We had a lovely week in this supremely comfortable and very stylish house. We enjoyed exploring the streets, markets, museums, churches and cafés of Merida in the mornings, and then returning to the calm and very welcome cool of the pool and fanned and air-conditioned rooms for lazy lengthy siestas every afternoon. Our visit was in late May and it was baking hot every day, reaching 40 degrees and higher - we couldn't have survived the heat without this haven!
At sunset, we would head out again for dinner and walking around. Merida puts on great and free Mayan or Mexican dancing and/or singing almost every evening attended by large numbers of locals and visiting Mexicans, many of whom know all the tunes. Fascinating not just for the cultural exposition but also for people watching.
We found many good cafes and restaurants - our favourite daytime cafes included our 'local' Latte 47 (for its chic western-style atmosphere, food and drinks), Cafe Habana for its film-set type 'scene', Hotel Caribe in Plaza Hidalgo for the best freshly squeezed orange juice in Merida, and Cafe Montejo in Santiago (for its charming staff, courtyard setting and amazing crushed ice frappes). Our favourite Mexican restaurants were La Chaya Maya, Apoala and the inventive Rosa Sur 32, all in/around Parque de Santa Lucia, about 15 mins walk. For a change of cuisine we liked Oliva Enoteca (excellent Italian, a couple of blocks from the house), Botella Verde (delicious tapas in a charming garden setting, also close by), and Papuana (good Peruvian, same side of Parque de Santa Lucia as La Chaya Maya).
Thank you Barbara and friends. And also many thanks to their excellent local property managers, Mirza and Erich, who were always on hand, and speedily and very graciously fixed a couple of minor maintenance issues with minimum fuss and inconvenience.