What to Do on a Rainy Day in Merida, Mexico

To the south of the main plaza is the elegant Casa de Montejo, a building built between 1542 and 1549 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo. The well-preserved 16th-century mansion was owned by the Montejos until 1970, and now displays the family’s renovated furniture. Bring an umbrella so you can spend some time looking at the building’s façade. The imagery offers a fascinating glimpse into the colonial mindset and the skewed logic of the conquistadores. Carved stone figures depict brave invaders battling hordes of barbarians.

Mérida is famed for its troubadour music, or trova, which has roots in Cuban and Colombian traditions. El Museo de la Canción Yucateca offers a fascinating glimpse into this aspect of the local culture. Here, you’ll find guitars and other items that once belonged to the region’s greatest trova artists. Outside is a statue of Ricardo Palmerín, the musician who composed one of the most iconic trova songs, “La Peregrina” (“the pilgrim”) in 1923.

Mérida’s most famous museum, the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, is home to a spectacular collection of Mayan relics, art, and jewelry. Opened in 2012, the museum offers exhibits that begin by documenting the present day, and travel all the way back to the meteorite that struck more than 65 million years ago and may have triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs. The building’s architecture is also spectacular: the green and grey structure mimics the form of a ceiba, the sacred tree that the Mayans believed connected the earth with the heavens and the underworld.

A rainy day is the perfect excuse to spend the day enjoying Mérida’s legendary cuisine. Just off the Parque Santa Lucía, La Chaya Maya is an excellent and inexpensive eatery located in a beautiful colonial building. Named after the tree spinach that is frequently used in the region’s cuisine, the warm and welcoming restaurant boasts an impressive menu. We highly recommend the cochinita pibil, a traditional dish consisting of pork marinated in orange juice and ground achiote seeds.

Stop in at Fundación Mezcalería for a shot or two of mezcal. Located in a retro-style hangout, Mérida’s coolest bar features local DJs and bands playing everything from cumbia to electronica. If the music doesn’t make you want to hit the dance floor, the mezcal certainly will.