Winter lovers think they are because they prefer the cold, but that's because They haven't spent a December in Mérida . Get rid of your jacket on these dates when leaving the airport of the Yucatecan capital it is as shocking as it is pleasant.
In those moments before getting to know the city, of ignorance before what awaits us, we believe that the good weather is reason enough to enjoy the right vacations, but 'adequate' is a term that is far from Mérida , not because it does not reach that level, but because far exceeds it.
It takes about four days to lightly soak in a gastronomy that breaks with everything what we thought we had tried as Mexican food, but also to discover its most artistic corners impregnate you with dreamy natural enclaves and meet some inhabitants so close , generous and attentive that will make you feel at home.
pst, pst. Here is an extra recommendation: an hour's drive from Mérida, a natural jewel awaits you that will not only leave you breathless, but in which you can also bathe. Keep reading.
Welcome to Merida!
WHERE TO STAY
We have no doubt that Mérida will have a wide variety of good hotels, but we are here for personal suggestions, at least those that come from good experiences, and the Hotel Santa Ana, of course, is one of them . To begin with, its location, at 503 Calle 45, is already perfect, literally next to Parque de Santa Ana and less than five minutes from the popular Paseo de Montejo.
The hotel is born in what was the colonial house of the historic governor , writer, lawyer, critic and Mexican journalist Santiago Burgos Brito. That colonial adjective is the one that is contagious in a decoration that will not let you put your camera away for a moment. You'll walk through the door and boom! The first crush (but not the last) will have occurred before dropping the suitcases.
Personally, my favorite space was the Cafeteria , one of those settings so enchanting that you feel unable to leave it for hours. Wooden furniture, a huge mosaic mirror mural behind the bar, arches decorated with stained glass... All in different shades of green that fit in with the surrounding vegetation.
Yes, because behind the columns of this room, you can see and touch a very abundant vegetation that completes this picture worthy of starring in a wallpaper and seems to hide the hotel's treasure. You will only need to follow the tiled path, as if it were the Wizard of Oz, to discover that this leafy portion of forest keep the pool safe . This oasis in the form of a small paradise will be what ends up making you fall in love.
Any of its 18 rooms will be perfect to settle in , although you should know that six of them have more privileges for being Deluxe. But leaving aside the obvious of an accommodation, I can say (or write) without the slightest doubt, that the best of Hotel Santa Ana is the treatment of its guests.
No matter who is waiting for you at the reception, all the members of the team will do what is in their hands to make you as comfortable as possible . The best thing is to be able to enjoy a close, friendly and familiar treatment : they show interest in your stay, they talk to you, they make recommendations about the city... One thing is for sure, once you have to leave the hotel, it will be sad to say goodbye to them.
WHERE TO HAVE BREAKFAST
And now, let's get to the point. What we like to do most when we travel: eat . If we also take into account that we are talking about Mexican food, everything changes. This cuisine maintains its popularity for a long time, but once there, you realize that everything you have already tried has nothing to do with it. with what you are about to experience in the country.
The Mexican Kitchen it is much more than spicy , that eternal adjective that we usually use for its description. But before starting with the famous tacos, we will do it for the most important meal of the day, and of course, the favorite of many. Where do we have breakfast?
First stop: Station 72 . In Mérida there are two, we went to the one on Avenida Colón. From the hotel, it's a 15-minute walk, but all the time spent getting there it's worth it to give you a tribute , of those that prepare you for a real day of tourism.
Estación 72 is one of those Instagram-worthy coffee shops. Coquettish, contemporary, one of those that invite you to have more than one coffee, if you can, because its coffees are reminiscent in size of those of the famous cups of 'Friends' , perfect for the necessary energy. And, although you will find yourself salivating sooner than expected as soon as you start reading the menu, here is an option without fail: chilaquiles.
This typical Mexican dish is based on triangular cut tortillas , imitating the nachos, with red or green chili sauce , to which you can add egg or chicken. Here, no matter what color you choose, both recipes will win you over to the point that you'll wonder why you haven't had chilaquiles for breakfast before. Worst of all: knowing you won't be able to do it when you get back.
Second stop: Bread & Køf.feé . Just 4 minutes from the hotel, in this cafeteria you have an important mission: get the only patio table . Why? Bamboo decoration, stone floor and wild vegetation. Having breakfast there is not only an extra dose of calm in the morning, but also feeling like you are in the middle of the jungle.
Nothing like their avocado toast to start the day.
With this menu we will be more familiar. Here we play with avocado toast, eggs benedict, quiche ... even pizza! Their sandwiches are a real delight. : hummus, avocado, turkey, basil, mozzarella... And its sweets will keep you glued to the window for a long time. Warning: it is difficult not to get into the role of an influencer because you will want to photograph everything.
WHERE TO EAT
Here we are going to be direct. You cannot leave Mérida without stopping at Ramiro Kitchen . It is not a recommendation, it is practically an obligation. It is a restaurant creative mexican cuisine , family tradition, with an open kitchen and a small terrace at the back where you can eat in absolute calm in the shade of the trees.
Really, anything you order here is a good idea, but the tasting menu is a serious suggestion. Four courses and a dessert make up what is a direct entrance to culinary paradise. Each of them will be carefully explained to you by the team, but among them you will find everything you can expect from a contemporary kitchen.
Tortillas with different textures of cheese, a green mole to which all good adjectives fall short, the family recipe for mole or, my favorite, the minguiche, a typical soup of the kitchen of Michoacán , with tomato, vegetables and cheese inside that melts with the heat as you stir the dish. We could use all the words in the dictionary but the menu result would be the same: inexplicable.
The first course of the tasting menu, accompanied, of course, by a good michelada.
most innovative, we go now to the most traditional , another mandatory stop if you pass through Mérida. The Bold Canteen It is one of those places that makes you truly feel in Mexico. What seems calm on the façade becomes a real party inside: many tables, a large terrace and an explosion of colour.
Authentic Mexican and Yucatecan cuisine among which we chose to order mole enchiladas and assorted tacos : roast beef, egg with chaya, egg with sausage from Valladolid... Cochinita pibil tacos they are truly difficult to forget (we repeated two days in a row). But what really wins you over at La Negrita is its atmosphere, especially, its live music that will make you get up to dance more than once.
The last recommendation, and by no means least, Its the the exquina . Important notice: try to arrive on an empty stomach, because you will need space for what is coming. This restaurant is one of those that make you proud of your vacation , in which you know for sure that you have gained two kilos during the meal and you are happy about it.
Melted cheese is a sure hit . If you want to throw the house out the window like we did, the one that is accompanied by chorizo is essential. And as for the tacos (yes, again, because when you go to Mexico, the only thing you want to eat is tacos), the one with steak it is a very good option, but the chop is, without a doubt, the best . Be careful not to over-order, although the tacos are supposed to come two by two, they are served with a double tortilla that, in short, becomes four.
Here's a bonus: to have some cocktails at night in the Paseo de Montejo, Small House . A charming illuminated terrace and live music, perfect for a snack with a good atmosphere. You can try them anywhere, but it was here that we ran into the travel challenge: eat grasshoppers . They will remind you of crickets, it is shocking to eat them when we are so little used to our gastronomy, but they are delicious.
WHAT TO SEE
A stroll through Mérida aimlessly will already seem enchanting. a city in which there is no place for tall buildings and whose houses are painted in a vivid color palette It is a totally different architecture to what we are used to here, especially if we live in places like Madrid or Barcelona.
An explosion of color at Artesanías Itzel.
There, you will have to stop at its most popular places, such as the Paseo de Montejo, the Cathedral of Mérida (the oldest in Mexico), Plaza Grande or the Casa Montejo Museum . But the Yucatecan capital does not only live on monuments when it comes to tourism.
Calle 60 was the route that we repeated the most times . It connects the hotel, from the Santa Ana park, with the main square, Plaza Grande. Along the way, you will find a large number of small craft and souvenir shops , of which you probably want to take the entire catalog.
But also, walking this street, you will come across the famous Santa Lucía park, the Autonomous University of Yucatán, and the El Jesús Tercer Orden Rectory , a church that will also make you look up at its façade. When you get to 59th Street, take a short detour to enter Crafts Itzel (504-Location 4). Here you will find all kinds of colorful handicrafts on looms, figures and any type of decoration (that you will automatically want for your house).
Before going through the Santa Lucía park, at number 466 you will find the Purple Snail Gallery . You have to enter this art gallery for several reasons. First of all, for the obvious: different rooms with another good dose of craftsmanship turned into decoration and a dream jewelry. Second, to sit on their lovely patio and savor a group coffee manifest , delicious specialty coffee roasted in Mérida.
Coffee and art at the Purple Caracol Gallery.
THE JEWEL OF NATURE
This place is not located in Mérida city, but if you have the opportunity to rent a car, in just one hour you will be in one of the most impressive natural jewels What are you going to witness? After crossing a road full of vegetation on both sides that will make you feel on another planet, you will arrive at your destination: Hacienda Mucucyche Cenotes.
The guided tour begins with the history of the farm . They will tell you about the livestock and agriculture activities that were carried out there and you will enjoy a construction that is almost in its original state, whose oldest record dates back to the 17th century . Once the historical ration is finished, it's time to put on the vests and take a dip.
The first impact comes with the Carlota cenote . Semi-open and with a depth of up to 7 meters. Turquoise blue crystal clear water that will not let you close your mouth during the whole bath. Still soaking, you will have to go through a tunnel that leads to the canal, a kind of water corridor covered with plants in which you will believe you are in paradise.
The channel, the corridor that connects both cenotes, a piece of paradise.
Now, no one is ready for the next step. The Blue Mayan cenote is not something that can be explained with words . It is the greatest clash one has with the power and beauty of nature. The ancient Mayans considered it a sacred place , when you immerse yourself in it, you discover why. This cenote is completely closed, like a cave, full of stalactites and stalagmites. It is worth remaining silent for a few minutes... It is simply overwhelming.
Mérida is the Yucatecan jewel . A lot of history, nature, crafts, delicious cuisine, charming architecture and welcoming inhabitants, all gathered in a capital that will make you fall in love and where a little piece of your heart will remain.