The summer of 2013, we decided to take our 4 kids (ages 5-8 years old) to Mérida, Mexico for 6 weeks. The reasons were endless: we wanted our kids to practice Spanish, connect with their heritage, visit Mayan ruins, and really be immersed in this incredible culture. Previous summers we stayed in Mexico City with family while the kids attended a summer day camp (which was awesome!)– but this year we wanted a change of scenery. Hot, humid, tropical Merida was the answer. In my opinion, Mérida, Mexico- an inland city on the Yucatan peninsula- is the ideal base to take kids if you want an extended stay in a surrounded by ruins, beaches, ecological parks, unique cenotes, and colonial towns. It is touristy enough that you’ll be able to find anything you need, but without the feeling that you are just in Miami (as I feel in Cancun). Here are some of the trips we enjoyed throughout the Yucatan, as well as all of the places we loved within Merida.
Mérida Attractions with Kids
Zoos and Parks Folkloric
Dancing in Mérida
Markets and Souvenirs
Language Schools and Tutors
Traveling in the Yucatán
Typical Food in the Yucatan
Los Cenotes
Haciendas
La Ruta Puuc: Labná and Loltún
Izamal
Valladolid
Campeche: “City of the Pirates”
Beaches
Playa Progreso: 30 minutes north of Mérida
A Taste of the Riviera Maya: Mayacobá
Akumal: “The Place of the Turtles”
Ecological Reserves
Celestún
Río Lagartos
Mayan Ruins
Ek’ Balam
Cobá
Uxmal
Edzná
Resources to Plan a Trip to Mérida, Mexico
Yucatan Living: a web site that is a must read for anyone visiting the Yucatán Yucatán Today: a print magazine for anyone visiting Mérida, Mexico.