The 17th-century Iglesia de Jesús was built by Jesuits in 1618. It's the sole surviving edifice from a complex of buildings that once filled the entire city block. The church was built from the stones of a destroyed Maya temple that occupied the site. On the west wall facing Parque Hidalgo, look closely and you can see two stones still bearing Maya carvings.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.58 MILES
A world-class museum celebrating Maya culture, the Gran Museo houses a permanent collection of more than 1100 remarkably well-preserved artifacts,…
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16.72 MILES
If you visit one hacienda, make it this one. This vast estate grew and processed henequén (agave plant fibers, used to make rope); many of its numerous…
0.67 MILES
This massive mansion was built between 1909 and 1911, though its owner, General Francisco Cantón Rosado (1833–1917), lived here for only six years before…
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16.14 MILES
Sotuta de Peón, 32km south of Mérida, is the only working henequén hacienda in the world. Jump aboard a horse and cart and view the henequén process from…
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1.14 MILES
This living history house gives you a sense of the splendor and grandeur of the 'Oro Verde' (Green Gold) henequén era. The only original house of its kind…
8.65 MILES
Lying about 17km due north of central Mérida, Dzibilchaltún ('Place of Inscribed Flat Stones') was the longest continuously used Maya administrative and…
0.11 MILES
On the site of a former Maya temple is Mérida’s hulking, severe cathedral, begun in 1561 and completed in 1598. Some of the stone from the Maya temple was…
0.18 MILES
Casa de Montejo is on the south side of Plaza Grande and dates from 1540. It originally housed soldiers, but was soon converted into a mansion that served…
Nearby Mérida attractions
1. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
0.05 MILES
The modern Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán was established in the 19th century by Governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto and General Manuel Cepeda Peraza. Inside…
0.06 MILES
The enormous Teatro Peón Contreras was built between 1900 and 1908, during Mérida’s henequén heyday. It boasts a main staircase of Carrara marble, a dome…
0.09 MILES
Built in 1892, the Palacio de Gobierno houses the state of Yucatán’s executive government offices (and a tourist office). Don't miss the wonderful murals…
0.11 MILES
On the site of a former Maya temple is Mérida’s hulking, severe cathedral, begun in 1561 and completed in 1598. Some of the stone from the Maya temple was…
5. Museo Fernando García Ponce-Macay
0.13 MILES
Housed in the former archbishop’s palace, the attractive museum's impressive collection holds permanent exhibitions of three of Yucatán’s most famous…
0.14 MILES
One of the nicest plazas in Mexico, huge laurel trees shade the park’s benches and wide sidewalks. It was the religious and social center of ancient T’ho;…
0.15 MILES
Attempts to create a modern exterior for Mérida's municipal cultural center were halted by government in order to preserve the colonial character of the…
0.17 MILES
Originally built in 1542, the Palacio Municipal was twice refurbished, in the 1730s and the 1850s.