There are so many great places to visit around Merida and through out the Yucatan and a good tour guide can make so much difference. Compared to renting a car or just hiring a driver, a good tour guide can provide background and history of the places you visit, they can take you places off the beaten path and not in the typical tourist books, and they can navigate you through some of the small challenges that can come up when you are visiting a new place where you don’t fully speak the language. This includes knowing where to legally park, getting a table at a popular restaurant, and knowing where and when to visit places.
During our first visit to Merida in 2018 our AirBnB hosts recommended a fantastic guide named Polo. He took us on two trips; a visit to the cenotes & haciendas and a trip to the coast to see the flamingos. We used him, and his team, again in 2019. In 2018 we had our (then) 8 year old with us and in 2019 my parents in their late 70’s. He customized the trip based on who we were and how we are doing. For example our 8 year old really enjoyed being helped to jump off a cliff into a cenote; my mother would not have enjoyed it that much. Also his passion for the place and people was infectious. Unfortunately Polo passed away in 2020. RIP.
During our trip in January 2022 we tried three different guides to help us find someone who we can recommend to our guests and friends that visit. All three were very different - here’s the tale of three tour guides.
(Note: we had brought some rapid home covid tests with us and asked each of the guides and, if applicable, drives to take a test before starting the trip. Everyone was very willing and grateful.)
IIrwing (52 999 144 2422). Irwing picked us up at 9am Wednesday Jan 5th for a trip to Izamal. It was him plus a driver and a large van. We had found out about him via a recommendation from our property manager. They had us contact Antonio (or Tony) at The Yucatan Adventure (52 999 991 2154) who sent us Irwing. They had quoted us $3,000 for the four of us which included transportation, a guide, and an ice chest with a bottle of water each. When we asked if we could also stop by a cenote they added $700 to the cost. The van was clean & comfortable and the driver very professional. Irwing was very professional and, I think ,he is use to giving tours to larger groups as even though it was only four of us, he still set up his microphone in the van to follow is script on the area. At Izamal he walked us around and provided information and history on various spots. He took us to the local pyramid and hiked with us up half way, then he showed us the restaurant where we wanted to eat (Kinich). He ran some personal chores while we ate but was right there when we came out of the restaurant. At the cenote we paid our own entrance but he joined us to each swimming area.
As he dropped us off at our house in the evening he explained that he had to wake very early the next morning as he was heading a bus tour for one of the cruise ships due into Progresso.
Lucy with Bonita Merida Tours (52 999 265 1512). Lucy picked us up just after 8am on Friday Jan 7th for a tour of Uxmal. The trip was $1,500 per person and included entry fees and a meal. I had found Lucy based on a recommendation on a Merida FB page. Lucy was a study in contrasts compared to Irwing; whereas Irwing was composed and structured, Lucy was enthusiastically excited and dynamic. Some examples include her dropping to her knees to feed iguanas while touring the pyramids or dropping by the ranch of a friend of her’s to show us a suspected Mayan cave. We definitely saw some things that you would not see on a typical tour. Her tour around the various structures of Uxmal was educational and entertaining. Her appreciation for the culture was infectious. Her tour usually includes a visit to a local family in one of the villages but we declined due to covid and social distancing. Lunch was at an outside place that belonged to a friend of hers and was a combination of restaurant and art studio. Lucy was fun, interesting, genuine, and entertaining however there were a couple of areas that annoyed us a bit. First was the cost as she was on the high end. For example, Irwing have us a quote of $3,400 (although the entry would not have been included @ ~$500 per person) for an Uxmal tour in his van (see next item) Second, she was in a small car that really wasn’t comfortable for three adults in the back seat. And third, the description of her tour was a video set to music that showed several items. It was nice but it left it a little vague on what was planned and included. In a way this made the day a bit more of an adventure but annoying for those who like more structure.
Kumem (Kumenoni Lire 52 999 453 7306) took us on our final tour on Saturday January 8th. I had read about him on the Merida Expat FaceBook page and it sounded like he was very focused on outdoors and nature. He offered a Sisal experience that included
- “Boat ride to the mangroves
- Kayak or mini boat ( alijo) trip to the Spring fount ( Dzul Ha) to swimm, meanwhile we do some birdwatching with flamingos, and other birds.
- After swimming we take the kayaks back to the boat and ww go to a small "Playón" a line of beach like a small Island to have a very private time there. At the same time, our crew will prepare some "ceviche" ( raw Fish) or fried local fish.
- After this we ride back to Sisal where we will learn about the hystorical importance of Sisal and we will enjoy some free time at the beach and local restaurants .
Price: $6500 ( price is not per person, but for the full tour for one up to 4 people) tips, drinks and food are not included.”
We were picked up early (7am) at our house by Kumen and a driver and, thankfully, a van. The hour and a half drive from, Merida was fairly uneventful except it was difficult to hear much due to a faulty AC fan. Also the driver missed an exit - I normally wouldn’t mention it but the road was clearly marked and he did a similar miss on the return trip. In Sisal we drove to a harbor where we met two other guys with a speedboat to start our tour. It was a very good tour and I especially enjoyed the navigation through the mangroves in the small flat boats powered by the boat owners using long sticks.
In summary, our group of four, which included two first time to Merida visitors from the UK, enjoyed all three of the tours. I’d recommend all of them … with a minor caveat for each. To help explain, my wife and I compared them to bands. However I should also point out that each of these caveats are also a strength in the right situation and for the right group.
- Irwing was Coldplay. Really good music but no surprises (good or bad)
- Lucy was Oasis. At times really great but you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get
- Kumen was Nickleback. Decent music but for some reason, that’s difficult to explain, there was not much personal connection.
If you choose to take a tour with any of them, tell them hello from me . . . but perhaps don’t mention the musical comparisons.
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