Beautiful, historic Merida

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My son Dave and I spent two weeks enjoying the blue skies and warm breezes of Mexico’s Yucatán State, using Mérida as our base. It’s a beautiful historic old city, not overrun with tourists, well situated to explore the fabled cities of the lost Mayan civilization. Called “the white city” because of the limestone construction of many of its buildings, Mérida is beautiful, clean and safe, and feels almost European. Founded in 1542 by Montejo, it now has close to a million inhabitants. Located inland, it was not subject to attack by pirates or foreign invaders, so it lacks the fortifications typical of many Mexican cities. It has a beautiful Plaza Mayor (zócalo), bordered by government buildings and one of North America’s oldest cathedrals (1598), but unlike many Latin American cities this is a landscaped and peaceful place for family relaxation rather than for official functions. There are good accommodations in all price ranges.

Sisal, the humble plant from which the finest rope was made until nylon was invented, made more millionaires here than in any other city anywhere. “Sisal barons” laid out a great residential boulevard, the Paseo Montejo, which they lined with European style palaces and mansions of limestone and white marble. Today one of them is the interesting Museum of Anthropology and History; most others have been converted for office space. Mérida relies on agriculture in the surrounding area, textiles, light industry, fine hospitals, museums, universities, and craft markets. It has more than two dozen institutions of higher learning, and is reputed to have the best educational system in Mexico. In 2000 it was officially designated “Cultural Capital of the Americas”. Fiercely proud of their Mayan heritage, the residents consider it their cultural centre, and usually call it “Mérida, Yucatán”, with no mention of Mexico.

We found the people friendly and cheerful. Stores were well stocked, sales personnel were helpful, and the prices were very good. The weather was always warm and sunny, and we were able to visit the main places of interest on foot. A very useful one is the bank in the original founder’s palace, the Casa Montejo (1549), which gives the best exchange rate in town. You can’t miss it: over the door is a statue of Montejo with his feet firmly planted on two Mayan heads. Be sure to see the Monumento a la Patria (Monument to the Nation) on Paseo Montejo. It is the enormous and intricately-carved work of sculptor Rómulo Rozo, which the city commissioned in 1956 to honour the history of the Mayan people.

One extraordinary “plus” was the series of free cultural events such as concerts, poetry readings and folklore dances which the city provides at various locations for the enjoyment of their own residents, not just for tourists. Every Sunday, for example, the Ballet Folklórico performs a variety of colourful and traditional dances on the street in front of the City Hall. Bring your own chair and enjoy!

There is much to see in Mérida, and a very pleasant experience to be had among its proud and friendly Mayan people. This blog has two pages of photos: to enlarge any of them, simply click on it.

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Comments

[Eva Beuttenmueller]

It must be a beautiful colonial town worth to visit . I plan on being there next month. Any suggestions? What ate the cons? Pollution, noise , and neglected Infrastracture, s So called side walks a disaster Eva