I By no means Preferred Traveling to Mexico—however This Metropolis Made Me Fall in Love With It

I’ll admit it: I had by no means actually favored Mexico.

My visits had been restricted to cruise ports, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Cabo, and Cozumel—and every spot left me underwhelmed. The cities felt extra curated for vacationers than related to native life, the meals leaned Americanized, and in Mazatlán, I didn’t even really feel protected stepping off the ship. It was sufficient to make me surprise if Mexico simply wasn’t for me.

But then I went to Mérida.—and from the second I arrived, I knew this metropolis was totally different.

Mérida, the capital of Mexico’s Yucatán state, instantly felt not like another place I’d visited within the nation. Pastel-colored Colonial buildings lined the streets, their facades glowing within the afternoon solar, whereas the plazas hummed with life. Families strolled collectively, youngsters performed in fountains, and the scent of contemporary tortillas and native spices drifted from the close by markets. It was vigorous with out being overwhelming, colourful with out feeling contrived.

What struck me most was the town’s sense of group. People lingered in public areas, chatting on benches, sharing snacks from avenue distributors, and having fun with dwell music that floated by way of the air. Neighbors knew one another. Families introduced their youngsters to the parks. Strangers greeted each other with heat smiles. As a solo feminine visitor of the nation, I felt fully protected strolling the streets even after darkish. But greater than that, I felt included within the rhythm of each day life, welcomed right into a metropolis that appeared to rejoice connection at each flip.

That spirit of connection was not possible to disregard. On my first evening, I stumbled upon a girls’s march weaving by way of the town streets with music, chants, and laughter within the air. On impulse, I joined for just a few blocks, swept up within the power and solidarity of the group. It was thrilling and comforting unexpectedly, and a vivid reminder that the town’s coronary heart beats with each braveness and pleasure.

Later in my keep, I discovered myself in certainly one of Mérida’s parks because the solar dipped beneath the rooftops. Families unfold blankets on the grass, {couples} danced to dwell music, and youngsters ran barefoot amongst meals carts promoting every part from contemporary elotes to candy treats. I joined in, sampling tacos from a vendor and swaying to the music alongside locals, feeling completely a part of the scene. Every step by way of Mérida felt like stepping right into a group celebration, one which invited participation moderately than commentary.

And past the town, Mérida’s location made it straightforward to dive deeper into Yucatán’s historical past and pure magnificence. A brief drive introduced me to Chichen Itza, the place the ruins hum with centuries of tales, and to close by cenotes, pure sinkholes the place cool, crystalline water invitations quiet reflection and play. These excursions enriched my expertise, reminding me that Mérida isn’t solely vibrant immediately however deeply rooted up to now.

Before Mérida, I hadn’t skilled a facet of Mexico that felt so grounded in on a regular basis life. I hadn’t identified what it felt prefer to witness true group, to really feel a part of a spot that lives and breathes past its enchantment to guests. Mérida modified that. It welcomed vacationers, sure, however with out compromising its identification or attraction. Here, tradition, historical past, and on a regular basis life coexist in a means that feels easy.

For anybody whose impression of Mexico has been formed solely by resorts or tourism cities, Mérida affords one thing totally different. It’s a metropolis that feels protected, genuine, and full of heat. It’s a spot the place guests are invited to expertise life because the locals do.

Read the unique article on Travel & Leisure