I stayed at Las Arecas for just one night, having chosen Merida over Mexico City for an overnight flight layover. It was a Saturday night and Las Arecas was well located for exploring the churches in the centro area and the activity in the various park areas.
I've pasted a few paragraphs below from my travelogue which is linked with photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections/72157624566397304/
I liked Mérida immediately - all the airport workers were laughing and talking and my taxi driver was very friendly and helpful (tickets must be purchased at the taxi kiosk, 155p to Centro). He dropped me off at my hotel, Las Arecas - 300p with ceiling fans, 400p with ac which I was happy to have. From the outside it's quite plain but inside it's like taking a step back in time to a more beautiful, restful era - lots of light, antique furniture, cheery blue paint, lovely garden areas and spacious rooms; there’s a full kitchen for guest use which I used for dinner and breakfast. The elderly owner, Raul, and his elderly German Shephard showed me my rooms and left me there alone - they live elsewhere and there were no other guests.
After settling in I left with map in hand to visit as many churches as I could before darkness fell. Mérida is much larger than Valladolid and not as polished and painted, but has a friendly feel and I was impressed with...I stayed at Las Arecas for just one night, having chosen Merida over Mexico City for an overnight flight layover. It was a Saturday night and Las Arecas was well located for exploring the churches in the centro area and the activity in the various park areas.
I've pasted a few paragraphs below from my travelogue which is linked with photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections/72157624566397304/
I liked Mérida immediately - all the airport workers were laughing and talking and my taxi driver was very friendly and helpful (tickets must be purchased at the taxi kiosk, 155p to Centro). He dropped me off at my hotel, Las Arecas - 300p with ceiling fans, 400p with ac which I was happy to have. From the outside it's quite plain but inside it's like taking a step back in time to a more beautiful, restful era - lots of light, antique furniture, cheery blue paint, lovely garden areas and spacious rooms; there’s a full kitchen for guest use which I used for dinner and breakfast. The elderly owner, Raul, and his elderly German Shephard showed me my rooms and left me there alone - they live elsewhere and there were no other guests.
After settling in I left with map in hand to visit as many churches as I could before darkness fell. Mérida is much larger than Valladolid and not as polished and painted, but has a friendly feel and I was impressed with the variety of churches and neighborhoods in the central area. After dark there was live music in nearly every park area - from jazz to Mexican ranchera to rock.
In the morning I visited a few more churches and the wonderful Archaeological Museum before saying a surprisingly sad goodbye to Raul and Las Arecas and heading to the airport.
http://www.lasarecas.com/More
Show less