Merida, located in the southeast region of Mexico, is the capital of the state of Yucatan. Far less known than Cancun and Playa del Carmen which are only a 3 hour drive from Merida, but in the last decade Merida has grown significantly and with a strong purpose of middle to high end residencial projects at a much more affordable price compared to Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.
I am an expat and have been living here for 12 years now. One of the many great things I enjoy about living in Merida is to be able to enjoy a variety of activities within short distances from the city. We have a beautiful coast here, the Mexican Gulf. Merida is only 20 mins from the beach, and they are a variety of beaches for all types of beach days. You can go to Progreso, where they are bars and restaurants right on the water, or to Telchac and enjoy a private and relaxing beach day. You can visit Celestun to see the sea birds and enjoy a great meal on the water.
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Other activities that I enjoy is visiting the Mayan Archeological sites. More famous ones include Chichen Itzá about an hour drive from Merida, or Uxmal about 45 mins outside of Merida. There are smaller sites like Dzibilchaltun, only 10 mins outside of Merida. I recommend going early to the Mayan Archeological sites to avoid the strong sun of the afternoons.
Visit the Cenotes, which are amazing fresh water sink holes to swim in. There are thousands in the Yucatan, and it is an amazing way to spend a hot sunny day to cool off. Some of my favorites include the cenotes in Cuzama, the cenote and Hacienda in Mucuyche, and Cenote Kankirixche in the town of Abala. All of these are less than 45 mins from Merida.
Another great activity is to visit the small towns outside of Merida. Sisal, which is a small coastal town recently nominated as a Puebla Magica. Sisal is an amazing coastal town that offers relaxation, good food and ecotourism and only 40 mins outside of Merida. Another small town and Puebla Magica, Izamal, known as the Yellow City because the whole town is painted Yellow. There you can take a horse and carriage ride through the town, visit the Convento de San Antonio de Padua built in 1561, or enjoy the local cuisine.
As an expat who has lived in Merida for 12 years and been working in real estate the past 10 years. I can tell now is the time to move here. There is amazing growth here, prices although have gone up a lot the past 10 years, but it is still an affordable market. Plan a trip and see for yourself.
Escrito por Gregory Hokenson
Socio fundador de Balam Group, nació en New Jersey, EUA. Vive en Mérida desde 2008, proyectos de construcción y restauración de casas antiguas en el centro histórico.
