My guide to Merida in Mexico

Merida was the second stop on our trip around Mexico and a place that left its mark on us, and I am here to tell you not to discount a visit here if you come to Mexico. As the capital of the Yucatan state, you might think it would be like other large cities: busy, hectic, and loud, but actually, it was the opposite. Merida was charming, friendly and incredibly architecturally beautiful. Aside from being a destination you can visit all year (due to its gorgeously warm climate), it is also full of culture, art and heritage. Here are my recommendations for a perfect few days in this gorgeously underrated destination.

Stay:

We chose to stay in the central, very walkable area of Merida. I always prefer to do this during city breaks; nothing is better than slowly wandering and exploring a place on foot. When planning any trip, I always look for places closest to everything I have saved on my Google Maps (I’m a big Google Maps user!) I found a place I was desperate to stay at, but sadly, it was sold out due to the last-minute nature of my booking. Thankfully, I stumbled on this well-located and beautifully designed accommodation in one of Merida's best areas. Casa Chaka is more like a property with rooms than a hotel, but it served its purpose as an excellent base for exploring, and at between £50-60 a night, I think it’s pretty decent. Here are some other places that caught my eye:

This gorgeous Bed and Breakfast
A luxury stay at Decu Downtown
The chicest design apartments in the city.

Eat:

The culinary scene in Merida is excellent and deserves its accolades. As the capital of Yucatan, you can try the best of traditional Yucatan cuisine here. Merida’s food scene has a great way of mixing its tradition with more modern approaches, but I always think the best way to experience the food of a place is at a food market. Mercado San Benito is a great place to start; you can find everything here, from fresh fruit to spices to snacks, but it’s also a great place to try the famous dish of Yucatan Sopa De Lima, a turkey broth soup made with a traditional sour orange from the region. It is so fresh, bright and delicious, even in hot weather. Best enjoyed with a traditional Agua de Chaya: This is a refreshing, lime-green drink made from the chaya plant, a spinach-style leaf; it’s sweet, often made with a mix of fresh pineapple and honestly not to be missed!

One place that you cannot miss if coming to Merida is Pancho Maiz, a locally owned and run restaurant serving modern takes on traditional classics. As the clue suggests in the name (Maiz, meaning corn in Spanish), their focus is on cooking with traditional heritage corn. Their chilaquiles were comforting but felt fresh and bright, and you can not miss their Jamaica (Hibiscus) Tacos. I would also go as far as saying that they had the best-baked goods we tried in the city! Just take a look at that coconut bun!

Ramiro Cocina is a small restaurant with a vegetable-forward daily changing menu. It’s very popular, so book before you go. We couldn’t get a table but happily took a table at the bar and got to experience the food made right in front of us. Trust me when I say don’t miss the Quesabirria and duo of Moles with plantain dumplings; they were exceptional.

Anima may have been home to the best prawns I have ever tasted in my life. No, seriously, the butter topped on the ginormous prawns grilled on the open-fire barbecue in this courtyard restaurant will live in my mind rent-free, and I don’t even have a good photo to share with you here. When I read the reviews on this place, everyone raved about the pork, which, yes, was good, but my god, these prawns were life-changing.

Finally you cannot come to Merida and not try a Marquesita. These are a popular evening street food snack that is sweet, crispy, and addictive. They’re made of ultra-thin, crispy waffle-style batter slathered with toppings. If you want something unique, try the Edam Cheese and Nutella (yes, cheese and chocolate!). We got one after dinner nearly every night, changing the fillings each time. If this doesn’t sound like your vibe, how about a highly retro but completely refreshing sorbet ice at one of the oldest Sorbeteria in the city, super refreshing and made with many fresh fruit flavours!

Do:

Merida is an easily walkable city with lots to do, like markets, shopping, coffee shops, historical tours, and more. However, if you fancy exploring just outside the city, I cannot recommend a trip to some nearby Cenotes. We hired a car to do this, which was simple and quite affordable, but there are also tours you can book and easy transport links that can take you from the local bus station.

The two Cenotes we opted to visit were 45 minutes from Merida in the car; some are even closer, but we were looking forward to a day out. Our first stop was Yaal Utzil, an open-air cenote with beautiful blue waters. It was locally owned, had an affordable entry price, and was very cool to swim in. Just two minutes around the corner was Hacienda Mucuyché, a cenote within an abandoned Hacienda. This cost more overall but offered a historical talk and a guided experience into the caves. There were bag rentals for storing your things, equipment hire (like essential life jackets) and an on-site restauraunt and pool.

The cave exploring portion of the experience was my favourite; the water was breathtaking, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as having the freedom to swim and take our time as with the other Cenote. The tour was about 1 1/2 hours, and you could only swim in the Cenote water when supervised by a guide and only with a lifejacket. This makes sense from a safety perspective as the waters and the caves were very deep, but it is something to consider based on what you were looking for when visiting a Cenote; I will say this is a great place to come if you have kids!

If you have a short time and would rather stay in the city to make the most of your time, then don’t miss these spots:

For Coffee:

Maria & Monejo Rituales de Cafe. This was our favourite coffee shop in Merida. The design was warm and inviting, the coffee (and Matcha!) was excellent, and there was even a pond inside the shop!

Baretto Espresso Bar is a cute spot on one of the best streets in Merida. It serves great, freshly medium-roasted coffee and espresso tonics, and it looked like it had a great brunch menu!

For shopping:

Casa T’HO concept house, located on the famous Paseo de Montejo, is a beautiful mansion that houses multiple boutique stores by Mexican designers. You can shop, dine or grab a drink in the gorgeous courtyard.

Taller Mayer Santa Ana—This beautiful home concept store sells unique, gorgeously crafted pieces and is dedicated to supporting local Mayan artisans.

Merida is a wonderful, vibrant and beautiful city that I truly think anyone of any age would enjoy visiting. As always see you in the comments or over in the chat if you have questions.