Al

We were on a tour, stayed at the Holiday Inn (very comfortable, excellent buffet meals, ultra clean). The Restaurant Bella Epoca near the Zocalo is quite nice. Merida has several fine restaurants. Try the local Yucatecan specialties, such as poc-chuc -- thin slices of pork marinated in sour orange juice, then barbecued. The lime soup is very tasty. We went to both Chichen Itza and Uxmal. CI is directly east, takes about 90 minutes or more by bus, takes a half-day on the grounds to see properly. Go early, beat the crowds, beat the heat at both sites. Had lunch at a hacienda west of CI, on the road to Merida. Uxmal, though smaller, is just as interesting. Takes about 90 minutes by road south of Merida. Allow about the same amount of time at the ruins. We hired a guide (with his own Chevrolet) in Merida for Uxmal; our group guide did the included guiding at CI. A guide makes the ruins come alive. Otherwise, you miss a lot.

gaylewinds

We agree with all suggestions. Lots to do in Merida and elsewhere a bus trip away. Palenque takes time to get to from Merida (a day of travel each way). The English Library offers house tours on Tuesdays, which are lovely surprises. The bus tours had very knowledgeable guides for great prices. (A couple warnings ~ don't fall victim to English speaking locals who will walk up to you and offer help/suggestions. The info they offer is great, but if they suggest the Coop to buy Panama Hats & Guayberas, etc., don't! We thought we were getting a great deal at half off their starting price until our tourguide and proprietor explained the game. We got back to find that the shirts were quite defective and we over paid significantly. Also, if you buy Cuban cigars from street hawkers,have them open the box to prove the cigars are not terribly dry. The Yucatan is a beautiful culture and the people are lovely. Enjoy your visit!

Dude

I am confused about the exchange rate, are you talking dollars? Must be CDN. You should be getting about 12.4 MP per US dollar at most exchange places as I did in Oaxaca in January. As far as getting pesos ATMS are the way to go. In particular, if you use a bank with a relationship with a bank in your home country, e.g. Bank of America and Banco Santander in Mexico to avoid fees.

Fra_Diavolo

Dude --

You might not have noticed that the thread is ten years old. Can't imagine why gaylewinds revived it.