17 most iconic Instagram spots in Merida, Mexico
Discover the most iconic places to take photos in Merida, Mexico! From cute colorful houses and bustling squares to large Mayan archaeological zones, these are the most iconic Instagram spots in Merida, Mexico!
We loved Merida as it is the perfect place where you can explore the Mayan culture, local Mexican lifestyle as well as colonial history through archaeological zones, food, local markets, and diverse architecture around the city.
In this post, you will find the best Instagram spots in Merida with descriptions, photos, and locations on the map. As we don’t buy souvenirs or things while traveling, photos are our only keepsakes from our trips. So I hope you find this useful for you too!
Read more » 11 most beautiful Mayan ruins near Merida, Mexico
1. The colorful Merida letters in Plaza Grande!
Just like in every big city and small town around the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, there are colorful letters of the name of the city in Merida, too! This is one of those must-stop Instagram spots in Merida for every visitor!
The letters are located in the main plaza – Plaza Grande. The central park is a busy place any time of the day but we got there quite early to take a photo without crowds in the background, ahah!
The coolest part about the letters is that they have the towers of the Catedral de San Ildefonso (main Cathedral of Merida) in the background – such an iconic view! You will definitely spend some time in and around this park during your visit!
Location: Merida letters
2. Pasaje de La Revolución
Pasaje de La Revolución or Passage of the Revolution is a hidden glass-covered pedestrian street tucked between the walls of the Cathedral of Merida and Contemporary Art Museum next to the Plaza Grande square in Merida.
The passage is an iconic place often filled with art exhibitions however at times it is empty (just like when we visited) and is used by locals and tourists as a space to sit and relax (there are many benches), or just pass through.
Pasaje de La Revolución is one of the most iconic Instagram spots in Merida – a perfect place for a unique photo. One thing to know – the passage lights up in different colors during the dark hours!
I couldn’t decide which photo I liked more – the bright and airy photo that was taken during the day or the dark colorful photo in the evening. If you can, stop by at different times during the day to see both versions of this street!
Location: Pasaje de La Revolución
3. The red palace – Palacio Municipal de Mérida
Located next to the Central Park of Merida is another iconic place that you will probably notice right away – the red-colored Palacio Municipal de Mérida! It is an 18th-century building housing the government offices of the city of Mérida!
Palacio Municipal de Mérida is one of the oldest and also one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. However, it wasn’t built as a government office building. Initially, it was used as a warehouse as well as a prison.
The best part about the red palace is that you can visit this place for free! There were security guards at the entrance when we visited, but we just walked past them, and then we had to write down our names in a book before we could enter the palace.
My favorite thing about it is that you can climb up to the second floor and access the balcony. It is lined with arches and offers great views over the Plaza Grande square including the Merida letters and the towers of the cathedral! Beautiful!
Location: Palacio Municipal de Mérida
4. The green palace – Palacio de Gobierno
Another palace in Plaza Grande square and one of my favorite places in Merida is Palacio de Gobierno. It is a beautiful 19th-century palace that today hosts the government of the state of Yucatán.
Entrance to the palace is free! There are guards at the entrance but you can just walk past them and enjoy a large inner courtyard with a beautiful arcade around it as well as the second floor featuring beautiful paintings on the walls.
On the second floor, you can access a large gallery with all the walls covered with paintings – if felt like an art exposition! The gallery also has a beautiful window view of the Cathedral of Merida and the Plaza Grande square.
However, the courtyard painted in the most unusual green color was my favorite place. We happened to be here right before closing time so there weren’t too many people inside and we could enjoy empty halls.
Palacio de Gobierno is a photo perfect place in Merida. Those gorgeous arches combined with beautiful flower decorations and clay pots offer some unique photo angles. I especially loved the view of the towers of the cathedral!
Before going, don’t forget to check their opening hours as it is not open all the time. From time to time the building hosts certain events so be prepared that it may not look this empty as we got to see it when we visited Merida.
Location: Palacio de Gobierno
5. Monumento a La Patria
Monumento a La Patria is one of the most iconic landmarks in Merida, Mexico. It is a large Mayan-style monument dedicated to the history of Mexico. It is located in the middle of a large traffic roundabout at the end of Paseo de Montejo Avenue.
The monument was constructed in the middle of the 20th century and depicts the most important events in Mexico’s history. The entire monument was hand-carved from stone and took more than a decade to create.
This was probably one of my favorite Instagram spots in Merida – an amazing place for iconic photos! The monument is massive 14 meters high (46 ft) and 40 meters in diameter (131 ft) and features more than 300 hand-carved figures!
We rented an apartment nearby so we walked to the monument on foot. However, it will be a bit of a walk if you are staying in the center of the city so you might want to take a taxi here. Be careful when crossing the busy roundabout!
Location: Monumento a La Patria
6. Arco de San Juan at Parque de San Juan
Some of the most beautiful colonial structures in Merida are 17th-century arches that were built as entrance points to the historic part of Merida. Out of eight arches that were built centuries ago only three arches remain to this day.
Arco de San Juan is one of the remaining arches and, in my opinion, the most beautiful of all three. It is located in the corner of Parque de San Juan park in the historic center of Merida. It is painted in yellow color and makes for a beautiful photo opportunity.
The park next to the arch hosts a public space with trees, benches, and a beautiful fountain in the middle. It also hosts a monument of Benito Juarez in the corner, the first indigenous president of Mexico.
One building stands out in the park – the colonial-era Church of San Juan Bautista. The beautiful yellow Baroque church with two ornate towers was built in the 18th century. I would have loved to see the inside but the gate was closed when we visited.
Location: Arco de San Juan
7. Colorful houses on Calle 64 street
Although there are many places around Merida with streets lined with colorful houses on both sides, I kept reading that Calle 64 street in Merida was especially colorful so we went there to investigate.
We walked from Parque de San Juan square along Calle 64, then turned to Calle 64A, then to Calle 77, and then came back again on Calle 64. I did not count (haha!) but there were truly a lot of colorful houses (check some of my photos from this street).
I loved the pink house and the yellow house with brown wooden doors and black metal decorations (see photos above), but overall I did not notice that this street would be somehow more colorful than others in the historic center of Merida.
If you have some time to spare then check out this street but I wouldn’t get too excited to be blown away by a rainbow of colors. It indeed was colorful but nothing extraordinary. But if you are nearby, then check it out!
Location: Calle 64 street – Calle 64A street
8. Parque de los Hidalgos
Parque de los Hidalgos is a small park in the heart of the city of Merida with a green space for relaxing and hiding from the sun. Right next to the park, there is a large catholic church – Rectoría El Jesús Tercera Orden.
One of my favorite things about this park is that it has sooo many benches all of them hiding under the palm trees and other trees offering shade. It also features a beautiful monument in the middle with staircases around it.
Parque de los Hidalgos is one of the most charming parks that we saw in the city. if you are looking for a cool photo spot you can get a beautiful angle from the stairs at the monument with the large church in the background.
The park is surrounded by some cafeterias including Starbucks where you can get a drink and sit outside and enjoy the scenery. The park just has these chill relaxing vibes! No vendors in this park so it’s a bit more quiet than other public places!
Location: Parque de los Hidalgos
9. Twin arches: Arco de Dragones and Arco del Puente
Arco de Dragones and Arco del Puente are two adjacent colonial arches that served as entrances to the historic part of Merida. The arches date back to the 17th century and both of them stretch over two busy streets in the center of Merida.
Arco de Dragones was named after a former Franciscan friar hospital that bordered the yellow arch. Out of eight arches that were built during colonial times, Arco de Dragones is one of the three surviving arches still standing in Merida.
Arco del Puente or the Bridge Arch got its name because, on this exact street, there was also a wooden bridge where people would walk over during the floods in Merida. These historic yellow arches are a great photo spot in Merida!
Location: Arco de Dragones – Arco del Puente
10. Parque de Santa Ana
One of my favorite parks in Merida was Parque de Santa Ana. The park hosts a beautiful 18th-century church with the same name as the park and features cute colorful houses all around the charming square.
We went to this park because we wanted to try tacos and salbutes at Manjar Blanco restaurant which was featured on Netflix. We got our tasty tacos but I was equally charmed by the cute houses and splash of colors all around the park.
If you don’t have time to endlessly wander around Merida and look for the most beautiful colorful houses, then this square is a great place to go to get those colorful photos.
You can also check some of the streets that start at the park and go in all directions like Calle 47. We found this bright pink house with blue doors (photo below) when we wandered just off Calle 47 Street. It is the cutest!
While we were charmed by the colorful houses, the church in the square was also worth checking out. Although we didn’t get to enter the church, we did admire it from the outside. It boasts a beautiful yellow color and two sharp spires on both sides.
I know that Merida is called The White City and there are many white houses there, however, it does seem a bit funny to see squares and streets lined with colorful houses painted in all the colors of the rainbow everywhere you go in Merida, haha!
Location: Parque de Santa Ana
11. Parque de las Américas
Parque de las Américas is another one of those iconic Merida parks where you can find places to relax under the shade of trees and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The park features beautiful walkways, a stage, and a large fountain structure.
This park was one of my favorites however it does have a minus – the park is located quite a distance away from everything else. We actually rented an apartment near the park so we walked there but it is not in the center of the city.
Parque de las Américas has two parts – the large fountain is located on one side of the street but the concert stage is on the other side of the street along with those Mayan-inspired rectangular pathways (first photo).
If you happen to be nearby, don’t hesitate to stop by for a short 20-minute visit! In the evening the park turns into a place to meet and spend time together. There are usually some street food trucks and music as well.
Location: Parque de las Américas
12. ‘You and Me Chairs’ at Parque de Santa Lucía
If you walk around Merida for a while you will notice that there are these unique white connected chairs all over the city, but usually in the many parks around Merida (Plaza Grande is full of them!). They are called ‘Sillas Tu y Yo’ or ‘You and Me Chairs’.
Interestingly, the history of these unique chairs dates back to more than a 100 years ago when they first appeared in Merida around 1915. The chairs are meant for two people and are connected through their handles on opposite sides.
In terms of size, normally these chairs resemble regular chairs that you have at your home. However, there is one place where you can find a giant version of You and Me Chairs – Parque de Santa Lucía.
Sitting in these cute and photo-perfect chairs is one of the bucket list things to do in Merida! If you can, stop by this beautiful park for an iconic photo – it is just a few blocks away from Plaza Grande! Or just choose the regular-size chairs all around the city!
Location: Parque de Santa Lucía
13. Casa de la Cultura Jurídica – the most beautiful house in Merida!
Merida is known for its colorful streets and houses and you will see them all around the historic center of the city. However, there is one very special building that stands out from the rest of the colorful buildings and that is Casa de la Cultura Jurídica.
This gorgeous light-blue-colored house was built at the beginning of the 20th century and stands out with its European-style architecture. It was built by a local architect who studied architecture in France.
Today the building hosts courses and events related to law and legal education. We did not enter the building but we did climb up the stairs to explore the beautiful facade of the building.
It is located next to a busy street that goes through the center of Merida just a few blocks from the Plaza Grande square. If you have some time to spare, then walk by this architectural masterpiece and take some beautiful photos too!
Location: Casa de la Cultura Jurídica
14. Near Merida – Mayan pyramids and ruins
You can’t visit Merida, Mexico without going on a day trip to some of those Mayan pyramids and archaeological zones near Merida! Apart from Mexican cuisine, exploring Mayan ruins was my favorite memory from our trip to the Yucatán Peninsula!
One of the best day trips from Merida is the Ruta Puuc route – a group of special Mayan ruins in Yucatán featuring the Puuc architectural style. Puuc means ‘hills’ in the Mayan language and is also the name of the region where all these ruins are located.
Ruta Puuc includes five different archaeological zones however there were three that stood out the most – the Uxmal archaeological zone dating back to the 10th-11th centuries, the Kabah archaeological zone, and the Labná archaeological zone.
I also loved climbing the Mayan pyramids and temples at the Xcambó archaeological site located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Xcambó was built between the years 350-550 and served as a commercial port as well as managed the salt mines.
And, finally, you won’t want to miss two iconic archaeological zones closer to Valladolid – the world-famous Chichen Itzá just 1h 20 min drive from Merida, and the Ek Balam archaeological zone just 2 hours from Merida.
Archaeological zones were also some of my favorite Instagram photo spots near Merida! For the most unique angles, you can look for photo inspiration on my blog about the most beautiful Mayan ruins near Merida!
Location: Uxmal – Kabah – Labná – Xcambó – Ek Balam – Chichén Itzá
15. Near Merida – Izamal, Mexico’s Yellow City
If you are up for another Instagram-photo-worthy day trip from Merida, then you should consider a trip to Mexico’s Yellow City – Izamal. It is located just a 1-hour drive from Merida and a 1h 30 min drive from Valladolid.
The colonial town attracts visitors with its yellow color as all the buildings in the center of this magical town are painted yellow (no, not the entire town). We arrived at Izamal in the morning and spent there half a day exploring everything this town had to offer.
The most famous attraction in Izamal is Convento de San Antonio convent sitting atop a hill in the heart of the city. Next to it, you will find the second-largest atrium in the world surrounded by a beautiful arcade all painted in yellow.
Other must-do things in Izamal include climbing up to the Mayan pyramids – Kinich Kak Moo and Itzamatul, eating the yellow corn ice cream, visiting 5 de Mayo Park, and trying out Mayan dishes for lunch at Restaurant Kinich. We loved this town!
Location: Convento de San Antonio in Izamal
16. Ring of Cenotes Geohydrological State Reserve
A visit to Merida isn’t complete without an adventurous day trip to the Ring of Cenotes Geohydrological State Reserve to explore the cenotes – water-filled natural sinkholes in the ground which are amazing swimming spots as well as iconic for photos!
Some of the most beautiful cenotes near Merida are located around Cuzamá and Homún municipalities just a 1 hour drive from Merida. We had a rental car and drove there ourselves but you can also go there by bus or colectivo.
Some of the most photogenic cenotes in the area are the so-called Santa Bárbara cenotes including Cenote Xooch and Cenote Chacsikín pictured above. See more cenotes near Merida here!
You can go by car and freely visit all the cenotes you wish to see or you can join a guided tour from Homún or Cuzamá (you will see guides everywhere on the streets) and travel to cenotes by a moto taxi with a guide. Oh, and bring cash!
Location: Ring of Cenotes Geohydrological State Reserve
17. Spectacular Convento de Santo Domingo in Uayma
Want to see one of the most unique and photogenic places in the Yucatán Peninsula? Then stop by the Convento de Santo Domingo in the town of Uayma just a 2-hour drive from Merida and just 20 minutes from Valladolid.
The beautiful Convento de Santo Domingo is a former convent built by the Franciscans in the middle of the 17th century. It was built by using stones from Mayan sites, including from the nearby Chichén Itzá.
During the second half of the 19th century, the church was burned down during a Mayan rebellion. Only more than 100 years later the roofless church was finally restored and was officially reopened to the public in 2004.
The captivating building stands out with its unusual decorations – the white roses and stars symbolize the veneration of the Virgin Mary but the red color represents sacrifice and martyrdom. There is also a green color that symbolizes hope.
The front of the Uayma church also depicts a large headless eagle which is a symbol of the Franciscans who built the church. Over the last few years, this church has become a unique landmark in the Yucatán Peninsula thanks to its colors and symbols.
We visited this church on Saturday during a weekend trip around Valladolid. At 11 AM it was open and we could enter the inside of the church for donations. By the way, the entrance is from the sidestreet – Calle 21. The interior was beautiful but not as bright.
We also noticed another building on the corner of the Park of Uayma which was decorated with unique illustrations. Interestingly, we saw illustrations exactly like these in the old photos inside the convent. Could be another renovated historical building.
There isn’t much to see in Uayma besides the unique historical church. However, it is iconic enough for it to deserve a visit if you happen to be nearby. You can add it to your itinerary when visiting nearby places like Chichén Itzá or Valladolid.
Location: Iglesia de Uayma
Read more about Merida and Mexico!
- Merida bucket list: 21 best things to do in Merida, Mexico
- 15 best day trips from Merida, Mexico
- 11 most beautiful Mayan ruins near Merida, Mexico
- Ring of Cenotes: 15 beautiful cenotes near Merida, Mexico
Happy exploring!
We stayed in Merida for three weeks so that we could explore the beautiful city to the fullest as well as go on day trips to all the bucket list destinations around Merida, and, of course, take beautiful photos along the way as a keepsake from our travels.
Besides our stay in the colorful and vibrant Merida, we also spent a couple of months traveling around the Yucatán Peninsula, including the states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, and exploring everything this beautiful peninsula had to offer.
From white-sand beaches to dark underground cenotes, and ancient pyramids – there’s just so much to see! I hope you enjoy your time there as much as we did and I hope you get some travel inspiration from this blog post for your travels! Happy exploring!
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