Your expert guide answers: how pet friendly is Yucatan?

Published by Colette on 08/11/202408/11/2024

green text box: everything you need to know about pet friendly yucatán. 4 photos - 1 of chichen itza pyramid behind trees, 1 of dog sitting in restaurant, 1 of people swimming in open cenote, 1 of 2 small dogs in dog clothes

Yucatan state in Mexico is such a great location to visit and it is becoming more and more pet friendly. As awareness grows about the importance of animals in society, more businesses and services are welcoming responsibly kept pets. There have never been more restaurants, hotels, and excursions available to pet lovers in Yucatan.

I (Colette) have lived and traveled in Yucatan with my dogs for several years and write a local guide on responsible pet care and the ways that the region is becoming more pet friendly. So, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my suggestions with MexicoCassie to help you enjoy this sensational southern Mexican state with your best four-legged friend.

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💚 How is Yucatan pet friendly?

dog sitting in back of silver car, door open

🐶 Recent statistics from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography highlighted that Yucatan households, on average, have more pets than children. This may come as a surprise, but Yucatecan people have a very long history of living with companion animals and archaeologists have found evidence of this relationship between human and animal far into ancient times in the region.

Up until recently, companion animals were kept outside and while they were treated with respect, they were not often brought into the home and definitely not to restaurants or shops. Now, you can find pet shops all over Yucatan selling clothes for dogs, toys and all of the modern accessories associated with having pets in the home as family members.

🐶 Local businesses and services have responded to this change in pet-keeping lifestyles and there are now many restaurants, cafes, hotels, and even shopping malls proudly advertising themselves as pet friendly. So if you are looking for a good place with pet-friendly options, Yucatan may just be the right place for you.

Being pet friendly is not just about access for dog owners. It is also about creating an environment that maintains good welfare for pets, as this translates into a happier and healthier community for all. Good animal welfare programmes, government animal welfare and education initiatives, and recreational activities for people and pets all play a part in making a place pet friendly. So, let us look at what Yucatan has to offer.

🏨 Pet friendly accommodation in Yucatán

large brown dog siting on blue and white tiled floor in front of bed

We know that finding a place to stay with your pet can often be a worry when you travel together. In Yucatan, however, it is not so difficult because many businesses actively want to open their doors to pet owners.

We have listed some excellent popular pet-friendly hotels in some of the most visited locations in Yucatan.

⚠️ We remind you to always confirm for your specific situation because some hotels may restrict the size of dog or the number of furry family members you can have in a room. They may also charge a small sum for your canine friend so always check before making your reservation to find the best hotel for you.

➕ When using aggregate sites such as Booking.com you will find an “allows pets” box to click on the left hand side of the page.

➕ We also suggest checking vacation rentals through platforms like VRBO.

Key to the hotel choices below 🌴 = top countryside hotel pick ⭐️ = top city/town hotel pick

🍽 Pet friendly dining in Yucatan

large brown dog sitting on white and black tiled flor in Hennessey's bar, Mérida

Whether you are visiting or live in Yucatan state, knowing where your dog will be welcome to join can make a huge difference when choosing where to eat out.

In most parts of Yucatan, restaurants with outdoor seating accommodate people with well-behaved pets. However, some restaurants go the extra mile to ensure that their pet-loving patrons feel very welcome.

We have done the hard work for you and discovered some of the best and most pet friendly dining options in Yucatan. We would recommend that you make reservations before visiting a restaurant for dinner with your four-legged best friend to ensure that they have an appropriate table available as they may not have la lot of seating options.

Mérida – pet friendly dining

Merida is an exceptionally pet friendly city and has a plethora of pet friendly dining options. Here are some of the most popular pet friendly restaurants in Merida. You can find a more complete list on Pet Friendly Yucatan.

Hennesey’s Irish Pub

Dal Baffo

Zinc Comfort Food

Tropico 56

Café Crème

Paseo 60

Ali Baba

Casa Chica

Casa Tho’

Valladolid

Valladolid is a smaller but vibrant city which is wonderful to enjoy in the company of your friends, especially of the canine variety. So, knowing where you and your dog can stop for a bite to eat is very helpful. Here are some of our top picks for pet friendly restaurants in Valladolid.

Carolina Cacao Café Boutique

El Patio

Achiote Cocino de Humo

Mirador Don Alfonso

Rua Café

Le Kaat

Izamal

Izamal is a small city known for its unique yellow buildings and, like much of Yucatan, it is becoming increasingly pet friendly. So, if you visit this city in the company of your pets, you will be able to enjoy a lovely meal at one of these local restaurants.

Restaurant Los Arcos

Restaurante Kinich Izamal

Maria 33

Pet friendly dining at the beach

Spending time with your dog on the beach is one of the highlights of visiting Yucatan. El Cuyo, San Felipe and Progreso are all popular destinations for fun in the sun with the whole family. Here are some great pet friendly options in each destination where you can have a meal after building up a hunger playing in the sea.

El Cuyo

El Bucanero

Anahata

Naia

Pescadoria Dona Martha

San Felipe

Ria Lagartos

La Torreja

Progreso

Marymar beachclub

Almadia

El Haguay

Al Carbone

Casas del Pastel

Sayachaltun

🛍 Pet friendly shopping

two small dogs sitting looking at the camera. both wearing white clothes

While Merida’s largest malls such as The Harbour and La Isla Merida are pet friendly, shopping options may be limited to open air markets in most cities and small towns in Yucatán. For example, the artisan market in main square of Valladolid is a great place to stroll and shop with your four-legged companion.

❌ We don’t recommend taking your pets into the food markets.

Pet friendly exploring around Yucatán

photo by Conch Creative of dog with one blue eye and one brown eye

Archaeological sites and cenotes

Most national archaeological sites, nature reserves, and cenotes restrict access and only allow service dogs. However, there are exceptions.

📚 Read more about cenotes near Mérida, Valladolid, Chichén Itzá, Homun & Izamal

Chen Ho Archaeological Site

Chen Ho is a small but interesting archaeological site in a public park in Merida. It is a large, dog friendly park and you can explore the ruins with your dog although dogs are not permitted to climb on them.

Cenote Santa Rosa

Cenote Santa Rosa welcomes well-behaved dogs. The location has restaurants, shops, a bar, and even hammocks for resting. However, dogs are not permitted to enter the water. It is in Homun which can be reached easily from Valladolid or Merida.

Cenote Secreto Maya

Cenote Secreto is a hotel and cenote site near Valladolid where your pets are welcome. As with other cenotes, your dogs are not allowed in the water, but they can come to the edge of the cenote and enjoy the experience while they watch you.

Sayachaltun

Sayachaltun is run by a collective of traditional Yucatecan fishermen. It is easy to get to from Progreso or Merida. They offer boat tours of the mangrove system and have an excellent restaurant on site.

Pet-friendly beaches and parks in Yucatan

beautiful brown dog looking at camera while walking on beach

Pet friendly beaches

🏖 Your dog must be leashed on the beach, but that should not stop you from having an incredible day playing in the sea with them.

Progreso, Telchac, and El Cuyo all have great beaches for dog walking. Dogs must be on lead at all times on the beach unless you’re in a pet friendly area of the beach. Dog walkers should be aware of stray dogs. While most of these dogs are not aggressive, it is a good idea to avoid them if you have a dog with you.

Pet friendly parks

🏞 Almost all parks in Yucatan are pet friendly as long as you keep your pup on a lead and clean up after them.

Mérida now has three fully enclosed dog parks, where you can have the best experience and give your furry friend off-lead exercise. Read more about pet friendly Mérida here.

Parque La Plancha – La Plancha Park, in Merida Centro, has separate enclosed areas with play equipment for dogs, where you can exercise your dog off lead. There is one for large dogs and one for smaller dogs.

Parque Aleman – Aleman Park, in Colonia Miguel Aleman, has a large fully enclosed area for off-lead play for dogs with fun equipment for play and training.

Parque Tabentha – Tabentha Park, near Alta Brisa, has a play area with equipment where dogs can be exercised and trained off-lead.

Getting around Yucatán with your pet

🐾 The new Tren Maya, currently allows service animals with documentation, certified emotional support dogs and dogs and cats under 10kg (56cm x 30 cm – measuring as if they’re a suitcase!).

🚌 ADO buses generally allow 2 pets per journey (not per person) to travel in pet carriers in the luggage compartment. Pets under 25kg (55lbs) aren’t charged extra. This is only permitted for shorter journeys (under 8 hrs) and not in the hotter months. Not really an ideal way to travel with your baby.

🚕 Smaller dogs may be welcome in some taxis and rideshares, but may occasionally be required to be kept in a carrier by drivers. Some of the private drivers with larger vehicles will accept dogs. You can find them by asking around or searching for them on social media platforms. (I have a big dog and despite not wanting to, we have had to purchase a car just to transport our dog.)

🚗 Most car rental companies do allow pets in their vehicles but have specific clauses about cleanliness.

A final note on the realities of the lives of animals in Yucatán

We recognise that being pet friendly is not just about allowing dogs access to businesses and services. It reflects a greater awareness of compassion towards animals.

While Yucatan has struggled with this issue, Merida recently elected a new Mayor, Cecilia Patron, who has a long history of animal welfare activism. She ran her campaign with many promises to improve the welfare of animals in Merida.

Merida has become a leader in promoting good animal welfare policies in recent years. It has a brand new purpose-built animal hospital, which provides low cost veterinary consultations, free rabies vaccinations and anti- parasite treatments. The city also runs free and low-cost spay and neuter campaigns in cooperation with numerous animal welfare groups. Thousands of dogs and cats are being spayed and neutered at these clinics monthly in Yucatan.

The state of Yucatan has increased the penalties for animal abuse and even launched a specialist animal abuse forensics unit.

Yucatan still has a long way to go as it struggles with an overpopulation of homeless dogs and cats. It is working hard to become an incredibly pet friendly location and takes great pride in that effort.