I knew virtually nothing about Mérida, Mexico before arriving. A close friend had traveled here and spoke lovingly of it’s friendly people and beautiful atmosphere. Another thing that attracted me (and a lot of other solo female travelers in particular) was its reputation as one of the safest cities in Mexico. Having never visited Mexico before, I thought it could be an exciting introduction to this vibrant country.

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Mérida at a Glance

Stepping out of the airport, you are greeted by the heat and bright sunlight. As I’d arrived in early January, this warm temperature stood in jarring contrast to the chilly East Coast of North America that I’d left. A fresh city with very little context can be intimidating… or exciting if you shift your perspective. As my Uber zoomed down the streets, I drank in the palm trees, and festive music playing loudly from buses and shopfronts.

What is it about warm climates and colorful cities? So many hotter countries seem to be full of towns and cities of all sizes with richly colored buildings. With, again, scarcely any prior knowledge of this charming place, much of the beginning of my trip was spent just wandering its streets and neighborhoods. So, I hope you will enjoy this visual appetizer of Mérida through some of my favorite images I captured.

Many of the images you see are my original photographs available on wall art and other gifts. Thank you for your support!

El Centro

The (roughly) geographical center of the city, appropriately call “El Centro”, seems to be the main hub of tourism. Bustling with restaurants, shops, and museums; this is where some of the city’s most striking architecture can be found. With some buildings dating back to the 16^th century: El Centro is full of the relics of Mexico’s colonial past.

As I wandered the streets, I was getting eyefuls of ornate entrances and windows of so many shades.

Whether from the distant or not so distant past, Mérida has no shortage of beautifully rustic, charmingly distressed building facades. The peeling paint against the vibrant colors was, to me, a gorgeous contrast.

On many of the streets, the sidewalks were quite narrow and the house or store fronts pressed right up close to the street. One could get a close look at the wonderful details of the walls, windows and doors.

Mérida has plentiful outdoor music and performances. There were many galleries and cafés to enjoy.

Exploring Smaller Neighborhoods

But the city is more than just it’s tourist center. Venture a mile or two in any direction from El Centro, and you’ll enjoy the quieter daily life of neighborhoods like San Antonio Cinta or Hacienda Chenkú. Those happen to be the neighborhoods I’ve lived in while in Mérida!

For a large city of over 1 million inhabitants, it did strike me how low most of the buildings were. I scarcely saw any high-rise apartments and (aside from the hotels in the tourist center of El Centro) few building were over a few stories high. This gave exploring the city a rather charming intimate feel versus being dwarfed by skyscrapers in a city like New York for example.

The more residential neighborhoods had plentiful flowers either crawling across the walls or adorning the small yards. I have wonderful memories of merchants riding their carts through the streets to sell fresh tortillas, chicharrones, and sodas.

There was often some gorgeous pottery on display.

Mérida is the capital of the Yucatán peninsula and sits just south of the pleasant beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. So, it was no surprise that the city introduced me to many tropical plants and flowers. Among the most beautiful flora I observed was this pinkish flower that I learned is called a plumeria.

I was intrigued by this thick purple grass that I saw in many parks. While exploring, you may also stumble as I did upon the plentiful iguanas!

Mexico has a very high Catholic population. There were so many beautiful alters to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the entrances of homes.

As the sun goes down, there are still vibrant details to observe at night.

The Enduring Mayan Heritage of Mérida

For all its surviving Spanish architecture, Mérida’s appreciation of its Mayan heritage is alive and well. It’s in close proximity to well preserved ancient city ruins such as Dzibilchaltún and Uxmal. Be sure to also visit the Museum of the Mayan World to learn more about this great history. More contemporary sculptures such as the amazing Monumento a la Patria (shown below), further show the celebration of Mexico’s resilient story.

Thank you for reading and viewing! If you would like to know what travel essentials I recommend for this part of the world, you can check out my Mexico Packing List here!