10 Things That Surprised Me About Merida, Mexico

I’m not going to lie, Merida, Mexico, wasn't on my radar as a place to visit, but two of my friends have moved there with their families and rave about it, so it made me very curious about what all the hype was about. In fact, Merida has a rapidly growing expat community. So I decided to make a little trip of it with my oldest daughter, mother, and sister. A girls' trip, if you will. I also want to note that I’ve been to Mexico several times but have never been to Mérida, so this was uncharted territory for me. Over 7 days, we explored and discovered things that I found a bit surprising, some pleasant, and some not so much. And some I wish I had known before I decided to take the trip. So without further ado, here are 10 things that surprised me about Merida, Mexico.

1. EXTREME HEAT

We visited Merida in May, and the weather was insane. I’ve never felt heat like this in my life. And it doesn’t help that most places and cars are not equipped with the strong AC you may be used to in the States. I knew it was going to be hot before we came, but I didn’t realize how it would actually FEEL. The temperature was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day. At one point, my 5-year-old threw up from being overheated, even with me trying my best to keep her cool. We even found a beautiful playground, but it was way too hot for her to play for long. (They cover the playgrounds to block some sun, but in this heat, nothing could save us) Merida is inland, so you are not getting any relief from the ocean breeze. It’s just all SUN hitting you all day, and it’s cement and stone everywhere, which absorb the heat. I would absolutely avoid this time of year; it really took away from our trip. We couldn't walk around as much as we wanted, and even most of the cars didn't have AC, so it was really hard to find relief. We learned that locals try to avoid being out during the day and often will even go out to dinner at 10 pm to avoid the heat. I noticed many restaurants were open until 2am, and this must be why. With that, I definitely recommend you stay in a place with a pool, since you really need it to stay cool. Day trips to cenotes and the beach helped us escape the heat for parts of the day. Visiting in the winter months would be more ideal temperature-wise, around Nov-Jan.

2. NOT VERY “COLORFUL”

This is where Instagram and the internet give you skewed perceptions. (Apparently, I’m guilty of this too, sorry) Every photo I saw of Mérida showed these colorful streets. We stayed in the city center, and I thought I would be surrounded by the vibrantly colored houses I saw on the internet, but that is not the case. There are areas where houses and businesses are painted in vivid colors, but they are small sections, only a few blocks at a time. The average neighborhood around centro is just concrete buildings, even some abandoned buildings that have crumbled. And tucked in between, you will find really cool restaurants and shops that are unassuming on the outside but very well decorated on the inside. It’s an interesting juxtaposition you see all around the city. If you want to stay in a more aesthetic area still near the centro, I would recommend Paseo de Montejo, which they call the Champs-Élysées of Mérida, and it's lined with beautiful homes, monuments, and restaurants. Staying near the Gastronomica district would be ideal as well, as it’s very cute and colorful, and you will have some of the best restaurants in Mérida at your fingertips.

3. TRASH ON THE STREETS

I think Mexico gets a bad rap, and I never like to speak negatively about other countries, but I also want to always be honest on here because when I’m traveling, I love to know ALL parts of a location, not just all the nice things people have to say. It sets a better expectation. We stayed in centro, about a 10-minute walk from Plaza Grande, so it’s a good neighborhood, but even so, as we walked, we found many abandoned buildings, live wires hanging from electrical lines, trash on the streets, dog poop, and large holes, yes holes you could literally fall in. Certain areas are not as developed as one might imagine, but it still feels safe, and, as I mentioned, there are many cool little cafes, shops, and restaurants within the neighborhoods. The photo I've shared here isn't what the inner neighborhoods look like; streets like this are scattered throughout Merida's more touristy areas, which are colorful and pristine, while the in-between areas look very different. I, too, am guilty of only capturing the “nice” parts.

4. THE MAYAN LANGUAGE

Merida is in the Yucatan state of Mexico, and this area is rich with Mayan history. So many of the people still dwelling in this area are direct Mayan descendants and speak both Mayan and Spanish. It’s interesting when you really think about it because Mayan is actually the language of the area and Spanish is the language of the colonizer, so I love that they still have preserved this part of their culture and pass it on to their children. It was fun talking to our drivers and learning different Mayan words.

5. FRIENDLY, WELCOMING PEOPLE

This doesn’t really surprise me because I have never been to Mexico and not felt welcome, but there was something a little different about Mérida. The people seemed happy, and everyone was open to chatting. They didn’t mind that my Spanish was not that great and still tried to communicate with us. We never felt out of place or unwelcome the whole trip, no matter where we visited.

6. YOU LIVE WITH NATURE

Even though Merida is very much a city, it is home to plenty of wildlife. In the home we were renting, we literally lived with a gecko that every night made this wild sound…like ALL NIGHT LONG. I named him Bob, and he was our unwelcomed house guest, but I guess he was there before us, so maybe we were the unwelcomed ones. You will find many insects in your home; it’s unavoidable. When we checked in, we were greeted by a large dead cockroach in the bedroom, swarmed by ants. I did, in fact, unknowingly step on it with no shoes on and had ants crawling up my legs. Fun. We also had a little termite problem, and at night, I definitely witnessed some creatures in our backyard. I get startled very easily, so this wasn't the most fun for me, but honestly, after a few days, I started to embrace it a bit more and be less crazy about seeing bugs and creatures. I probably sound so crazy to the locals, honestly, but I am a city girl through and through. We don’t do bugs and critters, but I can deal.

7. DRIVING IS INTIMIDATING

At one point, I thought we should rent a car because if you want to go to Centoes or the beach, the only way to get there is by car, since they are not very close. Our host arranged a driver for all our adventures, so I didn't rent a car, and boy, I'm glad I didn’t. First of all, I can imagine parking is a nightmare unless you have a designated parking spot, which I'm not sure many rentals in the heart of the city do. And second of all, the driving here scared me a bit. There aren't a ton of stop signs, so even crossing the road, we weren't sure when to cross. People drive on the faster side, so it can feel a bit intimidating. We witnessed some crazy car accidents during our stay. It’s not entirely chaotic, but if you're not familiar with the terrain, it can be dangerous.

8. LARGE AMERICAN CORPORATIONS

I was surprised to see large American corporations in Mérida, Sam’s Club and Walmart, to be exact. On the one hand, I think it’s nice to have the conveniences of places like this, but on the other hand, it never sits right with me when large American companies enter these spaces and take away from the local economy. They honestly feel out of place, and I’m assuming it's a product of expats entering the country. We didn’t shop there; we only passed them while driving. We got all our groceries from the local markets around us, which were plenty.

9. IT CAN BE PRICEY

I think people assume that when you're in Mexico, it will be super cheap because of the exchange rate (I’m aware this depends on which country you're visiting from), but honestly, we were surprised by some of the prices, especially at restaurants. They were almost 1-1 to U.S. prices. Anything touristy: prices have been spiked, and they charge more if you use a card rather than cash. Local markets, Ubers, and private drivers were cheaper, so overall, on a day-to-day basis, it’s still quite affordable, but our money definitely didn’t go as far as we thought it would.

10. I DIDN’T LOVE IT

I tried really hard to love Merida. I explored, I ventured around the city, I spoke to locals, I visited my friends living there, and still, I was left underwhelmed. It’s not a terrible place; in fact, there is a lot to love, but it just did not resonate with me. We did have enjoyable moments during the trip, including swimming in cenotes, visiting ancient Mayan ruins, and going to beach clubs, but my overall experience did not give me the “I love this place” feeling. Not every place you visit will be your favorite, while others will literally speak to your soul. Either way, you are getting invaluable experiences and broadening your horizons while seeing the world. And to me, that is the true beauty of traveling. So, although I really wish I loved the city more, I’m glad I got to experience this city and the nearby areas of the Yucatan. FUN FACT: Merida is one of the safest cities in North America.