Mérida, a city of nearly 1 million inhabitants, is a wonderful blend of a colonial city and a cosmopolitan destination. With Mérida as your base, you can visit cathedrals and churches, Mayan ruins, museums, haciendas, and cenotes. You'll also find cinemas, theaters, major hospitals, public and private schools, four universities, and shopping centers. Spanish Francisco de Montejo founded Mérida on January 6, 1542.
When the Spanish arrived, Mérida was a large Mayan city known as T´ho, located where the Main Plaza is now. It was conquered by the Spanish, who dismantled all the pyramids and used the large stones for the foundations of the Cathedral of San Idelfonso (1556-1599), the oldest cathedral on the American continent.
The Cathedral, located on the eastern side of the plaza, is just one of Mérida's most interesting places. Directly across the square is the Municipal Palace (1735), the city hall of Mérida. In the southern part is the Casa de Montejo (1542), the former home of the conqueror of Yucatán.
The Government Palace (1892), on the northern side, houses 27 murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco illustrating Yucatán's somewhat violent history. At the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of the henequen or sisal trade, Mérida was home to numerous millionaires who built their lavish homes along Paseo Montejo, and their impressive haciendas scattered throughout the jungle around Mérida.
A walk along Paseo Montejo is a fabulous way to discover some of these mansions, many of which have been completely restored, and some of which are romantically decaying and fuel the imagination. Yucatán is one of the safest and most peaceful states in Mexico, with a climate similar to that of Florida or Cuba. Yucatecans are good, calm, hospitable people with strong roots and traditions. They take pride in their city, known as "The White City," not only because of the predominance of limestone as a building material but also because its streets, squares, and parks are cleaned every day. Free guided tours of the Historic Center of Mérida are available daily at 9:30 AM. Call 928-2020 Ext. 833 or visit the Tourist Office at the bottom of the Municipal Palace (corner of Calle 61 and Calle 60).
About us
The Hotel Nacional Mérida is strategically located in the heart of the Historic Center of the beautiful colonial city of Mérida, known as “the white city”, surrounded by the main tourist sites, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theaters, old churches, government institutions and shops. In this environment stands the Hotel Nacional Mérida, which for many years has been home to national and foreign tourists who visit the city for pleasure or business, attracted by the variety of attractions of the city, the comfort of the hotel, the quality of its services and the friendly and cordial treatment of its staff, which has made the hotel one of the best of its kind in the city.