Things to do in  Merida

One of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, Quintana Roo is the gateway to the Mexican Caribbean. Palm-lined beaches, Maya ruins, and family-friendly nature parks characterize this southeastern state, where you can dive or snorkel coral reefs, cool off in ancient cenotes, and party in the nightclubs of Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen. It’s a short hop across the border to Belize.

Chichen Itza is among Mexico’s most visited and iconic archaeological sites. Known for its main central pyramid, this impressive Maya attraction—once the ceremonial center of the Yucatán—also features temples, ball courts, and a cenote (freshwater sinkhole). The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a popular day trip from Cancun and Tulum.

Mostly unexcavated, the Chacchoben ruins (Zona Arqueológica de Chacchoben) make up the largest and most visited Maya archaeological site in Costa Maya. Here moss-covered temples sprout from a lush jungle, attracting visitors who want to learn about Maya history, including the collapse of the ancient civilization.

The well-preserved Maya ruins at Uxmal are considered some of the most beautiful in the Yucatan. Temple-pyramids, quadrangles, and a large ball court dot the archaeological site. Highlights include the Great Pyramid and the unusually rounded Pyramid of the Magician. A nightly light and sound show brings the magic of Uxmal to life.

The second oldest cathedral in the Americas, the Mérida Cathedral (Catedral de San Ildefonso) was built atop a Mayan temple in the 16th century. Notable for its relatively austere façade and surprisingly stark Moorish interior, Mérida Cathedral also houses some of Mérida’s most significant religious artifacts, including the Christ of Blisters statue.

Often considered the Champs Elysees of Mexico, tree-lined Paseo de Montejo is one of the few examples of French Colonial architecture in predominantly Spanish Colonial Mérida. Developed in the late 19th century with money from the region’s henequen boom, Paseo de Montejo—one of Mérida’s longest avenues—is nowadays lined by mansions, hotels, and restaurants which retain their elaborate, original facades.

Situated at the heart of Mérida’s historic center, bustling Plaza Grande is home to the city’s 16th century San Ildefonso Cathedral, one of the region’s most important contemporary art establishments, and more. Visitors can relax in this leafy plaza—popular among visitors and locals alike—or use it as a jumping-off point for further exploration of the city.

This ancient site south of Merida is considered to be among the last of Yucatan’s great Mayan cities, having functioned as the region’s political and cultural capital for over 200 years after the fall of Chichen Itza. The sprawling site is home to some 4,000 structures, including the Temple of Kukulcan and several family dwellings.

As one of the lesser-visited Maya ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula, the archaeological site of Kabah offers an escape from the crowds at Uxmal and Chichén Itzá. It's second largest site in the Puuc region after Uxmal, and holds the ornate Palace of the Masks, which is covered in a rare repeating motif of the rain god, Chaac.

This 19th-century henequen plantation is a living museum, immersing guests in Merida’s colonial heritage as they explore the site’s working machines, sprawling grounds, and horse-drawn railways. The hacienda is also home to a restaurant and hotel, as well as a traditional Mayan dwelling and private cenote.

Near the Uxmal ruins in Mexico’s Yucatan, the Choco-Story interactive chocolate museum and cacao plantation focuses on the history, culture, and sustainability of cacao growth in the area. It’s a community-driven, eco-friendly enterprise that makes for a unique and educational visit for the whole family.

Once one of the Yucatán’s most prominent estates, the remarkably preserved Hacienda Yaxcopoil offers an in-depth insight into the region’s colonial history. Originally built in the 17th century and spread over a vast 22,000-acre (8,900-hectare) agave plantation, Hacienda Yaxcopoil is now preserved as a museum, which showcases the Yucatán’s pre-Colombian, Spanish colonial, and henequen boom years.

Originally built in the 16th century, the Montejo House-Museum--one of Mérida’s oldest buildings--is now a bank and free-to-enter museum. There, visitors can explore the permanent, four-room collection of historic furniture and three exhibition halls which typically house artworks. However, the main draw of Casa Museo Montejo is the original and elaborate Spanish Plateresque-style façade, one of a few of its kind in the Americas.

A small colonial city in Mexico’s Yucatan region, Izamal combines the aesthetics of old and new, with ancient pyramids standing alongside an old Spanish monastery and yellow-painted town buildings. The city was once an ancient Maya ceremonial center, and the largest pyramid—dubbedKinich Kak Mo—was a holy site built for the Maya sun god.

The Cuzamá area of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is known for its cluster of cenotes, or underwater sinkholes, which are unique in their methods of access. The three main cenotes are Chelentun, Chacsinicche, and Bolonchojol, and getting there is half the fun—the trip from Cuzamá’s town square to the cenotes is via traditional horse-drawn cart.