Savour Mexico’s hot cultural hub

Mérida is one of Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities

MÉRIDA, MEXICO

Mérida’s cultural offering is like no other on the Yucatán Peninsula (sorry, Cancún, you’ve got pretty beaches but party culture doesn’t count). On any given day you’ll find a dizzying array of live music, art shows and dance, and the booming culinary scene is hotter than a habanero pepper.

This year Mérida has been designated the American Capital of Culture, meaning visitors can expect a ginormous cultural extravaganza as organisers stage a series of large-scale events throughout 2017. And here’s the kicker: the so-called White City ranks among the safest places in Mexico nowadays.

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Sitting regally in the northwestern corner of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mérida is a tourist town but, simply put, it’s too big to feel like a tourist trap.

Sure, there are cool touristy things to do, like soaking up an evening of folkloric song and dance in Plaza Grande but the local experience is always there for the taking – breakfast at Wayan’e, which specialises in castacan tortas (pork-belly sandwiches), comes to mind.

Mérida is a big-time foodie destination. Street

BRIGHT SPOT: Mérida’s Independence Square

stalls, markets and family-run eateries whip up what is arguably some of Mexico’s best regional cuisine, such as cochinita pibil (achiote-rubbed, pit-cooked pork) and relleno negro (black turkey stew). An international culinary scene is flourishing too, as more and more foreign chefs take to Mérida’s low-key lifestyle. And who can blame them for liking a place that makes lazing around in a hammock on a warm afternoon one of its top priorities?

UNMISSABLE EXPERIENCES

A trip to Mérida must include a visit to the world-class Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, housing 1,100 remarkably intact Maya artefacts. This is an obligatory stop for background on all things Maya before hitting the ruins.

The secret to visiting the popular Maya site of Chichén Itzá, 75 miles east of Mérida, is getting there before the crowds arrive. Doing so allows you to appreciate some of the most astounding pre-Hispanic structures you’ll see.

Let loose in the fan-cooled, downtown La Negrita cantina, where live tropical tunes and mezcal drinks will have you giddily dancing into the night. Extract from Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel 2017 (£9.99)

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