Merida, Mexico City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Merida, Mexico Travel Guide has been your connection to Merida's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
Dining and Nightlife
 Yucatecan food is its own unique style and is very different from what most people consider "Mexican" food. It includes influences from the local Mayan culture, as well as Caribbean, Mexican, European and Middle Eastern cultures. The Paseo de Montejo boasts several restaurants featuring regional specialties like poc chuc, a Mayan/Yucateco version of barbecued pork, queso relleno, a "gourmet" dish featuring ground pork inside of a carved edam cheese ball served with tomato sauce and papadzules, egg "tacos" bathed with pumpkin seed sauce and tomatoes. And you can top it all off with the local hot sauce, El Yucateco, Mexico’s most popular condiment.
After dinner there is always something to peek your interest. There are salsa clubs, movies, theaters, open-air concerts and even a karaoke bar for those tequila inspired desires to break into song. Saturday nights are called Corazon de Merida (Heart of Merida.) and this is when the whole town turns into a big party. Calle 60 is closed off to traffic from the Main Plaza up to Calle 55 and the restaurants and bars put their tables and chairs in the street. This is literally an open-air fiesta as there are bands on every block, stilt walkers and other shows. You can also go to Fiesta Mexicana at the end of the Paseo Montejo and Calle 47. Here you will find vendors, food booths and shows all in the open air.
If you are looking for clubs, there are several in the downtown area where you will find the local crowds. Ay Caray on Calle 60 is an upstairs bar that is popular with the younger crowd, noisy and has a pool table. Azul Picante and KY60 are also places where you can dance the night away. The first is a salsa club and the other has a variety of music from tropical to pop. And if you’re just too tired to dance you can join the locals for some people watching at one of the many sidewalk cafes that line the main plaza.
Guest Editor: Lisa Lucas |
