Merida

Merida, a city of about 1 million people, is a wonderful mixture of colonial city and cosmopolitan destination.
With Merida as your base, you can visit cathedrals and churches, Mayan ruins, museums , haciendas and cenotes . You'll also find movies, theaters, important hospitals, public and private schools, four universities, shopping malls with such stores as Sear's, and chain stores such as Sam's, Costco and WalMart as well as the Mexican chains of Liverpool, Comercial Mexicana/MEGA, Soriana and Sanborn's.
Merida's visitor attractions include historic sightseeing, gateway to the Mayan world, excellent shopping (Mayan art, hammocks, unique native crafts) and a leisurely tropical pace. Lodging ranges from colonial bed & breakfast inns to modern highrise hotels.
Because of its tranquility and cleanliness, Merida has become a popular place for families from other Mexican states. Many people have moved here from Mexico City, where crime, pollution and overcrowding are ever growing problems. Crime is not tolerated in Merida, and it has the distinction of the city with the lowest crime rate per capita in Mexico.



