Yucatán

Welcome to Mérida
Merida is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan, and the largest city in
southeastern Mexico, the city´s rich culture heritage is a product of the syncretism
of the Maya and Spanish cultures during the colonial era.
It was the first city to be over named American Capital of Culture and is the only
city that has received the title twice.
The cathedral of Merida, was built in the late 16th century with stones from nearby
Maya ruins, and is known to be the old cathedral in the mainland Americas, In
addition, the city has the third largest old district on the continent.
Merida is often considered the safest city of Mexico and one of the safest cities in
the Americas, the city was certified as an International Safe Community by the
Karolinska Institute of Sweden for its high level of public security. Forbes
Magazine has ranked Merida three times as one of the three best cities in Mexico
to live invest and do business.
Merida began to be nicknamed as “la ciudad blanca”, it was believed that this
nickname was given due to the white color of the limestone used to paint the walls
and the city´s colonial building.

What kind of clothes should I wear?

Merida´s climate is hot and its humidity is moderate to high, depending on the time
of year. The average annual high temperature is 35 degrees, However, in may,
temperatures often rise above 39 degrees in the afternoon, it´s most often a few
degrees hotter in Merida, than in coastal aereas due to its inland location and low
elevation.
For that reasons, you should wear shorts and comfortable shirts, also, you have to
wear sunscreen if you are going to walk in the afternoon or your skin will get burn
by the sun.

Culture
If you visited Merida on November, you can taste one of the best dishes called
Mucbi pollo, that is like a mayan tamal pie offered to the dead on Hanal Pixan, and
talking about the food, Yucatan food is its own unique style is very different from
what people consider “Mexican” food, and this are some of the dishes that you can
eat when you visit Merida:

 Poc Chuc, a Maya/Yucateco version of boiled/grilled pork

 Salbutes and Panuchos. Salbutes are soft, cooked tortillas with lettuce,
tomato, turkey and avocado on top. Panuchos feature fried tortillas filled
with black beans, and topped with turkey or chicken, lettuce, avocado
and pickled onions. Habanero chiles accompany most dishes, either in
solid or puréed form, along with fresh limes and corn tortillas.
 Queso Relleno is a gourmet dish featuring ground pork inside of a
carved edam cheese ball served with tomato sauce
 Pavo en Relleno Negro (also known locally as Chimole) is turkey meat
stew cooked with a black paste made from roasted chiles, a local version
of the mole de guajalote found throughout Mexico. The meat soaked in
the black soup is also served in tacos, sandwiches and even
in panuchos or salbutes.
 Sopa de Lima is a lime soup with a chicken broth base often
accompanied by shredded chicken or turkey and crispy tortilla.
 Papadzules, egg tacos bathed with pumpkin seed sauce and tomatoes.
  Cochinita pibil is a marinated pork dish, by far the most renowned from
Yucatán, that is made with achiote. Achiote is a reddish spice with a
distinctive flavor and peppery smell. It is also known by the Spanish
(Recados) seasoning paste.
Sports
If you want to watch some sports in your visit Merida has three professional teams:
Leones de Yucatán the actual champion in Baseball
Venados FC and Mayas de Yucatan, you can enjoy visiting the stadiums and eat
some hojaldras, piedras and kibis. And after the game you can go to Prolongación
Montejo and enjoy the nighlife than Merida can offer to you, you can find Pubs,
Restaurants and some discotecs; however, if you prefer to visit other places Merida
has theater with regular shows: and the two more importants are in downtown, Jose
Peon Contreras and Daniel Ayala theather, you can go inside and enjoy a play.