After ruins and waterfalls in Palenque, I left the Chiapas region for Yucatan. My first stop was Merida, the capital city of the Yucatan province.
I spent three days in Merida exploring the centre, visiting the sunny yellow nearby town of Izamal and going to Progreso beach.
Exploring the centre
The city centre of Merida is very walkable. I enjoyed wandering the side streets with colourful buildings and the Paso de Montejo with its huge wealthy homes.
I did a free walking tour one morning at 10am, meeting at the main square with a pink umbrella (there’s also one that starts at 9.30am from the tourist office). I find walking tours nice to do as an introduction to a place. Whilst the Merida one was interesting, it wasn’t overly great. That said, I’d still do it again if I was visiting Merida for the first time.
Note: For views over the main square you can go up to the balcony of the Palacio Municipal. Police officers standing outside makes people think it’s off limits. It’s not the case. It’s open to the public for free!
The yellow town of Izamal
I ducked out of the walking tour early to catch a colectivo to the yellow town of Izamal.
It’s a quiet colonial town and the cobblestone streets are lined with buildings and houses painted yellow. I really liked it – a very sunny and cheerful atmosphere!
I spent two hours there, wandering the streets, visiting the San Antonio de Pradua convent and climbing the Kinich Kak-Mo pyramid.
Entrance: Entirely free to the convent and pyramid which was lovely!
The convent was nice, as were the views from the top of Kinich Kak-Mo pyramid. My fave thing about the town was the sunny yellowness of it all!
Getting there: Colectivos to Izamal cost 31 pesos one way, take an hour and leave when full. I was lucky and got on an almost full one, only waiting 5mins to leave. The last colectivo back from Izamal is at 6.30pm. You buy your ticket (a poker disk) from a small table near the minivans and give the driver the poker disk before the van leaves. You can also take a second class bus from the Noreste Oriente bus station. The journey costs 27 pesos and will likely take longer than the colectivo due to its stops on the way. The last bus back to Merida is at 7.30pm.
For dinner that night, three of us from the hostel went to Mercado 60. It’s a food market with a variety of food styles on offer. It’s not a cheap eats, the burrito I had cost 155 pesos (£6 approx) but it was good and I liked the atmosphere.
Progreso beach
On my last day in Merida, I caught a bus to the city’s nearest beach, Progreso. I was happy to get some sunshine and there was a nice breeze – great for not overheating!
Before getting a bus back, I walked to the far end of the beach and found a classic photo spot – a swing (slightly broken!) with Progreso written above!
Getting there: Buses AutoProgreso haves buses running every 12 minutes to Progreso from 5am-10pm. A return trip costs 38 pesos and they leave from the AutoProgreso terminal two blocks south of the main square.
How to get to Merida
Merida is very well connected with other cities and towns in the Yucatan province and the Yucatan peninsula on the whole.
For example, ADO buses connect Merida with Valladolid, Cancun, Playa del Cancun, Tulum, Campeche, Bacalar. Simply search the ADO website/app or go to the bus station or one of their ticket offices for times and prices.
If you’re not already in the Yucatan peninsula, Palenque in Chiapas is the main town to reach Merida from. I took an ADO night bus from Palenque to Merida. It took around 8hrs and cost me 494 pesos. Day buses are also an option, leaving around 8am.
Side note: In my almost ten months of travelling I’ve taken a lot of night buses (wish I’d kept count!) And I can’t believe my bus from Palenque to Merida was my last one! Crazy!
Final thoughts
Whilst Merida wasn’t my favourite of cities, I still liked my stay there. I enjoyed sitting in the main square watching the world go by.
There’s a lot to see and do, think ruins, cenotes, flamingos, in the surrounding area – it struck me as a good place to use as a base. I’m reaching the end of my ten month trip and in all honesty I’m getting lazy. So I was happy going slow and just doing what I fancied (which wasn’t much!).
I wouldn’t necessarily say Merida is a must visit when in Yucatan, yet I liked my three days there – especially Izamal! The sunny yellow town is worth the short visit!
Side note: It’s technically winter in Merida right now and I’m walking around in a strappy too, shorts and flip flops. I can’t begin to imagine how hot it must be in summer! Unbearable!
I’ve got around two weeks left before it’s flying home time. My next stop is Valladolid, then Tulum, potentially Isla Mujeres and finishing up on Holbox.
You may be able to tell from my last several stops – I’m kinda tired of moving around and I don’t feel the need to see lots more. I just want to relax and enjoy being in Mexico.
