Merida

Mérida is the capital and largest city in Yucatan state in Mexico, as well as the largest city of the Yucatán Peninsula. The city is located in the northwest part of the state, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city is also the municipal seat of the Municipality of Mérida, which includes the city and the areas around it.

The Greater Mérida metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Mérida, Umán and Kanasín and had a population of 1,035,238 in the 2010 census. The municipality's area is 858.41 km2 (331.43 sq mi).

The city, like much of the state, has heavy Mayan, Spanish, French, British, Lebanese and to a lesser extent Dutch influences. Mérida has the highest percentage of indigenous population within any large city in Mexico. The Maya are approximately 60% of the population.

GEOGRAPHY

Mérida is located in the northwest part of the state of Yucatán, which occupies the northern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula. To the east is the state of Quintana Roo, to the west is the state of Campeche, to the north is the Gulf of Mexico, and far to the south is the state of Chiapas.

The city is also located in the Chicxulub Crater. It has a very flat topography and is only 30 feet (9 m) above sea level. The land outside of Mérida is covered with smaller scrub trees and former henequen fields. Almost no surface water exists, but several cenotes (underground springs and rivers) are found across the state.

Mérida has a centro histórico typical of colonial Spanish cities. The street grid is based on odd-numbered streets running east/west and even-numbered streets running north/south, with Calles 60 and 61 bounding the "Plaza Grande" in the heart of the city. The more affluent neighborhoods are located to the north and the most densely populated areas are to the south.

The Centro Histórico area is becoming increasingly popular with Americans and other expatriates who are rescuing and restoring the classic colonial structures.

CLIMATE

Mérida features a tropical wet and dry climate. The city lies in the trade wind belt close to the Tropic of Cancer, with the prevailing wind from the east.

Mérida's climate is hot and its humidity is moderate to high, depending on the time of year. The average annual high temperature is 33 °C (91 °F), ranging from 28 °C (82 °F) in January to 36 °C (97 °F) in May, but temperatures often rise above 38 °C (100 °F) in the afternoon in this time.

Low temperatures range between 18 °C (64 °F) in January to 23 °C (73 °F) in May and June. It is most often a few degrees hotter in Mérida than in coastal areas due to its inland location and low elevation.

The rainy season runs from June through October, associated with the Mexican monsoon which draws warm, moist air landward. Easterly waves and tropical storms also affect the area during this season.

HISTORIC SITES

Antiguo convento de Nuestra Señora de la Consolación (Nuns)(1596)
Barrio y Capilla de Santa Lucía (1575)
Barrio y Templo Parroquial del antiguo pueblo de Itzimná
Barrio y Templo Parroquial de San Cristóbal (1796)
Barrio y Templo Parroquial de San Sebastián (1706)
Barrio y Templo Parroquial de Santa Ana (1733)
Barrio y Templo Parroquial de Santa Lucía (1575)
Barrio y Templo Parroquial de Santiago (1637)
Capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (1706)
Capilla y parque de San Juan Bautista (1552)
Casa de Montejo (1549)
Catedral de San Ildefonso (1598), first in continental América.
Iglesia del Jesús o de la Tercera Orden (Third Order) (1618)
Las Casas Gemelas aka The Twin Houses (1911)
Monumento à la Patria (1956)
Palacio de Gobierno (1892)
Templo de San Juan de Dios (1562)

MUSEUMS

Yucatán's Mayan Museum (Great Museum of the Mayan World)
Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, Yucatán's Mayan Museum, offers a view of Yucatán's history and identity.
Museo de Antropología e Historia "Palacio Cantón", Yucatán's history and archaeology Museum.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Ateneo de Yucatán (MACAY), in the heart of the city right next to the Cathedral. Permanent and rotating pictorial expositions.
Museo de la Canción Yucateca Asociación Civil in Mejorada, honors the trova yucateca authors, Ricardo Palmerín, Guty Cárdenas, Juan Acereto, Pastor Cervera y Luis Espinosa Alcalá.
Museo de la Ciudad de Mérida, in the old Correos (post office) building since 2007 offers information about the city from the prehispanic times' Tho' or Ichcaanzihó to current days.
Museo de Historia Natural, natural history museum.
Museo de Arte Popular, popular art museum, offers a view of popular artistry and handcrafts among ethnic Mexican groups and cultures.
Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán.

TAXIS

Several groups and unions offer Taxi transportation: Frente Único de los Trabajadores del Volante (FUTV) (white taxis), Unión de Taxistas Independientes (UTI), and Radiotaxímetros de Yucatán, among others. Some of them offer metered service, but most work based on a flat rate depending on destination.

Taxis can be either found at one of many predefined places around the city (Taxi de Sitio), waved off along the way or called in by Radio.

Another type of Taxi service is called "Colectivo". Colectivo taxis work like small buses on a predefined route and for a small fare. Usually accommodating 8 to 10 people.

BUSES

City service is mostly provided by four local transportation companies. Bus transportation is at the same level or better than that of bigger cities like Guadalajara or Mexico City. Climate-controlled buses and micro-buses (smaller in size) are not uncommon.

The main bus terminal (CAME) offers first-class (ADO) and luxury services (ADO PLATINO, ADO GL) to most southern Mexico cities outside Yucatán with a fleet consisting of Mercedes Benz and Volvo buses. Shorter intrastate routes are serviced by many smaller terminals around the city, mainly in downtown.

AIRPORTS

Mérida is serviced by Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport with daily non-stop services to major cities in Mexico. The airport also has international flights to the United States and Canada.