Mérida

Mérida needs 3 days: Paseo de Montejo, an avenue of French-inspired 19th-century mansions, on one, an excursion to nearby cenotes like Cuzamá to swim in crystal-clear underground water on another, and a visit to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal on the third. November-March is best, avoiding extreme summer heat. It's inexpensive for Mexico. Repeatedly ranked one of the safest cities in Latin America, it's the cultural capital of the Yucatán Peninsula, with Mexico's largest colonial historic center after Mexico City and a living Maya identity -the Yucatec Maya language is still widely spoken in the region-.