THE CHARMS OF MERIDA
This quiet town in Mexico was never intended to be a go to spot — and that’s it’s first charm
I first visited Merida in 1990 or so, on a sightseeing trip from Cancun to Chichen Itza, the amazing Mayan archeological site. Somehow the bus made a detour through the then sleepy town of Merida. From the perch of the bus there didn’t seem anything remarkable about this quiet town.
Fast forward to 2016 when I bought a small colonial house in Centro. This is my escape craft, I leave the cold weather during the winter and enjoy the 80 and 90 degree temperatures for a respite. Since the early 2000’s, Merida has been getting notice in various magazines and websites as an “it” destination. The absolute scorching summer and fall temperatures and high humidity (and also not being on the coast) keeps Merida from becoming overrun with people looking to escape. It’s a magical place, artsy with an increasingly good culinary scene.
This is at Apapacho (or cuddle), which is apropos. The molé is a mouth cuddle. Photo provided by Wonderlust
Merida is the capital of the Yucatan region and known as the “White City” because of a row of splendid white buildings and mansions on Paseo de Montejo, a main avenue of the city, named after its Spanish founder. It has a population of about three quarters of a million — 99 percent of whom are Americans. No! Just kidding! But it has what they call locally, and suggestively, a “moderate” foreign resident “penetration.”
The center of town is the Plaza Grande, with the impressive Catedral de San Ildefonso, one of the oldest on the American continents, anchoring it. The Plaza is a few blocks south of The Museo Nacional de Arte Popular, a spectacular museum and, like the art, popular.
Come visit, stay awhile, and maybe you too will fall in love with the city, the people and culture.
