Merida is gorgeous colonial city about three hours inland from Cancun. The buildings are well-preserved and brightly colored. The city itself is the best place to enjoy amazing Yucatecan foods like cochinita pibil, papadzules, and panuchos. The city is best on weekends, when the historical core – a scene of 17th-century cathedrals made from Mayan bricks – closes to vehicles and fills with open-air stages, taco stands and balloon vendors.
