Merida Nights

Exploring Merida by night is always a wonderful experience, strolling through leafy streets and squares lined with stately churches and opulent mansions and enjoying the ambience of times gone by. When you have had your fill of walking or shopping in the boutiques, markets and folk art galleries, you can always grab a chair at an outdoor restaurant and dine by candlelight, listening to the serenades of local guitar strumming trova musicians. 

Merida is also a cultural center with a symphony orchestra, theaters, universities, museums, galleries and a lively performing arts scene and there is always something going on somewhere in the city. On May 13, the city celebrates Noche Blanca, a twice-yearly cultural extravaganza. Museums and galleries stay open later, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., and a wealth of cultural activities are planned. The program actually starts on Friday May 12 with La Vispera but the main event is on Saturday. Visit https://merida.gob.mx/nocheblanca/ to see the programs for both evenings and plan a trip.

Museums & Galleries

From polychrome ceramics, jade and gold figurines unearthed at archaeological sites in the Yucatan and guided tours of mansions on Paseo de Montejo to sculptures and paintings by local artists, be sure to visit Merida’s museums. The Anthropology Museum in Palacio Cantón on Paseo de Montejo, the multimedia Museum of the Maya World on Prolongacion Montejo and the City Museum on Calle 56 x 65 and 65-A are musts for a glimpse of the area’s history and Maya heritage. Mansions on Paseo de Montejo that are museums include Casa de Montejo, the home of Merida’s founding family on the main square and Casa Museo Montes Molina, Montejo 495 and El Minaret. When you are in the main square visit the museum in Casa del Montejo, the 16th century mansion built by the city’s founding family.

Other museums include the Folk Art Museum in La Mejorada, the Museum of Yucatecan Music and there’s even one dedicated to Yucatecan cuisine.

Visit Government House on the main square to see the murals depicting the Maya creation story and the history of the Yucatan by Fernando Castro Pacheco and the MACAY Contemporary Art Museum. 

Art galleries showcasing the works of local painters and sculptors can be found on Calle 60, Paseo de Montejo and in other city neighborhoods.

A Celebration of Music and Dance all year round

For after-dinner entertainment there are traditional cantinas, open-air bars in the squares and chic courtyards or rooftop terraces with live salsa and jazz music. Be sure to check out the free concerts and dance performances in the city. There’s something on every night of the week. Highlights include the Vaquería, a folk dance show on Monday in front of City Hall; a Trova concert in Santa Lucía on Thursday; video mapping in the main square on Wednesday and Friday; the reenactment of the Pok ta Pok or Maya ball game in the main square and Noche Mexicana on Saturday in El Remate Park on Paseo de Montejo, a celebration of Mexican music and dance, featuring local performers, mariachis and guest dance troupes from other Mexican states.

Your Concierge can help you plan a trip to Merida.