Yesterday we had a tour of Merida from our friendly and competent guide, Emilio…read more He took us through the old town square and told us about its history. We then walked through the cultural center of town where he told us about the legends and fables of the area. Finally, he ended the tour in one of the lively town squares where he gave us information about what's happening in Merida today. The tour was free- they just ask for a tip at the end. At no point was Emilio pushy about tips (he didn't even ask about it), he was genuinely grateful for the pesos we gave him at the end. We highly recommend this tour and hope that Emilio has great success in his endeavors.

We took the free walking tour through central Merida with Sofia as our guide. They meet daily in…read morefront of the cathedral at 9:30 am. She was super informative and fun and the pace was perfect for our group of people of all ages. She talked about the history of the cathedral and the people of the Yucatán from colonial times through the Mexican revolution to today in modern times. The tour is free but she accepts tips! I highly recommend this tour for anyone's first visit to Merida.

Lovely people, very accessible Mayan site. Another great way to share in understanding the history…read moreof this unique area!

If you are interested in Mayan history it's worth a visit. We were staying in a beach house like 2…read moremiles from this site so we of course had to visit. This isn't Chichen Itza so if you are planning on coming a long way make sure you want to make the drive. If you are staying on the coast/Progresso or even Merida it's worth the visit. 75 pesos entrance fee, bring your bug spray and sun screen. You can walk through most of the site in way under an hour. Bathroom at the main gate. You are on your own while in the site. We arrived on a day where there were only 7-8 other people so we go the top of both of the pyramids to ourselves for pictures. One thing that would be nice is a kiosk or sign or something that tells folks about the site. If your a Mayan history buff you will have already read everything you need to know and can drive your group crazy with facts.

Well kept and very nice sculpture. It's hard to cross over but I enjoyed it from afar.read more

Really nice monument it is an easy walk down to the main avenue which is also worth doing. The…read moremonument is part of a roundabout and is very large and easy to see. I need to go back and take some pictures as I circled the monument in an Uber, but it is way too nice to not spend more time there.

I was reading on a search engine that starts with the letter, G' that the Hacienda Chenche de las…read moreTorres was or is a dude ranch. Ah no. It's not a dude ranch but a straight up legit European castle in thr Yucatán. It's about 1 hour 19 minutes away from downtown Merida and is a perfect weekend getaway for a picnic. Tip 1: Bring a blanket and picnic basket. The Hacienda has wide open spaces and there very few visitors. Tip 2: There are multiple bathroom facilities but if you like your own supplies, bring what you need Tip 3: Plan on spending the day here. It's a 2 hour 30 minute round trip. It makes no sense to stay for an hour. Here la the story. The property was founded during the 1800s was owned by Alvaro Peon de Regil and a Joaquina Peon Castellanos. They were the count and countess of Miraflores. The property was left abandoned by the Manzanilla family in the1950s. The current owner has worked with anthropologist Michel Kopla to restore the property The original man house was modified to resemble a European castle from medieval times. There are towers, gardens, fountains, but no moats or dragons. There are some familial crests on the towers and I have captured the chests in one of the many photos. Walking the grounds, feeling the breeze, you would never think that you were in the Yucatán or even México. It's strikingly beautiful and enchanting. Wait wait wait. Before you go inside, there'll be a nondescript fellow who will ask you if you want to walk the grounds. It's like 50 Pesos, he's not overly friendly but he's more of guardian / caretaker than a guide. Once you've paid your entrance fee, check on the chapel to the left before making your way to the front doors Tip 3: You cannot go inside so don't bother asking. Even though you can't go inside, there are no rules about peering or gawking like I did through the windows and doors. Check out the bedroom accesible through the walk around the back. There are stone lions and one iguana. Make sure not to trip over the iguana as he doesn't move for anyone. I walked down some steps into another courtyard and reflected about the people who previously walked there. I imagined servants or even royalty stepping where I was retracing their steps. The flora and fauna are all photogenic and I captured some in my images. In summary, the Hacienda Chenche is a must visit day trip and I wouldn't be surprised if it held private parties from time to time. It's a stunning, exquisite location that is charming, regal and mysterious. I can't wait to go back with my French baguette sandwiches and a nice bottle of wine in my picnic basket.

This spot was pretty cool. You can tell the local comes here and really like it. I've been to a…read morecenote before and this place wasn't as strict as the others. They are strict about bringing your belongings. They have at least 3 cenote within walking distance of each other. I recommend wearing water shoes. You park them pay for admission then take a boat to the Cenote. They have these raccoon looking cat don't feed them they bite. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. Bringing food isn't allowed. We did on a cruise ship tour. My husband and I had a good time.

I think the reviews of this place should strive to be a bit more honest. The water stank, like…read moresmelled very bad, only one cenote seemed really clean enough to swim in and even for a small mexican business the bathrooms were really bad. Like, no toilet seat on any toilet including the handicap stall, meaning disabled people can't use the bathroom. It was very cool to see raccoons and birds and crocodiles up close, but I wish that they did a better job of maintaining the preserve as there was plastic trash around the edges. I loved seeing the animals and I appreciate what they are trying to do but overall I could not recommend this place.

There are very few ruins where you are allowed to climb and see the views from above and it's one…read moreof them. There are no guides at the site. So it's better to take a tour with a guide so you understand the history of this place. There is a Jute factory right next to the entrance. Check that out as well. Not a lot to do here just one hour is good enough.

We stopped by the ruins at Ake this past week when we were exploring the area surrounding Merida…read more On our way to Izamal, we stopped at Ake, which was a very interesting comparison to Uxmal, which we had visited the day before. Uxmal is a significant attraction in the area - lots of tourists, lots of guides! When stopped by Ake, we were the only visitors! After our guide purchased our tickets to enter the site from the woman in the kiosk, we were on our own on the site! Ake's architecture dates from the Mayan Early Classic era (250-550 CE). It doesn't have the intricate details and grandeur of Uxmal, but it's beautiful and interesting in its own right! Maybe because it isn't as much of an attraction and you might be able to explore the site entirely privately, it's special and unique. You can climb up on the pyramid to get a great view of the overall site! Just next to the entrance, there's a factory making natural twine (from henequen), and they will give you a tour for a small fee if you want to learn about henequen textile production! Overall, it's a site well worth visiting if you're interested in Mayan culture and history - although best with a guide who can explain the site (since it's not as developed as an archeological site as Uxmal, for example)!

A very unique historical building. Here you'll find a library and government offices, a long with…read morecool murals and other art displays. At the very least, this is a god spot to take a few pictures for your collection :)

If you are on the Grande Plaza take some time to visit this historic building. The murals,…read moreespecially the ones on the second floor, are a great way to learn Mayan history through the ages.