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| Merida Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Municipal Palace, Progreso Municipal Palace, Progreso R Hollmann Merida’s lineage dates back to January of 1542 during the Spanish explorations of Mexico. Spanish nobleman Don Francisco de Montejo founded the city on the site of the ancient Maya city of T'Ho. Many of new city's buildings were constructed using stones expropriated from the Mayan ruins and some of those stones can still be seen today in the walls of Merida's main cathedral. Today, Merida is a city of wide tree-lined boulevards and historic stately mansions. It is the bustling capital of the State of Yucatan and its largest city, but it still manages to remain quaint and intimate. It has been known as the “Paris of the West” because of the many products once imported from France by Merida’s wealthy citizens, and because it was a center of culture and government. At one time is was also known as the “White City”. Theories abound about why it was named this: from its tradition of people dressed in white to its white stone buildings built from native white limestone. Another theory holds that the title 'White City' referred to the city's colonial roots, when slaves and anyone 'non-white' was denied entry to the city; hence the term 'white city', meaning 'the city of the whites' a term coined by revolutionary Mayan indians during the violent and bloody Guerra de Castas or Caste Wars. Merida is the center of many Mayan ruins, colonial cities and nature attractions. Merida is an inviting place to visit. In the past, it has only been a stopover on the way to the magnificent Maya ruins. Lately, more and more people have discovered what a great treasure the city is. Merida is a city rich in Mayan folklore and colonial history; a city of contrasting sights, cultural blends, and a warm friendly people. _______Sights Edit This The "Tigre" corner plaque at the corner of Calle 64 and Calle 57 The "Tigre" corner plaque at the corner of Calle 64 and Calle 57 James Fields Merida is a warm and inviting place to visit. People can relax in the shade, talk with friends or take a stroll around the Plaza Mayor, or the Zocalo, built on the site of the Maya Temple T-Chum-Can, in the heart of the city. Whichever direction you look, something historic is a short walk. On the west side of the plaza is the Palacio Municipal, that holds the offices for the Mayor and the city’s government. Prominent on the Palacio building is a golden clock tower that chimes every fifteen minutes. Bordering the plaza on the south is the historic Casa Montejo, built in 1549 from stones taken from Mayan temples. It was Don Franciso de Montejo’s home when he was the Commander of Spanish military forces in the Yucatan. Visitors are welcome for daily tours. Twin gothic towers rise above Latin America’s oldest catholic cathedral stands on the east side. Constructed in 1598 from stones of the Maya monument it was built upon, it was designed by Juan Miguel De Aguero, architect of Havana’s famous Morro Castle. Look for the royal coat of arms of Spain above the main entrance; inside, the Chapel of Christ of the Blisters, you’ll see a statue supposedly carved from wood of a tree that burned all night, but was found untouched the next morning. If you step across the street on the northern edge of the plaza, you’ll be welcomed in the Governor’s Palace. Beside the State’s executive offices, it houses the wonderful Hall of History. Here, you can see fabulous murals depicting the Yucatan’s turbulent past, by renown Mexican artist Pacheco. When trying to find your way in Merida, you’ll want to know that streets are numbered rather than named. East-west streets have odd numbers and north-south streets have even numbers. This system was always so. Originally, Mayas and early settlers named the corners and intersections, not the streets, for flowers, animals, or different characters, using statues as markers. On some corners, you can still see those statues on buildings at the corners, such as; the corner of the fool and the elephant. Just a block of the plaza to the southeast is the Central Market, where you’ll hear Maya spoken as much as Spanish. You’ll want to get up early to join the “El Meritances” (Merida’s citizens) who ply the trade of their Maya ancestors, trading. You will find great bargains here. Another site for great bargains are the shopping bazaars in the city’s parks. One of the most popular is as Santa Lucia Park. On Sundays, it is filled with band concerts and entertainment and artisans and traders displaying everything from baked goods, local honey, embroidered clothing and antiques to paintings of glyphs from Maya temples. [Add Sight] The Puuc Route (La Ruta Puuc) Edit This For those who are interested in Maya archaeology, there is a string of Maya sites located about 2 hours drive from Merida. They include: Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Labna and X'lapak. Uxmal is the largest of the sights, and features the Pyramid of the Magician, which was fabled to have been built by a dwarf-magician in one night. It fact, archaeological studies have shown that the structure was built in phases. Also interesting in Uxmal, are the palace, the Nunnery Quadrangle and the Ball Court. Kabah is situated slightly further along the road from Uxmal, and is famed more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] Haciendas Edit This At the turn of the 20th Century, the Yucatan enjoyed an economic boom due to the popularity of rope made from henequen or sisal. Hundreds of huge haciendas were built throughout the Yucatan Peninsula to manage the growth of that henequen, each one different. With the Mexican Revolution and the introduction of nylon rope, among other things, many of these haciendas were abandoned. In the last twenty or so years, many of these haciendas have been bought and renovated...turned into museums, places to eat, hotels, and private homes. You can visit a number of them in a day trip from more.. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] __________History Edit This The Cathedral in the center of Merida The Cathedral in the center of Merida Ellen Fields For centuries, the great civilization of the Maya flourished, in what today is the Yucatan. In January of 1542, twenty years after Spanish explorers had renamed the Yucatan New Spain and Hernan Cortez had conquered the Aztecs, Don Francisco de Montejo founded Merida, on the site of the ancient Maya city of Tiho. However, six months later on June 10, 1542, nobleman Montejo found himself and his men embattled for a six month siege by 60,000 Maya, attempting to preserve their lands. It was said the defeat of the Maya, at Merida, was the beginning of the end of the Maya era and the dawn of Spanish rule of the land. ________Practical Information Edit This Merida is the safest city in Mexico for tourists. It has a separate police patrol that helps tourists to locate places of interest,and answer any questions you may have about the city. You can tell the tourist police from the regular police as they have a khaki color uniform,and they are on every corner in the downtown tourist area. The regular police are also very helpful,and you see them on every street in Blue uniforms. They are in police cars,motorcycles,and even bicycles. Some drive in military trucks and have 5 or 6 officers inside. I spent a month in Merida,and never saw any type of crime activity. Even late at night walking down strange streets I felt secure that the police were on the next corner. |