Locals stop for friendly chats and large shady trees line the paved walkways. This main square is truly the heart of downtown Merida.
The Plaza Grande is a place where social graces and traditions have been kept alive. Come here to mingle with local residents and experience the relaxed pace of life that is so rare to find in most cities of this size.
Feed the pigeons, listen to talented buskers or just sit on a park bench and watch daily life pass by. This plaza is a hotspot for families, couples and office workers, who all come to spend time together throughout the day and evening.
Relax surrounded by the vivid green of the lush tropical gardens and check out the historical statues and fountains. Browse the handicrafts and traditional clothing on sale at Sunday markets, where vendors line the avenues with a colorful assortment of stalls.
Walk around with an ice cream in hand or taste some of the delicious food as you stroll along. Various carts sell snacks and typical street food. In addition, a large selection of excellent cafés and restaurants line the square.
Visit during a festival to participate in exciting public events. Depending on the date, you might see traditional folk dancing, religious parades or a dance band. During the Day of the Dead celebrations, regional villages set up altars around the square to honor departed relatives and residents paint their faces with dramatic skull designs.
Look up from the square and ponder how the area must have differed before the Spanish conquistadors arrived. This was also the political and social center of Th’o, as Mérida was named when it was a Mayan metropolis. Five great pyramids would have surrounded you if you stood here 500 years ago. Today some of Mérida’s grandest colonial buildings greet you instead.
Visit one of the oldest churches in the Americas, the Cathedral of San Ildefonso. Also have a look at the Government Palace, Municipal Palace and Montejo House.
As you wander the streets of old Mérida, sooner or later you’ll end up at Plaza Grande, one of the loveliest places in the whole city.
