Fractional Ownership in Yucatan Merida

The city lies in the trade wind belt close to the Tropic of Cancer, with the prevailing wind from the east. Merida's climate is hot and humidity is moderate to high, depending on the time of year.

The average annual high temperature is 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), peaking in May when temperatures can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in the afternoon.

It is most often a few degrees hotter in Merida than coastal areas due to its inland location and low elevation. The rainy season runs from June through October, associated with the Mexican monsoon which draws warm, moist air landward. Easterly waves and tropical storms also affect the area during this season.

Merida has been nicknamed "The White City", though the exact origin of this moniker is not clear. Some explanations include the common color of its old buildings painted and decorated with "cal" (though anyone visiting modern Merida can see that buildings are not all white nowadays) or the fact that the residents keep the city particularly clean.

Merida was named after the Spanish town of the same name, originally (in Latin) Augusta Emerita (see Merida, Spain). Merida served as the American Capital of Culture in the year 2000.

As the state and regional capital, Merida is a cultural center, featuring multiple museums, art galleries, restaurants, movie theatres and shops. Merida retains an abundance of beautiful colonial buildings and is a vibrant cultural center with music and dancing playing an important part in day-to-day life.

At the same it is a modern city boasting a comprehensive range of shopping malls, auto dealerships, top quality hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities. The famous avenue, Paseo de Montejo, is lined with original sculpture. Each year, the MACAY Museum in Merida mounts a new sculpture installation, featuring works from Mexico and one other chosen country.

Each exhibit remains for ten months of the year. In 2007, sculptures on Paseo de Montejo feature works by artists from Mexico and Japan.

Merida and the state of Yucatan have traditionally been isolated from the rest of the country by geography, creating a unique culture. The conquistadors found the Mayan culture to be incredibly resilient, and their attempts to eradicate Mayan tradition, religion and culture had only moderate success.

The surviving remnants of the Mayan culture can be seen every day, in speech, dress, and in both written and oral histories. It is especially apparent in holidays like Hanal Pixan, a Mayan/Catholic Day of the Dead celebration. It falls on November 1 and 2 (one day for adults, and one for children) and is commemorated by elaborate altars dedicated to dead relatives.

It is a compromise between the two religions with crucifixes mingled with skull decorations and food sacrifices/offerings. Makbil pollo is the Mayan tamal pie offered to the dead on All Saints' Day, traditionally accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate. Many Yucatecans enjoying eating this on and around the Day of Dead. And, while complicated to make, they can be purchased and even shipped via air. (Muk-bil literally means "to put in the ground" or to cook in a pib, an underground oven).

For English speakers or would-be speakers, Merida has the Merida English Library, a lending library with an extensive collection of English books, videos, tapes and children's books. The library is also the site for expatriate meetings, children's storytelling hours and other cultural events.

Merida is also home to the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra, which plays regular seasons at the Jose Peon Contreras Theatre on Calle 60 and features classical music, jazz and opera.