Mérida's Mejorada: Henequen Ice Cream and a Monastery Craft Quarter

I walked into Mejorada on a Tuesday morning in March, shirt already soaked through, and a woman behind a cart handed me a scoop of henequen ice cream in a waffle cone for 45 pesos. I didn't know what henequen tasted like as a dessert — I knew it as the spiny agave plant that made Yucatán rich a century ago, the one they turned into rope and twine. Turns out it tastes like mild honey with a green, vegetal finish. That cone set the tone for the rest of the day.

Mejorada is the neighborhood southeast of Mérida's centro histórico, anchored by the old Franciscan monastery and its surrounding streets. It's quieter than Santa Lucía and Santiago, less polished, and honestly more interesting once you start paying attention. The craft workshops here aren't performing for tourists — they're just open, and you can walk in.

1. The monastery that gave the barrio its name

The Convento de la Mejorada sits at the corner of Calle 50 and Calle 57, and you can spot its rough stone facade from a couple of blocks away. It dates to the early 1600s, built by Franciscan friars, and today part of it houses the Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatán. The museum is small — four or five rooms — but it's one of the better collections of regional craft I've seen in southern Mexico. Carved jícaras, embroidered hipiles, hammock-weaving demonstrations. Admission was 30 pesos last time I checked.

The courtyard is the real draw. Thick walls block the street noise, and a few old trees throw actual shade, which matters when you're walking Mérida in any month that isn't December or January.

Skip the gift shop. The markup is steep and the selection is thin — you'll find better versions of the same crafts on Calle 56A, two blocks south, for half the price.

2. Henequen ice cream and where to actually find it

The henequen ice cream cart I mentioned is usually parked on Calle 57 between 50 and 48, mornings only. The vendor's name is Doña Lupita — at least that's what the handwritten sign says. She also sells mamey, guanábana, and coconut, but the henequen is the one worth crossing the street for. It's made from the sap of the agave fourcroydes plant, cooked down into a syrup before it goes into the ice cream base.

A double scoop runs 55 pesos. Cash only.

I've seen travel posts calling this stuff "the best ice cream in Mexico." That's a stretch. It's interesting, it's local, and the flavor is unlike anything you'll get elsewhere, but it's not going to dethrone a good nieve de leche quemada from Oaxaca. What it will do is make you curious about henequen in general, which is half the point of being in this neighborhood.

3. The craft workshops on Calle 56A

Walk south from the monastery on Calle 50, turn right on 59, and you'll hit Calle 56A within a few minutes. This short stretch has a woodcarver, a leather workshop, and at least two places selling hand-woven hammocks. The hammock shops are the ones to spend time in.

At Hamacas Mérida (Calle 56A between 73 and 71), the family has been weaving for three generations. A matrimonial-size hammock — big enough for two people — starts around 1,200 pesos for nylon and 2,500 for cotton. They'll let you test them. Lie down, check the weave tension, take your time. Nobody rushes you. The cotton ones breathe better in Yucatán heat, and you'll understand why that matters about thirty seconds after stepping outside.

There's a leather goods shop a few doors down that does custom sandals. Turnaround is two to three days, so only useful if you're staying a while.

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4. Where to eat without a reservation

Mejorada doesn't have the restaurant density of Paseo de Montejo or Santa Ana. That's fine. What it has is a handful of solid spots that don't require planning.

Mercado de la Mejorada, on the south side of the park, has food stalls serving cochinita pibil tortas for 35–45 pesos. Get there before 1 p.m. — the good stalls sell out. The torta at the stall closest to the east entrance (no name posted, just a woman with a stack of teleras and a steaming pot) was the best I ate that week.

For a sit-down meal, La Prospe del Xtup on Calle 57 does a solid sopa de lima and panuchos. Expect to spend 180–250 pesos per person with a drink. The dining room is plain — fluorescent lights, plastic chairs. The food doesn't care about the décor.

5. Parque de la Mejorada in the evening

The park itself is a simple rectangle with benches, a few laurel trees, and a basketball court on the south end. It doesn't look like much at midday. But around 6:30 p.m., once the sun drops behind the monastery wall, it turns into the neighborhood living room. Families show up with kids, someone usually has a speaker playing cumbia, and the elote carts materialize.

I made the mistake of trying to photograph the sunset here once — wrong angle, buildings in the way, nothing to shoot. Just put the phone away and sit.

6. Getting here and not melting

Mejorada is a 10-minute walk east from Mérida's main plaza. If you're coming from a hotel on Paseo de Montejo, figure 20 minutes on foot or a 25-peso colectivo ride. Taxis from the ADO bus terminal run about 40–50 pesos.

Weather matters here more than most guides admit. From April through August, afternoon temperatures sit above 35°C with punishing humidity. I've hiked desert canyons in Arizona that felt more forgiving. Plan your walking for before 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m., and carry water. November through February is the comfortable window: warm days, cool evenings, occasional brief rain.

The neighborhood is flat and walkable, no hills, no tricky intersections. Wear shoes you don't mind getting dusty. The sidewalks are uneven limestone, and after a rain they hold puddles that look shallow but aren't.

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