Trip Motivation
In summer 2024, our family visited Merida, Mexico for a 2 week trip. Our kids are school age (6 and 9) and we were excited to enjoy this fun city. We had visited briefly previously in 2021 and wanted to come back to spend more time immersed in the city. We visited with another family and had a blast. We mixed remote work, kid’s Spanish camp, and lots of city exploring and day trips to beaches and cenotes. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip!
This post covers highlights from Merida’s attractions. We visited for 2 weeks and got to experience a lot of cool activities and sights.
Read all of our Merida posts at the following links:
- Family trip to Merida, Mexico: Logistics for a 2 week Visit with Kids
- Favorite Family activities in Merida, Mexico
- Day trips from Merida, Mexico: Ruins and Cenotes, and beaches
Previous trip:
Why Merida?
We had previously visited briefly Merida as a home base for other sights nearby. Although not as touristy, it was still a very friendly and welcoming city. On this trip, we were here for 2 weeks and were able to do a lot more. This city is wonderful. Its very busy and big and has lots of neighborhoods, full of history and excitement.
The city is brimming with culture, and the city puts on exciting events and it truly feels like the tourists and locals mix together in lots of spots. In talking to some locals, parts of the city were had difficulty with covid recovery and there were definitely wide disparities in fancy malls and activities and run down shops and sketchy streets. Overall though, the city was very safe and we loved exploring all the city had to offer. Here are some of our faves:
Plaza Grande: City Central
At the Plaza Grande, you will find the Cathedral de San Ildefonso, art galleries and museums, the Merida sign, and other cool things to see and do. This area also has a tourist information office. When we visited in summer 2024, this area was under construction, but we had visited previously and know this area to be a really fun, safe atmosphere. There are often cultural performances in the square and the streets come alive on weekends with carts selling Churros (cinnamon donut sticks) and Marquisetas (crunchy crepes filled with cheese and chocolate).
Paseo de Montejo and Monumento a la Patria: A Grand Street
I’ve read that this area was modeled after grand streets in Europe. The Monumento a la Patria statue is gorgeous, and was lit up on several evenings when we visited. This round-about is a little scary!
Bici0merida: A Fun Family Bike Ride
On Sunday mornings, the street closes down to car traffic and vendors set up to rent bikes for Biciruta. Bikes were very cheap and we rented family bikes for an hour stroll. There were art vendors along the side of the road and it was a great experience.
Parque de Plancha: Favorite Local Playground
Our rental house was very close to a small playground and there were many scattered throughout the city. Near the north part of Centro, we made a few visits to Parque de Plancha. This amazing park has 3 large playgrounds, fountains, running paths, and a food court (with bars!) to sittervise. If we come back again, I would love to get accomodations closer to this area of town.
Galleria Mall: A Cool Oasis
Because of the heat in Mexico, the malls in the city can be an oasis for staying cool. On one afternoon after camp, we went to Galerias mall near the North part of the city. This mall had a lego store, arcade, food court, typical clothes shops, movie theater, and an ice rink in the middle of the mall. A really fun afternoon. Of course, if your time is limited, I wouldn’t prioritize this, but sometimes its nice to mix it up.
Zoo Centurio: A Wild Day Out
Close to Centro, Parque Zoologico del Centenario is a great place to take kids. It has a variety of animals, including tigers, giraffes, hippos, primates, and birds. It is free and very busy on weekends. There are cheap activities such as train rides and a gondola over the zoo. There are also several cheap food stands. The animal enclosures feel a little small but they seem well cared for and its always fun to see new animals.
Cheer for the Leons: Local baseball team
On one evening, we adventured to see the local team. The Leones de Yucatan usually play at a stadium closer to town but it was under construction when we visited and we drove a little farther East to the temporary stadium. The best part of baseball games is the atmosphere! The vendors were walking up and down the stands with beers, churros, sandwiches, pizza, cups of nuts, and other random fun options. I don’t know a lot about American baseball, but per some of our friends, some of the members on the team are former US MLB players! Our team lost but it was still a really fun experience
Evening City Activites
The city of Merida puts on numerous cultural events including video projections on the church, cultural shows, demonstrations, markets, and other really cool events. You can see a calendar of events here. We had originally planned on seeing a Pok Ta Pok Maya ball game demonstration. We had watched El Dorado prior to our trip and were looking forward to seeing the courts at the ruins and the reenactment. However, because of construction in the main area, some of the events were canceled.
However, we were still able to see some fun events such as an interactive video mapping at Parque La Paz. The video mapping spectacle unfolds on the facade of the former penitentiary building, now a part of the park. The 140-meter-wide projection showcases a captivating blend of digital imagery, sound, and light, immersing viewers in a visual journey through the past and future of Yucatec culture. Visitors can interact with the projection using their smartphones, generating unique constellations and participating in other digital activities. The video mapping show is available from Thursday to Sunday, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Other Ideas
If we return for another visit, other areas around town we may explore include Merida Central Market, Great Museum of the Maya World, and other parks around town.
Final Thoughts
Read all of our Merida posts at the following links:
- Family trip to Merida, Mexico: Logistics for a 2 week Visit with Kids
- Favorite Family activities in Merida, Mexico
- Day trips from Merida, Mexico: Ruins and Cenotes, and beaches
Previous trip:
