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 OVERVIEW
Aside from being a beautiful capital of the state of Yucatan, Merida is also
the cultural and intellectual center of Mexico's eastern region. The
physical legacy of the country's past link with the Europeans is at its most
vivid here, and the heritage of the Mayan culture is also the most intense in
the country as every visitor to Merida will go back home packed with memories of
the local's friendliness and distinctive characteristic from the rest of Mexico.
Nicknamed "The White City" because of the white and pastel exteriors
of several aged colonial buildings, this charming city houses fine shopping
centers, splendid Yucatecan cuisine, several majestic Mayan ruins, and many
sites of enchanting pristine beaches are easily within reach. In sum,
Merida never fails to charm its visitors over and over with its precious stock
of indigenous regional treasures.
HISTORY IN BRIEF
The present day Merida was once the ancient Maya City known as Tiho or
Ichcansiho which had been in existence for centuries. The city had
mysteriously disintegrated into ruins well before the establishment of a Spanish
colonial town in 1542 by Conquistador Francisco de Montejo who named the city
after his hometown in Spain. The virtual lack of contact between Merida
and central Mexico until the completion of road and rail links in the 1960s
helped to preserve the strong cultural integration between the Mayan and the
European in the area which is considerably distinguished from the rest of the
country.
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE
Merida is located on the Yucatan Peninsula. The general climate in
Merida is warm and humid like the rest of Yucatan cities. Summer
(June-September) is quite hot with the highest temperature ever registered was
40C, otherwise the summer average is around 30C. The rainy season starts
around July and ends around October. There are frequent strong gushing
tropical showers or storms in the afternoon. November to March is the most
amiable period as the weather becomes cool and breezy.
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