OSEA Travel to Guide Yucatán and Maya Riviera

Getting Around Mérida


The Mérida Street System
Most of the streets are numbered with the exception of big avenues and boulevards All streets are one way – except the avenues and boulevards.

Even numbered streets are North-South
Odd numbered streets are East-West

The CENTER of town is a square formed by Calles 60 and 62 and 61 and 63
Calle 60 is on the EAST side of the Square. 62 on the WEST
Calle 60 goes north, Calle 62 goes south.
Calle 61 is on the NORTH side of the square. 63 is on the SOUTH
Calle 61 goes west and Calle 63 goes east.
The center of a town or town square is called zocalo in Spanish, kiwik in Maya.

Mérida is divided into colonias and fraccionamentos.
Each neighborhood has streets with the same numbers and addresses.
An address with just house and street name could be anywhere in the city!!!

Some colonias have the same name and are differentiated as I, II, III.
Colonias and fraccionamientos can also have the same name:
For example there is Colonia Miraflores and Frac. Miraflores.
Thus, remember the name of colonia and fraccionamento to avoid getting lost.

Lodging

Budget Hotels for Downtown Mérida
These are all ones that I have tried over the decades and I can recommend them. Perhaps my favorite today of this selection would be the Toledo; it is a renovated colonial building that is still not yuppified. It has a good breakfast restaurant and really lovely rooms.

Hotel Oviedo
Hotel Toledo
Hotel Mucuy
Hotel Caribe
Hotel Trinidad, two locations
Hotel Santa Lucia

Hostels The hostels are further south, near Bus Station, or further east of the downtown.
Nomadas Hostel, most established, is one of the few exceptions on Calle 64 north of Square at about Calle 47.
Hostel Zocalo is new, right on the square, south side, 2nd floor. Check out listings at:
http://www.hostels.com/hostels/merida/
The Nest Backpacker’s Hostel


MÉRIDA AIRPORT. If you arrive in Merida airport bring at least $20 US in singles, plus a few $5, $10s and $20s. Use a $20 to pay for a taxi and change money when you get downtown. The public bus would be 4 pesos (you may have to wait 20-30 for the public bus, but entails significant savings). In Mérida there are casas de cambio on 59 entre [between] 60 and 61. These are easy access, good rates, and quick. The best exchange rates in town are at one of two stalls in the Hotel Fiesta Americana. Sometimes the AmEx is superior rate, sometimes not, but AmEx has limited hours and lines whereas the others are almost always rapid service and open till 9pm.



Yucatantoday is a local travel info website
Transportation in general
Buses and Taxis in Mérida and Yucatán
Travel Agencies and Airlines in Mérida
Maps (including a map of Mérida)