Mérida Travel Forum

Hi guys,

My wife and I have finally decided to go around Yucatan (along with our teenage daughter) on the first week of May, flying into Merida from the US and right after a 3-day stay at Mexico City. Please give your views on this proposed itinerary:

day 1: arrive in Merida in the afternoon, check in at hotel and explore the town.
day 2: being a Sunday, I heard it's fiesta time in Merida so hang around till noon, then in the afternoon go to Chichen Itza and check in at a local hotel.
day 3: tour Chich ruins in the morning, go and tour Coba in the afternoon, then return to Merida afterwards.
day 4: go to Uxmal/Puuc route for the whole day, then back to Merida.
day 5: go to Cancun early morning, stay there the whole day then back to Merida.
day 6: fly back to the US via Mexico City.

Given this schedule, do you think days 2-4 could only be done with the use of a rental car or could we manage by bus? And does anyone have any feedback on the Dolores Alba hotel in Merida or Chichen? It's not listed among the VT Merida hotels tab though the Frommer's website rates it 1-star (out of 3).

Thanks for any remarks!

We had 12 days and did see Chichu, Uxmal, Ek balam, Coba and many others. Your iterary is very ambitious and certainly can't be done by bus. Renting a car is cheap and easy and you will certainly see the most that way. Merida is wonderful on Sunday, and if you don't plan to see the night show at chichen, stay for the entire day and leave in the eve. Seeing chichen and coba in one day is nearly impossible, when I was there that back road leading down to coba was less than horrible and would take 2-3 hours just from valladolid. If you want to and another ruin into your day from chichen go to ek balam. That is easy enough and if you are at chichen early in the morn, you could see ek balam in the late afternoon and still get back to merida but it will be a long day (chichen is HUGE) I do recommend ek balam, uxmal and the other spots as they aren't as touristy as chichen. Also ek balam and uxmal are very different than chichen and you will get a taste of all of the different periods and styles whereas as much as coba is nice it is the similar style and that is very far to go....not even sure it is possible unless you plan to stay in tulum (also not a bad idea). Your day of Uxmal/Puuc route the whole day is great. Not sure why you are choosing to drive all the way back to cancun for the day. You will have driven half way there to go to chichen and it is very far to go to a high rise touristy beach area. It seems better, if you want to see can cun to actually plan that as the night to spend there after chichen and then spend then next day there. To drive all the way from merida and back will be alot. It just seems like you are spending alot of time going back and forth along the same route. A route that looks short on paper, but takes a long time to travel...especially if you make the mistake of getting on the slow road from chichen to cancun and of which you cannot get back on the highway and have to continue on....an very long affair. If you really want to see beach, coba etc. Consider leaving your place in merida for an over night. Hit chichen and then head toward Playa del carmen of even the relatively slow and quaint tulum. you can see the beach and the Mayan riveria and go to the ruins at coba and tulum. Too much to write here, but i did read your post and thought my they are spending much more time in the car than seeing the sights. Only my 2 cents. Happy to provide more if you like. Also, We stayed at the only larger place right outside of chichen in the little town there and it was just fine.

With all due respect to the first responder, you can certainly and fairly easy do your whole visit by bus, but especially for a Uxmal/Puuc day trip a car would add some comfort and convenience. It would save you time by eliminating waiting for buses. (You would probably enjoy seeing the caves and a hacienda on this trip and lunch in a small town might be fun.) An alternative might be to take a day tour package. This would add efficiency but, of course, it limits your freedom a bit.

I do agree that your other plans are not as logical as they might be. Although leaving Merida at noon allowing you to see Chichen Itza in the afternoon and see the sound and light show in the evening makes sense, you might consider staying in Merida for Sunday evening. Much of the most pleasant activity of Merida happens in the early evening after the sun has set and the plazas and streets fill with people and music.

Consider making your Uxmal trip on Monday. Afterwards, you could leave by bus to Chichen Itza in the late afternoon or early the next morning. From Chichen head on to Coba and then on to Cancun. Then why not fly back to Mexico City from Cancun.

You can buy one way tickets for half the price of roundtrip Mex-Merida and Cancun-Mexico. (ie. These two tickets will be about the same cost as a roundtirp ticket.) (PS. you can save money by flying Volaris, a low cost regional carrier, out of Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico rather than flying on Aeromexico or Mexicana from the Benito Juarez Int airport in Mexico City.)

Good luck, bob

Cancun is a long way to go from Merida for a day at the beach: why not go to Celestun or Progreso?

memory is a bit fuzzy, but here's my first take: you will LOVE Merida! spend as much time there as you can; taking day trips/tours from there to Chichen Itza would be an option (make sure you leave VERY early); I don't recall the name of the hotel I used, but it had a nice rooftop patio and was easy walking distance to the main square, cathedral, etc.; we also stayed a few nights in Valladolid, a beautiful colonial town; our time at Uxmal was special, because we stayed at the villa/hotel right outside the park; so, there is a plus to "location"; finally: Coba was one of my favorite Mayan sites, because it was one of the least developed/renovated at that time (~2002); the masses tended to by-pass this beauty, and one felt like they were in the midst of a "find" or an active excavation! The view from the main temple structure (one of the tallest in the Maya world?) is incredible!!! Enjoy your trip!

Ooops! forgot the most important part of the reply to your itinerary: FORGET about CANCUN! Why would you put yourself through all that distance and rush just to sample a bit of the lowest of our culture? If you want wild, young American kids on a party binge, there are plenty of beach towns in Florida! No, spend the quality time seeing more of the Mayan splendors, and if you must have beach time, make it Tulum and points south. just MHO.

I agree with the previous posts - check out the beaches less than 1 hour away from Merida: http://www.yucatantoday.com/destinations/eng-beaches.htm

the only reason to rent a car would be to see all the puuc ruins and stay for the uxmal light show which is no good for the light show itself but seeing the ruins at sunset is really magical.
i would stay in merida all day and night on sunday. things will get going at around 9pm and all the locals start dancing cumbia in the street so you should have dinner right along that thoroughfare and hang our for the festivities. then do chichen itza in one day, unless you want to do suggested valladolid activities in which case i'd say stay in valladolid and not in piste (chichen itza). in that case you'd be better off with a car to get to Ek Bala'am ruins which are really great.
and speaking of ruins, Koba' is a sight that, in my opinion, is really overrated. it does have an important historical significance to the post-classic maya because of its Sacbe' (roads) but for a traveler not extremely interested in the history, it is a tedious side trip and quite far away if merida is your base.
finally, the best thing to see near merida is the Cenotes. when you arrive, ask your hotel receptionist how to get there and back (in detail). these underground pools will really take your breath away. bring a bathing suit.

Wow, THANKS for all the helpful comments, guys! I shall certainly take note of each of your advices and modify my schedule accordingly. And for that, I've given all of you a "thumbs-up" rating!

Yeah, I'll probably scratch Cancun from the list and consider the other sites you suggested. Incidentally, the Monday that I'll be there is May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) which I understand is a Mexican holiday. Would anybody know if any special event(s) will take place on that date in any of the places I'll go?

Hi,

I'm a little late in the game in responding, but I just got back from Merida and thought I'd add my thoughts.

My friend and I stayed at the Dolores Alba hotel, which I'd definitely recommend. It was very clean, the staff were friendly and helpful, and the pool was very nice. The only downside is that it's about four blocks to the main square. Normally I don't mind a walk, but this one is down some very busy, crowded streets. From what I saw, however, most hotels are equally far, so I wouldn't let the location stop you from staying there. I have some pictures and more comments about it on my Merida page, if you're interested.

Sunday in Merida is a lot of fun. They close the streets around the square and set up stages for dancing and other performances. If possible, I'd stay later than noon before heading to your hotel at Chichen Itza.

And I agree with other posters who say don't waste your time going to Cancun for a day. It's a 4-6 hour bus ride, so you'd spend half the day on the road.

Have fun!