Dear readers, as you may have noticed it through my Facebook page and my Instagram, I did another road trip in Mexico and in family, but this time, with my French family who came to Mexico for the first time. If they first came for my civil wedding, I took this opportunity to travel with them and I chose both States of Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
First stop? Mérida, which is the capital of the State of Yucatan. As the credo of this blog is authenticity I will be honest about what I felt in Mérida. Definitely not a crush compare to some other cities that I visited in Mexico, such as San Miguel de Allende. It’s obvious that the city has a huge potential but is simply not developed. Why the capital of this touristic State is not more taken care? To what type of project the governor dedicates money? It’s a pity.
Many houses are abandoned and dilapidated. Many areas are dirty and the cathedral in the center is falling apart. People are extremely poor and even in the misery. Regardless of this, I feel all the unexplored possibilities of this place. As a matter of fact, some foreigners, mainly American, started to buy houses and refresh them to rent them. We thus stayed at La Casa de los Coyotes and learnt that the owner bought it for 35 000 $ and invested 35 000 more to refresh it. The place was a true gem, colorful, with a big kitchen, 3 bedrooms, two terraces and a pool, at only 15 minutes walking from the city center (I only would recommand it for a group, otherwise it's not interesting financially speaking).
I feel that if people continue to buy houses and invest in them, tourism will probably develop more. Another aspect of Mérida is the Paseo Montejo, a big avenue bounded by big colonial houses. But even this area didn’t seduce me. There was a certain melancholia in this empty avenue with those big fade and worn houses.
Another point: the climate. It’s extremely hot and humid without any cool breeze. When we are not used to, it’s not that easy to handle. However, I would recommend Mérida as an ideal staying option from which moving around in the State. If you plan to explore Yucatan (which is a MUST DO) Mérida’s location is pretty central. And this is thus what we did. The day after our arrival, we went to Celestún, a little fishermen’s village.
I actually had a crush for Celestún which is a lovely place full of charm. It’s not touristic: resorts and hotels didn’t flourish there, so it’s definitely preserved. You will may meet some curious like us but mainly locals. Go to the little restaurant La Playita on the beach and order a grilled fished as well as a fresh ceviche. Then, for 200 pesos per person (10€), take a ride in a “lancha” and go to explore flamingos and mangroves. We unfortunately didn’t see that many flamingos because the season has already passed. Did you know that flamingos are pink because of their shrimp diet? I first thought that the lancha’s driver was making a joke, but this is actually truly true!
Ultimately Celestún is made to relax and enjoy nature, appreciate a simple day.
Hope that you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t hesitate if you have any questions! I will be more than happy to answer you. And next week, I take you to the road to Valladolid, pueblo mágico!
