The ceiba building
The Maya sacred tree.
J. Magno — CC BY 2.0 · Jmagno1998 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jmagno1998 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ProtoplasmaKid — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lynx Burgos — CC BY-SA 3.0
A modern museum devoted to Maya civilisation, opened in 2012 in a striking building designed in the shape of the ceiba, the Maya sacred tree that in their belief linked the underworld, the earth and the sky. With its interlaced green lines, the building is one of modern Mérida's landmarks. The museum tells the Maya story from the geological birth of the Yucatán Peninsula, including the crater left by the meteorite thought to have ended the age of the dinosaurs, to the ancient cities with their writing, numbers and calendar, then Maya life under Spanish rule, and on to today's Maya, who still speak their language in the villages. Its halls hold hundreds of artefacts from Yucatán's sites: sculpture, pottery, jewellery and carvings, with screens and interactive displays explaining how the Maya built their cities and watched the sky. It is a good introduction before visiting Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. The museum is air-conditioned, a good refuge from the midday heat. Allow at least two hours, and check the weekly closing day before you go.
The Maya sacred tree.
From Yucatán's sites.
A living culture.
Northern edge of Mérida, near the end of Paseo de Montejo
Before is better: it explains Maya history, cities and writing, so the ruins make more sense. It is air-conditioned, so it suits the hot midday hours.