Hi, I’m Cassie and I’m lucky enough to live in Mérida. I’m originally from the UK but moved here, with my husband and two small kids in tow, in search of a better quality of life. And you know what? We found it. Mérida has a delightfully laid back pace of living, allowing us to spend more time together as a family than we ever could in London. We haven’t stopped revelling in exploring this incredible city and the surrounding area. I’m thrilled to be able to share some of my favorite finds with Yucatán Today readers over the coming months.
My husband and I met when I was working with kids living on the streets of Rwanda. We moved from Rwanda to Ethiopia before eventually moving back to the UK together. It would be fair to say that neither of us is very good at sitting still when there’s so much to explore, and it turns out that our kids are fairly adventurous too – good thing, really, since they don’t have much choice in the matter! The kids are almost six and just four so they’re in school here in Mérida, but we try to use our spare time well, exploring everything the city and its surrounds have to offer families like us.
It took a little while to get into the groove of how to entertain kids here. We’re used to being able to head to the park every day straight after school, but that’s not how Mérida works. Playgrounds tend to come alive later in the day, with families heading out after 5 pm to make a full evening of it.
My favorite playgrounds in town are:
Parque de las Américas
In García Ginerés. This park is made up of four individual blocks, one of which is a playground. At 5 pm, bouncy castles take shape, electric cars are brought out, and local food trucks appear, turning this sleepy park into kid heaven!
Parque de la Alemán
Is a similar set-up, with a traditional playground, a skate park, and gym equipment. Every evening from 5 pm, a bouncy castle arrives, electric cars appear, painting stations are set up, and the small fairground opens. Food stands appear here too, selling Mérida’s traditional snacks. There are ice cream options and a few restaurants around the park as well.
Parque Kalia
In colonia Monterreal, has recently been redeveloped. It has a modern climbing frame and a large space for kids to scoot, bike, and rollerblade. If you need snacks, you’re right opposite a Chedraui supermarket.
It costs around $25 pesos for ten minutes in an electric car and the bouncy castle prices vary depending on how long your child wants to bounce / how long you want them to leave you alone…but $50 pesos per child gets you unlimited time.
Editorial by Cassie Pearse
Photos by Cassie Pearse and Andrea Mier for Yucatán Today’s use
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