Mérida Free Walking Tour

This free walking tour lasts an hour and a half and covers the historic center of Mérida, the capital of Yucatán, on foot. The guide speaks English and Spanish. It starts in front of the Saint Ildefonso Cathedral and ends at Santa Lucía Park. The thread of the route is the city's monumental heritage: a cathedral, a 16th-century house, a Porfirian-style grand hotel and a theater, ending at a park known for its serenades.

The tour begins in front of the Saint Ildefonso Cathedral, presented as the first cathedral built in the Americas, with a Renaissance facade that shows Spanish influence and also traces of the Maya. Next to Casa Montejo, a 16th-century building declared a Historic Monument, the guide tells the story of the Montejo family. Very close by is the Government Palace, with murals about the history and struggles of the Maya people.

Next come the Gran Hotel de Mérida, in the Porfirian style and with the feel of the early 20th century, and the Church of Jesús de la Tercera Orden, known for its Baroque altarpieces. Then comes the José Peón Contreras Theater, where the talk turns to the city's cultural life, with music, theater and dance. The finish is Santa Lucía Park, known for its serenades and its confidant chairs, linked to romance and social life in Mérida.