Where to stay in Mérida & the Haciendas
A colonial capital, henequen haciendas and cenotes in the forest of Yucatán
Specific guides to Mérida & the Haciendas
Focused comparisons to choose the right area and hotel for the trip you actually want.
Where to stay in Yucatán: Mérida, the coast or Bacalar
The peninsula is three trips in one: a colonial capital with its haciendas, a reef coast, and a freshwater lagoon near Belize. Six hotels, what each part is for, and how to put them together without spending the week on the road.
30 September 2026 · 9 min read
Yucatán, Oaxaca or Mexico City: a first trip to Mexico
Three regions, three different trips: Caribbean beaches and Maya cities, a food capital with a surf coast, and one of the great cities of the Americas. Who each one suits, how to join two in ten to fourteen days, and how long the flights between them take.
30 September 2026 · 8 min read
MICHELIN Key hotels in Mexico: the 2026 selection, region by region
Mexico has 98 hotels with a MICHELIN Key in 2026, nine more than a year ago. Where they are, which three hold three Keys, what changed, and the eight we rate.
3 October 2026 · 8 min read
Mérida & the Haciendas: good to know
When is the best time to visit Yucatán?
From December to April, the dry season, with warm days and cooler nights. May is the hottest month. The rains and the Atlantic hurricane season run from June to November; inland Yucatán is less exposed than the coast, but September and October are the riskiest weeks.
Which airport for Mérida and the haciendas?
Mérida's airport has domestic flights and some from the United States. From Europe, most travellers connect in Mexico City or fly to Cancún, about four hours from Mérida by road — a drive that passes Valladolid and Chichén Itzá.
Do you need a car in Yucatán?
In Mérida, no: the centre is walkable. For the haciendas, the ruins and the cenotes, yes — or a driver. Roads are good and straight, but avoid driving after dark on country roads.
What is a cenote, and can you swim in them?
A cenote is a natural sinkhole that opens onto the underground rivers of the peninsula, which has no surface rivers. The Maya held them sacred. Many are open for swimming; go early, before the tour buses, and use no sunscreen before getting in.
Which hotels here hold a MICHELIN Key?
Chablé Yucatán is the only hotel in Yucatán state with two Keys; seven more in Mérida hold one, among them Hotel Sevilla, new to the Guide in 2026. Casona Los Cedros, in Espita, is in the Guide without a Key.