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Plaza Grande

Mérida


One of the nicest plazas in Mexico, huge laurel trees shade the park’s benches and wide sidewalks. It was the religious and social center of ancient T’ho; under the Spanish it was the Plaza de Armas, the parade ground, laid out by Francisco de Montejo (the Younger).

A ceremony is held daily marking the raising and lowering of the Mexican flag, there's a crafts market on Sunday, and dance or live music nearly every night.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mérida attractions

1. Casa de Montejo

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Casa de Montejo is on the south side of Plaza Grande and dates from 1540. It originally housed soldiers, but was soon converted into a mansion that served…

2. Palacio Municipal

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Originally built in 1542, the Palacio Municipal was twice refurbished, in the 1730s and the 1850s.

3. Palacio de Gobierno

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Built in 1892, the Palacio de Gobierno houses the state of Yucatán’s executive government offices (and a tourist office). Don't miss the wonderful murals…

4. Catedral de San Ildefonso

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On the site of a former Maya temple is Mérida’s hulking, severe cathedral, begun in 1561 and completed in 1598. Some of the stone from the Maya temple was…

5. Centro Cultural Olimpo

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Attempts to create a modern exterior for Mérida's municipal cultural center were halted by government in order to preserve the colonial character of the…

6. Museo Fernando García Ponce-Macay

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Housed in the former archbishop’s palace, the attractive museum's impressive collection holds permanent exhibitions of three of Yucatán’s most famous…

7. Iglesia de Jesús

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The 17th-century Iglesia de Jesús was built by Jesuits in 1618. It's the sole surviving edifice from a complex of buildings that once filled the entire…

8. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

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The modern Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán was established in the 19th century by Governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto and General Manuel Cepeda Peraza. Inside…