Merida a Cultural Gem in Yucatan Mexico, Merida, Mexico

Someone asked me recently how many UNESCO sites we have visited? Oh my goodness. A LOT. Yes I should try to add that up, but there are thousands and thousands and we have certainly been blessed to see hundreds. And Merida Yucatan is new addition to the list. We had five days in this beautiful city, and here are my recommendations, Merida A Cultural Gem in Yucatan Mexico.

I have been intrigued by the Mayan Culture since I was in grade school. As a traveler we have explored many of this civilization’s vast and interesting sites. A little history lesson for you; The Maya civilization is significantly older than the Aztec, with the Maya developing complex societies from around 2000 BC and reaching their Classic Period peak (250-900 AD) long before the Aztec Empire’s rise in the 14th century, though both cultures thrived in Mesoamerica and influenced each other.

The Maya civilization developed in the Maya Region, an area that today comprises southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador.

By the time the Spanish arrived in what we now call Mexico, the Maya people had left their ruling communities such as Chichen Itza (more on this later) but their descendants were still in the region. The Aztecs however had risen to power, and it is their civilization that the Spanish decimated on arrival. And yet today, many people of the area can trace their heritage to both Maya and Aztec ancestors. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).