Ki’bok (p. 233) is closed.
Pancho’s (p. 235) is not open for lunch anymore (although this guide doesn’t say it ever was—just FYI). The quality of the food is such that we can really only recommend it for drinks anyway.
The Museo de la Ciudad (p. 229) has moved to the old post office building by the market (on Calle 69).
The post office is now at Calle 53 between calles 52 and 54.
The Museo de Arte Popular (p. 231) has reopened near its old location—it’s on Calle 55, across the small park from Calle 50. Another Banamex-funded project, it looks great.
The Museo del Ferrocarril (p. 231) is now open Mon–Sat 8am–1pm, and admission is free.
Villa Mercedes (p. 225) is now the Merida Inter-Continental. Rooms are a bit more generic than they used to be, but this is still a good top-end choice.
Luz En Yucatan (p. 226) has changed owners, and they’ve done some renovations—it all looks like positive changes.
Apologies: the phone number for Hacienda Xcanatun and its restaurant, Casa de Piedra, just outside of Merida, is wrong. It should be 999/941-0273.
The Museo de la Ciudad has moved to the old post office, near the market: Calle 56 at Calle 65. It’s open much later–till 8pm–during the week, and it’s still free.
I’ve mentioned this site before, but it has gotten even better: now Yucatan Living posts a weekly list of events going on in Merida. Definitely check it out for the latest right before your trip–there’s so much going on in the city, and the good folks who run this site do a great job of highlighting some of the events that make the city special.
Prices have gone up for this popular tour (p. 241), and after talking with some of the guides, I realize the description of pricing is not as clear as it could be.
For the shorter tour (1–1.5hrs, depending on where the flamingoes are at the time):
To start, a boat for up to four people costs M$400. Then each person must pay another M$40, PLUS M$40 in taxes (M$20 state, M$20 federal) for upkeep of the site and research.
But boats actually hold six people. If you want to put more than four people in a boat, then it’s simply M$140 per person, PLUS the taxes (compare that to M$165 on a four-person boat).
Basically, they price it this way so there isn’t a huge incentive to pack everybody onto a single boat—there are a lot of boat captains, and not a whole lot of custom. So you can wait around to try to get a full boat together, but the savings will not be immense. (The guides recommend arriving around 10am if you’re keen to join up with other people, as that’s when the most people arrive.)
For the longer tour (2–2.5hrs), it’s M$1160 for four people, or M$240/person for five or six people, PLUS the taxes.
There’s also the matter of guides. Your boat captain may know a little English, and be able to point out a few things, but you may want an additional guide if you’re a real naturalist, or would like someone who speaks fluent English or a different language. The guide service is an additional M$200 (short tour) or M$400 (long tour) per boat—so split among a few people, it’s not that much.
Also, regarding seasons: The best time for visiting is November through mid-May. You can’t really go swimming at the springs during September and October because the water is high and has all the mangrove runoff in it, so don’t expect this as part of your tour at that time.
The rumored Hernandez hotel on the plaza (p. 214) will actually be a folk art museum, perhaps opening in December 2006.
There is another new hotel on the plaza, however: Hotel de San Miguel Arcangel (www.sanmiguelhotel.com.mx), which has some small but nicely done rooms, starting at M$540.
Museo MACAY (p. 228) is now free.
Palacio Canton, the archeology/anthropology museum (p. 230) is up to M$33.
The Museo de la Canción Yucateca (p. 231) now costs M$20.
The Museo de Arte Popular (p. 231) is still closed, and doesn’t look like it will reopen.
Maya Site Internet (p. 235) is closed.
Delta is now offering direct flights to Mérida from Atlanta (p. 28, p. 235).
A taxi from the airport (p. 222) costs M$135, which is quite steep. But the bus is a much longer walk from the terminal than I remembered—you wouldn’t want to do it in the sun or with any substantial luggage. The taxis’ zone system is no longer in effect, but many more taxis have meters (look for “Taximetro” on the top).
The main post office (p. 236) has reopened and is offering full service.
I somehow completely overlooked Cine Fantasio, on Parque Hidalgo at C 60—it’s the most central of the movie theaters (p. 234).
The market’s new location (p. 231) has indeed opened—but the vendors haven’t really moved out of the old one, as was planned. So now the whole complex is double the size.
Maison Lafitte (p. 225) is not aging so well. It’s still fairly well priced for what you get, but I’m not sure I’ll include it on the next edition.
I for some reason failed to include a great budget hotel called Mucuy (C 57 no. 481, between C 56 and C 58, 928/-5193, www.mucuy.com), which is now even nicer because it has a small pool—yet the rates are still between M$200 and M$300.
Business hours at La Casa de Frida (p. 233) have changed—it’s open Mon–Sat. The menu has also been pared down substantially—main dishes are basically chiles en nogada and mole, and a couple of other things.
A correction: El Cumbanchero (p. 235) is at Paseo de Montejo and C 39.
Ki’bok (p. 233) only serves dinner now, Tues–Sun.
This cool hostel by the bus station (p. 266) has closed. Apparently, the owners have opened a new place in Cancun–but that doesn’t help you much in Merida, does it? Not to worry: Nomadas is still an excellent, friendly stop (and cheap!), and Hostal del Peregrino is beautiful and a bit smaller.
