Brief history of Mérida’s cementerio general

Merida’s cementerio general was established in 1821 following a governmental decree that all cemeteries must be outside city limits. Prior to this, people were buried in their local cemeteries. The very first person to be buried here was Lieutenant Felipe Trejo in November 1821.

Today, the cemetery is no longer, outside of the city limits. In fact, it’s within walking distance of the southern Mérida Sam’s Club and the airport! 😆

Cemetery details

⏲The cemetery is open every day from 8 am – 5 pm. Be warned that 5 pm actually means 5 pm. The guard is incredibly punctual. Perhaps he’s super keen to get home for the day

↔️ There are entrances to the cemetery on both Calle 66 and Calle 81a (it’s a 40 minute walk from the Plaza Grande and a 20 minute walk from La Ermita)

❌ There are no facilities on site so do come prepared with water and an empty bladder

🍦 Just outside the exit on Calle 66 to the left is a ‘Six’ convenience store where you can buy the very necessary ice creams and cold water required after an hour or so exploring in the cemetery. Also on Calle 81A as you leave there is a Six

🆓 It is free to visit

🆓 Read the full MexicoCassie guide to finding free things to do in Mérida

How to explore the cementerio general

The cemetery is open to visitors so it’s up to you whether you choose to visit alone or on a tour. In this section you’ll find advice on how to visit alone as well as some tour recommendations.

The most important thing to remember when visiting a cemetery is respect. It doesn’t matter what your views on death, religion or burials is, this is the resting place of people’s loved ones.

💀 Whatever time of year you’re thinking of visiting, it’ll be interesting. Of course, in the run up to Día de Muertos / Hanal Pixan (Day of the Dead), it’ll be even more exciting than normal.

→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Hanal Pixan in Mérida

How to visit alone

The cemetery is arranged with two roads running through the middle of it, Calle 90 (off 81A) and the continuation of Calle 66. These meet at a small roundabout.

💀 This is more or less where the Hanal Pixan Paseo de las Animas begins

Standing at this roundabout, you have the Socialists’ Monument on one side (the large yellow construction). This is a monument to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, an assassinated governor of (and hero to many in) Yucatán, and his brothers. He was shot, in 1924, in the cemetery and apparently it is possible to see exactly where he, and his eleven comrades, were killed if you search the cemetery, although I’ve never found it myself.

On Calle 66 you can find the fascinating mausoleums to various groups of people.

My personal favourite is the mausoleum to the league of henequen workers.

I recommend not sticking to the large paths, wander between the graves and mausoleums, read the inscriptions, see who these people were and really feel the history of the region.

👀 Check out the detail on the graves. Don’t just stick to the path, get right in there and meander alongside the graves and mausoleums, just ensuring to remember to move around respectfully.

Right near the exit on Calle 66 are a number of ‘hole in the wall graves’. I find these particularly fascinating for the disparity with some of the more opulent resting places.

Heading down Calle 91 you’ll see an organised jumble of brightly painted, ornate mausoleums, many resembling real houses, engraved with touching words from loved ones.

⚠️ Do be careful to watch out for open graves, as some sections are less well cared for that others. As long as you don’t actively jump around the graves, walking around them with respect is perfectly acceptable here.

Taking a tour of Mérida’s cementerio general

Tours of the cemetery are not a mainstay of the city calendar or tourist trail. You’re more likely to find them advertised in October (Day of the Dead) than other times of the year.

👣 The ayuntamiento does sometimes offer free tours (generally a Wednesday night) but they don’t appear to be regular. Check Yucatán Today or the Ayuntamiento Facebook site for announcements.

👣 Every now and again, I see cemetery tours on Viator and GetYourGuide so it’s definitely worth checking