Information about Merida and Activities
Merida is a cosmopolitan city with a population of 725,000 inhabitants that retains its colonial air and the majesty of its buildings with a marked French influence from the beginning of the last century, from which we could mention constructions such as La Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, the Government Palace, the Santa Isabel Chapel and Santa Ana, Santa Lucía and Santiago parks among others.
In this beautiful city various cultural activities are offered daily along with a large amount of entertainment options for the pleasure of visitors. An hour and a half away, Celestun can be found, with a natural exhibition that shows thousands of pink flamingos among other things; and only 40 minutes away is the traditional Progreso Port and other famous beaches; Uxmal, Chichen Itza and other Mayan Archeology can also be found with its Mayan architectural remains.
The city, captivating and enchanting, is committed to constantly improving that image to the world. As such, every night the historical downtown district hosts an unforgettable cultural evening such as the traditional Yucatecan "jarana" (dance) presented in front of the City Hall every Monday evening; on Sunday music fills the air with the salsa and cumbia rhythems of two orchestras. In cultural and performing arts centers near the Main Square, you can find theater presentations, folk dances,movies and scenic arts at the Mérida Theather located just a few steps away from the City Hall.
How to travel to Merida
In the spirit of keeping instructions to a minimum and avoiding possible confusions; two major means for arriving into Merida are provided:
Direct flight to Merida.
This method is the most recommended way to arrive into Merida
- You can take a direct flight to Merida’s International Airport: Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport (IATA: MID) (ICAO: MMMD) with direct flights from Mexico City, Houston and Miami, airlines such as Continental leave from Houston and have direct flights to Merida.
- Direct flights are somewhat limited to certain dates so it would be advised to check with some anticipation the direct flights leaving from these cities. Under the circumstance where direct flights are not priority then most airlines can arrange for flights to Mexico City and layover before departing to Merida.
- Once arriving at the Merida airport you can rent a car at the airport or take a taxi directly to the Fiesta Americana Hotel.
Flight into Cancun and then drive to Merida.
- You can fly into Cancun International Airpot where you can rent a car at the airport (all major US car rental companies have offices in Cancun, MX) then drive through Highway 180 to Merida (this trip is around 3 hours long).
- The second option is to take a bus line (bus line’s name is ADO) from the airport in Cancun to Merida. Once off the plane in Cancun you can ask any of the airport attendants for the ADO bus terminal in order to purchase your tickets as soon as possible. The bus leaves Cancun´s airport everyday at 15:00 (3:00 PM) with a cost of $390.00 MXN (around $30 USD) arriving at the Fiesta Americana Hotel in Merida with an overall travel time of 4 hours and 30 minutes. The return to the Cancun airport from the Fiesta Americana Hotel in Merida is at 6:15 AM everyday for the same fare as the Cancun-Merida trip ($30 USD).
Any questions regarding these directions please feel free to email:
Salvador Carreon
More information: