destroyed the church where it was kept. The original was destroyed during the Mexican Revolution.  

• 20.96775-89.623212 Palacio del Gobierno. Free admission. Mon-Sun 08: 00-22: 00. This magnificent neoclassical palace was built in 1892. It features a large courtyard and an impressive staircase. Upstairs is a permanent exhibition of paintings by painter Fernando Castro Pacheco illustrating key events in the history of Mexico and the Yucatán peninsula. The upper floor balcony offers a nice view of the Zócalo and the cathedral. 

• 20.96619-89.623983 ^{[link not working]}Casa de Montejo, Calle 63 No 506, ☎ 52 999 923 0633 x25565, @[email protected]. Free admission. Tue-Sat 10: 00-19: 00, Su 10: 00-14: 00. A palace from 1549 commissioned by the conquistador Francisco de Montejo whose descendants lived here until 1978. Although the building was extensively renovated in 1850, some of its original architectural features remain. The façade bears the Montejo family crest and sculptures of the Spanish conquerors who rest their feet on the heads of the conquered Maya. The ground floor has been converted for commercial use (a Banomex bank with useful ATMs) but the interiors have been restored.  

• 20.96712-89.62454 Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), Calle 62 x 61 y 63, ☎ 52 999 942 0000. The town hall of Mérida with its characteristic reddish color was erected in 1735. It was from this building that in 1821 the Republic of Yucatán declared its independence from Spain.  

• 20.96657-89.622635 Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Arteneo de Yucatán (MACAY), Pasaje de la Revolución between 58 and 60, ☎ 52 999 928 3258, @[email protected]. Free entry. Tue-Sun 10 am-6pm. Set up in the former bishop's palace, the museum displays sculptures and paintings by contemporary artists from the state of Yucatán. Extra-time exhibitions of local artists take place there.  

Paseo de Montejo and surroundings

Paseo de Montejo is the beautiful tree-lined street lined with the rich mansions of the landowners enriched with the henequen plantations and its processing and export. It is a great place to stroll in the evening and observe the restored buildings while taking a break at one of the bars to enjoy an ice cream or a coffee. The avenue is also suitable for a romantic walk with one of the buggies (calesa) pulled by horses that stop on the main square.

A particularly interesting villa is the 20.98228-89.618477 House of the Minarete at No 473.

• 20.97792-89.619446 Museo Regional de Antropología (Palacio Cantón), Paseo Montejo No 485 (corner Calle 43), ☎ 52 999 923 0557. Full price M $ 48, Free admission for students, children under 13, seniors and the disabled; On Sundays free admission for all.. Tue-Sun 08: 00-17: 00; last admission at 4.40pm. The collections of the regional archaeological museum are housed in one of the most sumptuous residences on the paseo de Montejo. Completed in 1914 on commission from the then governor, the palace alone is worth a visit. The museum displays artifacts from the Mayan era.  
• 20.98385-89.61827 Quinta Montes Molina House Museum, Paseo de Montejo No 469 between 33 and 35, ☎ 52 999 925 5999, @[email protected]. M $ 60 (adults), M $ 40 (children). English tours: M-F 09:00 11:00 15:00, Sa 09:00 11:00; Spanish tours M-F 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00, Sa 10:00 12:00. Another sumptuous villa owned by the client's descendants transformed into a museum. Guided tours in English or Spanish last 40 minutes and must be booked. 

• 20.9897-89.616818 Monument to the Fatherland (Monument to la Bandera). The monument was designed by the Colombian artist Rómulo Rozo and inaugurated in 1956. It consists of a 14 meter high stone sculpture depicting a native holding a flame. The structure has 31 columns, representing the 28 states of the Republic of Mexico, the 2 territories and the Federal District. 
• 20.97696-89.612779 Yucatan Railway Museum (Museo de las Ferrocarilles en Yucatán), Calle 43 No 429, between 48 and 46 (5 blocks from the Paseo de Montejo), ☎ 52 999 923 3073. Daily 10: 00-14: 00. Railway enthusiasts will love this mostly open-air museum near the former station, where old locomotives and other obsolete rolling stock are exhibited. 

Civil and military architectures

• 20.96225-89.6268610 Arco de San Juan, Calle 64 x 69. Of the remaining arches, this one from San Giovanni is the largest and best preserved. It once marked the beginning of the road that led from Mérida to Campeche. 

• 20.96519-89.6167611 Arch of the Puente, Calle 63 x 50. Modest arch surmounted by a stone cross. 

• 20.96637-89.6164712 Arco de Dragones, Calle 61 and 50. It owes its name to an adjacent barracks of the Spanish regiment of the Dragones. It has a niche at the top with a statue of Saint Anthony. 
• 20.96971-89.6139313 Estación del Ferrocarriles (Superior School of Artes de Yucatán), Calle 55 No 435 between 48 and 46. Since passenger rail services ended in 1997, the station building has been renovated and now houses an art institute. It is one of the best preserved buildings of its kind and it is for this reason that it is worth seeing. The ornate architectural details reflect Moorish influences and the central tower is particularly noteworthy.  

Religious architectures

• 20.962-89.617814 Iglesia de San Cristóbal. Built between 1756 and 1796, the church has an interesting portal with a shell vault. An annual procession takes place here on December 12 in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. 
• 20.96874-89.6223415 Iglesia de Jesús (Iglesia de la Tercera Orden), Calle 60 (Corner Calle 59), ☎ 52 999 924 9712. The church was built in 1618 as part of a Jesuit college that once covered an entire block but only the church has survived. Like the cathedral, the church of the Society of Jesus was built with stone taken from an earlier Mayan temple. 
• 20.97102-89.6220916 Iglesia de Santa Lucía, Calle 60 x 55 (across the street from Parque de Santa Lucía). Church of 1575 commissioned by the merchant Don Pedro Garcia. In 1871 the facade was restored and the park of the same name opened to the public. The obelisk dedicated to General Sebastian Molas was added in 1887. 

• 20.95653-89.6297517 Ermita de Santa Isabel, Calle 66 x 79. Mon-Sun 07: 00-13: 00 and 16: 00-20: 00. 18th century church with a beautiful baptismal font and a painting of Saint Anthony in a niche. An enchanting garden with a small chapel is attached to it.  

Museums and galleries

• 20.96438-89.621418 Civic Museum (Museo de la Ciudad de Mérida), Calle 56 No 529a between 65 and 65a (the old post office building, 3 blocks east and 1 south of the Zócalo), ☎ 52 999 923 6869, @[email protected]. Free entry. Tu-F 09: 00-18: 00, Sa Su 09: 00-14: 00. The collections of the civic museum document the historical path of the city of Mérida. Admission is free and guides are available who speak English and French in addition to Spanish. The upper floor is reserved for temporary exhibitions.  
• 20.96882-89.6167319 Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatán (Molina house), Calle 50A No 487 x Calle 57 (Col La Mejorada, across from Parque de la Mejorada), ☎ 52 999 928 5263. Free admission. Tue-Sat 10 am-5pm, Sun 10 am-3pm. Housed in an early 20th century patrician mansion, the museum exhibits folk art objects from the Yucatan and around the Mexico. The highlights are ritual masks from the states of Guerrero, Morelos is Oaxaca. There is also a gift shop. 
• 20.96847-89.6149420 Museo de la Canción Yucateca, Calle 57 No 464 x 48 (Col La Mejorada), ☎ 52 999 923 7224. Tue-Fri 09: 00-17: 00, Sat-Sun 09: 00-15: 00. Museum dedicated to Yucatan folk music.  
• 20.96782-89.6183421 Galería Mérida, Calle 59 No 452A x 54 y 52, ☎ 52 999 924 0117, @[email protected]. Tue-Fri 10: 00-12: 00 and 14: 30-17: 30. Private gallery exhibiting works by local artists. 
• 20.97721-89.6214422 Nahualli Casa de los Artistas, Calle 60 No 405, between 43 and 45, ☎ 52 999 928 6566, @[email protected]. Mon-Sat 10 am-2pm and 4 pm-8pm. Gallery run by two internationally known Mexican artists who also offer painting and sculpture seminars. 
• 20.96975-89.6306723 Frederick Catherwood House, Calle 59 No 572 between 72 and 74, ☎ 52 999 154 5565, @[email protected]. M $ 50. Mon-Sat 09: 00-14: 00 and 17: 00-21: 00. In 1840, British architect and artist Frederick Catherwood joined American explorer John Lloyd Stephens on an expedition through Yucatán and Central America in search of Mayan ruins. In addition to illustrating Stephens' later published travelogue, Catherwood has published a collection of his extraordinary lithographs in an edition of 300. The Catherwood House has no relationship with the artist other than to exhibit the complete collection of his lithographs. The building also houses a B&B and a bar. 

Events and parties

• Mérida Fest, @[email protected]. Whole month of January. Sponsored by the municipality, it is the festival that celebrates the birth of the city. The shows are free and are attended by artists from all over Mexico. 
• Mérida y Yucatán Film Festival (FICMY), Calle 21 No. 117C por 24 y 24A (office), @[email protected]. Second half of January. An annual week-long festival dedicated to Mexican and international film. The films are shown in various cinemas 
• Carnaval de Mérida. Between February and early March. The Merida carnival lasts for a week and includes parades culminating in Shrove Thursday.  
• Festival de Aves Toh, ☎ 52 999 988 4437 x113. Established in 2001, the festival sponsors numerous photography tours and seminars for birdwatchers throughout the year but the key event takes place at the end of November with a Bird-a-thon. The organization also provides applicants with a list of qualified birdwatching guides throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. 

What to do

Shopping

Markets

• 20.96361-89.621221 Mercado Lucas de Galvez, Calle 65-67 corner Calle 54-56. Large covered market with stalls selling everything from shoes to clothes, from turkeys to fruit. 
• 20.96239-89.620592 Mercado San Benito, Calle 69 x 54. Adjacent to the Mercado Lucas de Galvez, the new San Benito market sells meats, flowers and spices. 
• 20.96677-89.623513 Sunday market (Mercado Domingo), Plaza Grande (Zócalo). Sunday 09: 00-21: 00. A Sunday market that takes place on Piazza Maggiore. There are also handicrafts, as well as traditional clothing and local food products. 

Traditional clothing

Yucatán is also famous for its guayaberas, to the point that these shirts are known as camisa de Yucatán. Even the huipils the traditional garments worn by Yucatan women are locally produced and the same goes for the jipijapa hats, better known as Panama hats. Here are a couple of addresses:

• 20.9787-89.623624 ^{[link not working]}Guayaberas Presuel, Pasaje Picheta, Calle 61 x 60 y 62 (Next to the governorate building), ☎ 52 999 928 2622, @[email protected]. the prices are reasonable and clearly indicated. They range from as little as M $ 30 to over M $ 1,000 for high quality guayaberas (for men) and huipils (for women). Mon-Sun 09: 00-21: 00. A family-run shop very renowned for its seriousness (it does not use street vendors as a lark call). It has three offices and boasts a highly respected clientele. In addition to clothing you can find accessories and handicrafts. 

• 20.96938-89.623715 Camisería Canul, Calle 62 No 484, ☎ 52 999 923 5661. Mon-Sat 08: 30-21: 00, Sun 10: 00-13: 00. Another renowned shop specializing in the sale of traditional clothing. 

Handicrafts and souvenirs

In the center, shops of various kinds abound, especially around Piazza Maggiore where there are also more or less fake street vendors, skilled in chatting with passing tourists looking for souvenirs with the aim of recommending them a particular shop and accompanying them personally. These hawkers work on commission from shopkeepers and the unfortunate ones who fall into the trap will pay excessive prices for worthless items. Merida is a good place to buy good quality hammocks. Along the calle 56A there are many shops specialized in handicrafts and souvenirs. Some addresses:

• 20.96499-89.623346 Artesanias Bazar García Rejón, Calle 65 (on the corner of Calle 60). Daily. A chain of shops with handicrafts from the Yucatan. 

• 20.96999-89.618257 ^{[link not working]}Alma Mexicana, Calle 54 n. 476 x 55 y 57 (corner of Calle 55), ☎ 52999923 4711. M-Sa 09: 30-18: 30, Sun 11: 00-15: 00. Mexican folk art and crafts. Lighting and furniture, household items, Day of the Dead art, retablos and ex-votos, saints and angels, splendid jewels, hand-woven bedspreads, designer leather bags, postcards and stationery, curiosities and unusual gifts. 

• 20.96706-89.626598 Casa de las Artesanías, Calle 63 n. 503 entre 64 y 66 (edited by the Iglesia de las Monjas), ☎ 52999928 6676. M-Sa 09: 00-20: 00, Sun 09: 00-13: 00. Government run shop with a wide range of handcrafted products. Prices are fixed and cannot be negotiated. 

How to have fun

The common (ayuntamiento) sponsors many free cultural events during the week. Almost every evening, visitors and residents can enjoy outdoor concerts or dances in one of the many parks and squares in the center. Particularly popular are the Sunday afternoons in Piazza Maggiore (Zócalo) and in the immediate vicinity. The streets around the square are closed to vehicular traffic and the locals get dressed up and then perform traditional dances such as the "Jarana" accompanied by bands and orchestras that hold concerts in the square.

• 20.9675-89.624421 Olympic Cultural Center, Calle 62 x 61 (Next to the town hall), ☎ 52 999 942 0000 x80121. A cultural center where dance shows are held almost every night. These are shows that generally attract large audiences so it's best to buy tickets in advance. The box office is located inside the center. People without tickets gather in a line that sometimes stretches over 100 meters in the hope that a seat will become available. 
• 20.96944-89.622252 Peón Contreras Theater, Calle 60 s / n (Corner Calle 57, 2 blocks from the main square), ☎ 52 999 928 3843. Tue-Sat 09: 00-18: 00. The Peón Contreras is the city's opera house and is the largest in the whole Southern Mexico. The building was designed by an Italian architect and inaugurated in 1908 to replace a smaller theater. In 2011 it was renovated with a new stage and new updated air conditioning system. Temporary exhibitions are often set up in the foyer.  
• 20.995-89.61023 Cairo Cinema Café, Calle 20 No 98A x 15 y 17, ☎ 52 999 926 5718, @[email protected]. Cinema d'essay with internal bar. Films are screened at 7pm and 9pm from Thursday to Sunday. During the screening it is allowed to enjoy various appetizers accompanied by a glass of wine or beer. The popcorn packet is included in the price. 

Where to eat

Where stay

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

• 20.683056-88.5686118 Chichén Itzá - The excursion to the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá it is undoubtedly the most interesting of those that can be done from Mérida. In 2007 the Pyramid of Kukulcan was voted one of the new seven wonders.

• 21.282778-89.6636119 Progreso (40km north of downtown. Buses to Progreso leave from Auto-Progreso Terminal (Calle 62 n. 524 between 65 and 67) every day with a frequency of 1/4 of an hour. The trip takes less than an hour.) - Progreso is the seaport of Mérida. Surely the beaches around are not as seductive as those of the neighboring state of Quintana Roo but they can be combined with a visit to the Mayan ruins of Dzibilchaltun with a stop perhaps in one of the many restaurants on the seashore specialized in fish dishes.

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