"Feliz Año Nuevo e ..." a Mérida Travel Page by karenincalifornia

We greeted the new year 2007 in Merida, Mexico. Merida knows how to party! The capital of Yucatan State, Merida is an interesting mix of neighborhoods, food, activities and attractions. Merida has a very distinct Spanish/European colonial influence. Indeed, walking through the city streets, we felt as if we were in Mexico one moment, Spain the next.

Hotel accommodations can be found in the Centro Historico, a delightful area of Merida, or if one prefers, at one of several large chain hotels to the north near the intersection of Paseo de Montejo and Ave. Colon. We stayed in the Centro Historico, but ate dinner one evening on Ave. Colon. What a huge difference! On Ave. Colon, we felt as if we had suddenly been transported to Anywhere, USA. (Anywhere, USA with mega bucks, that is.)

If you want it, you can stay at hotels that are just like the large ones in the USA. Merida has a Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Fiesta Americana or Intercontinental on Ave. Colon/Paseo de Montejo. It's like an oasis of the USA transplanted into the heart of Mexico. Even the people all look like they are from Florida. However, I do not recommend staying in this area. If you want to truly experience Merida, Centro Historico is the place to stay and spend your time.

We traveled with our two teenagers, and as it turned out, Yucatan was a perfect place for a family vacation with older children. We spent our evenings in Merida, and our days exploring the countryside. Mayan archaeological sites dominate the area. We chose to visit two sites - Uxmal and Chichen Itza. Both are spectacular, yet unique. We were completely awed by the technological advances and the amazing architecture produced by this ancient culture.

We headed west to Celestun for a memorable day trip from Merida. In Celestun, we hired a boat and guide to take us into the Celestun inlet to see the migrating flamingos and white pelicans, and to meander through the mangrove forest. That excursion was topped off with a lunch of super fresh sea food, caught that morning from in the Gulf of Mexico.