My First Impressions of Mérida, Mexico

I arrived in Mérida with high expectations.

Every time I travel somewhere new, I research my destination thoroughly – by reading travel blogs, gazing at beautiful photos, and asking other travelers I meet on the road for their advice. And when it came to Mérida, the capital of Yucatan State in Mexico, all the research I’d one – everything I’d read and every person I’d spoken to – had convinced me of one thing.

I had to add this city to my backpacking itinerary.

Everyone, it seems, loves Mérida. They rave about the city’s beautiful colonial architecture, its vibrant atmosphere, and the host of fascinating cultural activities the city has to offer. Street performances, historical museums, salsa dancing, live music… You name it, Mérida has it all.

And yet, I felt underwhelmed.

Maybe my expectations had been too high, inevitably setting me up for disappointment. Maybe I didn’t spend enough time in the city to truly appreciate its charm. Either way, I wasn’t impressed by Mérida, and I decided to leave the city after only three days, doubling back to Mexico’s Caribbean Coast to explore the area around Tulum instead.

It really surprised me, because I’m a city girl at heart. I love the hustle and bustle of big cities, the excitement of discovering something new around every corner, and the chance to meet people from all kinds of different backgrounds. But for some reason, Mérida didn’t pull at my heartstrings as much as I thought it would, and I didn’t feel an urge to stay.

So what was it about this city that left me feeling so underwhelmed?

Here are my first impressions of Mérida after my three-day visit.

The colonial city

When I arrived in Mérida, I struggled to see the beauty everyone else raved about. Based on their stories and blog posts, I’d expected to find a charming colonial city, filled with picturesque cobblestone streets and brightly painted houses.

What I found instead was disappointing. As I wandered around the city center on my first day, I kept my eyes open for beautiful colonial streets – but I didn’t find nearly as many as I’d expected. In fact, most of the streets I came across were the exact opposite of pretty, with potholes, broken sidewalks and ugly, rundown buildings.

The photo you see above is one of only a handful of photos I took in Mérida that shows a beautiful street with colorful, well-maintained houses. And it took me ages to get the perfect shot – I had to wait a long time for all the cars and pedestrians to pass by.

The crowds

I also didn’t enjoy walking in Mérida, especially in the main tourist area surrounding the Plaza Grande. In this area, the streets are busy with traffic, and the sidewalks are so narrow and crowded it’s difficult to get anywhere on foot. It made me feel frustrated every time I ventured out into the city to go sightseeing or to find a restaurant for dinner.

Of course, it didn’t help that the sun was beating down on me the entire afternoon – and I was there in December, which is actually one of the coolest months of the year! I usually don’t mind the heat, but when you’re pushing through the crowds on a narrow sidewalk with cars inching past you, it does get a little uncomfortable.

The Plaza Grande

Lastly, I wasn’t in awe of the Plaza Grande, despite it being one of the city’s most important historical sites.

The Plaza Grande is Mérida’s central square. It’s a small park in the middle of the city center, crisscrossed by wide sidewalks and dotted with huge laurel trees. While it’s a lovely place to sit and people-watch or chat with locals, it’s not as beautiful as I expected it to be.

Compared to the plazas I’ve seen in other Spanish colonial cities, the one in Mérida looks plain and bare. It’s really nothing more than a pattern of wide pathways interspersed by greenery, with a large, round platform in the center. While I was there, during the Christmas holidays, the concrete platform held a nativity scene, but usually it’s empty and unadorned.

I also wasn’t very impressed by the Catedral de San Ildefonso, the sixteenth-century cathedral overlooking the plaza. It’s a squat and hulking structure, plain and austere-looking. The interior doesn’t have many interesting details, either – apparantly, its rich decorations have been stripped by angry peasants in the past.

I did like the other colonial buildings surrounding the Plaza Grande, however. With their pretty pastel colors and long, arched façades, they appeared to be the most beautiful buildings in the area.

Paseo de Montejo

All of this doesn’t mean I didn’t find things to love about Mérida!

For one, I really enjoyed strolling along Paseo de Montejo, a long boulevard lined with impressive historical mansions and iconic monuments. It’s located just a short walk from the Plaza Grande, but the area is much more calm and peaceful, with spacious sidewalks and tall, green trees that provide some welcome shade from the blazing hot sun.

In my opinion, Paseo de Montejo is one of the most charming areas of Mérida – and a definite highlight of my three-day visit. It’s a great place to go for a relaxing walk, away from the crowds and traffic of the city center. I also found lots of coffee shops and restaurants along Paseo de Montejo – perfect for sitting down with a book whenever I needed a break from my long walk up and down the boulevard.

Cultural activities and events

Another thing I loved about Mérida was the variety of interesting activities and events the city has to offer.

Yes, this was one aspect of the city that actually lived up to my expectations!

I’ll give you two examples. On my first night in Mérida, I joined a group of other backpackers for a fun night of salsa dancing in a bar just down the street from our hostel. A live band was playing that night and they had attracted a lively crowd, a mix of travelers and locals all looking to have a good time. I loved the atmosphere in the bar and the fact that is was so easy to meet locals there.

The next evening, we went to check out Mercado 60, a high-end food court with lots of different food stalls. As I looked at the stalls surrounding me, I had a really hard time choosing what to order – there were so many options!

Some of the stalls served international food, like Italian pizza or Asian noodles, while others offered dishes that were typical of a certain region in Mexico. I almost tried the grasshopper taco’s from Oaxaca – but in the end I decided to just stick to a vegetarian burrito and Mexican beer. Yeah, I guess I’m not that adventurous…

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. According to other travelers, Mérida offers many more cultural activities and events, such as walking tours, art exhibitions, and traditional dance performances.

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal

The biggest highlight of my stay in Mérida, however, was visiting the Mayan ruins of Uxmal!

Uxmal (pronounced ‘oosh-mahl’) is one of the most important Maya archaeological sites in Mexico, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s located only 62 km south of Mérida, making it perfect for a (half) day trip.

I visited four different Mayan sites during my time in Mexico, and Uxmal was hands down my favorite.

It’s not nearly as crowded as Chichén Itzá, which is Mexico’s best-known and most popular Mayan site, and it’s larger than both Ek Balam and Tulum. I also loved that you’re allowed to climb many of the pyramids – even though the steps are extremely steep, and it’s scary going back down again!

The ruins are in very good condition, as well, giving you an idea of what the site must have looked like in ancient Mayan times. Here are a few examples of the impressive pyramids and incredible details you’ll find at Uxmal:

I visited Uxmal together with two Mexican guys I’d met in my hostel in Mérida. Getting there was easy: we booked a bus at the ADO station the day before we planned to go, which left around 9 AM and took us directly to the site’s entrance.

Traveling back to Mérida proved a lot more difficult, however. We returned to the bus station in the afternoon, where we had to wait a very long time for the bus to finally show up. Worse, there were no places to sit down at the station – which was really nothing more than a sign by the side of the road – so we had no choice but to stand while we waited in the shade of some trees.

If you’re planning to visit Uxmal, I suggest hiring a car or booking a tour instead of taking the ADO bus. That way, you’ll avoid having to wait by the side of a dusty road in the midday heat!

Another tip: be sure to wear comfortable shoes if you want to climb the pyramids. I also recommend wearing a hat and lots of sunscreen; though the ruins are located in the jungle, the site itself doesn’t provide much shade. And it can get very hot and humid in this region of Mexico.

I may not have fallen in love with Merida, but I’m still glad I visited!

Yes, I felt disappointed by a number of things – but in the end, I did find a couple of unexpected gems that made my stay worthwhile. I absolutely loved the charming, tree-lined boulevard Paseo de Montejo and the ancient Mayan ruins of Uxmal. I also caught a glimpse of the city’s vibrant and interesting culture.

That said, I don’t feel the urge to return to Merida anytime soon. Three days was enough for now. But who knows – maybe, someday, I’ll give this city a second chance.

Have you ever felt underwhelmed by a destination you expected to love?