Things to do in Mérida
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La Casa del Cheesecake
This veritable institution offers cheesecakes, whole or by the slice, in an array of funky flavors that may include peach or even Kahlua.
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Walking Tours
The city tourist office offers free daily guided Walking Tours of the historic center (sometimes in English), focusing on Plaza Grande. Tours depart at 09:30 from in front of the Palacio Municipal.
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Pane e Vino
This Italian-run joint serves tasty antipasti and salads (with olive oil and balsamic vinegar if you wish), lasagna, fish, meat and a selection of respectable wines by the glass or bottle.
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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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Restaurante Pórtico del Peregrino
There are several pleasant, traditional-style dining rooms (some with air-con) surrounding a small courtyard in this upscale eatery. Yucatecan dishes such as pollo pibil (chicken flavored with achiote sauce and wrapped in banana leaves) are its forte, but you’ll find many international dishes and a broad range of seafood and steaks as well. Mole poblano, a chocolate and chili sauce, is a house specialty, as is artery-clogging queso relleno (Dutch cheese stuffed with spiced ground beef).
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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.
reviewed
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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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Miniaturas
Here you’ll find lots of small Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) tableaux, tinwork and figurines of every sort, from ceramics to toy soldiers. They all have two things in common: they’re easy to pack and have nothing to do with Yucatecan artisan traditions! The store is definitely fun to browse and prices are fixed at a fair rate, so you needn’t worry about bargaining.
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Transportadora Turística Carnaval
Transportadora Turística Carnaval conducts two-hour guided tours of Mérida in English and Spanish on its Paseo Turístico bus (M$75) departing from Parque Santa Lucía (on the corner of Calles 55 and 60) at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am and 1pm Sunday. You can buy your tickets ahead of time at Hotel Santa Lucía, among other places.
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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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Pancho’s
It feels a bit touristy – what with the sombrero-clad waiters walking around with bullet rounds slung over their shoulders – but this upscale restaurant is one of the best in the city center. Choose between flatiron steak, tequila jumbo shrimp (flambéed tableside) and an assortment of tasty salads and snacks.
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KY60
Surprisingly, despite the men-wearing-construction-outfits Village People vibe, this is not a gay bar. It’s got good pool tables and is popular with guys and gals, gays and straights, locals and tourists, probably because of its reasonably priced beer, which seems to be a universal attraction.
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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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Amaro
A romantic dining spot, especially at night, when there’s usually a duo performing ballads. It’s set in the courtyard of the house in which Andrés Quintana Roo – poet, statesman and drafter of Mexico’s Declaration of Independence – was born in 1787. May close at 11pm on slow nights.
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Fe y Esperanza
This popular hole in the wall offers simple snacks like tacos and tortas (sandwich in a roll). High spenders can go upscale with a set lunch (around $28) with your choice of meat, rice, beans, salad and agua fresca fruit juice. The service is super friendly.
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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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Main Street
On the edge of Parque Hidalgo, this eatery serves generous, reasonably priced breakfasts, as well as ample portions of pasta and other dishes, including mediocre pizza. The outdoor tables offer prime people-watching opportunities.
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