For years, Mérida was seen less as a destination in its own right and more as a way station en route to Mayan temples nearby.
But during the aughts, influential creatives began to discover the abundant, ornate, affordable 19th-century haciendas along its wide boulevards and put down roots:
The Cuban American artist Jorge Pardo bought and restored a dilapidated mansion; in 2010, the Italian designer Francesca Bonato and the Argentina-born model Nicolas Malleville opened an outpost of their chic Tulum-based perfumery and micro-hotel Coqui Coqui in the center of town.
Now Mérida is experiencing a second wave as more and more artists, entrepreneurs, and aesthetes choose to call it home.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FUL ARTICLE BY MARY HOLLAND ON CONDE NAST TRAVELER
TYT Newsroom