Merida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatan. It is located in the northwest part of the state. It was founded in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo, a Spanish Conquistador. It is also known as 'The White City' due to the predominance of white limestone as a building material and also its streets, plazas and parks that are cleaned daily. Merida is also the cultural and financial capital.
Chichen Itza
It is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization, the Maya name "Chich'en Itza" means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza." This derives from chi, meaning "mouth" or "edge", and ch'en, meaning "well." It is located in the northern center of the Yucatan Peninsula, present-day Mexico. The main edifice, the Castillo or Pyramid of Kukulcan, was voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
El Paseo Montejo
It is a beautiful, tree-lined street, lined with houses developed by the henequen-industry barons. It's a great place to walk in the evening. Have a dish of ice cream, look at the houses. Make sure to go to the bakery at the Plaza de La Bandera circle (across from the McDonald's). The baked goods are delicious. Right outside, a family sells tamales (and has been for decades). The tamales are cheap, fresh and absolutely delicious.
Mayapan Mayapan
It is a Pre-Columbian Maya site in the state of Yucatan, Mexico, about 40 km south-east of Merida. Mayapan ("Banner of the Mayas") is considered the last great Maya capital from about the late 1220s until 1440s. It is believed that this city once had a population of 12,000. With respect to art and archeological, Mayapan's ancient grandeur is still evident in its great buildings. It is a smaller replica of the Castillo of Kukulcan.
Uxmal
It is a large pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. It is 78 km south of Merida, Yucatan, or 110 km from that city on Highway 261 towards Campeche. Uxmal is pronounced "Oosh-mahl" that means "'built three times" in the Mayan language. It is the Puuc style of Maya architecture. Uxmal was the capital of a regional state that developed in the Puuc region between 850 to 950 AD.
Iluminado
Tours Offers Spiritual Tours of various Yucatan Peninsula locations such as Chitzen Itza, San Gervasio on Cozumel and various sites around Merida with new eyes, escorted by Maya elders and teachers. Discover and explore the treasures to be found in the Yucatan. Tours include visits, ceremonies and rituals with Mayan shamans.
Mexican National Parks
The ruins and national park at Dzibilchaltun are only a few minutes' drive from Merida. It's most famous structure is the Temple of the Seven Dolls, so named because of seven small effigies found at the site when the temple was discovered under the ruins of a later temple pyramid by archaeologists in the 1950s. 