It was hard to leave a pleasant city like Campeche but, knowing that we were enroute to Mérida helped. It was a pleasant two and half hours drive from Campeche to Merida. Mérida is a large city; so it is important to be clear on your driving directions before attempting to find a specific street location.
We spent two wonderful days in Mérida, Yucatán. Mérida was the perfect place to take a break from our road trip through Mexico. Mérida is a beautiful historic city; it is great to explore. Before leaving Campeche we made reservations at the pet friendly Casa Lucia Hotel in the historic center of Mérida. Merida however, offers many choices for hotel accommodations. There are also many restaurants to choose from in Mérida (see City View, Frommer's and Yucatán Living).
We arrived mid-day and took lunch near the Plaza Independencia(zócalo) at Restaurant Portico Del Peregrino, 57 Calle 501, between 60 and 62 Centro, Mérida. For lunch we ordered Lemon Soup, a Yucatán specialty and for entrees Ceviche and Cheese Enchiladas with mole. We shared a lemon pie for dessert. A tequila display at the restaurant caught the attention of my iPhone on the way out.
Our first night in Mérida was the beginning of a Mayan festival at Plaza Independencia. There was lots of activity. We watched a Folklorico performance. We saw people hanging out in the plaza to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi connection. Of course, not everyone was online. There were some checking out the local treats, such as papas, churros on the plaza. There are many restaurants near the zócalo. There are also great places to drop by for a pizza or snack and a margarita.
Next day, we dropped by Amaro, a vegetarian restaurant for lunch. For lunch we ordered margaritas, eggplant enchiladas and fish with vegetables and rice. We finished dinner with a flan to share. This time on the way out we saw a wine display. Dinner that night was at La Parranda Restaurant. We ordered Sopa de Frijoles (bean soup) and Vegetarian Fajitas and of course margaritas.
During our visit to Mérida we loved our walks in the historic district. There is so much to explore in Mérida such as, local Mayan festivals, concerts and other cultural events. The historic area is especially beautiful at night, with the historic buildings all lit up and the horse-drawn carriages passing by.
All too soon our visit to Mérida was over and we were back on the road again. We very much enjoyed our stay. For ideas on the best time to visit Mérida see Robin Thornley's USA Today article.
The next stop on our road trip through Mexico will be Cancún, Quintana Roo. Check out my travels in Mexico and elsewhere in my travel column, or visit me at Spaswinefood.
© Sharon Parsons
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