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tashby

Feb 3, 2010, 3:07 PM

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Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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La Isla

Feb 3, 2010, 5:25 PM

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Re: [tashby] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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I have no tolerance for high heat coupled with high humidity! The only time I've visited Mérida I went in early January. The mornings were pleasant, and after breakfast I did sightseeing, usually going off to visit an archaeological site. Comida was followed by a long siesta, which got me through the only really hot-and-horrible part of the day. By 5 pm or so, the heat was lifting, and the evenings were pleasant, at times requiring a shawl to ward off cooling breezes. (Hmmm, whatever's happened to the hand-crocheted shawl I bought in the Mérida market...) This all happened in 1980, but I would guess that weather patterns haven't changed much over the intervening years.

Hound Dog

Feb 3, 2010, 6:04 PM

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Re: [tashby] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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I did a search but only found references to how terrible the weather is in Merida in general. I have a very, very low tolerance for heat and humidity, but I still want to visit. When is the weather in Merida least oppressive? Is it an October through February window? Is there a single best time of year to visit? Thanks!
I did a search but only found references to how terrible the weather is in Merida in general. I have a very, very low tolerance for heat and humidity, but I still want to visit. When is the weather in Merida least oppressive? Is it an October through February window? Is there a single best time of year to visit? Thanks!

Well, Tashby, Merida is one of our favorite places in Mexico and back in 2004 we were there in October to look for a home in the city with the intent to get out of Ajijic. The heat was overwhelmingly oppressive and reminded my darlin´ French wife of why we had left Mobile eons ago for San Francisco and never considered New Orleans even though both Mobile and New Orleans have pleasant winter climates. We went to the inn keeper of this very nice B&B where we were staying and expressed our dismay at the heat and humidity. We asked him when the weather improved in the winter. His response was;"This is as good as it gets."

That having been said, now that we make our primary winter residence in 7,000 foot San Cristóbal de Las Casas, we plan to visit the Yucatan Peninsula including Merida in the winter for at least a couple of weeks and we feel our best chance of decent weather will be in February or perhaps as late as early March. No guarantees but no matter the weather, come on down in February and I´ll buy you a beer.

Now, San Cristóbal is much farther south than Merida which is actually north of Guadalajara but it is still at 7,000 feet which is getting up there. It can get pretty warm in San Cristóbal at times in February but very pleasantly so with little or no humidity. So, who knows what the weather will be. If it gets oppressive in Merida, do as the locals do and take a siesta.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Feb 4, 2010, 8:27 AM)

fishfrier

Feb 4, 2010, 6:06 AM

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Re: [tashby] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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My wife(Yucatandreamer) and I have lived in Merida for 7 years now. On a general basis the temperature and humidity are lowest November thru January. I say generally because there can still be days in those months when it gets to the high 90s. The difference being the evenings are much cooler than the rest of the year. We had one night when it got to freezing in Tekax. We had quite few days that I was wearing long pants, a sweater with an under shirt and socks. Socks!! Heck it must have been cloudy and 70 on those days. April and May are the hottest months temperature wise. This past year we spent the month of May in San Cristobal warming ourselves by the fireplace while Merida went through three weeks of 104 to 110 degree temperatures. Even though we have had quite dry summers for the last couple of years, September is the worst month for humidity. 95 degrees and 100 % humidity and it never cools off at night.

If you are wanting a 1 to 2 week visit to Merida the temperatures will be a crap shoot but November, December and January will be your best months to try.

(This post was edited by fishfrier on Feb 4, 2010, 8:41 AM)

Hound Dog

Feb 4, 2010, 9:05 AM

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Re: [fishfrier] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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Thanks for that fishfrier. Perhaps we will adjust our informally scheduled annual trip to the Yucatan from February to January in the future. As you said, it is always a crap shoot. We had some fun this year, leaving Ajijic for San Cristóbal in mid-January and right out of the clear blue, come the latter part of January and first part of February, it started raining buckets almost constantly at Lake Chapala and turned what we Lake Chapala dwellers would call damned cold with, I am told, daytime temperatures in the 50s Fahrenheit. Our drive down to Chiapas on the Veracruz coast was miserable with much rain and chilly temperatures all the way from Orizaba to the Chiapas line and then into Tuxtla Gutierrez. Then, amazingly, we reached the crest of the mountain and peered out over the Jovel Valley at 7,000 feet blown away by brilliant sunshine and temperatures in the low 80s Fahrenheit and, with the exception of a couple of days, the weather in San Cristóbal has been splendid, warm and breezy almost constantly since. Meanwhile, friends at Lake Chapala (with the world´s "best" climate) are depressed in the unprecedented (since we´ve been here) cold and the rain.

Now, you and I know that if we plan on a repeat of that good fortune next year, ain´t gone happen. As one of Mexconnect´s correspondents living at Lake Chapala wrote recently, and I paraphrase, "Enjoy yourself Dawg, your time is coming, heh,heh."

Don´t I know it.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Feb 4, 2010, 10:03 AM)

tashby

Feb 4, 2010, 10:15 AM

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Re: [fishfrier] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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Thanks La Isla, Hound Dog, and especially fishfrier. (This is what is so great about MexConnect....getting weather info from somebody who lives there!)

Hmmmm. We're already going down to the beach in Nayarit mid-Frebruary to visit a friend and help her scream at the house she's building. So that would likely put any Mérida visit into March and beyond. Don't think I want any part of that. Mérida will have to wait til next year when the window of "good" weather re-opens.

Chiapas, on the other hand...

fishfrier

Feb 4, 2010, 4:44 PM

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Re: [Hound Dog] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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Hey Dawg. If you happen to make it our neck of the henequen, private message us. We would like to get together for dinner or something.

Hound Dog

Feb 4, 2010, 6:22 PM

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Re: [fishfrier] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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Thanks fishfrier. When La Jefa gets back from the big city, we´ll be planning some kind of coastal trip, either the Yucatan or the Soconusco and would love to meet you guys if we make it over your way. Look for my PM.

fishfrier

Feb 7, 2010, 6:36 AM

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Re: [Hound Dog] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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For the last couple of years we've been having unusual weather. It got down to 52' F last night with a high of 72'F. That is mighty cold for February since it usually starts to warm up by now. I think I'll just stick with predicting our two normal seasons. Dust season (right now) and mold season in the summer. Can't go wrong with those two.

FeelinGroovy

Mar 7, 2010, 3:38 PM

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Re: [tashby] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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We spent the month of January in Merida a couple of years ago and found it to be fabulous. Besides the good weather, friendly people and first-rate art, January is the month of cultural festivals all over the city with many free events every day. It is not to be missed...music, theatre, fine art, dancing in the park, etc. Each neighborhood has its own little plaza with something fun and free happening daily.

There are also a number of interesting and fun day trips.
Libby

Vichil

Mar 8, 2010, 6:21 AM

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Re: [tashby] Merida--Best time of year to visit (weather)?

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Go to Merida for the Day of the Dead. It is a fun time to visit. The office of tourism is sponsporing villages to build a replica of a typical house on the Plaza. The men come in the night before and built the houses . If you check the houses carefully you will see that each village has its own style.
ItThe next day the women come and fix the altars and the food served for that day. At 11 am everyone is invited to partake in the feast. It is a good way to taste the specialties for that day and discover products you did not know.
It is where I tasted Ixtabantun for the first time. The Day of the Dead is really big down there and last for quite a while.
That year I had found in an hacienda in Sudzal near Itzamal a book on Alma Reed and her love affair with the Gov. Felipe Carillo Puerto. I read she had been burried accross from him so we went to visit the graves to see if the story was true , and sure enough we found both graves, as well as the wall were Felipe Carillo and his brothers had been shot. The Panteon is great to visit that day as well.

November is still off season , hot and humid but that is Yucatan, We stayed at the hotel Lafitte that is very comfortable and has a nice air condition system so it was bearable. Went to the Opera on gala night and of course went to several restaurants serving specialties of the Day of the Dead. The hotel had some good recommendations. The fish restaurant they recommended was excellent, in a non touristy area.

I hate heat and humidity so it is one of the reasons we are not down there but it is worth suffering a little to see the festival. Everytime we go down there we really enjoy the town and every time I thank God I do not have to live in that climate.