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         Mérida  

 

                      

Mérida, capital of the state of Yucatán, is known as the White City. Although the downtown area still preserves its unique, age-old flavor, Mérida is a lively, modern city that combines the best of its bohemian and provincial traditions with a contemporary life style.

 

The city atmosphere is mixed with the poetic creativity of its inhabitants, qualities that are highly appreciated by Mexicans. In Mérida there is always music and dancing, great ambiance, and a lot to see and do, a combination that guarantees the success of any incentive trip.

 

Location

Mérida is located in eastern México, in the state of Yucatán, near the coast of the Gulf of México and 828 miles away from México City.

 

Air Transportation

The following airlines serve Mérida: Aeroméxico, Mexicana, Aerocaribe, Aerocalifornia, Aviacsa, and Continental.

Climate

The climate is hot and semi arid, with rains at the end of the summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotels

 

Eight deluxe hotels with a total of 763 rooms are located in the Mérida metropolitan area. Six of them were once old haciendas that functioned as henequen (sisal) plantations, and have been converted into luxurious hotels, equipped with all modern comforts, that are ideal for small, exclusive and highly personalized incentive trips.

These hotels make ideal places from which to visit major attractions such as Uxmal, Chichén Itzá and the city of Mérida.

 

 

 

 

Special Venues for Events

The former henequen (sisal) haciendas near the city provide spectacular venues for gala dinners and special events, and they have the banquet services necessary to host these affairs. To dine in town, there are a number of restaurants that feature regional shows, making them especially appropriate for incentive groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season

Minimum (°F)

    Maximum (°F)

Spring

72

90

Summer

81

100

Fall

68

86

Winter

63

82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tourism

Main Tourist Attractions of the City

In addition to its excellent infrastructure, Mérida has several artistic and cultural programs; delicious regional cuisine; Folklore; age-old customs and traditions; exquisitely made handicrafts; typical markets and modern malls.

Attractions include:

Zócalo (Main Plaza).

Cathedral.

Government Palace.

Montejo House.

Macay Museum.

City Museum.

Anthropology and History Museum.

Folk Art Museum.

State University Patio.

 

Main Tourist Attractions in the Surrounding Area

Progreso and Telchac offer visitors white sandy beaches and

   calm sea.

Archeological Sites; Chichén Itzá, Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal,

   Oxkintok, Xcambo, Ek Balám, Labana Y Mayapán.

Valladolid and Izamal are picturesque villages very close to Mérida.

Colonies of flamingos inhabit the waters of Celestún, Uaymitun

   and Rio Lagartos.

Cenotes (sink holes) and Caverns

Old henequen (sisal) Haciendas, like Hacienda Ochill, 40 miles

   south of Mérida on the road to Campeche, that have been

   renovated and now function as hotels and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Activities for Incentive Groups

 

 

Natural and Urban Landscape

Mérida’s Historic Center is eclectic because its architecture blends the traditional and the modern. Paseo Montejo, which is the main tourist avenue, still preserves some of the old mansions that date from the golden age of henequen. The modern part of the city extends north, towards the Progreso highway.

 

 

Shopping and Art

The best buys in Mérida are the local crafts; embroidered dresses, hats and hammocks.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nightlife and Shows

Thursday evening beginning at 7pm, on the Santa Lucía Plaza, there is a Yucatán traditional music and dance performance.

 

In Uxmal, which is a short distance from Mérida, there are regularly scheduled presentations of México’s most famous light and sound show. It is customary to combine the show with lunch at one of the haciendas located in Mérida’s metropolitan area.

 

Mérida’s nightlife is synonymous with variety. Sidewalk cafes, restaurants, movies, theatres and discotheques are located in the Historic Center as well as in the more contemporary neighborhoods.

 

 

Unique Attractions

 

Mérida makes an excellent base for visiting archeological sites, ecological reserves, cenotes, haciendas or colonial cities.