Choose by what you love
| If you love… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology and history | Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid | Mexico's most famous Maya city, a yellow colonial town, a cenote and a colonial city in one day |
| Swimming in cenotes | Santa Bárbara cenotes | Four different cenotes, no early start and lunch included |
| Nature and birds | Celestún | Estuary boat ride, mangroves, flamingos and an afternoon at the beach |
| A quiet beach | North Coast and Isla Columpios | Sandbanks, dunes and Progreso, close to Mérida |
| History and cenotes without tiring out | Hacienda Mucuyché | A henequen estate and two cenotes joined by a channel, an hour away |
How much time on the road can you handle?
Mérida sits in the northwest of the peninsula. According to the state tourism guide's distance table, Izamal and Uxmal are under 100 kilometers away, Progreso about 43 and Sisal about 75. Chichén Itzá is further, and the Caribbean and eastern destinations (Bacalar, Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Las Coloradas) mean many hours on the road.
If it's your only day, a nearby destination leaves you more time to enjoy and less time sitting in the van.
If your one day is a Sunday
On Sundays, downtown Mérida has its own buzz and events like the Biciruta, whose route the city government publishes and changes by date. One option is a short tour without an early start (the Santa Bárbara cenotes leave mid-morning) and getting back in time for an afternoon in the city.
What if I want the Caribbean?
You can: Bacalar, Isla Mujeres and Tulum all leave from Mérida and return the same day. They're long days, but if the Caribbean is what you're most excited about, it's worth it. Booking from this page as a group of 4 or more, those three trips come with a per-person coupon.
Fun facts
- Progreso is about 43 kilometers from Mérida's historic center.
- Izamal and Uxmal are both less than 100 kilometers from Mérida.
- Every Mary Tours trip returns to Mérida the same day.
Related tours
Archaeology · 11 h
Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid
Four stops in one day, and none of them rushed
from $1,200 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Izamal. The guide uses the drive to set up what comes next.
- 9:00 AM San Antonio de Padua Convent — The story of the 16th-century Franciscan convent told in its atrium, then free time to walk the yellow town.
- 11:15 AM Chichén Itzá — Guided walk through the Temple of Kukulkán, the Sacred Cenote, the Ball Court, the Tzompantli and the Jaguars and Eagles platform.
- 1:45 PM Regional lunch in Kaua — Buffet of Yucatecan dishes: cochinita, relleno negro, lime soup and meat-free options.
- 3:00 PM Selva Maya cenote — The swim lands exactly when the sun is at its worst. Changing rooms and showers on site.
- 4:20 PM Valladolid — Francisco Cantón Rosado park with its original railings, the church of San Servacio and the murals in the town hall.
- 8:00 PM Back in Mérida — We drop you off where the day started.
Included: Air-conditioned transport, General culture guide, Regional buffet lunch
Not included: Chichén Itzá entrance, Cenote entrance, Drinks
Cenotes · 7 h
The four cenotes of Santa Bárbara
Four different cenotes and a lunch made by hand
from $1,450 MXN per person
See itinerary
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 10:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Homún, through the ring of cenotes.
- 11:00 AM Cascabel cenote — Closed, cave type. You descend inside and the water sits in half-light: the most striking of the four.
- 11:30 AM Chaksikín cenote — Semi-open. You go down between limestone walls painted with Maya-themed murals.
- 12:00 PM Xooch cenote — Semi-open, with a shaft of light that falls straight onto the water mid-morning.
- 12:30 PM Pool Cocom cenote — Open and surrounded by vegetation. You swim along a channel out to the wide part.
- 1:30 PM Regional lunch — Home cooking with hand-made tortillas. Plenty of time to eat without rushing.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back, arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Certified guide, Entry to all four cenotes, Regional lunch
Not included: Drinks with lunch
Nature · 9 h
Celestún and the pink flamingos
The largest flamingo colony in North America
from $1,600 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour and a half west, out to the port.
- 9:30 AM Boat ride — Flamingo and bird watching, the mangrove tunnel, the freshwater spring and the Maya bath on the sandbar.
- 11:00 AM Lunch by the beach — Fish, octopus or shrimp from the gulf, at a table facing the sea.
- 1:00 PM Free time on the beach — Almost three hours to swim, walk the shore or do nothing at all.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — Arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
Not included: Drinks
Beach · 8 h
North Coast and Isla Columpios
Wooden swings driven straight into the sea
from $1,250 MXN per person
See itinerary
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM · daily
- 10:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour and a quarter to the Chuburná harbour, where the boat leaves from.
- 11:30 AM Isla Columpios — Turquoise water barely past your knees, swings and hammocks over the sea, and mangrove all around full of birds.
- 1:00 PM Chuburná dunes — White sand mounds shaped by the wind, with nobody around. Good for walking and for photos.
- 2:30 PM Puerto Progreso — Free afternoon: eat on the seafront, walk the pier or stay on the beach.
- 5:30 PM Back to Mérida — Half an hour back, arriving around six.
Included: Transport, Certified guide, Boat and Isla Columpios entry
Not included: Food, Drinks
Cenotes · 7 h
Hacienda Mucuyché
A stone channel joining two cenotes
from $1,800 MXN per person
See itinerary
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM · daily
- 9:30 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to the estate, in the municipality of Abalá.
- 10:30 AM Check-in and historical tour — A guide from the estate itself explains how the henequen business worked and what survives of it.
- 11:00 AM Carlota and Azul Maya cenotes — Two hours in the water. To move between the cenotes you cross the channel, swimming or along the stone path.
- 1:00 PM Time for lunch — Yucatecan food at the estate restaurant, paid per order. There is a pool for anyone who wants to stay in the water.
- 3:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back.
Included: Transport, Guide, Entry to the hacienda and cenotes
Not included: Food, Drinks
Frequently asked questions
What's the most recommended tour from Mérida?
For a first visit, Chichén Itzá with Izamal and Valladolid is the most complete. If you'd rather swim and skip the early start, the Santa Bárbara cenotes.
Which tour doesn't require an early start?
The Santa Bárbara cenotes and the North Coast leave mid-morning, and Mucuyché a little earlier.
Can you visit the Caribbean in one day from Mérida?
Yes, Bacalar, Isla Mujeres or Tulum, but they're long days on the road.
Which destination is closest to Mérida?
Progreso and the north coast are the closest; Izamal and Uxmal are also under 100 kilometers away.
