8 Reasons to travel to Merida

Reasons to travel to Merida – 2022

You should include Merida in your Travel Bucket List. Its popularity is continuously growing, especially after winning twice the designation “Cultural Capital of the Americas” by the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals, first in 2000 and then in 2017. Merida is sometimes called by many the “White City” because of its cleanliness and buildings made of white stone.

Merida is the capital of the Mexican State of Yucatan and the largest city in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is in the Northwest part of the State, about 35 km (22 miles) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

These are the 8 reasons why you should travel to Merida.

1. Merida it’s heaven for history buffs

Merida is a vibrant historic town with rich Mayan and colonial heritage. These mixed values have coexisted for 500 years and contributed to the culturally and magnificent destination we can see today. Here you will find churches built in the 17th century, colorful buildings, and authentic Spanish colonial homes.

The municipality is known as the “white city” for its proliferation of white limestone structures, many of which are painted in vibrant pastel hues.

2. Merida it’s less touristy than the Riviera Maya

While it does have a thriving ex-pat community, Merida is still off the radar for many tourists visiting the Yucatan Peninsula. Still, Merida makes tourists feel like they are in another place and time while strolling the streets, which feature colorful buildings, sprawling squares, and Spanish-style churches. Of course, here you will be rubbing elbows with a local at a mezcal bar than another sun-bleached tourist from the north.

3. Merida has many awesome museums.

If you love history, Merida is home to a variety of museums that focus on everything from art to ancient artifacts to architecture. Also, over the years, several Mansions have been converted into small museums.

4. The food scene in Merida is to die for

Here, you can have pork for dinner. Don’t sleep on a torta de lechón al horno, a sandwich jam-packed with roasted suckling pig.

Martha Stewart once toured and ate in Merida, which gives you an idea of the quality of cuisine; however, we don’t know if she had pork for dinner.

Besides great food, there is no shortage of fun bars in Merida. Whatever your mood, you’ll find a spot to enjoy the nightlife in Merida alongside locals and a few tourists.

5. There are stunning nearby Mayan ruins.

The ruins of Uxmal, about one hour and 15 minutes south of Merida, are an incredible place to visit. This site is much less crowded than the famous Chichen Itza, considered one of the most important archaeological sites of the Mayans and declared one of the “new seven wonders of the world.”

Uxmal is located on the Pu’uc route, which includes stops at several lesser-known ruins, but it’s worth it.

6. The beach is around the corner

Although Merida is not right on the beach, it is a short distance from Progreso, Celestum, and other beaches.

7. The weather is steamy

If you are sick and tired of the cold, Mérida is HOT. With high humidity, daily temperatures average above 29 degrees Celsius (85 F) year-round.

8. You can tour gorgeous cenotes.

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its unique cenotes — natural freshwater pools in limestone caves. These pools are connected through the world’s most extensive underground river system.

There are supposedly over 6000 cenotes located in Mexico. Some have been turned into swimming holes for tourists, others are used for technical cave scuba diving, and many more are simply inaccessible.