Info about Mérida

The conquistador Francisco de Montejo, the younger, founded Merida, Yucatan in 1542 on the ruins of a large Mayan town. He named it Merida because it reminded him of the ruined Roman city of the same name in Spain.

In the early 1900s Merida was said to have more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world. This prosperity is reflected in its still-standing grand mansions, haciendas, squares, parks and statues.

The Mayans were enslaved by the Spanish conquerors, and used to cultivate henequen from which such products as rope, twine, and carpet are made. After the Mexican Revolution in the 1920s most henequen production moved to South America, but some of the large homes and haciendas built by the henequen industry barons still remain and are open for tours. Someone visiting Merida today will also find of interest the various Mayan ruins that are scattered in the low canopy jungle surrounding Merida, such as Chichen Itza, Coba, Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun.

The Mayans believed the penis was the source of fertility. Brilliant!! Uxmal and the other ruins include reference to that fact in their architecture.

The Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is a tourist paradise. Wonderful beaches, impressive landscapes, beautiful colonial architecture, and rich Mayan archeological sites, make this area a living museum.

The authentic Yucatecan cuisine also adds to the richness of the area and makes it a “must see”. Merida has a wonderful cooking school “Los Dos”, which was featured on “Martha Stewart”. If you are interested in taking cooking classes make sure you book them early.