{"id":47128,"date":"2016-11-21T09:46:39","date_gmt":"2016-11-21T15:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=47128"},"modified":"2017-09-28T22:45:15","modified_gmt":"2017-09-29T03:45:15","slug":"3-perfect-days-merida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/","title":{"rendered":"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its flawless beaches and Mayan ruins, but capital city\u00a0Merida<\/a> proves there’s more to the region than just striking vistas. A three-hour drive from Cancun<\/a>, Merida is literally a world away when it comes to travel experiences. You won’t find touristy gimmicks or Se\u00f1or Frogs here. This sophisticated colonial city offers historic architecture, museums and gourmet restaurants, as well asMayan heritage and nearby beaches. Merida’s historic center, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, is the second largest historic center in Mexico and walking it\u00a0highlights the city’s attractive blend of traditional and contemporary.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 13 adults-only resorts in the Caribbean and Riviera Maya<\/a><\/p>\n

Day 1: Haciendas and historic landmarks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the hallmarks of Merida are the 17th- and 18th-century haciendas dotting many streets. These\u00a0large estates once\u00a0produced agricultural products\u2014similar to the plantations of the American South\u2014and in Merida made big money for wealthy landowners through the production of\u00a0henequen <\/em>(a variety of agave cactus) and sisal. The haciendas were abandoned after the Yucatan Caste War supplied more equity to Mayan workers and the invention of synthetic fibers lessened demand for sisal. Many of the haciendas have been converted into charming hotels that showcase the beauty of Yucatan architecture and some have been transformed into museums and stores. Take a tour or book a stay at one of the standout haciendas, including\u00a0\u00a0Hotel Hacienda<\/a>, Casa Lecanda<\/a> and Rosas Y Xocolate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"casa-lecanda\"

Photo courtesy of Casa Lecanda<\/p><\/div>\n

Next, stroll down to the Historic Center and marvel at\u00a0Cathedral de San Ildefonso<\/a>, one of the oldest cathedrals in North America built between 1561 and 1598 using stones from the ruins of Mayan pyramids. Visit the carved stone elegance of Casa Montejo<\/a> and then peruse the artworks in Palacio Municipal<\/a>\u00a0and its adjoining art enter. Cap your day off at Parque de Santa Lucia, which is lined with sidewalk caf\u00e9s and hosts live traditional music and dances.<\/p>\n

Day 2: Pyramids, beaches and chocolate<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"DSC_0051\"

Progreso Beach | Photo:\u00a0Rosalind Cummings-Yeates<\/p><\/div>\n

Soak up the famous Yucatan ocean views at Progreso Beach,<\/a> a popular chill out spot for locals interested in sandy relaxation. Sit under a palm-roofed palapa<\/em> and sample traditional treats from vendors like yucca candy or stroll the malecon for the ultimate beach vistas. Grab lunch of fresh\u00a0pescado tikin xic<\/em>, or fish seasoned with achiote and cooked in banana leaves, and then head to the Mayan ruins of Dzibilchaltun<\/a>, located a little north of Merida. Noted as the longest city of the Mayan World, Dzibilchaltun’s highlight is the Temple of the Seven Dolls, which boasts doorways that capture the rising sun during the spring and fall equinoxes. Don’t miss a dip in the lily pad covered cenote (water-filled sinkhole) at the edge of the ruins.<\/p>\n

ALSO:<\/strong> Say hola<\/em> to big savings with Orbitz Rewards<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ruins-in-uxmal\"<\/p>\n

There’s another major Mayan site near Merida, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of\u00a0Uxmal,<\/a> whose pyramids and structures are just as jaw-dropping as Chichen Itza’s but without the crowds. No trip into the heart of Mayan heritage is complete without exploring the culture’s creation of chocolate, so a visit to the Choco Story<\/a>\u00a0museum in Uxmal is a must. You’ll learn about chocolate history and even sample rich Mayan chocolate.<\/p>\n

Day 3: Fiestas and feasts<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Mercado

Mercado Lucas de Galvez, courtesy of Rosalind Cummings-Yeates<\/p><\/div>\n

So much of Yucatan culture is connected to its cuisine and there’s no better way to discover its complexity than with a cooking class. Explore the sprawling main market of Mercado Lucas de Galvez with Top Chef<\/em> Mexico’s Christian Bravo and then whip up Yucatecan dishes at Casa Lecanda before enjoying your creation in the hotel’s formal dining room. Another option is a “Flavors of the Yucatan” experience with Tia Stephanie Tours,<\/a>\u00a0where Mayan culinary traditions, including recados<\/em> (dry rubs)\u00a0and pib cooking are examined in detail.\u00a0Taste the flavors of traditional dishes like\u00a0cochinita pibil<\/em> or shredded barbecue pork and\u00a0pavo relleno negro<\/em>, turkey covered in a sauce of charred chiles and spices, at Chaya Maya,<\/a> a lively eatery that specializes in Yucatecan cuisine. Wrap up your day by roaming through the food stands and vendors during Merida en Domingo, a weekly festival showcasing the rich culture and spirit of Merida.<\/p>\n

\"Orbitz,<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Forget Cancun, the real heart of the Yucatan is its happening capital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":141,"featured_media":50941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1695,31],"tags":[2722],"class_list":["post-47128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","category-mexico","tag-long-weekend"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"M\u00e9rida, Yucatan, Mexico","latitude":"20.9673702","longitude":"-89.59258569999997","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\n3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico | Orbitz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Forget Cancun, the real heart of the Yucatan is its happening capital.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Orbitz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Orbitz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-21T15:46:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-09-29T03:45:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"708\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"470\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@orbitz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@orbitz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/df08b86739e739fd80277567c5822948\"},\"headline\":\"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-21T15:46:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-29T03:45:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\"},\"wordCount\":740,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Long weekend\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Destinations\",\"Mexico\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\",\"name\":\"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico | Orbitz\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-21T15:46:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-29T03:45:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/df08b86739e739fd80277567c5822948\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":664,\"caption\":\"ruins-in-uxmal\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Orbitz\",\"description\":\"Travel Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/df08b86739e739fd80277567c5822948\",\"name\":\"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Rosalind-Cummings-Yeats_everglades-2-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Rosalind-Cummings-Yeats_everglades-2-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates\"},\"description\":\"Rosalind is a writer\/author\/blogger\/teacher based in Chicago. She covers travel, lifestyle and arts topics and her credits include Salon, Hemispheres, Miami Herald, Woman's Day, Brides, Midwest Living, Go Magazine, Bravo Jet Set and The Rough Guide to Women Travel. Follow her hyphenated adventures with her blog, Farsighted Fly Girl, as well as on Twitter and Instagram @FarsightedGirl.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/author\/rcummings\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico | Orbitz","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico | Orbitz","og_description":"Forget Cancun, the real heart of the Yucatan is its happening capital.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/","og_site_name":"Orbitz","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Orbitz\/","article_published_time":"2016-11-21T15:46:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-09-29T03:45:15+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg","width":708,"height":470,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@orbitz","twitter_site":"@orbitz","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/"},"author":{"name":"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/df08b86739e739fd80277567c5822948"},"headline":"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico","datePublished":"2016-11-21T15:46:39+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-29T03:45:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/"},"wordCount":740,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg","keywords":["Long weekend"],"articleSection":["Destinations","Mexico"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/","name":"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico | Orbitz","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg","datePublished":"2016-11-21T15:46:39+00:00","dateModified":"2017-09-29T03:45:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/df08b86739e739fd80277567c5822948"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg","width":1000,"height":664,"caption":"ruins-in-uxmal"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/3-perfect-days-merida\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"3 perfect days in Merida, Mexico"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/","name":"Orbitz","description":"Travel Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/df08b86739e739fd80277567c5822948","name":"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Rosalind-Cummings-Yeats_everglades-2-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Rosalind-Cummings-Yeats_everglades-2-150x150.jpg","caption":"Rosalind Cummings-Yeates"},"description":"Rosalind is a writer\/author\/blogger\/teacher based in Chicago. She covers travel, lifestyle and arts topics and her credits include Salon, Hemispheres, Miami Herald, Woman's Day, Brides, Midwest Living, Go Magazine, Bravo Jet Set and The Rough Guide to Women Travel. Follow her hyphenated adventures with her blog, Farsighted Fly Girl, as well as on Twitter and Instagram @FarsightedGirl.","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/author\/rcummings\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ruins-in-uxmal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/141"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}