Get Centered

One of the first things you should do upon arriving in Merida is take a ride in one of the horse and buggies that you can get on the main square beside the Cathedral de San Ildefonso.  They are going to take you up Calle 60 to the Paseo de Montejo.  From this level and at the pace you are going to notice some of the grandest architecture Merida has to offer and some of the most perplexing 20th century buildings on the planet.  They are going to take you up to the Monumento de la Bandera where they will assume you want to get out and take photos.  Now you are going to head back into town back down the boulevard to Calle 62 and back to the main square.  This whole trip takes about an hour and costs about $250 pesos last time I checked. Granted it's touristy but it's really the best way to see the details in the architecture and get a sense of the scale of the city. 

On Sundays Calle 60 and Paseo Montejo are closed for the biciruta and you can ride a bike down this same route but it's extended to the south along calle 64 all they way down to Ermita de Santa Isabel. This neighborhood has some of the oldest houses in town.  The poverty of the barrio outside the gates of the old city probably saved the area from the 19th Century but unfortunately couldn't save it from the 20th.  Still it's a beautiful little neighborhood for a bike ride or a walk and I've lived here for the past 14 years undisturbed until the real estate agents came prowling. 

On foot you should start by walking along the Plaza Grande or Zocalo.  Visit the decorative arts museum in the Casa Montejo (which has a nice gift shop). The Olimpo museum has nice contemporary shows and the Macay across the square has a permanent collection of contemporary mexican art as well.  You can pop into the Governor's Place and see the murals on the second floor and get a nice view down onto the square. The cathedral is a good place to cool off.  You could sit and have a flavorless sorbet at the cute little Sorbeteria Colon but the popcicles at Juanitzio are actually better.  

A short walk up to the Parque Santa Lucia will take you past ... to be continued