2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

  • The heart of the Peninsula

    Mérida The Brave

    December 13-17, 2024

    ?

    Yucatán of the endless rainforest, distant Mayan legends, cobblestone and conquest. And at its heart is the dynamic colonial city of Mérida. Join us for an unrivaled four-night exploration of culture and cuisine, with guides like renegade farmers, Mayan grainkeepers, taco savants, and even the legendary American chef (and Mérida evangelist) Jeremiah Tower.

    Alejo Sabugo

    R&K Host

    Traveler, Fixer, Explorer
    Alejo Sabugo

    Gonzalo Gil Lavedra

    Local Guide

    Poet, Gourmand, Yucatán Whisperer to the Stars
    Gonzalo Gil Lavedra

Overview

Mérida The Brave

Yucatán of the endless rainforest, distant Mayan legends, cobblestone and conquest. And at its heart is the dynamic colonial city of Mérida. Join us for an unrivaled four-night exploration of culture and cuisine, with guides like renegade farmers, Mayan grainkeepers, taco savants, and even the legendary American chef (and Mérida evangelist) Jeremiah Tower.

The ingredients of this journey go beyond cochinita pibil, deeper than the inky depths of a recado negro. It is about the people, not only the creative and hospitable Yucatecos, but also the dreamers and visionaries from other parts of the world who call the region home. Our two guides have a full complement of connections, friends and conspirators, who are eager to show their appreciation for the land.

  • Mexico
  • December 13-17, 2024
Map
  • Mexico
  • December 13-17, 2024
Mérida The Brave Inquire Now

DISCOVER MÉRIDA:
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day
1

Welcome to Mérida

  • Private transfer from Mérida Airport to our private homebase for the trip: the colonial gem Casa Lecanda
  • Welcome cocktails by the pool with culinary legend—and Mérida evangelist—Jeremiah Tower
  • First night private dinner at the great Mérida restaurant Ramiro with a pairing of Yucatán flavors and elegant Mexican wines
Day
2

Life in the Capital

  • Breakfast mission to eat lavishly with the queen of Yucatán tacos, Doña Lupita
  • Historical walk through the center of the colonial city to understand a bit about how time and culture have influenced the cuisine of this place, with chef Abril Batún of Luciérnagas y Cosmonautas
  • Lunch at the Luciérnagas y Cosmonautas, Abril Batún and Natalia Sánchez’s creative Yucateca restaurant in central Mérida
  • Open bar or siesta, your choice
  • Dinner in the Yucatán countryside, immersed in the complex and fascinating history of the henequen hacienda epoch, with a private dinner at Tekik de Regil
Day
3

Into the Interior

  • Roadtrip! Pack an overnight bag; we’re headed for two magical nights in Espita
  • En route grab a rich, perfect Yucateco egg breakfast with Doña Evelia of Huevos Motuleños
  • Check into the elegant, intimate boutique property Casona los Cedros
  • Epic adventure into the jungle farm of Mestiza de Indias, a masterclass of Mayan agriculture, a cochinita pibil (entire suckling pig cooked underground for 24 hours in Mayan style)  with our host Gonzalo Samaranch
Day
4

The last big night

  • Leisurely breakfast by the pool at Casona Los Cedros, or tacos in the captivating Espita market
  • Catered morning at a private cenote, one of those stunning Yucatán watering holes that is a window into the geologic and anthropocentric history of the peninsula
  • Big last night private dinner cooked by chef Alex Mendez and friends using products from Mestiza de Indias
Day
5

K’a’ ak’ate (that’s goodbye in Mayan)

  • One last, languorous breakfast at Casa Lecanda
  • Private transfer to Mérida Airport
  • Adios, hasta la proxima, no lloren mis buenos

What’s Included

  • All breakfasts, lunches, dinners except when itinerary explicitly says “Independent Meals”
  • Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
  • Snacks and beverages between meals
  • Additional guides and experts from the region
  • Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
  • Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
  • All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport

What’s Not Included

  • International airfare to and from the journey (note: some trips begin and end at different airports)
  • Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
  • Personal laundry or spa services
  • Personal travel insurance

Meet Our Hosts

Alejo Sabugo

R&K Host

Alejo Sabugo

Traveler, Fixer, Explorer

We met Asturias native Alejo Sabugo because he worked on the “Parts Unknown” Asturias episode. A producer and fixer for Bourdain, he quickly became an integral part of the Roads & Kingdoms family and is now a frequent League of Travelers host, often joining his good compadre, Gonzalo.

Gonzalo Gil Lavedra

Local Guide

Gonzalo Gil Lavedra

Poet, Gourmand, Yucatán Whisperer to the Stars

We first met Gonzalo Gil Lavedra in the smoky courtyard behind a family’s butcher shop in the meat-obsessed pueblo of Temozón, Yucatán. Referred to us by Noma chef René Redzepi, Gonzalo had sweet-talked the family into taking us all behind the scenes of some of the best smoked meat in Mexico. His unassuming charm and curiosity have taken him far and wide on this earth, but Yucatán holds a special place in his travels. He has shown some of the world’s great chefs around the peninsula, and now he has teamed up with Roads & Kingdoms to provide an unforgettable glimpse of the culinary life of this remarkable region.

Where You’ll Stay

Casa Lecanda

Casa Lecanda

Mérida Noble House

A small luxury boutique hotel in the historic center of Mérida, Casa Lecanda is set within an old patrician residence. Most of the original carpentry, clay floors, and finishes have been meticulously restored, as have traditional patios connected by gardens. A palm-ringed fountain and authentic Meridana hammocks offer refuge from the tropical heat, while stone, and marble arches blend with the tropical vegetation and white waters of the pool.

Casona Los Cedros

Casona Los Cedros

Espita Oasis

Casona Los Cedros is everything we love about Espita, a small town with a big aura. Laura Lecué and Alan Montfort are among the creatives from around the world who were drawn to the place. Laura, who studied and worked in architecture in Paris before moving with Alan to Mexico, re-envisioned this old colonial residence with brand-new rooms, surrounded by flowering plants and succulents, centering on an infinity pool and cocktail-perfect veranda.

  • We pierced the ‘tourist bubble’ largely through Alejo’s connections.

    James B.
    Asturias from Sky to Sea 2023
  • You could tell Alejo really put a lot of passion into all the research and recon he did for this trip, which made it very special.

    Tom R.
    Salamanca and the World of Jamón 2024
  • The connections R&K has in the community made this trip feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be replicated by any other company.

    Amanda C.
    CDMX Under the Volcano 2024

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