Sights in Mérida
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Catedral de San Ildefonso
On the plaza Grande’s east side, on the site of a former Maya temple, is Mérida’s hulking, severe cathedral, begun in 1561 and completed in 1598. Some of the stone from the Maya temple was used in its construction. The massive crucifix behind the altar is Cristo de la Unidad (Christ of Unity), a symbol of reconciliation between those of Spanish and Maya heritage. To the right over the south door is a painting of Tutul Xiu, cacique (indigenous chief) of the town of Maní paying his respects to his ally Francisco de Montejo at T’ho (de Montejo and Xiu jointly defeated the Cocomes; Xiu converted to Christianity, and his descendants still live in Mérida).
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Casa de Montejo
The Casa de Montejo is on the south side of the Plaza Grande and dates from 1549. It originally housed soldiers but was soon converted into a mansion that served members of the Montejo family until 1970. These days it houses a bank, and you can enter and look around during bank hours. At other times, content yourself with a close look at the facade, where triumphant conquistadors with halberds hold their feet on the necks of generic barbarians (though they’re not Maya, the association is inescapable). Typical of the symbolism in colonial statuary, the vanquished are rendered much smaller than the victors.
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Palacio Municipal
Across the square from the Catedral de San Ildefonso is Mérida’s Palacio Municipal. Originally built in 1542, it was twice refurbished, in the 1730s and the 1850s. Adjoining it is the Centro Cultural Olimpo, Mérida’s municipal cultural center. Attempts to create a modern exterior for the building were halted by government order, to preserve the colonial character of the plaza. The ultramodern interior serves as a venue for music and dance performances, as well as other exhibitions. Schedules for performances and frequent film showings are posted outside.
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Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatán
In a building built in 1906, the Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatán is six blocks east of the Plaza Grande. There’s a small rotating exhibit downstairs that features pop art from around Mexico, but honestly, you’re better off heading to any artisan market in the countryside – you’ll see the same style of work, and it won’t cost you a single peso, unless you want to buy something. The upstairs exhibits don’t have any explanatory signs yet, but they give you an idea of how locals embroider huipiles, carve ceremonial masks and weave hammocks.
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Museo Regional de Antropología
The massive Palacio Cantón houses Yucatán’s regional anthropology museum. Construction of the mansion lasted from 1909 until 1911, and its owner, General Francisco Cantón Rosado (1833–1917), lived here for only six years before his death. The palacio’s splendor and pretension make it a fitting symbol of the grand aspirations of Mérida’s elite during the last years of the Porfiriato, the period from 1876 to 1911 when Porfirio Díaz held despotic sway over Mexico.
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Palacio de Gobierno
On the north side of the Plaza Grande, the Palacio de Gobierno houses the state of Yucatán’s executive government offices (and one of its tourist information centers). It was built in 1892 on the site of the palace of the colonial governors. Be sure to have a look inside at the murals painted by local artist Fernando Castro Pacheco. Completed in 1978, they were 25 years in the making and portray a symbolic history of the Maya and their interaction with the Spaniards.
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Iglesia de Jesús
Just beyond shady Parque Hidalgo rises the 17th-century Iglesia de Jesús, also called Iglesia de la Tercera Orden. Built by Jesuits in 1618, this is the sole surviving edifice from a complex of buildings that once filled the entire city block. The church was built from the stones of a destroyed Mayan temple that once occupied the same site. On the west wall facing Parque Hidalgo, look closely and you can see two stones still bearing Mayan carvings.
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Centro Cultural Olimpio
Adjoining Palacio Municipal is the Centro Cultural Olimpio, Mérida’s municipal cultural center. Attempts to create a modern exterior for the building were halted by government order, to preserve the colonial character of the Plaza Grande. The ultramodern interior serves as a venue for films, music and dance performances, and other exhibitions. Schedules for performances and frequent film showings are posted outside.
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Parque Santa Lucía
A block north of the Universidad de Yucatán is pretty little Parque Santa Lucía, with arcades on the north and west sides. When Mérida was a lot smaller, this was where travelers would get on or off the stagecoaches that linked towns and villages with the provincial capital. The Bazar de Artesanías, the local handicrafts market, is held here at 11am on Sunday.
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Museo de la Ciudad
The city museum is housed in the old post office and offers a great reprieve from the hustle, honks and exhaust of this market neighborhood. There are exhibits tracing the city’s history back to pre-conquest days up through the belle époque period, when henequén (fibers crafted into ropes from the agave plant) brought riches to the region, and into the 20th century.
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Parque Centenario
About 12 blocks west of the Plaza Grande lies the large, verdant Parque Centenario, bordered by Avenida Itzáes, which leads to the airport and becomes the highway to Campeche. The park’s zoo features the fauna of Yucatán, as well as some exotic species. To get there, take a bus west along Calle 61 or 65.
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Teatro Peón Contreras
North of the Iglesia de Jesús is the enormous bulk of the Teatro Peón Contreras, built between 1900 and 1908, during Mérida’s henequén heyday. It boasts a main staircase of Carrara marble, a dome with faded frescoes by Italian artists, and various paintings and murals throughout the building.
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Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
South of the Catedral de San Ildefonso, housed in the former archbishop’s palace, is the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. This attractive museum holds permanent exhibits of Yucatán’s most famous painters and sculptors, as well as revolving exhibits by local craftspeople.
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Iglesia La Mejorada
Iglesia La Mejorada isa large 17th-century church. The building just north of it was a monastery (el Convento de La Mejorada) until the late 19th century. It now houses an architectural school, but visitors are sometimes allowed to view the grounds.
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Universidad de Yucatán
Across Calle 60 from the theater is the main building of the Universidad de Yucatán . The modern university was established in the 19th century by Governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto and General Manuel Cepeda Peraza.
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Zoo
Zoo features the fauna of Yucatán, as well as some exotic species. To get there, take a bus west along Calle 61 or 65.
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