Moving to Merida in an Airbnb

Moving to Merida in an Airbnb was the path of least resistance. And, we knew it would give us time to settle in, make some decisions and decide what would come next.

Our first visits to Merida

We’ve been to Merida a few times before, staying in Airbnbs each time. In considering moving to Merida, we had stayed near the Paseo Montejo in the Santa Ana and Santa Lucia neighborhoods.

Both are in areas popular with ex-pats and not far from some of the touristy areas. However, our goal was always to see what living like a local was like. We’d avoid tourist attractions; many closed due to COVID. But, we’d shop and cook at home, eating out a few times to see what the food scene was like.

This time would be different.

This time we would be living here, not being tourists but trying to acclimate to the heat; yes, we chose to move during the hottest month of the year.

We’d be shopping for everyday stuff. We’d need everything from daily groceries to food and litter for the cats and anything that didn’t come in the two large suitcases we each brought.

So, we looked at areas that gave us access to a local Mercado, a neighborhood supermarket for things like water and household items, which makes trips downtown to stores where the locals shop.

An Airbnb gave us the flexibility of a long-term booking with many of the amenities we needed while looking for a long-term rental or looking for a house to buy.

Lovely House Downtown

We found a beautiful Merida Airbnb in a neighborhood of locals. It was just a few blocks from the beautiful Parque Santiago and a straight eight-block walk to Mercado Lucas de Galvez for larger shopping trips.

The house is super cute, with two bedrooms, a small plunge pool – a necessity in May and June – a good size, a well-appointed kitchen, a walled patio, and terraces off of the second-floor bedroom and on the roof.

This allowed for space for the cats to roam and come outside without fear of them getting away. We could cook meals, have extra room to spread out, and it even comes with the washer.

Our host could not be nicer, he is very responsive, and when we arrived, there was a huge basket of goodies, a stoked fridge with some eggs, milk, soda, and beer, and the house had plenty of household supplies.

It’s a beautiful location for the next two months while we decide what’s next!

*All images of the Airbnb rooms are from the Host’s listing.