By Summer Anderson | Posted: July 18, 2025

My husband and I traveled around the Yucatán peninsula for two months, with our home base in Mérida and Progreso! To us, Mérida is the perfect blend of ancient and modern Mexican culture. You will find delicious food, friendly people, stunning beaches and cenotes, and ancient ruins. Mérida and its surrounding areas are one of our favorite places in the world! Mérida is also very safe, and the people are extremely friendly!

Where we stayed:

Airbnbs! We booked two stays in two areas. In Mérida, I recommend staying in Centro Histórico (Historic Center). That is where much of the action is, and it is a central location for tour buses to come to. There is a range of accommodations in Mérida, some fancy and some more budget-friendly, so take your pick! We also stayed in Progreso, a beach town closest to Mérida. We stayed in a budget-friendly home about a 10-minute walk from the beach.

How we got around:

We used Uber and DiDi (a ride-share app similar to Uber) to get around. These apps are generally pretty cheap and are safe. For tours or longer distances, we used ADO. ADO has several large bus stations in Mérida that can take you to pretty much any tourist destination you want to go to. The buses are clean and spacious, and we always booked our tickets in advance online. We even took this bus to Cancún and back twice (3 hours one way).

Here are some of my favorite things to do in Yucatán and a bit about them:

Cenotes: Yucatán is famous for its cenotes. Cenotes are giant sinkholes filled with water that you can swim in. The most famous cenotes in Yucatán are Ik Kil, Cenote Dos Ojos, and Homún. There are hundreds of cenotes in the area, and some cenotes require a fee to swim in them. The less-visited cenotes are sometimes free. Visiting a cenote is an experience you can’t miss. There is even a little cenote in the Costco parking lot in Mérida.

Mayan Ruins: Another highlight of this part of the world is the stunning Mayan ruins everywhere. The most famous of these is Chichen Itza (an easy day trip from Mérida with ADO, or a tour group if you prefer). But there are dozens of others to explore as well, like Uxmal, Edzna, and the Tulum Ruins. A quick Google search will show you many more to visit. These generally cost a small amount to explore, and it is well worth the price. Chichen Itza can be crowded and hot, so it's best to go as early as you can to avoid the heat and crowds.

Historic Cities: We took several day trips or multi-day trips using Mérida as our home base. We visited Campeche, Valladolid, Cancún, Tulum, Celestún, Izamal, and more. For all of these trips, we took an ADO bus, except for Campeche, where we rented a car and drove. Much can be said about why you should visit each of these cities, but here is a quick rundown of the main attractions in each:

Campeche: known for its beautiful historic center. It is full of colonial architecture and was really fun to explore its pretty streets.

Valladolid: also known for its colonial architecture. It is a colorful city that is becoming an increasingly popular tourist town.

Celestun: known for its pink flamingos! During some months of the year, hundreds of pink flamingos flock to the city. It is quite a sight!

Izamal: Known for its bright yellow architecture!

Cancún & Tulum: popular tourist destinations known for stunning water and beaches.

Chichen Itza

Cenote Ik Kil

Uxmal ruins

Progreso Beach

Tulum

A note about safety:

Mérida is very safe. The U.S. State Department's Travel Advisories marks the Yucatán state as a Level 1, meaning exercise normal precautions. We never once felt unsafe! Of course, keep your eyes open in crowded touristy areas!

Random tips & facts:

Mérida is HOT, especially in the summertime! Wear sunscreen and bring water everywhere if you don’t want to buy it along the way!
Don’t drink the tap water!
If there isn’t a price listed on something you want to buy, you can usually haggle the price!
Try the classic breakfast in Mérida, which is Cochinita with a Coke! (pulled pork sandwich)
Go to all the markets you can!
Many people from Mérida sleep in hammocks! They are well known for their beautifully woven hammocks (my husband and I have two of them!)