| Suggested Things to Do in and Around Merida
Violence dominates much of the news about Mexico, but thousands of miles away from the troubles in Northern Mexico is an oasis: the state of Yucatán and the city of Merida, where our seminar will be held. Merida is a statistically a very safe city. It has the lowest violent crime rate of any city with a population over 500,000 in North America, and yes that includes Canada. You can walk around the streets any time day or night and not have to worry about being mugged or assaulted.
The unemployment rate is extremely low in Yucatan at 2.5% compared to 7.4% in Canada, 8-9% in the USA, and an average of 10% unemployment rate in European countries. Although wages aren't always fair, people are able to support themselves and keep busy which in turn keeps crime low.
For the state, the violent crime rate is less than 2 per 100,000 which compares to Wyoming and Montana, the two lowest crime states in the USA. Merida’s crime rate is way less than major US Cities such as Washington D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, and Detroit which have over 100 times the crime rate of Merida. Let’s look at this another way, your chances of becoming a crime victim in Atlanta, George is 1 in 71, your chances of becoming a victim in Merida is one in 50,000. Based on this, you should be much more scared to go to Atlanta that come to Merida.
Another interesting statistic is auto theft. You would think a State in Mexico would have a much higher auto theft rate than the U.S. Wrong!!! Look at the table below. In the United States, a vehicle is stolen every 40 seconds. The US vehicle theft rate per 100,000 people is 258.8. For Yucatan, the auto theft rate per 100,000 is 10. The average US auto theft rate is about 25x the auto theft rate for the State of Yucatan.
Location
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Population
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Car Thefts
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State of Yucatan
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2,000,000+
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206
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State of Montana
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989,500
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1,526
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State of Wyoming
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563,700
|
591
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Memphis Tennessee
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652,050
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3,777
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Denver Colorado
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2,800,000
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7593
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Fresno, CA (Highest in USA)
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501.362
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7621
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Tucson, AZ
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526,000
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3586
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Reno, NV
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227,511
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903
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San Antonio. TX
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1,400,000
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8058
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You do have to be careful when walking and crossing streets. Our hotel is located close to downtown, and there is a lot of traffic and Mexico drivers are not that pedestrian friendly
Things to Do in Merida
There are so many things to do in the Merida and the State of Yucatan. Below are suggested tours that you may wish to do if you come early or extend your stay.
Merida City Tour
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A great way to see the city is take a tour on a double-decker tourist buses called "Turibus." Similar to buses used in London, Madrid, New York and Mexico City, this bus is a great way to see Mérida in one hour. Or, you can use it to visit five designated stops around the city on your own time schedule. With the "get on and get off" option, you can get off at the designated stops, visit the area for almost as long as you want, then get back on to continue the route. The buses stop every 30 minutes between 8:30 am and 10:00 pm. Onboard the bus, you can sit upstairs in the 50 open-air seats or downstairs in the enclosed area where there are 21 seats. You will be given earphones plugged into a panel that offer four different language options: Spanish, English, French, and Italian.
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Yucatan Regional Museum
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Housed in the spectacular Palacio Cantón, the Regional Museum of Yucatán is a must-see in Mérida. The building itself is worth the price of admission. Its eclectic architecture combines Classic, neo-Classic and French Baroque details. Built in the early 1900s by Francisco Cantón, then governor of Yucatan. He lived there until his death, and in 1959 it was inaugurated as the museum. The building is an icon on Paseo de Montejo, and its majestically carved white marble staircase is stunning. The museum is only a short walk from out hotel.
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Take a Scroll down
Paseo de Montejo
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As a result of the henequen boom the region enjoyed toward the end of the XIXth century, a group of Yucatecan landowners decided to implement a project to build a public promenade that would update the capital and be “worhy of the City of Mérida”. Paseo de Montejo got its name from the founder of the city, Francisco de Montejo y León “El Mozo”. It was built between 1886 and 1905 and was inspired on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Paseo Monejo is only a short walk from our hotel.
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Swim in a Cenote
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The natural wonders of the state of Yucatán are innumerable and some of the most important and unusual are the cenotes, or sinkholes. It is estimated that there are more than 6000, although only 2400 are registered. There are several different tours available to go for a swim in a Cenote, Remember to bring a bathing suit if you want to do this.
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If you arrive early, you may want to visit the magnificent Whale Sharks in Isal Holbox. Whale Shark season on Isla Holbox is from May 15th until September 15th. A little difficult to get to but definitely worth the trip.
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Visit a Mystical Cave
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Its name is derived from two Mayan words, LOL (flower) and TUN (stone). Located in the hilly Puuc region, 110 km. southeast of Mérida, these are the largest caves on the peninsula. They are also the ones that are the most studied. Evidence has been found here of human contact going back 7,000 years. Mammoth, bison, feline and deer bones have been found in the caves, along with fresco paintings on the walls. Daily tours are available that originate in Merida.
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Izamal
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Magical towns? Yes, Mexico has 35 towns that are considered magical and one of them is here in the Yucatán… just 45 minutes from Merida. Izamal is Yucatan’s magical town.
Izamal is known as a healing center. Pilgrims have been coming to Izamal for healing since 1000 BC. There are several tour companies that have guided tours of Izamal.
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Uxmal
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Uxmal is certainly one of the most beautiful Mayan sites and has been recognized as a world heritage site. It represents female energy and balances the male energy of Chichen Itza. If you can only visit one Mayan site, visit this one. There are daily tours from Merida.
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Chchen Itza
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The famous Mayan pyramids of Chichén-Itzá are over 1500 years old and are located only 75 miles from Mérida. The name Chichén-Itzá is a Mayan word: CHI (mouth) CHEN (well) and ITZA (of the Itza tribe). Some believe people were occasionally thrown into the nearby cenote as sacrifices, and those who survived were believed to be seers. Chichen Itza is now listed as one of the seven wornders of the world. There are several tour companies that offer guided tours of Chichen Itza.
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Los Dos Cooking School
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If you like to cook and want to try something a little different, go to the Los Dos Cooking School. The school is for one day and is held a beautiful colonial house. The course is taught by two gay guys from New York. Very entertaining.
www.los-dos.com
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Merida Cathedral
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There are many beautiful churches in Merdia and the state of Yucatan. The Merida Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in mainland America. It is short walk from your hotel.
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Equinox
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On September 21st you can witness the incredible accuracy of Mayan astronomy as it was integrated into architecture.
The Mayas planned their lives around the sun; their daily lives centered on the sowing and harvesting of their crops, especially corn. At the spring equinox they planted the crops, and the fall equinox was their signal to begin the harvest. The Mayas built complex structures using advanced geometry and astronomy to map the cycles of the sun.
The equinox is an event of international importance, so be prepared to deal with crowds, parking, and walking. This is a sacred time for many, so please be respectful of those who are meditating and the Mayas who are doing their ceremonies.
The equinox phenomenon can actually be viewed in Chichén Itzávon the El Castillo pyramid for four days, so if it is raining or cloudy or you just can't get there, it is visible from the 21st - 24th of September. During the equinox the sun casts its rays on the pyramid, forming seven isosceles triangles that resemble the body of a serpent 37 yards long slithering downwards until it joins the huge serpent's head carved in stone at the bottom of the stairway. It is said this snake is trying to make it to the well of sacrifice which is in the same direction. Another good site is Dzibilchaltun.
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Dzibilchaltun
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Dzibilchaltún is the "place where there is writing on the stones," referring to the many memorial stones found at the site. Dzibilchaltún is a great Mayan city that is only 15 km. from Mérida.
There were settlements here from 500 BC until the Spanish conquest, around 1540 AD. It covers an area of about 19 square kilometers, with somewhere around 8400 structures in the round enclave. It is believed there may have been a population of as many as 40,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities of Mesoamerica. It is closest pyramid to Merida. There are daily tours available to this site.
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Celestun
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Located 60 miles southwest of Merida, Celestún is a quaint fishing village where the beaches are lovely and there are no crowds. There is a long stretch of beach with lots of shells to explore.
Celestún is famous not only for its seafood restaurants, such as La Palapa and Casa Peon but also for its river or ría, beautiful flamingo colonies, fresh water springs, and calm beaches. You will also find a 36 foot tall lighthouse and salt fields near the town. Many tour companies offer tours to Celestun.
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