Mérida, Mexico is the capital of the Yucatán peninsula. It’s a beautiful, colorful city full of history. As a solo female traveler, Mérida attracted me with its reputation as one of the safest cities in Mexico. I used my freedom as a completely remote worker to live there for an extended stay. During my few months of living in Mérida, I garnered some practical knowledge about visiting this wonderful city and some helpful insights into general daily life in Mexico. As a little disclaimer, these were just interesting observations I made at the time of my visit in 2022; cities and their regulations naturally change over time. Also keep in mind that this comes from the cultural perspective of someone from North America. With that said, here are 10 things I find helpful to know when traveling to Mérida, Mexico.

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Uber is Cheap and Efficient… with one little exception

The popular ride sharing app, Uber, is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to get around Mérida. I could travel quickly across town for just a few dollars. There is one little exception: you can’t take an Uber directly from the airport in Mérida. I landed in Mérida’s airport woefully unaware of this. As I took out my phone and thumbed in the address of my accommodation, some airport attendants noticed and informed me that my Uber could only pick me up at a designated area fairly far from the airport. I can’t be positive of the exact location but it was a long enough walk with my heavy luggage to have me pretty flustered. Now, happily, you can take an Uber directly to the airport in Mérida. Just know that if you are first landing in the city, prepare to take a normal taxi. Don’t be like me and… awkwardly search the neighborhood of a new city for an unmarked Uber pickup area…

“Efectivo” (Always Have a Little Cash)

When traveling internationally, I’m used to some businesses not taking foreign credit cards but there were a couple of unexpected services in Mérida that sometimes asked to be paid in cash. Once when calling an Uber, I saw a text message come from the driver before confirming the pickup location. The driver simply asked: “Efectivo?” : which I learned is the colloquial term for “Cash”. I had never been asked to pay in cash for something like Uber or Lyft before: i.e. online services known for secure credit card payments. In another incident, while searching for an Airbnb, one of the hosts of a prospective apartment asked if I could pay in cash. Not to worry: there are plenty of Ubers and Airbnbs that do accept credit cards. Just know that there may be some unexpected places that ask: “Efectivo?”

It Gets REALLY Hot

My stay in Mérida began in the middle of winter when the temperature was pleasantly warm and ended in spring when the temperature was… well…

Now, I’m not saying that I was surprised by Mexico having a hot climate. However, I was a little surprised at the intensity of the heat relatively early in the season. By mid March, temperatures in Mérida were surpassing 100 degrees. By late March and early April, I had endured more than several days around 104 degrees (40 degrees Celsius). Add to this the humidity and the fact that many of the buildings in Mérida are quite low (which means not a lot of shade), and taking a walk in the afternoon was downright brutal.

Unless you are accustomed to this type of heat, I would say the best time to visit Mérida is from mid autumn till the end of winter. In any case, be sure to stay hydrated and double check that your accommodation comes with AC before booking (air conditioning is not a guarantee in all homes and apartments). I don’t think I could have endured the heat in Mérida without it!

Agua

It’s not safe to drink the tap water in Mérida. Given the hot climate through most of the year, one must pay a little extra attention to staying hydrated. I discovered the economical way to do so in Mérida is with the water refill stations throughout the city. At these vendors, you pay per specific volume of water you’d like dispensed: refill anything from a for a few pesos to a large multi-gallon jug. Do be sure to pack a water bottle such as this one for Mexico. I love that these refill spots are widely accessible, even in smaller residential neighborhoods, and open 24 hours.

“Lavanderia”: Doing your Laundry in Mexico

While I had the fortune of finding an Airbnb with a washer to clean my clothes, I learned that this is actually a bit rare. The more common way to do your laundry in Mérida is taking it to a lavanderia. At these laundry services, you simply drop off your clothes to be cleaned and the price is determined by the weight of your load. While for many, you simply pick up your clothes later, some lavanderias deliver your finished laundry to your address. A reminder for frequent travelers to pack some laundry detergent packs just in case!

Safety in Mérida

As previously stated, one of the main draws for me to Mérida was its reputation as one of the safest cities in Mexico. Well, the rumors were true: I felt very safe as a solo black woman in Mérida. Not only safe, I felt very welcomed. Both locals and other travelers and expats were very friendly to me during my stay. I’d always advise being sensible and relatively cautious while exploring cities alone at night but certainly most neighborhoods were perfectly comfortable to stroll around in the early evenings.

Slightly Intense Police Presence…

In the vein of perhaps why Mérida maintains a high level of safety, I must say: there were areas where the heavily armed police presence was a little intense. I’m not unaccustomed to seeing increased security in touristy areas but not quite to the extent I saw in Mérida’s city center. Don’t be surprised if you see many bulletproof vest clad officials strapped with large rifles paroling otherwise peaceful streets. Just in case that sight is unfamiliar or scary to some visitors, by my observation, it seemed to be their typical level of security and not an indication of an emergency in the area.

Stray Animals in Mérida

I was a little taken aback by the number of stray animals I saw! More than just a couple of stray cats, I would occasionally pass by a parking lot with a whole pack of over a dozen cats just sunning themselves. I could always count on a couple of cute kittens joining me for breakfast in my backyard. On the slightly less “cute” side, there were also a number of (at least seemingly) stray dogs. Not to alarm, but I think you should always be cautious when encountering larger stray animals. I should note that I typically only saw strays in the more residential outer reaches of the city and they were never hostile but I always made sure to keep a safe distance just in case.

An interesting local animal you may encounter in Mérida: Iguanas! I encountered many of these hefty reptiles seeking shade in the parks around the city.

Tons of Cheap Fruits and Veggies

Mérida is full of amazing and affordable food. I thought it worth noting, that while its true Mexican cuisine can be rather meat heavy, you will also be spoiled for choice with cheap, fresh fruits and produce. Get local staples like bananas, mangoes, avocados and papaya for dirt cheap prices at the many Fruterias. At these markets, you can sometimes find amazing fresh squeezed juices. You should try my personal favorite: Agua de chaya con piña. This delicious green juice is sweet and slightly herbaceous.

Another first for me in Mérida was Huitlacoche (pronounced “weet-lah-COH-chay”). Huitlacoche is a type of fungus that grows from corn and looks like little blueish mushrooms. I found them quite tasty with spices speared on sopes (a type of thick tortilla). There are many other tasty local fruits, veggies, and legumes to try. So while this may seem a bit random to mention, I wanted our lovely vegetarian travelers to know: you won’t be left out of the culinary delights of Mexico!

Experiencing Mayan Culture in Mérida

The historic colonial architecture in Mérida, a lot of which dates back to the 16^th century, is a huge draw for many visitors. Imposing buildings like the Paseo de Montejo are certainly gorgeous architectural feat with fascinating history. However, you’d be mistaken to assume that this city is completely engulfed by European influence. Even apart from the rest of Mexico, Mérida and the Yucatán peninsula bears its own unique regional culture. For starters, there are a number of restaurants such as La Chaya Maya where you can enjoy traditional Mayan cuisine.

You can even find people who still know the Mayan language. At the fantastic Museum of the Mayan World the descriptions of artifacts are shown in Spanish, English, and Mayan. Mérida is near some famous Mayan ruins such as Uxmal and Dzibilchaltún but even within the city, one can find some archaeological sites of old pyramids such as those in Fraccionamiento del Parque.

The Yucatán Folk Art Museum is a great free museum for seeing traditional Yucatán pottery, textiles, and other artworks. You’ll also find many more contemporary works by local Mexican artists. It’s beautiful to see the indigenous culture and history still celebrated in Mérida.

Life in the Mérida

One of the main joys of traveling for me is savoring the unique character of local daily life. These were just 10 things I found useful to know about life in Mérida: a vibrant and colorful city with so much to discover. I also hope my packing list for Mexico can be helpful to anyone planning an adventure to this unique region.