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 our big adventures out of the city
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:
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Transportation from Merida
We used various forms of transportation for our trips out of the city. Because we had to drive the kids to and from camp everyday, we rented a car. The streets are relatively safe and well-marked in the city.
For our car rental, we used economybookings to make a booking with Budget. Hertz is probably the largest international brand at the Merida airport. We were a little nervous because we had heard horror stories of places overcharging or . We used our Chase sapphire reserve because it came with primary insurance. We did have to pay $50 after our return for some damage to the tires but decided not to go through the Chase insurance to reimburse. For more on using the insurance from credit cards, see this post here.
We also used Uber on a few occasions and day trips to the beach were only around $20-$30 each way. Note that it is definitely harder to get a uber back from the beach so keep that in mind and be patient.
On the drives, we used our typical bag of tricks to keep the kids occupied during long road trips. We used to alwyas have Magic Ink and small play pack coloring books. Both kids love their kindles and use them for hours.
On one day, we hired a large van and driver so we could stay with our friends on our adventure to Uxmal and Cenote Mucuyche. The van and driver each day quote is 4500 pesos which was around $225. On previous trips, we used taxis hired at our hotel and a company called Daytrip.
Uxmal
Uxmal was spectacular. We had visited on a previous trip but wanted to show our friends. It was a little over an hour drive and an easy day trip from Merida. Visiting the site costs about 500 pesos ($40) and its good to bring cash. The first thing you’ll see is the Magician’s Pyramid. It was huge! Beyond that, there were a lot of areas to wander and see cool reliefs, and my kids favorites: lizards. If you have a little one, you may want to pack a hat if they’ll wear it. And don’t forget to bring sunscreen. We spent about an hour and a half at the site exploring.
Chocolate Museum
Across the street from the Uxmal ruins is Choco-Story. This site has several huts with shaded walking areas, a chronological history of chocolate, Mayan history, a playground, and cool animals similar to a small zoo. We were able to watch a Mayan ceremony, feed some monkeys for a few pesos, and drink some hot chocolate (The kids were not a fan of the bitterness). All the signs were in English and the history was interesting.
Cenote Mucuyche
Cenote Mucuyche is a popular destination for families in the Yucatán Peninsula. It is definitely a very commercialized touristy option compared to other cenotes but it was beautiful. We did a short history walk and learned about the history of the henequen, a plant that was used for liquor, plants, and jewelry. We were able to swim in 2 cenotes connected by a canal. One was half open and the other was enclosed with blue lights and very majestic. The area was very safe with lots of changing rooms and bathrooms. We also had a wonderful lunch at the on-site restaurant and there was a pool the kids could play at while we waited for our food. So Fun!
Beach Day Trips
There are several options for adventuring to the Beach from Merida. We enjoyed heading out to beach clubs or restaurants on the beach with loungers to hang. Many have day pass costs or food/drink minimums. From Merida, the beaches we went to were 40-60 minutes away.
Must-Visit Beaches in Yucatán:
- Progreso: Cruise ships stop here so it is an area with lots of amenities. A lot of great restaurants and a long boardwalk make this a great option. It is also the closet beach to Merida. The water is not as nice as some of the options below. We set up at Casa del Pastel for some excellent margaritas and snacks and ate an extravagant dinner at Crabster.
- Silcer Club De Playa San Benito: We were able to use our connections with the Habla school to get access to this exclusive beach club. This was the kids favorite spot with a slide, multiple pools, a zipline(!), beach access and a great setup with lots of tables and changing areas. The beach area had a long shallow area that was beautiful and very safe for kids.
- Playa Bonita Restaurante and Beach Club in Chelem: This area was beautiful with lovely picture perfect views. The kids enjoyed the multiple pools and the food was decent, although a little pricey.
Other Day-Trips
Merida was the perfect home base for our day trips. Other day-trips we considered were Celestun and Flamingos, and more cenote-hopping.
More Merida Posts
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:
