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Merida is one of those places that offers so much in terms of kid-friendly activities that it’s actually hard to narrow down what to do.
Exploring the city with its charming architecture and rich history, visiting haciendas, ruins and magical towns, swimming in cenotes, going to the beach and playing at the parks are just a few of the things you can do in Merida with kids.
So after writing a post on why I think Merida is the hidden gem of the Yucatan Peninsula, I figured that putting together a 7 day itinerary would be useful for the parents who might feel overwhelmed by all the options.
CONTENT
DAY 1 – Explore the CITY
DAY 2 – day trip to HACIENDA MUCUYCHE
DAY 3 – day trip to UXMAL
DAY 4 – PARQUE EL CENTENARIO and MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL
DAY 5 – day trip to IZAMAL
DAY 6 – day trip to the BEACH
DAY 7 – swim in a CENOTE
Tip 1: RENT A HOUSE (OR A HOTEL) WITH A POOL
It’s very important that you choose an appropriate place to retire for a few hours during the day, when the heat in Merida is unbearable. I advise you to rent either a hotel with a pool or even better, a restored colonial house, so your kids can have space to play and relax.
The colonial house we rented for 6 people, for about $200/night was out of this world. We spent many hours splashing in the pool and our kids really liked exploring the back patio and looking for geckos. Check out these pictures:
TIP2: RENT A CAR
This itinerary is best done with a rental car, especially if you travel with young kids. We rented our car at the airport in Cancun and I used Discover Cars as the search engine.
Renting a car in Mexico for the first time can be surprising, because the price you see online most likely won’t include insurance. So you might see offers for $5/day, but that’s just the price of the rental. Expect to pay closer to $35 – 40/ day, after the insurance.
itinerary
DAY1 - EXPLORE THE CITY
It’s important to note that Merida gets very hot during the day. We visited in May, which the hottest month of the year and we had temperatures between 90-100 degrees every day.
But all throughout the year, Merida maintains high temperatures, so it’s best to explore in the mornings and evenings and be out of the sun between 12 – 5 pm.
So wake up bright and early the first day and start discovering the beauty of Merida. I always advise people to explore a city by foot. Not only that it’s the best way to take everything in, but it also gives you the chance to interact with locals.
The streets in Merida are, unfortunately, not very stroller friendly. The cobblestone, narrow side walks and uneven pavement make it hard to push a stroller. If you do decide to bring one, make sure it’s all terrain and sturdy.
Otherwise, if your kids are not old enough to walk on their own, a baby carrier is more appropriate. And, to be truthful, we carried our boys a lot in Merida. They were (almost) 6 and 4.5 at the time of our visit, but the heat and long walks exhausted them.
Start the day by exploring the main square and the streets around it.
Stop for ice-cream when it gets hot. Our favorite ice-cream place in the center was Santa Clara Ice-cream, located on Calle 60, at the base of Gran Hotel de Merida and right by Parque Hidalgo. We would get ice cream and let the kids run around and play in the small square there. It was, perhaps, one of their favorite thing to do in Merida.
Right before you’re ready to go back home, walk to Mercado Lucas de Galvez and get yourself some delicious fruits and veggies. The market is an experience in itself, with the bright colors and sweet fragrance of the fruit.
Spend the rest of the afternoon resting and playing at your lodging. Although our kids don’t usually nap anymore, there were a few days when we all laid down for a nap in Merida, so we could go back out in the late evening.
Once it cools off, head back to the center and enjoy one of the free cultural events they have in Plaza Grande. We went there for several evenings and we got to see a theater play about the history of Merida, a folkloric dance show and a ”video mapping” on the facade of Catedral de San Ildefonso.
The video mapping was possibly the coolest video I’ve ever seen! It was created in such a way to blend with the architecture of the building and tell the story of the two cultures, Mayan and Spanish, that make up the city of Merida.
We didn’t get to see it, but on Saturday nights, they also enact the Pok-ta-Pok, an ancient Mayan game that was played hundreds of years ago as part of a sacred ceremony, pitting good against evil.
The schedule of events at the time of our visit (organized by the City of Merida, subject to change at any time)
1. Monday – representation of Yucatecan Vaqueria, Municipal Palace, from 9 – 10 pm
2. Tuesday – ballroom dances, Parque de Santiago, starting at 8:30 pm
3. Wednesday – ”Dialogs of the Conqueror”, facade of Casa Montejo, 8 – 9 pm
4. Thursday – ”Serenade night”, Parque de Santa Lucia, 9 – 10 pm
5. Friday -”Sacred Stones” video mapping, Catedral de San Ildefonso, 8 – 9 pm
6. Saturday – ”Pok-ta-Pok” game, Plaza Grande, 8 – 9 pm
7. Sunday – Sundays are ”fiesta all day” kind of days in Merida. Sadly, we left Merida on a Saturday, so we didn’t get to experience it, but this is what you can do:
– Bici – Ruta in the morning 8 am – 12 pm (the historical streets in Merida close down to traffic and people can rent bikes and explore the city)
– ”Merida en Domingo” – live music, dance, open galleries and movies in the main square
DAY2 - DAY TRIP TO HACIENDA MUCUYCHE
During the 18th and 19th century, hundreds of haciendas were established in the Yucatan Peninsula. Many of them produced henequen, a plant used to extract natural twine rope.
In time, with the development of synthetic twine, which was a lot cheaper to produce and buy, all the haciendas closed down or were abandoned. Around 1990’s, investors and hotel owners started buying and restoring them. Nowadays, you can visit some of them with tours or you can even stay in some overnight.
We chose to visit Hacienda Mucuyche, because it checked off all of my requests for an hacienda tour: it has picturesque ruins that you can tour with a guide, two cenotes on site that you can swim in, a restaurant and a pool. Basically, you can spend a whole day here, which makes the one hour drive worth it.
To tour the hacienda and swim in the cenotes, you need to make a reservation. You can do it through Facebook messenger. More info here.
I recommend that you choose an early tour. That way, you you don’t have to walk in the heat with the kids and you can have the rest of the afternoon to play at the pool. Also, make sure you eat at the restaurant, the food is delicious!
DAY3 - day trip to UXMAL (ruins and tour of HACIENDA UXMAL in a vintage Land Rover)
You can’t visit the Yucatan Peninsula and not tour one of the fascinating Mayan archeological sites. Over the years, we have visited multiple ones, including the ruins in Tulum, Chichen Itza, Muyil and Uxmal.
The archeological site in Uxmal was our favorite. It is just as impressive as the one at Chichen Itza, but easier to navigate with young kids. There are no vendors, no crowds and a whole lot more shade. If your time allows you, I actually advise you to stay overnight in Uxmal. We spent three magical days at The Lodge at Uxmal and it was one of our favorite stops in our 5 weeks in Mexico.
If you can’t stay overnight in Uxmal, make sure you leave Merida early, so you can get into the archeological site close to opening time. The site is open to visits every day of the year, from 8 am – 5 pm. Plan to spend at least 2 hours walking around.
After the ruins, stop for lunch at the restaurant on site or cross the road and go to the Lodge at Uxmal. The food served at their restaurant is on the expensive side, but all the fruits and veggies used in their recipes are organically produced on their land. Take a dip in their pool to cool off.
Tip: skip the cocktails, they are expensive and not great.
After lunch, do a tour of the Hacienda Uxmal in a vintage Land Rover. This tour is offered by Mayaland and it was a highlight of our entire 5 week trip to Mexico. Not only that we got to ride in such a cool vehicle, but we got to pick and take with us the seasonal fruit, limes and green lemons. The fragrance from the trees and the fruit was out of this world!
Our guide, Victor also performed a Mayan ceremony where he thanked the winds, the sun and the land for giving us such bountiful produce and allowing us to gather from it. Victor’s serenity and calm, warm presence, coupled with the Mayan ceremony is a memory that will stay in my heart forever!
We never felt rushed during our tour. In fact, the 2 hour tour turned into a 3 hour one and not once did Victor make us feel like we were overstaying our welcome. He allowed us enough time to take in the sites and ask questions, and he took some amazing family pictures for us.
At the end of the tour, Victor opened coconuts for us. After drinking the water, he chopped the flesh of the coconuts and served it to us with some spices, for a flavorful snack. He even gave us some mamey, a fruit native to Central and South America, that wasn’t quite ripe yet. He explained to us how to wrap it in newspaper and feel it every day until it becomes soft and ready to be eaten.
You can request information about the tour at the front desk (located in the restaurant) or you can walk straight up to the garage where the Land Rovers are parked, if the guides are there. You can see the garage from the main street. If possible, request a tour with Victor. You will thank me afterwards.
DAY4 - PARQUE ZOOLOGICO DEL CENTENARIO and MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL
Take a break from long day trips today. Over time, I’ve learned that in order for us to truly enjoy our experiences, we need to slow down and relax every few days, especially since we travel with young kids.
Start the day by playing at a park. We chose Parque Zoologico del Centenario and we thought it was an excellent place for kids to play and burn some energy for a few hours. Our kids had fun climbing the structures, swinging, coloring at the EducaZoo and riding the little ”trencito” that cost us only 1 peso per person (that is roughly 5 US cents!)
There were also rides that were closed at the time of our visit. We were told that they open in the evenings, when the local families come out to socialize. We planned on going back one evening, but sadly we didn’t have enough time.
The park is FREE to enter and there are other attraction inside: you can rent paddle boats and go for a ride on the little pond, there’s a ”teleferico” (cable car), you can ride donkeys or see the animals at the zoo.
We didn’t go around the zoo, because by the time our kids were done playing it was getting really hot out, but based on multiple reviews, it seems that the animals are well cared for there.
After the park, go to the Museo de Historia Natural. It’s right around the corner from the park. It’s a pretty small museum, so it’s only going to take about an hour to walk around, but it will be a nice break from the heat and the kids will enjoy seeing the exhibits.
To finish your day, relax at your lodging in the afternoon and, in the evening, head to the center to enjoy one of the free cultural events.
DAY5 - day trip to IZAMAL (PUEBLO MAGICO)
‘ Pueblos magicos” (magical towns) are towns recognized by the Mexican government for their extraordinary qualities, whether that be their natural beauty or historical importance.
We visited three during our 5 week trip to Mexico (the other two, Sayulita and San Pancho are located on the other coast, very close to Puerto Vallarta). Out of the three, my favorite was Izamal, because it’s just so unique and it has such great history!
Also known as the yellow city, Izamal is not only a picturesque town due to its bright yellow buildings, but it also features the second biggest cathedral in Mexico, Convento de San Antonio de Padua and a Mayan archeological site with ruins that you can still climb on.
With only one pyramid standing (the Spaniards demolished the other ones and used the stones as foundation for their buildings, including the above mentioned cathedral), the site is not nearly as impressive as Chitchen Itza or Uxmal. But it’s well worth a visit, even if only for the views at the very top.
Tip: the climb to the top of the pyramid is hard, on uneven stairs. Make sure you’re wearing hiking shoes, with good grip. I have these Keen sandals that are perfect for hiking and water.
The boys basically live in these shoes while we travel. They are comfortable and work great for any kind of physical activity, from hiking, to climbing and water.
Izamal gets very hot during the day as well. Leave Merida early and tried to get there no later than 9 am, if you want to have time to walk around and take pictures. Start the day by doing a tour with a local guide, in a horse-drawn carriage.
The guide will take you around Izamal and tell you some facts about the important historical sites. We chose a one hour long carriage ride for 300 pesos. After the ride, we went back to the cathedral and the Mayan ruins, to explore them more by foot.
DAY6 - day trip to the beach (CELESTUN)
Merida was stop number 6 for us in our 5 week trip to Mexico. We had already been to Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Akumal, so we felt that a day trip to the beach was not necessary for us. However, if you’re only vacationing in Merida, going to the beach is a must.
There are multiple beaches within 45 min – 1 hr from Merida. The closest one is Progreso. However, if you don’t mind driving a little bit further away, Celestun is a better option than Progreso, in my opinion.
Not only that it has the beach, but it also has a nature preserve with mangroves, crystal clear open cenotes and flamingos (between the months of November and April).
The Travel Lemming has an extensive blog post on things to do in Celestun that you can read here. There are also multiple companies that offer tours from Merida to Celestun. You will see them advertised all over the center.
DAY7 - swim in a CENOTE
There are literally thousands of cenotes all over the Yucatan Peninsula (fun fact: there’s a cenote in Merida, in the parking lot at Costco, but you can’t swim in it).
Some of the most popular cenotes around Merida are the Homun and Santa Barbara ones.
It can be overwhelming trying to decide which ones to visit, but we knew for a fact we wanted to go to a less popular spot, after a particularly bad experience at Suytun, one of the most ”Instagrammed” cenotes in Yucatan.
We wanted a rustic cenote with no crowds. Based on a recommendation from Victor, our guide in Uxmal, we went to cenote Kankirixche. And while it might not be as famous as other cenotes in the area, we had it to ourselves pretty much the whole time we were there, which is the kind of experience we were looking for. Also, this cenote had the warmest water we’ve ever experienced in all the cenotes we’ve visited, which makes it more pleasant for the kids.
*Tip: Kids’ wet suits are amazing for underground rivers and cenotes. We have these for our kids and we love them.
**Tip: Bring goggles with you when visiting cenotes. You can’t always tell from the outside, but there is a whole different world of cave systems under water. You will be blown away by the depth of the water in some cenotes.
These are our most favorite kids’ goggles ever! And we have tried a few. Not only that they work really well for kids’ faces and they don’t get foggy, but they also protect their eyes from the sun at the beach.
End your trip to Merida with another evening in town. Enjoy some more delicious Yucatecan food and ice cream, walk around the streets or perhaps do a carriage ride, all while making plans to return to Merida soon. Once you’ve come one time, you always want to return. For a list of our favorite restaurants in Merida, check out my post ”Merida with kids – the hidden gem of the Yucatan Peninsula”.
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