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Plaza Grande

Mérida


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; under the Spanish it was the Plaza de Armas, the parade ground, laid out by Francisco de Montejo (the Younger).

A ceremony is held daily marking the raising and lowering of the Mexican flag, there's a crafts market on Sunday, and dance or live music nearly every night.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mérida attractions

1. Casa de Montejo

0.05 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…

2. Palacio Municipal

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Originally built in 1542, the Palacio Municipal was twice refurbished, in the 1730s and the 1850s.

3. Palacio de Gobierno

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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…

4. Catedral de San Ildefonso

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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. Centro Cultural Olimpo

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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…

6. Museo Fernando García Ponce-Macay

0.08 MILES

Housed in the former archbishop’s palace, the attractive museum's impressive collection holds permanent exhibitions of three of Yucatán’s most famous…

7. Iglesia de Jesús

0.14 MILES

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…

8. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

0.17 MILES

The modern Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán was established in the 19th century by Governor Felipe Carrillo Puerto and General Manuel Cepeda Peraza. Inside…

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