With Houstonians (understandably) wanting to get away, a major Mexican region has opened more aggressively for tourists and just in time, United Airlines is hopping aboard with increased direct flights.
United will launch new, nonstop flights to the Mexican state/peninsula of Yucatán, specifically Houston to Mérida on May 7. Service is scheduled to increase to two daily flights from June 3 to September 7, with one departure at 8:15 am and a second at 3:05 pm, per a release.
This new service promises to boost the reactivation of Yucatán’s tourism sector and, with it, the area’s economy, as the state has entered the “Yellow Phase” of Mexico’s recovery plan. This allows for decreased restrictions on nighttime mobility on specific days, extending the hours of operation for restaurants, reactivating social events, and increasing capacity limits for businesses, commercial plazas, supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants.
Yucatán’s capital, Mérida, offers a unique duality of both ancient Mayan culture and modern facilities and makes an ideal home base for visiting the rest of the state and its remote micro-destinations.
Dubbed the White City, Mérida is rich in history, music, and vibrant colors. The popular Historic Center is the second largest in Mexico and boasts French-style buildings that are testament to the luxurious lives their owners led in past centuries.
Must-stops include the Peón Contreras Theater, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, and the famous Hotel Mansión Mérida, the oldest hotel in the city and home to its first social club. Snap selfies at Paseo de Montejo and its Twin Houses, Palacio Cantón Museum, and the House-Museum Montes Molina. The impressive Monumento a la Patria, or Homeland Monument, tells the history of Mexico in the center of the avenue.
Luxe stays come courtesy of a trip to Hacienda Temozón, which is nestled in the heart of the famous Yucatán Peninsula, enabling easy access to local attractions such as Cenote Yaal Utzil and Peba Yucatán. Or, decompress at Chablé Resort & Spa, a luxury hotel immersed in the Mayan jungle, and its award-winning spa situated away from it all.
Foodies should devour the offerings at Teya, where dining options range from the most representative dishes of emblematic traditional Yucatecan cuisine to a special menu section developed in collaboration with celebrated chef Roberto Solís.
Safety-minded travelers should note United has joined the Good Health Practices of Yucatán certification program. This creates “sanitary bubbles” where service providers in the state can offer both visitors and locals a biosafe experience while they visit the destination’s tourist attractions, per a release.
The stunning Río Lagartos.
