Mexico's Safest City Explored! 🇲🇽 Things to Do in Mérida Mexico

Welcome to Merida, Mexico! Today we are exploring Mexico's safest city- Merida. We are on a mission to explore every state in the USA and Mexico, and we're excited to share our first video of our series on the state of Yucatan.
In our Merida travel guide, we'll take you on a tour of the beautiful city of Merida, located in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula. You'll learn about the must-do activities in Merida, as well as some off the beaten path activities that you won't find in any other travel guide.
We'll also dive into the rich history and fun facts about this vibrant city during our first time here. From the colorful architecture to a hidden cenote, there's so much to explore in Merida.
If you're planning a trip to Merida, or just looking for some travel inspiration, this video is for you. So sit back, relax, and join us on our adventure through Merida, Mexico.
✈️💚 Support Miles4Migrants using our link so that we can report back on our fundraising progress at the end of the month: miles4migrants.org/touristtolocal
🏠 Looking for a place to stay in Mérida? Check out our Airbnb recommendation bit.ly/42mjKl3
#merida #mexico #meridamexico #meridatravel #travel #mexicotravel
🎥 CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:11 Catedral de San Ildefonso
2:35 Museo de Merida and some history on Merida
3:27 Museo Casa Montejo
5:28 Why Merida is Mexico’s safest city
6:10 Where to eat in Merida
7:04 Guayabera shopping
8:39 About Miles4Migrants
9:56 Paseo Montejo and why Merida was the world’s wealthiest city
11:09 Montejo 495
13:01 Merida Anthropology and History museum
13:54 Touching on Merida’s dark past
15:43 An unsuspecting cenote...
16:28 The BEST airbnb in Merida!
18:32 Plaza Santa Lucia and the “kissing” benches
19:32 Thursday night show in Plaza Santa Lucia
20:09 Outro
🇲🇽 Versión en Español: • ¡La ciudad más segura ...
💳 Our TOP travel credit cards*: bit.ly/3UeybVQ
Scroll to bottom to see ad disclosure
🤗 Support our channel and keep us on the road: bit.ly/3w2jo8Q
☕️ Buy us a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/tourist2local
❤️ Join our Patreon: bit.ly/3WqstTv
📸 Our camera and travel gear*: bit.ly/43WFEM4
📲 Follow our Instagram! / touristtolocal
🎶 Get a 30 day trial of our favorite royalty free music*: bit.ly/37jkjAU
🇲🇽 Checkout our SPANISH channel: / bitacoradeviajero
------------------
Work with us by emailing [e-mail]
Advertiser Disclosure:
Product links with a * are affiliate links, which means we can make a small commission through purchases.
Some of the card links and other products that appear on this website are from companies which Daily Drop will earn an affiliate commission or referral bonus. Daily Drop is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites.This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies, or all available credit card offers. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available.

[@rondovzak4448]

We arrived at merida Airport at 10pm on 2/29/24 with some apprehension regarding the transportation to our hotel in the city centro. All of the internet talks about the need to take a taxi for at least Mex$300! It turns out the ADO bus into the city center was perfect for Mex$40 for each person. We got off at the 2nd stop, right near the Santa Lucia plaza & walked the few blocks to our hotel. Perfect!!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks for sharing this! That's helpful to know!

[@littlesita9452]

This is my favorite video of Merida so far! Thanks. I love the Miles4Migrants fundraiser and will be donating.

[@TouristtoLocal]

So glad you enjoyed our video and will be donating to Miles4Migrants! 💕💕💕💕 thank you!!!!

[@patrickstouffer5596]

Such a beautiful video! And thank you so much for highlighting Miles4Migrants and its important mission. ❤

[@TouristtoLocal]

Our pleasure :)

[@damarismartinez3298]

I was really excited for this video release and wow…it is incredible!! So much info and beautiful narration! Thank you for this! I will be visiting later this year and can’t wait!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Awwww thanks so much for the support!!!

[@keithwynkoop9588]

Merida rocks! Thank you!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks for watching!

[@luisavina4831]

I “visited” Merida in May of 2012, ended up staying until September of 2014😂😂 It’s the most gorgeous place I’ve ever lived in; I cannot wait to buy a house there and stay for good, I miss it dearly🥲

[@TouristtoLocal]

Oh wow! Yeah it's definitely one of those cities you could end up really staying a long time in. Wishing you the best in making those house dreams come true!

[@brut602]

Merida yay!!!!

[@TouristtoLocal]

It’s about time! This city is incredible!!

[@robot9043]

Having lived, and married a Mayan (Bochita Linda)...(once upon a time)...my favorite food experinces were..."Botana Bars"..These are free food restuarants and bars which offer local food and live local music, free with just the purchase of a drink!...Most tourists do not have a clue about these...You two would be perfect to search these out!

[@TouristtoLocal]

We totally want to visit a botana bar next time we are in Mexico. Martin has been before, but it's not something I've experienced yet. It sounds super unique!

[@terrybirchfiel1447]

Great video! Merida has been on my Mexico bucket list for a while. I'll be booking a trip soon after seeing this!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Yay! We’re glad you enjoyed it. We already want to go back!

[@EatBailaTravel]

Ya'll always have the best intros! We love Merida so much that it motivated us to move to Mexico. Great video fam!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks so much 🥹❤️ Intros are admittedly our favorite part to edit!!! We’ve gotta meet up in Merida some day (or literally anywhere else bc we love you guys) 💕💕💕💕

[@jodysalahub4194]

love Merida! Great video, thank you.

[@TouristtoLocal]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@oliviahope3424]

You are incredible jules!!! I am so proud

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thank you 🥹💕

[@talex5459]

We are traveling to Merida this week, thank you so much for this helpful video! :)

[@TouristtoLocal]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ibanavillasenor1]

Me encantó el vídeo ! Si merida es Haci …mágica y encantadora

[@TouristtoLocal]

Es una ciudad bien bien bonita! Estamos feliz que disfrustaste nuestro video.

[@christopherarkills8912]

Great video and a great cause to give back.

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks so much for watching ❤️

[@lizinawe]

also love merida, a 4 hour trip for me from ozumel. gratteful you mentioned the "darker side" i love that in both merida and cozumel, there are still natives who only speak mayan. used to stay in a converted monastery next to grand hotel. they had a ghostly sweet nun spirit that would pass by at night and gently sweep or kiss my cheek. they also had trovas singing every afternoon and a great pool with a view of the catherdral on the roof.

[@JustinBrehm]

I really enjoy this video and I'm going backwards on all your videos watching those so I can't wait

[@TouristtoLocal]

Yay so glad you enjoyed it! We have some really nice ones coming up around Yucatán. Thanks for the support!

[@jameshall9629]

This video was so compelling I booked right away! I'm so excited about my trip next month. I understand that the beach in Progresso is only 27 miles away! May be great news for beach goers!

[@TouristtoLocal]

OMG this is what we like to hear! So so so glad you're going here. You picked a good spot. We regret not visiting Progresso since it is in fact so close! Check out our video visiting another beach nearby to see flamingos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2KvhpJ_d7yNsKc

[@RigiLiquid945]

I have visited Merida twice before the pandemic days. It's so nice to see the same places again. Actually sat in those seats too.

[@TouristtoLocal]

It's always so interesting to see how a place is a few years later! Thanks for watching!

[@isaac50]

Amazing video quality, beautiful video!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thank you so much!

[@cindyk3076]

Merida looks beautiful! Nice Airbnb!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Such a good find :) thanks for watching!

[@LocaldudeCA]

Every video just gets better and better!!! And a 20 min video! Thank you!

[@TouristtoLocal]

💕💕💕 this made us smile!!!! Thank you!

[@jeswaner]

Well, that is one more place my husband and I want to move to! thanks for everything.

[@TouristtoLocal]

Glad to hear you liked it!!!

[@jeswaner]

@@TouristtoLocal My husband and I have been trying to find places outside of Cabo/Todos Santos to move to. My parents live in Todos, and it's great but we want something different. I see this as you helping us 🤣

[@wonderlandbyavitabos]

Love this video!! We’re going to Merida in July and I definitely will go get a dress and a guayabera like yours 😬💕😍😍😍 GREAT VIDEO!! Thank you!!!😊❤️

[@TouristtoLocal]

Yay!!! We can be twins :) Thanks so much!!!!

[@Stuka87]

The first video from Mexico that you two have done that I have been to almost all of these locations as my wife is from Merida. The story of the Eagle has to do with it being built in the 1500s. The symbol was covered for a long time, but was uncovered again more recently. It was also partly built by tearing down Maya temple. So on the right side down the alley you can see Maya markings in the stone.

[@TouristtoLocal]

How cool! Thanks for letting us know! We were really curious about that ❤️

[@TouristtoLocal]

We are thrilled to share the results from last month’s fundraiser for Miles4Migrants. Between the money earned on our AdSense (+the amount to cover their credit card processing fee) and the amount contributed via individual donations, we raised $278.08! That’s enough to cover the added fees for multiple families 🙌 Thanks to everyone who helped!

[@JesusRodriguez-rw6fy]

Gracias por visitar México.

[@TouristtoLocal]

❤️

[@doninmichigan]

Nice video!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thank you!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Here’s how you can support our fundraiser for Miles4Migrants 🙌 1. 👀 Watch this video with ads! - Watching all the ads helps us to earn more to donate. 2. 👍 Leave a comment and like -More interactions with this video mean the algorithm pushes it more, leading to more views and more revenue earned 3. ✈️ Consider donating - Miles4Migrants accepts cash or miles/points! Use our donation portal so we can track our fundraiser and report back on the amount raised after 30 days : miles4migrants.org/touristtolocal

[@TouristtoLocal]

We are thrilled to share the results from last month’s fundraiser for Miles4Migrants. Between the money earned on our AdSense (+the amount to cover their credit card processing fee) and the amount contributed via individual donations, we raised $278.08! That’s enough to cover the added fees for multiple families 🙌 Thanks to everyone who helped!

[@storres1368]

❤❤❤❤❤🇲🇽

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@J_Eusebio]

Going to Merída in December for vacation and to see if we would like to retire there!

[@TouristtoLocal]

You’re going to LOVE IT! It’s really an ideal spot for retirement. Have a great trip!

[@rachelrabb]

Thank you guys for going over some of the darker history. I love Merida but can never forget how things like the main cathedral is materials reused from destroyed Mayan sites.

[@TouristtoLocal]

Glad you enjoyed our take on this! Thanks for watching!

[@davisurdaneta1426]

Guayabera is quite similar to Filipino Barong Tagalog. A lot of cultural similarities between the 2 countries. Awesome vlog. Planning to visit Merida next month.

[@TouristtoLocal]

The Philippines is one area where we'd LOVE to visit. We are fascinated by the cultural similarities between Mexico and the Philippines. Didn't know that about the guayabera! Have a great trip.

[@davisurdaneta1426]

@@TouristtoLocalYou guys can grow your channel exponentially by vlogging/touring the country. There was a Galleon trade between Manila - Acapulco for about 250 years during the Spanish rule. A lot of cultural exchanges had been introduced during those times.

[@crickskbz8390]

My family is from there and i love it over there!! CETINA..CALDERON?CARRILLO..GANADOS?

[@TouristtoLocal]

How cool!!

[@lindvi0r]

Merida is a gem

[@TouristtoLocal]

We would consider it the 2nd best place to see in Mexico after Oaxaca :) We loved our time here!

[@rob171081]

Brilliantly put together video. You guys are great. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks so much!

[@augustinaabbott2331]

When Mexico became an internationally recognized independent and sovereign nation in 1821, the first official flag of Mexico was unveiled. It featured vertical stripes of green, white, and red, just as are present today. Also, an eagle wearing a crown and standing on a cactus was the coat of arms at the time, which represented the empire of Mexico. In 1823, Mexico became a republic and the flag was changed for the first time of many over the course of its history. The crown was removed from the eagle to represent the fall of the empire and a snake was planted in its talon. A laurel branch and an oak branch were also added to the flag. In 1864, the third flag of Mexico was created for the Second Republic of Mexico. The main difference with this flag was that the coat of arms was moved from the center of the flag to the corner. The Mexican flag has undergone many more changes over the years, perhaps most notably the return of the eagle to the center of the flag. The colors have remained the same, though brightened a bit, and the overall theme and display of the flag has remained similar to that of the earliest Mexican Flag. The current version of the Mexican flag was adopted on September 16, 1968

[@augustinaabbott2331]

Que Viva Mexico

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this! Good to know!

[@ccm2810]

How far of a walk was the airb&b from the city center, shops etc?

[@TouristtoLocal]

About 33 minutes. We took ubers most of the time.

[@ccm2810]

Thank you so much! @@TouristtoLocal

[@gasparmaldonado7596]

My recommendation it's not to eat in the "commercial" restaurants, so, the best way to eat the real and delicious food from Yucatán is in the little towns and that's a way you can support the local economy, it's cheaper and extremely delicious than Chaya Maya :)

[@TouristtoLocal]

Appreciate the tip! What local spots would you recommend?

[@tristarperfecta1061]

I'm going to move there next year. I would also like to hear what places you recommend. I will most likely be living outside of the city.

[@gasparmaldonado7596]

Tixkokob, Kanasín, Umán, also Motul, Valladolid, Maní, and so many, but i named the popular ones, and please never eat at Chaya Maya or any kind of that restaurant, it's so expensive and had a poorly taste, please try the food coming from literally mayan hands :))

[@Alaskawarmray]

Would love the Airbnb link!

[@TouristtoLocal]

It’s in the description 🙌

[@briantravelman]

I found the story behind the Eagle. During the Mexican Revolution, the lions and castles which are the symbol of Spain were chiseled away, and replaced with the Mexican eagle.

[@TouristtoLocal]

How cool! Thanks for reporting back to us! Cheers!

[@amarublue]

The symbol on the church was changed from a "lion and a castle" due to its Moorish origin, but the city's coat of arms still has the old symbolism.

[@TouristtoLocal]

Ooooh good to know! Thank you!

[@Thehabanero_]

Hello are the taxis from the airport reliable or safe to use to take you to your hotel etc?

[@TouristtoLocal]

Definitely! They just are a little more expensive. You can also walk outside of the airport and order an uber.

[@Thehabanero_]

Great. Thank you so much for the information!

[@hevensangel3278]

Can you please add a list of the songs/artists in the video? I love the music selection.

[@lgnrome]

I’m planning on moving there that’s my goal

[@TouristtoLocal]

This would be such a nice place to move to!

[@lgnrome]

Yes it would. The more videos I watch about Merida the more I get excited and sad at the same time. I wish I knew about Merida at least 5 years ago. I feel like I missed the bus. Lol

[@MarthaLuciaDiazAcosta]

Thanks for the video :) Gracias! Hope to visit Merida soon!

[@TouristtoLocal]

De nada! Thanks for watching!

[@merlejohnson626]

Do you recommend renting a car or using public transportation?

[@TouristtoLocal]

You can do a mix of renting a car for day trips + using Uber in Merida itself! We go over this and more in our NEW video covering everything you need to know for a trip to Yucatán: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eobVnmydgdh4fdE

[@mex5341]

looks like Valladolid

[@karenmcwilliams5840]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️

[@TouristtoLocal]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-gq3rp4dy5y]

Can you drink the water?

[@TouristtoLocal]

We would recommend sticking to bottled water everywhere in mexico

[@turcorox911]

The guy is like Mexican Kumail Nanjiani

[@karenmcwilliams5840]

I'm new to your channel. Please send me the Air B&B ilink for Merida with the large 🍌 Painting ❤️🙏🙏🙏😊

[@TouristtoLocal]

So glad you found us! Here's the link: www.airbnb.com/rooms/42917089

[@Subwaygaryf]

Never look at another Costco the same way again!

[@TouristtoLocal]

Right?! We’ve been to a Costco at home a few times since filming and it just doesn’t hit the same as the Merida one 😉

[@longliveavalon]

Dang what a beautiful woman! I'm in love 😍🥴🥰😊🥰😍

[@luissolis232]

Hermosa, hermosa ciudad de Mérida, la de Yucatán, todavía un Estado tranquilo, al resto de la república Mexicana. Ya que otros Estados de México cada día están peor, debido al desgobierno federal de López Obrador (me consta); las cosas como son. Es increíble que a pesar de todo ese desastre que ha creado López Obrador, Mérida y en General el Estado haya cierta calma, con sus bemoles por supuesto. Felicidades les quedó un hermoso video de una ciudad y un Estado maravilloso, por su gente y su naturaleza.

[@diegoflores9237]

There's nothing wrong with people. It's just that people from the US are kind of pushy. Many in mexico know how allowing people from the US into California and Texas turned into tragedy. Less well known is that at the time mexico lost California, the US was also agitating in Yucatan to separate it from mexico.

[@mikesmith8026]

An immigrant came to usa and he met an American girl in 2 years, I've been here all my life asked 10,000 girls out on a date all said no yes 10,000. So I went to Mexico and met my dream girl in a day get your passport guys

[@TouristtoLocal]

Great advice!

[@MariaWerner-sf1ef]

You must be a real catch if 10 000 Girls refused to even go out with you! 😂

[@pgarciaAP]

Sorry, the city is a snore. It might be the safest “tourist”city in Mexico, but once you’ve done the ruins nearby, there’s not much else to do. The cuisine is pretty repetitive. People are friendly, and I can certainly appreciate that, but honestly, the city is only worth a day or two maximum as far as worthwhile activities. I’ve visited Oaxaca and much of the Caribbean side of Mexico, as well as Mexico City. Uxmal is a worthwhile side trip along with the surrounding ruins, not much else in the city besides a couple of colonial sites.

[@meatgravylard]

I have watched the first few minutes of Merida videos that randomly populate my home page since I first searched Merida during Covid when there was little to do. Since then I have seen myself and my wife in two videos and now you just walked by my house, I'm going to be a star....

[@TouristtoLocal]

Omg that’s so funny! How cool!!! Thanks for sharing!