Merida, Mexico: Ultimate Travel Guide

Overlooked by the tourists who flock to the greater Cancun area, Merida is a Mexican city that has long been loved by backpackers and expats. Merida, Mexico has a lot of charm: with great food, activities to keep you entertained, and just a vibe about it that makes you want to come back for more. You’ll want to add this destination town in the Yucatán peninsula to your bucket list.

Merida, also known as La Ciudad Blanca (The White City), is already an inexpensive option when looking at budget travel destinations in Mexico, but with a few budget travel tips from your favorite travel hacker, you can save money while traveling to Merida.

Traveling to Merida

Merida, Mexico is located in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico. You can fly directly into Merida from the United States, a direct flight from Miami or Houston to Merida is under two hours.

Or, if you prefer a drive to take in some culture of the major cities of the Yucatán region, fly to Cancun and take the bus or a rental car to Merida. The average travel time between Cancun Airport and Mérida is about four hours but is filled with opportunities to take in the history, art, and culture of Yucatán while keeping costs low.

Both options are easy to do and relatively inexpensive – when saving on international travel it’s really up to your choice on what works best for your preferences.

Both United and American Airlines operate flights to Merida from the United States with American Airlines usually being the cheaper option. If you want to use points, American Airlines miles are super valuable to Merida, costing as low as 10,000 miles for flights each way. You can earn American Airlines miles through many AA cards, like the Barclays Red.

Budget Travel Tip! I like to use the American Airlines shopping portal to earn miles for cheap mile flights like these, too.

Table of Contents

How to get from Cancun to Merida

Flying into Cancun is often the cheaper option and you can easily rent a car at the airport. The drive is about three and a half hours, mostly by highway travel. Keep in mind that Mexican highways are different than the US and there are pretty much no exits. So be sure to have fuel, snacks, and a map ready when you leave Cancun. You also need cash for the tolls, so be prepared with pesos. If you don’t have pesos yet, they will take US dollars for a fee.

We rented our car from Enterprise at the Cancun airport. I have personally never had a bad experience with Enterprise internationally. I find their cars to always be worth the additional expense – especially in Mexico.

A young woman leans casually on a white SUV on a dirt road in Merida. Jungle plants flank both sides of the road.

A young couple takes a selfie from inside a car. The windows show a blur of greenery indicating they are driving through jungle.

If you don’t feel comfortable driving in Mexico, you can opt to take the ADO bus from Cancun to Merida instead. The bus ride takes about four and a half hours and costs around $20-40 per person each way.

What I like about choosing to rent a car is the freedom to easily explore the surrounding areas of Merida, heading to cenotes and haciendas without the need for a guide. Going without a guide makes these experiences much more affordable.

Travel Tip! Use AutoSlash to compare car rental prices and get the best deal.

How to get around Merida

Merida is a pretty walkable city, especially near the city center. Most of the main activities and restaurants known to tourists are near the Plaza Grande. If you stay near the Plaza you’ll be able to access most tours and group activities. However, you can take an Uber very inexpensively to get to other parts of town, too.

A giant faded green door is open to the streets of Plaza Grande. Inside an olive green wall leads to another smaller wooden door.

Exterior of a historic and ornate white home. The front porch is surrounded by trimmed landscaping and an arched metal gate.

The area surrounding Merida offers some truly amazing experiences. You can easily rent a car and drive yourself to some impressive cenotes filled by underground springs, ancient Maya city ruins, amazing small towns, flamingos, and hacienda walking tours.

Merida is a city for all types of travelers offering a cultural center, a historical center, plenty of museums, art galleries, and restaurants. Or simply spend an afternoon people-watching or taking in cultural events at the main plaza (Plaza Grande).

Where to stay in Merida

Plenty of great hotel options exist in Merida to choose from. I opted to stay at the Hyatt Regency, located north of the Plaza Grande in the wealthy neighborhood of Santiago. The Hyatt Regency hotel is a great option to earn World of Hyatt points while exploring the beautiful architecture of the colonial buildings within the neighborhood.

Travel Tip! The World of Hyatt program is one of the best programs to earn with. Being a member gives you 5 points per dollar spent but consider earning status for more perks. With the Hyatt Regency being under $100 a night, it’s a great way to earn points for future free stays!

The Casa Tavera hotel is in an excellent location (close to my favorite restaurant in town, Museo de Gastronomia). The hotel is high-end, with beautiful finishes and a traditional breakfast included.

Hotel Merida is a no-frills, budget-friendly hotel option close to the main square. The building has beautiful architecture with a colonial style and the picturesque pink color, too.

Top things to do in Merida

Merida has some amazing activities to keep you entertained. With a great food scene, enriching museums, free entertainment, and some experiences worth visiting outside town there’s plenty to interest a budget traveler.

Take a food tour

With such a vibrant food scene in Merida, there is no better place to splurge on a food tour than here. This one from Eat with Carmen is one of my favorites (I’ve done their tours in many Yucatan cities!). If your tour is anything like mine, you’ll find plenty of places you’ll want to return to, so do the tour early on your trip.

See a working hacienda

Two wooden arched doors open to a a coral and lime tiled patio of Hacienda Stout de Peón in Merida Mexico. The Patio is covered with Corinthian columns and arched balcony railing.

Ropes hang in mass on outdoor racks basking in the sun as part of the traditional rope making process at Hacienda Stout de Peón

I loved my tour at the Hacienda Stout de Peón and you will, too! The hacienda is doing stuff the original way, where you can see the traditional rope-making process that made the Merida area wealthy in the Spanish Colonial Era. The tour includes lunch and a visit to the cenote on the grounds, too. You can also stay on the beautiful property for just $250 a night.

I used my rental car and drove myself here (by myself!) but you can hire a driver to take you there and back for around $80 USD. The roads are well-paved and easy to navigate, so if you feel comfortable, I highly recommend driving yourself.

See the free entertainment in Plaza Grande

Every evening the Plaza Grande has free entertainment, as well as many vendors selling food and knick-knacks. It’s a great way to spend an evening!

Explore the town on a free walking tour

I took this free walking tour and did not regret it! You’ll get a great view of the city plus local recommendations for restaurants and can’t-miss things to do on your trip, too. (Just be sure to tip your guide at the end of your tour.)

Rent a bike during Sunday’s Biciruta

I hope you are fortunate enough to be in Merida on a Sunday to enjoy Biciruta, where the city streets of Merida are shut down for locals to bike. You can rent a bike from many shops located on the Paseo de Montejo for less than $3.

Visit the surrounding cenotes

Turquoise clear water ripples indies the Cenote Kankirixche. Very rustic wooden stairs lead into the cenote. The water illuminates to cavern with blue tinted light.

A rustic wood fence made from branches is adorned with a sign reading Cenote Kankirixche. The fore ground is tan rocky dry earth and the background is lush jungle foliage.

Merida is full of amazing cenotes not far from the city center that are cheaper and less crowded than any you’d find near the Cancun and Tulum areas. We opted to go to the Cenote Kankirixche, which is absolutely stunning and truly feels remote. For a brief time, we even had it all to ourselves!

Renting a car is by far the cheapest and most convenient way to see the cenotes but you can also book a cenote tour.

See Mayan ruins without the crowds at Uxmal

A woman in a tan sun hat, blue top and jean shorts stands centered in front of the the ruins at Uxmal. The image is symmetrical and balanced by a deep blue sky and lush green grass.

Sun rays shine over the the ruins at Uxmal. A structure on the left shows detailed stone work while a ruin in the distance stands tall against a blue sky.

Visit the ruins at Uxmal and avoid the tours of the similar ruins near Cancun. For just $25 per person, you can see some epic ancient Maya city ruins within the jungle outside Merida. Renting a car is one of the best and cheapest ways to see the ruins but you can book a tour if you would prefer to go with a guide. This tour includes the ruins and a cenote!

Travel Tip! Consider asking your hotel about a private guide for the day. This a great way to see the ruins and some other activities within the area for a pretty reasonable price.

Where to eat in Merida

Museo de la Gastronomia Yucateca

Probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had in the Yucatan, this place is part museum and part restaurant. While you wait for your table, or just stopping by during the day, you can see the exhibits on the traditional practices and food culture of the region. Be sure to have a reservation to dine in and order the cochinita pibil (you won’t regret it).

Mercado de Flores

There are plenty of stalls to keep you busy within this local market. I enjoyed the pork tortas at the Calle 69 and Calle 54 intersection. The stall will have a line and a red umbrella – you can’t miss it (none of the locals do).

Gorditas Doña Gorda

Tons of locals flock to Gorditas Doña Gorda on their lunch break, and for good reason. The gorditas are handmade with a variety of high-quality fillings. The locals favor the bean and cheese and the pork varieties but all the options are super tasty.

La Negrita Cantina

Talk about a mix of locals and tourists! La Negrita Cantina is bustling with mediocre mixed cocktails, free apps with every drink, and (of course) plenty of tequila and mezcal to go around. What I love about this place is the vibe. Come in the evening and you’ll find locals dancing to mariachi-style music in the courtyard.

Manjar Blanco

Quality doesn’t even begin to describe this eatery. After being featured on a Netflix food show, Manjar Blanco finally got the recognition it long deserved. Be sure to order the sopa de lima, it’s some of the best you’ll ever try in Mexico.

Is Merida safe to visit?

Merida has been voted one of the safest cities in Mexico many times. Local guides will verify that by telling you how safe their community is. Personally, I felt completely fine walking the streets even late at night.

Many Mexicans are also moving to Merida in recent years because it’s a much safer place to live. Crime is low, police are friendly and helpful, and you can easily navigate without much risk.

Overall, Merida is a very safe city to visit in Mexico.

Save on travel to Merida, Mexico

Merida is made for budget travel hackers. Travelers can save thousands without sacrificing iconic Mexican experiences like ancient Mayan ruins, cenotes, and the authentic culture and history of the Yucatán.

Explore on. -K

Follow me on Instagram

Join my newsletter