Mérida is the capital and also the largest city of Yucatan, Mexico. Despite its size, this is a very pleasant city to stay for a few days. Mérida is a wonderful colonial city with facades in beautiful colors. If you also want to visit the many excellent museums, you can easily spend two days here. However, did you know that Mérida is also a perfect base to further explore this part of the Yucatan? Whether you are looking for nature, culture or relaxation, you will find something for everyone just a stone’s throw from this city. You can easily entertain yourself for a week. We share 5x fun day trips and excursions with you here!
Where to stay in Merida?
The best place to spend the night in Mérida, of course, depends on your preference: either you think it’s great to stay right in the heart of this city, or you prefer to stay a little further away from the center, which has the advantage that you often stay here. have a garden and lots of greenery.
Our choice: Hotel Boutique La Casona by Kavia
What a nice hotel this was! The beds were big and soft (especially big is exceptional in Mexico, haha) and the shower was great! The room was very spacious and the high walls give a luxurious and spacious feeling. The location is very nice; quiet yet close to the center. In the garden you have a swimming pool where you can take a refreshing dip after a busy day, very nice! Travelers score La Casona an 8.1
Another option is to book an Airbnb, in Mérida there are so many available! Let‘s give a few options which we think are great and they have a pool too!!
Our choice: Casa Naranjo
Casa Naranjo is located on a great location downtown Mérida, at a 5 minute walk from the famour Plaza Grande with the Cathedral. This is a colonial style house with a great sundeck with private pool! The rating on Airbnb is 4.8 out of 5 and we agree it could have been a 5 also!
Our choice: Casa alta
This is also a colonial house, but more modern. It is located on the edge of downtown, but by taxi you are at Plaza Grande within a few minutes. Casa alta also has a great pool and the house is very well equiped! The rating on Airbnb is 4.8 out of 5!
How do you get there?
The easiest way to get to Mérida is to take a road trip through Yucatan and Chiapas ! You will then land in Cancun. After a few days on the beach (or island), head inland. The first big city you come across is Valladolid. This is a good base for Chichen Itza. The second major city on your tour is Mérida. Renting a car in Yucatan is not that expensive. If you are traveling with a family, it is actually the most convenient to rent a car for the entire duration of your trip (except for that tropical island of course 🙂 ).
Are you traveling alone or as a couple? Then be sure to look at the rates of the ADO buses ! These are punctual, luxurious and provide transport between all major cities and places of interest. There is a bus between Valladolid and Mérida several times a day. The bus ride takes about 2 hours 20 minutes, about as fast as by car. In Mérida you will have to arrange your own transport for the trips.
Trips and excursions from Mérida
1. Uxmal, dizzying Mayan temple!
Uxmal is much less known than the wonder of the world Chichen Itza , but no less beautiful! Apart from the fact that it was built much earlier than Chichén Itzá and in a completely different architectural style, the setting is completely different. In Uxmal, nature is allowed to take its course more, you will not encountered a single stall on the site itself and it seems as if there is much more left here. Much less ‘obvious’ restoration has been done than in Chichén Itzà. In addition to the Great Pyramid of the Magician , there are many other well-preserved structures. The main buildings are:
- Turtle house
- Nun’s house
- Pigeon house
- Governor’s Palace
- Pyramid of the Magician (or Fortune Teller)
In addition, you have the field for the ritual ball game, which is actually quite small, opposite the field at Chichen Itza. If you go deeper into the area, you will come across groups of buildings here and there. You really have the feeling that you are walking in a city, with beautiful buildings and beautiful sculptures. I could imagine much better what it must have looked like here than at Chichen Itza. Of course with the latter the pyramid of Kukulcan is fan-tas-tic! You cannot climb the pyramid of the wizard, but there are other temples that you can climb here. Be careful, the steps are uneven and steep! You go for the phenomenal view of course.
Practical
To really see Uxmal completely, you should count on about 2 to 3 hours, hire a guide who can tell you all about the history of this city!You will of course explore Uxmal on foot. It is nice to combine Uxmal with :
- A visit to Choco-Story in the afternoon. This is right opposite the excavations of Uxmal. This is an ecological museum, dedicated to the history of cocoa. It is not a traditional museum, but you walk through the jungle from Maya hut to Maya hut. There you will find more information about cocoa, demonstrations (cocoa tasting, mmm…), or animals.
- Other excavations on the Puuc route : you can plan to visit Uxmal if you drive from Mérida to Campeche. Further on the road you will come across a number of temple complexes, all built in the Puuc style, of which Uxmal is the largest and best known. The Puuc style is characterized by geometric, recurring elements and detailed sculpture. You often see masks with long noses on the facades of the buildings, which represent Chac, the rain god of the Mayas. The Puuc route consists of the following temple complexes: Uxmal-Kabah-Sayil-Xlapak-Labna. Besides Uxmal, Kabah and Labna are the largest and most beautiful and they can be combined nicely!
How do you get there?
There is a direct bus service from the Autobuses Sur Mexico from the TAME terminal in Mérida to Campeche. This one makes a stop en-route in Uxmal. However, this is not always punctual, and we heard from our hostess in the hotel that apparently the bus sometimes doesn’t stop, and then suddenly it does again. For no apparent reason.
The most interesting (and surest option) is renting a car . You can also combine Uxmal with one of our suggestions!
overnight
You can visit Uxmal on a day trip from Mérida. In the afternoon you return. However, it is also nice to stay here for a night – then you can drive the Puuc route the next day on your way to Campeche, another great colonial town.
Go from Mérida by car to the Uxmal area. On the route you can make a nice stop at a hacienda and caves (more on that below). The next day be at the entrance of Uxmal at 8.00 am and so you can view all those beautiful buildings in peace and quiet before the crowds. You can combine it with the Choco-Story museum. You can stay one more night in the Uxmal area. The next day drive the Puuc route to Campeche!
Our choice: The Pickled Onion Eco-Boutique B&B
The Pickled Onion Eco-Boutique B&B is a lovely place with a beautiful location. Here you have everything: nice accommodations, nice breakfast (included in the room price), nice swimming pool, nice hostess. A great B&B, which is rated with a 9.1! You can stay here for only $80 per night (including a delicious breakfast) for two people, for four people you can book a family bungalow for only $89!
2. Off the beaten track: the yellow town of Izamal
Izamal is a small, colonial town . This town, actually a large village, is not on the tourist route. You won’t find much about it in travel guides.
The town is dominated by the really huge Convento de San Antonio de Padua , built in 1561 and this is your first stop. The monastery is located in the middle of the center and has several entrances that all lead to the beautiful courtyard. After St. Peter’s in Vatican City, this is the largest courtyard in the world. The monastery is painted mustard yellow and really all the houses, shops (didn’t we notice a mustard yellow ruin and stairs there too?), are too. A beautiful whole.
After visiting the monastery, you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the center. The horses are neatly dressed and waiting on the square next to the monastery. You agree on a price in advance, which is somewhere between 200 and 300 MXN (depending on the tip you still want to give, if the driver in question suddenly turns out to be a true guide).
Izamal is really a typical Mexican town , where life takes place around the various squares of the town. So treat yourself to an ice cream after the ride and settle down with a good view of the square so you can take it all in.
People here are still genuinely friendly and surprised when they see white tourists . We were immediately stormed by the police, who, it turned out, just wanted to have a chat with us and explain to us what beautiful things their town had to offer. We recommend strolling through the streets, squares and parks, and visiting the local Mexican shopping center / covered market: with food stalls, fresh fruit,shoe shops and numerous stalls with trinkets.
The monastery may be the highlight of Izamal, but we especially liked the atmosphere. It was one of those villages where you really get an insight into the life of the local population .
Practical
It is most convenient to start with the exploration of the monastery first . You really can’t miss this building (trust us). When you arrive in Izamal, you come almost immediately to this huge building. There is enough parking space around it to park your car (free).
Afterwards, a ride in a horse-drawn carriage is a must. Then you can wander around a bit, depending on the time you have. All in all, you will spend half a day here.
Izamal is not yet on the tourist radar, so there are no organized tours, you visit this city on your own.
How do you get there?
There is a bus connection between the TAME terminal in Mérida and Izamal. This bus runs every hour and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. You must have the buses from Oriente , with terminal station Izamal. There are still stops along the way, so make sure you get out correctly. The bus driver will help you with this.
Of course you can also visit Izamal by car! We have taken this option.
overnight
Izamal is actually perfect to visit as a day trip from Mérida, or on the way from Chichen Itza to Mérida, as we did. You can spend the night there, but that is not a must to see the whole city. It is a nice town, away from the tourists, and we wouldn’t mind if you still want to spend the night here. The following is highly recommended!
Hacienda in Izamal: Hotel Hacienda Izamal***
This is super cute and very cheap! This hotel hacienda is located in the cute, mustard yellow town of Izamal and fits in wonderfully! Of course there is also air conditioning here and the swimming pool is literally in front of your door. For €46 you sleep in a double room. With a score of 8.8 on Booking.com , Hacienda Izamal*** is very good.
3. Flamingos everywhere: Celestun nature reserve
Whoever says Celestun says flamingos. Celestun is a village west of Mérida, on the coast. The Parque Natural del Flamenco Mexicano is located here . You come to Celestun for this national park .
The park consists largely of mangroves, which are seriously endangered elsewhere, just like the animals that live here. It is best known for its abundance of birds: more than 200 species of birds live and breed here. The birds to which it owes its fame are of course the flamingos. In autumn and winter they can be seen in hundreds, if not thousands. Outside of this season they are much less: the most convenient thing is that you ask your hotel if they know whether it is worth visiting the park. After all, sometimes the flamingos don’t dare to come to this part of Yucatan during this season, and this varies greatly from year to year.
To get to the national park, you need to rent a boat at the bridge of the village. You can choose from a one or two hour tour on the spot. The two-hour tour is recommended, otherwise you will only do a small part. The first part of the tour you go over a river. Here you have to keep your eyes peeled for the pelicans .
Then you come to the coast and the mangroves. Here are the flamingos . After hopefully seeing lots of flamingos, and making everyone back home jealous with photos of them, you’ll continue through some mangrove tunnels to get to freshwater springs. You can swim in the springs named “Valdiosera” and “Venecia”. There is also a stop at the “petrified forest”: here are a lot of dead trees that have died due to the sudden contact with salt water.
After the tour you should try a seafood restaurant . They are known for being good and the Mexicans like to come here for lunch. The beach itself is not that interesting.
Practical
It is possible to drive to Celestun by car and book a boat trip on the spot. All boats depart from the same jetty/bridge. You can’t miss this one. However, if you want to be sure that your excursion does not fall into the water (it can be busy in high season), or if you prefer not to travel by car yourself, you can also book an organized excursion with transport in advance, to be sure from your spot!
A tour takes about two hours. Add to that a lunch in a fish restaurant, and the round trip and you’ll be on the road in no time at all for 6 to 7 hours!
How do you get there?
As already indicated, you can go here without any problems with a rental car and then transfer to a boat . You can also book an excursion , where transport is included.
It is also possible to go by bus from Mérida to Celestun. You must depart from Terminal Noreste for this .
overnight
It is possible to stay overnight in Celestun: there are a handful of accommodation options. However, that is certainly not necessary, it is an ideal day trip from Mérida , provided you are here in the right season.
4. Swimming in the Cenotes de Cuzama
Ah, what a special place this is! When in Mexico, visiting a cenote and taking a dip is an absolute must!
A cenote is the name for a water-containing cave or pool in Yucatán. There are over 3000 cenotes in Yucatán! They are found in regions where there are no above-ground rivers. Water seeps through the porous soil and an underground river forms there, flowing to the sea. In some places the rock has collapsed, which we call a sinkhole . This creates underground cavities filled with water, the cenotes.
A cenote was a sacred place for the ancient Maya. They believed that this was the entrance to the underworld. The pools were used for offerings, including human sacrifices.
You can find many cenotes scattered throughout the Yucatan: most tourists take an expensive tour from Tulum to one of the cenotes, which are closer to the coast. We choose the cenotes de Cuzama because here you can visit no less than three very different cenotes for a nice price (350 MXN for four people) .
To get there, take a seat in a cart (you also pay the price per cart, so try to share this with other travelers). That cart is pulled by a horse, over narrow rails, a ‘bumpy ride’. The rails are there, because the cenotes are located on the territory of an old sisal plantation and everywhere around you you will see tropical vegetation, interspersed with sisal plants. The cenotes are very different, from completely closed and ultra-deep, to open cenotes. The cart driver just waits for you at each cenote, it’s that easy. This is a wonderful day out for everyone!
Practical
The cenotes are only a good 26 km east of Mérida. However, you will soon be on the road in about 45 minutes by car (we are not talking about the colectivo/mototaxi combination yet).
When you arrive at the site where the cenotes are located, you are not yet at the cenotes themselves. Your transport consists of a cart, which is pulled along a track by a horse. Count on six to seven hours for the day trip, including the three swimming stops.
How do you get there?
Without a doubt, the easiest option to get there is with your own rental car . It is about a 45 minute drive from the center of Mérida to Cuzama. The cenotes are located 1.5 km outside the village, on the road to Chunkanan. Pay attention to the signs, then you will find the entrance easily.
You can also go there without a car, but that requires a little more effort. It is therefore useful to speak a word of Spanish. From Mérida you take a colectivo to Cuzama. Ask in Mérida where the colectivos depart, because the departure places often dare to change. The colectivo drops you off in the heart of Cuzama at the church and from there you have another 3 km to the cenotes. Either you walk the stretch, or you take a mototaxi . There are enough of these in Cuzama and you will automatically be asked if you want to go to the cenotes.
overnight
Without a doubt, Mérida is the ideal base for visiting these cenotes. It is not necessary to spend the night in the area.
5. Visit a hacienda
When you say Mexico, you think in the first place of Mayan temples, colonial cities, jungle and bounty beaches. If you make a tour through Yucatan and Chiapas , you will certainly not immediately think of visiting Spanish heritage . Still, you really should pay a visit to a hacienda !
Haciendas are large estates in Latin America and the Philippines. They were established after the Spanish conquest. Large tracts of land were donated by the Spanish king to the Spanish conquistadors or conquerors. They were allowed to let the indigenous people work for them. Later many mestizos also started working on these haciendas, but the owners almost always remained Spanish. Normally the haciendas were engaged in cattle raising, but in Yucatan most haciendas were engaged in growing and producing sisal. Sisal was used in the 19th and part of the 20th century to make sturdy ropes (eg ship ropes). Because the demand for sisal has fallen sharply, many haciendas are empty, or have been converted into hotels ormuseum.
It is worth including at least one hacienda in your tour. This is of course possible by spending the night there , or by visiting one . Above we have already given some tips for an overnight stay at a hacienda.
Nice haciendas to visit are, for example, hacienda Sotuta de Peon or hacienda Yaxcopoil . Both are located not far from Mérida and can be combined into a day trip. While Sotuta de Peon is a working hacienda, Yaxcopoil is set up as a museum. You can visit Sotuta de Peon with a guided tour (daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.), while you can visit Yaxcopoil independently . Both are gems!
Practical
It is most convenient to start with a visit to Sotuta de Peon first. Get here in time for a guided tour. It is about a 40 minute drive from Mérida. After this you drive to Yaxcopoil. You can visit this hacienda on your own. You will receive an information booklet at the entrance with an explanation of the various buildings on the site. You can then return to Mérida. So you drive in a loop.
You can visit hacienda Yaxcopoil and combin it with the Grutas de Calcehtok. The combination of both makes for a full day.
How do you get there?
You definitely make this day trip by car. We do not recommend buses here. No doubt colectivos go back and forth between the different villages, but not directly to the haciendas, and then you have to find a taxi to take you there. So rent a car for this trip. Count on at least six hours.