With over 1 million residents and counting, Mérida retains a uniquely yucatense charm, with a vibrant cultural scene and a slower, almost pueblo-like pace when compared to other similarly-sized Mexican cities. Expat immigrants in Mérida typically cite its colonial architecture, dynamic culinary scene, and proximity to other attractions (such as cenotes and beaches) for their choice.

So, where are the most attractive neighbourhoods in the city found?

Mérida’s Real Estate Landscape

Mérida’s central district, known as Centro has a strong claim as the most beautiful in Mexico. It is home to colonial architecture, incredible food, culture and nightlife. As beautiful as the area is, however, most long-term residents prefer to live outside of the traffic snarls and parking issues of the downtown. 

Heading north from Centro, Mérida’s most famous street is the Paseo de Montejo, a beautiful, leafy artery. The avenue is lined with hip shops, restaurants and seventeenth-century palacios of the era’s agricultural barons. 

Keep heading north from Montejo and you encounter some of Mérida’s most desirable neighborhoods where you can find modern homes, easy parking and access to the best schools and higher-end shopping.

Also of note: The Mérida Norte area boasts some of Yucatán’s most modern hospitals, such as Star Médica and El Faro de Mayab.

Which suburbs are best for real estate in Mérida?

Some of the neighborhoods of note in this area include: 

• Montebello. A tranquil residential area known for its tree-lined streets and upscale homes, a world away from the bustle of the centro.

Price range US$175,000 to $474,000

• Altabrisa. A lively residential and shopping area characterized by modern amenities and high-end living options.

Price range: US$295,000 to US$1.2 million

• Montes de Ame. A family-friendly neighborhood with a mix of parks, schools, and shopping.

Price range: US$150,000 to $350,000

• Temozón Norte. A rapidly-growing area with easy access to the infrastructure and amenities of all the northern areas of Mérida.

Price range: US$240,000 to $700,000 for larger estates. 

• San Ramón Norte. A blend of the old and the new, where the buyer can find a mix of modern residences and restored colonial buildings.

Price range: US$120,000 to $300,000

City limits

Further north, outside of the periferíco (a freeway that rings the city), you have a chance to spread out on a bigger-sized lot as much of what was once farmland has been taken over by modern townhouse developments and houses with small lots. The east, south, and far west of the city are places where you can find far more economical properties that still retain an authentic charm, though these areas see far less foreign investment. For those in search of the idea “fixer-upper” this area is perfect, as many of the charming colonial homes of Centro have been renovated according to the views of previous owners. 

Insider tips for investors

The adjustments for expats in Mérida are similar to the adjustments that come with life in other Mexican cities.  

“Building connections within the local community is key to finding your dream home in Mérida,” says James, 34, a longtime Mérida transplant. “Engage with expat groups [and] local real estate agents and fellow residents to gain valuable insights and recommendations.” 

“It is important to understand your and your family’s priorities before making a purchase,” says Ryan, 53.  

Mérida is an exceptionally safe city with a wide selection of international bilingual schools for youngsters. One thing to consider, however, is that Yucatan’s flat topography means there is little in the way of views here. Unless you count gazing westward at sunset and drinking in the rich patina of cotton-candy-colored skies, there are no homes with views — unless one finds a third-floor-or-higher condo. 

Local Meridana Andrea Campos is a real estate agent in the city. She advises potential buyers to find an agent with experience abroad or with foreigners.

“And read their CV carefully to make sure they have relevant education — such as a master’s in real estate development or [something] similar — so you know you’ll be getting a higher standard of service.” 

According to Campos, a big help for many is contracting a “personal shopper” who can do much of the legwork in finding properties and adapting to the needs of a foreign buyer. 

Why choose Mérida?

Mérida, in general, is a welcoming place for expat residents, but it is important to be aware of a few potential challenges to making a move here. The heat, for one, is punishing, and potential residents should be prepared to bear it year-round. Another challenge is the daily traffic, as Mérida is a growing city and lacks the infrastructure to handle so many daily drivers. The local government is making efforts to alleviate the problem with electric bus services. 

There is a lack of topographic scenery, and a lack of opportunity to surf, as the ocean holds no more swell than a ripple. The windy conditions are ideal for kitesurfing, however, and most days, one can spot the harnessed riders silhouetted against the sunset, tearing across the choppy water of the gulf. 

Mérida remains a popular hotspot for real estate investment, not just for expats but also for Mexicans fleeing the hustle and bustle of cities like Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City. The lifestyle here is undeniably attractive for expats: vibrant culture, friendly locals, plenty of sunshine, well-connected flights, a surfeit of local tourist attractions and superlative regional food. 

Look past the heat, the flat landscape, and the flat water of the beach, and you’ve found yourself a slice of paradise. 

The post The insider’s guide to investing in real estate in Mérida appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Why was it delayed? “We don’t know that either.”

The last line was delivered with a shrug, a laugh and the implication that the gringo tourist shouldn’t take it all too seriously.

We settled in to wait, and our patience was rewarded when the train finally did arrive: smooth, fast and spotless, the Maya Train is a gleaming slice of transport delight. It is perhaps the best train system in the Americas, far outpacing for example, anything offered by Amtrak in the United States. 

My trip from Mérida to Campeche revealed a train system that, despite having some kinks to work out, shows the potential to be a viable option for travel in the region, with great comfort, aesthetics and a cheerful workforce.

The Maya Train opened on Dec. 15, but has yet to shed the controversy that has been endemic to the project since its inception. On one hand, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his supporters have argued that the train represents a step into the future for a long-neglected region of Mexico. On the other, the project has raised lasting objections from groups across the political spectrum, with some claiming the train is a vanity project that will have negative environmental and social impacts.

The Mérida-Teya station is located about a 30-minutes drive from the city center, and upon arrival, the station aces its first impression: a beautiful structure with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. The dazzling first impression was clouded, however, when I attempted  to determine the steps required to board the train, as the station lacks screens with departure and arrival information or a staffed information desk. Instead, travelers were left floundering, trying to find an official or merely trusting what they’d heard from fellow passengers. 

In fact, there was no information in any language other than Spanish, highlighting a problem for international travelers, a group the train is supposed to serve in great numbers. Case in point: as I stood in line, an American approached me and asked if I spoke Spanish and could help him. When I asked him about his Maya Train experience so far, he told me he’d run into problems trying to purchase his tickets on the website, as he read no Spanish, and was confused by the basics of the website interface. Still, he was impressed by the station and excited to try the train.

We waited out the delay by heading over to the twin markets located in the station, a tiny Oxxo and a Go-mart, side by side, offering the expected fare: junk food, water, soda and beer. The prices were the same as a typical convenience store in Yucatán — authorities appeared to have refrained from the price inflation so often seen in transport hubs.

I asked the two Oxxo employees present if they received any special discount on the train. They said no, but they did get a standard discount for being Yucatán residents. That seemed fair enough, until I considered their likely minimum wage salary of 249 pesos per day would put a 688-peso one-way ride to Campeche out of reach. Though both had been working at the station since its opening, neither had taken a trip on the train yet. 

Our train was announced, so we passed security and headed to the gleaming white platform — which was pretty but lacked seating — for what turned out to be another 30-minute delay. Shade was at a premium as well, so we passengers did a bovine-like huddle under the awning beneath the fierce Yucatán sun. I approached a man wearing an identification badge for Renfe, the national train system of Spain. 

He turned out to be a Renfe employee in Mexico in a consulting role, here to help iron out the kinks of the Maya Train’s daily service. The train has some growing pains to work out, he said, “like this delay we are experiencing now.” 

When I asked if he could put a letter grade on the train’s debut he simply said “aprobado” — “pass.” In his two months here, he told me, he was seeing gradual improvement. It was going “about as well as could be expected,” the train employees “seemed quite content,” and he was “optimistic about the train’s future and potential to add service.”

The train arrived and we boarded the brand new car. Every surface shone, not a stitch was out of place and there wasn’t a trace of graffiti or other sign of wear. A train attendant gave a brief speech in Spanish about the location of the bathrooms. There were also two uniformed army personnel — women in their twenties with pistols at their sides — who wandered the aisles and chatted with the passengers: practicing English with the gringos, fawning over babies and asking people about the books they were reading.

In geological terms, the Yucatán Peninsula is an “unconfined, flat-lying karst landscape,” which means the scenery for most of the train ride is limited to the immediate, dry jungle next to the tracks and the distant, green line of the horizon. Without much outside the window to capture interest, if you want to stretch your legs you can move freely between train cars and there’s a small dining car with a very limited selection of snacks and drinks. The prices were steep: a beer was 70 pesos, or about double the usual price off-train.

Surprisingly, the premier-class car shows little difference from the tourist-class car. The only tangible improvement was the seating and legroom, and those differences were trivial. The seats in tourist class are comfortable enough, with sufficient legroom for my perpetually cramped, 6’4 frame. In premier class, there are three larger seats to a row, while in tourist class there are four. Beyond the extra space, there were no other discernible perks. 

We arrived in Campeche after a journey that was pleasant and without incident, but the San Francisco Campeche station, like Mérida-Teya, suffered from a lack of signage and general information. There were no taxis outside, but a waiting bus I took to downtown Campeche for 50 pesos.

Overall, the experience on the Maya Train was a positive one for this traveler, as I rode in comfort and speed across the Yucatán plain from Mérida to Campeche.

Sure, there were delays, information confusion and an ad-hoc feeling to certain procedures, but it was all counterbalanced by the excitement of hurtling along the tracks of a new Mexican future.

Adding to the buoyant feeling was a workforce that was cheerful and spoke optimistically about the peninsula’s future. Worries about environmental destruction would wait for another day.

For now, as you so commonly hear in Mexico — “todo bien.” 

Stewart Merritt is a university professor and writer from the U.S. who is based in Mérida.

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