Mérida Travel Forum

Just found this site and there is alot of great info - maybe too much.

Two of us - guys , in our 60's are going next Thursday (saw a great airline deal). Have reservations at Hotel Caribe.

Questions - we are mostly interested in seeing the ruins and getting a feel for the area. We don't want to rent a car (unless someone suggests that is a must). Shall we stay in Merida and go on tours to the ruins? Or should be take a bus and spend the nights at or near the sites.

For a 7 day trip, which are the must sees?

Any other tips or suggestions - I also like to go to out of the way or quirky places -- very curious

Thanks in advance

Joel in Atlanta

We were there for a week in March (actually, in Chicxulub, near the coast). We did rent a car, and found it to be worth the extra cost. The questions you have about whether to stay in Merida or near the sites, I wouldn't even be able to begin to answer. I'm not sure there is much accomodation near all the sites, and the entire area (outside Merida) is somewhat rural. DEFINITELY go to a hacienda or two. We went to Ochil and Yaxcopoil. Uxmal is the major ruin nearby, although Chichen Itza is close. Here's a tip: If you arrive at Chichen Itza at 4:30pm, you can get in for free. It's only open until 5:15pm, so you won't get to see much. However, if you stay at a hotel near there (one we found researching a different trip looked pretty good Hotel Dolores Alba http://64.71.48.31/indexmain.htm#chtza) you can go in the next morning and get the full tour. We haven't actually stayed at that hotel, but we drove by, and it seems ok.

Flamingos ought to be nesting now, I think you would need to go somewhere close to the coast and hire a boat to see them. Celestun is mentioned often as a place where you could do that, and there is accomodation there.

Good luck

I would suggest renting a car. It's the best way to get around Yucatán.
Most of the places can be visited in a day trip from Mérida. Hotel Caribe it´s a nice hotel. Excellent location
Places to visit:
Ruins:
- Uxmal,Puuc Route and Labná caves: All these places are located around 80 Kms south of Mérida. There several hotels four stars hotel around Uxmal (Hacienda Uxmal, Mayaland, Misión Uxmal and Villas Arqueológicas Club Med). The light and sound show at Uxmal, at night 8 p.m. is interesting.
- Chichén Itzá 116 kms east of Mérida. It has a Light & sound show also (better than Uxmal in my opinion). Try to arrive early before the buses from Cancún full of tourists.
- Dzibilchaltún 20 Kms north of Mérida in the route to Progreso. Smaller than Chichen Itza or Uxmal.
- Ek Balam Located 25 kms north of Valladolid.
Other Places
- Progreso is the closest beach to Mérida (33 kms to the north).
- Celestún (95 Kms to the west) if you are interested in flamingoes.
- Cenotes: A cenote is a sinkhole formed by underground water eroding away limestone. The ceiling collapses, allowing access to the water below. There are several cenotes around in Yucatán. I 've visited Cenote Xkekén near Valladolid.
- Izamal it's a small town, all the houses are painted yellow (it's known as the Yellow City). See a catholic colonial church build on top of a mayan pyramid base. There is a small mayan archeological site also.
For more information about these places visit www.yucatantoday.com
Have a nice trip.

So what did you decide? I wouldn't rent a car before you leave the States. You can always rent a car by day in Merida. Read my Merida transportation tips in VT for my take on renting a car.

If you decide to drive, don't signal left on any highway and turn left. A left turn signal is a sign to the car behind you that it is OK for them to pass you. We almost got hit when we signalled to turn left, and the car behind us started to pass us, we started to turn and the passing car had to jam on his brakes. The proper way to turn left on a Mexico highway is to signal right, get on the shoulder, and when there is no traffic either way, turn left.

Thanks to all who replied!

I think I will print out these suggestions and play it by ear. I like the idea of waiting till I get there to decide on a car. BTW, what is the best way for calling back to the US?

Joel

Lots of internet cafes offer international call services. For the USA they run at about 3 to 6 pesos per minute (25 to 50cents). The call boxes are more but you can buy a telephone card for any public box and dial an international number directly. 001+areacode+number.

Regarding the car. I never rent a car in Merida. I always use the public buses to go everywhere. At 4.50pesos, it is a cheep easy way to travel and to mingle with the people.

To go to the sites I used a tour company from Merida - 350 pesos for Chichen Itza plus 90 pesos for the admission fee. In all about 45 dollars for an all day tour and lunch.

We are going to rent a car. We hope to go to nearby beaches, Uxmal and Chichen Itza, which are must places, and we will be exploring some of the little villages in the area. You might want to reconsider if you like off beat places. You can go to each of these places by bus however.