Mérida

Yucatán's White City, where a colonial old town blends with Maya culture, with the Uxmal and Ruta Puuc ruins, the Cuzamá cenotes and the flamingos of Celestún nearby.

Mérida is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, in the northwest of the Yucatán Peninsula about 35 km from the Gulf of Mexico coast. With a metro population of about 1.3 million, it is known as the White City for its colonial-era white limestone buildings, and it is one of the safest large cities in Mexico. The Spanish founded the city in 1542 on the ruins of the Maya city of T'hó, and in the late 19th century henequen exports made it immensely wealthy, leaving French-style mansions along Paseo de Montejo and hundreds of haciendas in the surrounding countryside. The climate is hot: Nov–Mar is the most comfortable (daytime around 28–30°C); Apr–May is the hottest, with temperatures that can exceed 40°C; Jun–Oct is the rainy season, with frequent afternoon showers, and also hurricane season. Sightseeing divides into three parts: ① the old town, 1–2 days — the Plaza Grande, the cathedral, the murals of the Palacio de Gobierno, Casa de Montejo, the market and Parque Santa Lucía, with free folk performances almost every evening; ② Paseo de Montejo and the north — Palacio Cantón, the Monumento a la Patria and the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, and farther north Dzibilchaltún and Progreso beach; ③ day trips — south to Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc (Kabah, Sayil, Labná, Loltún Caves); southeast to Mayapán and the Cuzamá and Homún cenotes; west to see the flamingos at Celestún. Chichén Itzá and Izamal are covered under the separate Valladolid destination. Getting there: Mérida International Airport has flights from Mexico City, Cancún and elsewhere; from China, travellers usually connect through Mexico City or the US. Allow 4–5 days; driving is the easiest way to reach sights outside the city. Chinese citizens need a visa for Mexico, or can enter visa-free with a valid US, Canadian, Japanese, UK or Schengen visa; check the embassy's latest rules.

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