Spectacular Paseo de Montejo
by karenincalifornia
Extending northward from the Centro Historico is the beautiful Paseo de Montejo, a wide boulevard lined with ornate turn of the century (20th century) mansions. Paseo de Montejo is in stark contrast to most of the rest of Merida, which has less spectacular buildings and consists mostly of working class neighborhoods.
Many of the buildings are now occupied by businesses. Some are in disrepair. Approaching Ave. Colon, the buildings are in better shape. The intersection of Ave Colon and Paseo de Montejo is the location of several large newer hotels, such as Fiesta Americana, Holiday Inn, Hyatt and Intercontinental. In this area, it is easy to forget that one is in a struggling developing country with a shaky economy. In fact, we felt as if we had been transported suddenly to the United States, with its large hotels and glitzy shopping malls.
If Holiday Inns or Hyatts are your preference, you will likely want to stay in this area. If you want to experience a more authentic part of Merida, I recommend the small hotels and inns southward in the Centro Historico.
Tipping in Merida
by dek516
As is so often the case when visiting another country, it's confusing to try and figure out what types of service should be tipped, and how much. Our guidebooks and talks with other travelers helped us decide on the following:
1) At a restaurant, tips should range between 10 and 15%. At smaller, more local places, 10% is generally appropriate, while more upscale spots expect tipping on the higher end. As is true anywhere, tips should also reflect the quality of service (just about everywhere we went the service was excellent).
2) For your hotel stay, a tip of 10 to 15 pesos per day for the housekeeper is generally appropriate. We always left one large tip in the room on our last day.
3) Taxi drivers are not usually tipped in Merida or other areas in the Yucatan.
4) Tour guides can be tipped at your discretion. If you go to the ruins and accept a local guide on the spot, you should definitely tip, as this is his only source of income.
Dzibilchaltùn - One of the oldest Mayan cities
by Redlats
Dzibilchaltùn is another ruin we visited -- it has fewer buildings than Uxmal or Chichén-Itzá, but has an interesting air-conditioned museum and a cenote (sinkhole) that you can swim in.
It also features flora more; you can see and identify local trees and flowers. The ruins themselves have a bit more shade, so you are less likely to melt on a day where the temperatures go up above 35°C.
Dzibilchaltùn is 15 km north of Mérida (approx. 15 minute drive).
Visit Dzibilchaltùn for more information.
Palacio de Gobierno
by jmbredeck
Murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco: 27 painted murals produced between 1971 - 1978 reflecting the most significant stages of the Yucatan peninsula's history.
Address: Palacio de Gobierno, central square
THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE & THE MURALS
by Sandi-2004
Inside another building on the main square is the Governor's Palace which houses some amazing murals that depict the history of Mexico. They were painted in the 1970's by Fernando Castro Pacheco, a local artist, and they are stunning and, as with this one, very moving. This painting shows the Mayans being taken as slaves after they were conquered by the Spanish in the 1500's.
The murals are so large that I couldn't get the kind of detail that I wanted with my camera, so I'm using a postcard of the painting for this tip.
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music in the streets
Patio dining
A side view of the church
Meridas Church
