Objective, honest and with no commercial advertising.
|
| OFTEN TIMES GUESTS INQUIRE about the simple things that make their stay more enjoyable: Which gym do we recommend? Are there English-language yoga or meditation classes? Where can they sign up and take a cooking class? Where can they learn about Mérida’s cultural scene, or is there an independent cinema house or a place to hear terrific jazz? Is there a good English bookstore, or which is the best day spa? Our guests will also ask about “off the beaten path” day trips that allow them the opportunity to explore the culture of the peninsula, take in its breathtaking natural beauty, or engage in activities (scuba dive in a sacred sink hole, anyone?) that can only be experienced here. In that order, scroll down for our recommendations.
|
| GYMS – Just because you’re away from home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a good workout. And while climbing pyramids and temples is great for your calves and your glutes, what about the rest of your body? Fortunately, Philip Geerts, a transplanted Floridian who is a personal trainer and nutritionist, has Pure Fitness, a couple of blocks north of the U.S. Consulate. Open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., a day pass is $50 MXP, less than $5 USD. The address is Calle 60 # 303-4, just two blocks past the U.S. Consulate, on the west side of the building. The telephone number is (999) 920-5829. Click on the image on the left to go to their website.
|
| YOGA – The Casa de Cultura Elena Poniatowska, located on Calle 68 #470-A between 55 and 57 Streets, offers five yoga classes to the public. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Claudia Guerrero, a fully bilingual instructor, conducts yoga at 8 a.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Irazú Gómez is the instructor at 7:30 p.m. Each class lasts 90 minutes and it is quite a solid workout. The drop-in fee is $75 MXP, just under $7 USD. There is no website, but you can call (999) 242-6943 or email PaulaHaro@prodigy.net.mx for up to the minute information.
|
| ENGLISH LIBRARY – Founded in 1994 by Elizabeth Dunkel, the MERIDA ENGLISH LANGUAGE LIBRARY, known affectionately as “MELL,” is a tremendous community resource. With more than 17,000 books, periodicals and magazines, under the guidance of librarians Colleen Leonard, Marilyn Estes Smith and Paulie Williams, this an ideal place to meet members of the “ex-pat” communities who hail from the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Australia. MELL hosts “Conversations with Friends” on Mondays, an ideal place to practice your Spanish while teaching some English, as well as many activities. MELL is a member of the American Library Association. Located at Calle 53 # 524 between 66 and 68 Streets, the hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Monday 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A fundraiser for the Library, the Tour is held every Wednesday morning from October through March, for the Mérida English Language Library, $200 peso donation. Each week 3 or 4 “ex-pats” open their restored Centro homes, allowing you to see what the homes and gardens look like behind the austere walls. Gracious homeowners explain their inspiration for restoring or adding to these colonial buildings, many of which have lush gardens, fountains and elaborate pools. It is an amazing display of art, architecture, interior design and gracious living, especially recommended for those who are looking for real estate in town. Location: Mérida English Language Library, Calle 53 #524 between 66 and 68 Streets, 9:45 a.m. Tour lasts about 2 hours. Please click on the image on the left to go to their website.
|
| MEDITATION –Under the instruction of Buddhist Monk Kelsang Chime, the General Program offers you the opportunity to learn how to meditate, relax your mind and live in a life-affirming way. The General Program introduces basic Buddhist view, meditation and practice suitable for beginners. It also includes advanced teachings and practices of both Sutra and Tantra for practitioners with greater experience. This takes place every Monday at 1 p.m., and a $50 MXP donation (less than $5 USD) donation is requested. Click on the image on the left to learn more about mediation classes. To learn more about Kadampa Buddhists in Mexico, visit kadampamexico.org.
|
|
COOKING SCHOOL – Featured widely in magazines such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure and Gourmet, and on broadcast television such as Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen channel and with Rick Bayless on PBS, Chef David Sterling’s Los Dos school has become a “must-do” destination in Yucatán, along with the spectacular Mayan ruins and many natural wonders. What makes taking a class at Los Dos such a delightful experience is that you learn directly with Chef Sterling in his own kitchen. This personal attention – chatting with Chef Sterling over morning coffee or accompanying him to the market – makes spending a day at Los Dos a memorable part of any vacation to the Yucatán Peninsula. For schedules and fees, click on the image on the left to go to their website.
|
| Unasletras Cultural Magazine – Since 2005, under the direction of Eugenia Montalván Colón, the cultural life of Mérida has been handsomely nurtured by Unasletras – “a few letters” – through this remarkable website. Covering the whole of Yucatan State, Unasletras is an impressive, up-to-the-minute chronicle of the cultural, literary and artistic life of the Yucatan peninsula. It boasts readers from Mexico City to Madrid, from Rome to Toronto. Unfortunately, it is written exclusively in Spanish, but it is an invaluable resource for all the “culture vultures” who want to learn about contemporary cultural doings of the Maya, Yucatec, Mexican and various ex-pat communities that make their home in Mérida. Click on the image on the left to go to their website.
|
| LA68 Cinema – Mérida counts on a wonderful open-air cinema featuring independent films from around the world. Under the direction of Paula Haro, the cinema, that charges a nominal fee of $20 MXP, less than $2 USD, the films, shown Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. On occasion, filmmakers, directors or actors attend the screenings and offer Question & Answer sessions. In true independent cinema tradition, they serve drinks, beers and light supper foods (individual pizzas, Mexican foods, and salads), making for a memorable experience. Most films have English subtitles, if they are not in English. LA68 Cinema is located in the Centro de Cultura Elena Poniatowska, located on Calle 68 #470-A between 55 and 57 Streets.
|
| Jazzin’ Mérida – The idea of jazz in a tropical setting is one that reverberates from New Orleans down to the tropics. It took David Abhare, a musician and empresario from Los Angeles to revitalize contemporary jazz in town. His club, aptly named Jazzin’Mérida, located at Calle 56 #465 between 53 and 55 Streets, combines the retro feel of the 1950s with the smooth sounds of jazz. The club is open Wednesday through Saturdays, opening at 7 p.m. with live performances at 9 p.m. and at 11 p.m. The club’s ambiance is reminiscent of the southern California sensibilities when places like The Lighthouse and The Trade Winds featured performers like Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, Charlie Parker and Jack Montrose. Yes, that is the feel of this place. The telephone is (999) 924-5628.
|
| Amate Books Mérida features books in English on Mexican & Latin American art, architecture, anthropology and history, but also offers hundreds of novels as well as cookbooks, travel and children books. A special focus is on books about the Maya, aiming at creating an extensive selection of literature on that culture both in Spanish and English. Although most books are priced higher than they would be in the U.S., they are certainly a better value than Libreria Dante, where the prices are astronomical. Casa Catherwood is the only store to sell at the same price as you would find them in the U.S., but their selection is limited. Amate is located at Calle 60 #453, on the corner of 51 Street. Click on the image to the left to go their website.
|
| DAY SPA – The spa at Hacienda Xcanatun is a fifteen minute drive north of the city, but well worth the trip. Small, but well appointed, there is a steam shower available, and guests are given terrycloth robes. Although the massages are billed as “Maya Cleansing Massages,” they are a slight variation on Swedish and deep tissue massages familiar to most day spa enthusiasts. The spa offers hot stone massages, facials, exfoliating treatments, pedicures acupressure and side-by-side massages for couples. The products used are the Spanish Germaine de Capuccini line, and the incense and perfumed baths are indulgent. A massage runs about $50 USD. Click on the image to the left to go to their website.
|
|
