Two Days in Mérida, Mexico: The Heart of the Maya Yucatán

Those who follow my blog know how much I value sustainable and responsible travel. For the past 14 years, I have worked hard to share stories that highlight ways that travelers can travel responsibly and have worked with many different organizations that work to educate, inspire, and advocate for sustainable travel. One such organization is RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit organization with the mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education.

Founded by Dr. Vincie Ho, RISE works to educate travelers, tourism professionals, and college students about critical issues regarding responsible, impactful, sustainable, and ethical travel through their online courses and their Flagship Certificate program. I have worked with RISE Travel Institute as a volunteer for the past few years and am empowered by the incredible work this volunteer-led organization is doing to make an impact.

This past February, I joined students and alumni of the RISE Flagship Program joined RISE Travel Institute for the RISE Experiential Journey (EJ) trip to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Partnering with Etnica Travel, RISE’s annual Experiential Journey (EJ) was an opportunity to explore what it means to travel in a way that is Responsible, Impactful, Sustainable, and Ethical. The framework of the trip was curated by Etnica Travel and designed with the mission of RISE in mind.  During the week-long visit to the Yucatán, we experienced firsthand the rich local and indigenous culture far beyond the beaches and resorts of Cancún, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen. It was an incredible trip on so many levels where each one of us learned a great deal about the value, importance, and impact that can be made through Responsible, Impactful, Sustainable, and Ethical (RISE) travel.

Members of our group in Mérida during a city tour.

Our visit was particularly timely as Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s flagship and highly controversial Maya Train project (Tren Maya) had recently opened two months prior. Besides immense environmental destruction and international outcry, the cost of the project did not sit well with taxpayers. The price tag for the project had soared from original estimates of around $8.5 billion to as much as $28 billion.

Map of Tren Maya stops and routes. Photo courtesy of Tren Maya

In the following series of posts, I will highlight some of the incredible local and indigenous-led community tourism projects that we experienced in the hope that with the launch of the new Tren Maya in the Yucatán (which will have 34 stops in the Yucatán Peninsula), more travelers will now have more access to visit. I will also try my best to dispel some of the more colonialistic viewpoints of the train.

Before I visited this region, every single piece of journalism I read on the train was negative and from a Western standpoint. It took meeting with the local people who lived outside of the luxurious resort towns that the Yucatán is known for, to truly uncover what the train will hopefully mean to them: Much-needed infrastructure in a region that has felt neglected by the government and does not have good access to basic life necessities such as education, health care, markets, and tourism.

Mérida

Our journey began in the Colonial city of Mérida located in the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula, roughly 188 miles/303 kilometers west of Cancún. It made perfect sense that we began our trip in Mérida, where we learned about the history of colonization in the heart of the Maya Yucatán. Mérida was first inhabited by the Maya over 2000 years ago until the Spanish colonists arrived in 1542 building a new city right on top of the ancient Maya city of T’ho.

Known as “La Ciudad Blanca” or “The White City,” Mérida is the cultural and gastronomic capital of the Yucatán peninsula. In colonial times, the commercialization of the henequén plant (a species of Agave known as the “green gold”) – brought exorbitant amounts of wealth to this part of the Yucatán. The main thoroughfare through Mérida, the Paseo de Montejo, was modeled after the Champs-Elysée in Paris and much of Mérida is awash with colonial mansions, cobble-stoned streets, art, culture, and many restaurants making it a lovely albeit still somewhat undiscovered place for tourists.

Today, Mérida is becoming a tourism hotspot that still holds the charm of a Mexican city without the all-inclusive resorts and hyper development and commercialization of resort towns Cancún, Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Let’s hope it stays that way.

On our first day in the Yucatán, we participated in a city tour offered by a local guide where we learned more about Mérida’s past, present, and future. We watched the regional specialty, Cochinita Pibil Enterrada (Pit barbecued pork) being prepared at the Museo de la Gastronomia Yucateca, toured local museums, and enjoyed delightful food ranging from eating at local markets to sampling some of Mérida’s best cuisine. It was the perfect backdrop for the start of our trip and helped us understand the importance of decolonizing travel.

After only two short days, I fell in love with the beauty, history, culture, and cuisine of Mérida. It is such a beautiful city!

If you go:

Here are a few recommended things to do and places to eat in Mérida:

• Mérida is a loverly, delightful city that is best seen on foot. While most of the sights are around a ten block radius of the main square, it is great to get yourself acquainted with the city by joining a free locally-led city tour of Mérida (details here)
• Stroll the beautiful tree-lined boulevard of Paseo de Montejo checking out the beautiful colonial mansions along the way.
• Enjoy lunch at the famous Museo de Gastronomia Yucateca and watch the free presentation of the unveiling of the famous Cochinita Pibil Enterrada (pit-cooked pork) that is cooked underground for hours. Daily at 3 pm 
• Dine at one of many amazing gastronomical delights along the Calle 47 which is home to a treasure-trove of restaurants and cafes.
• Explore the glorious architecture around the Plaza Grande and visit some of Mérida’s museums, markets and plazas along the way.
• Check out the Mercado Municipal Lucas de Gálvez and enjoy some local specialties like Sopa de Limon and more. Check out this local food guide to some of the specialties of the region  – one that is known for its incredible food.
• Stay at one of the locally-owned boutique hotels. We stayed at beautiful Casa San Angel.
• Hitch a ride and plan to spend half a day or more at the Gran Museo del Mungo Maya, one of Mexico’s grandest museums on Maya culture, art and civilization.

About RISE Travel Institute

RISE Travel Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a more just and equitable world through travel education. Our award-winning online curriculum consists of a 10-week cohort-based Flagship Certificate Program, thematic short courses on sustainability and anti-oppression in travel, and place-based conscious travel short courses. These programs are designed to encourage travelers and travel professionals to think deeply and critically about sustainability and justice issues related to travel and tourism using a systems approach and decolonial principles. Additional programming includes Experiential Journeys for our alumni, a professional development program for educators, a study abroad pre-departure program (coming soon), and the production of educational resources on sustainable travel and tourism. We envision a world where travelers practice and promote responsible, impactful, sustainable, and ethical travel that uplifts global communities and protects natural ecosystems.