Casa Wayib: a Dramatic Blend of Colonial and Modern in the Heart of Centro
Location
Car: Not Necessary
Casa Wayib is located in the heart of Merida Centro, midway between the parks of Santa Lucia and Mejorada. It's a bustling, vibrant area and within easy stroll of many of Merida's greatest attractions.
We'll start with nearby restaurants because food is dear to our hearts! We love to walk a few minutes up Calle 55 to Parque Santa Lucia and eat at our favorite restaurant Apoala. The female chef there is from Oaxaca and the food is sophisticated Mexican fusion. The zucchini flowers stuffed with Oaxacan string cheese are a must.
The park also holds another good restaurant La Tratto and on Thursday nights there's a wonderful outdoor concert in the park with Yucatecan music and dancing.
If you are looking for authentic Yucatecan food then the now famous Chaya Maya is on our street right opposite Parque Santa Lucia.
Also just a few minutes from the house is Fundacion Mezcaleria, a fun mezcal bar that's very popular with Merida's young and hip set right now. They also serve great tacos and quesadillas. Try their tamarind mezcal cocktail, it's sublime. It's on Calle 56 between 53 and 55.
A little further along C.56 at the corner of C.49 is a tiny Italian restaurant called Oliva which is absolutely delicious. They are always packed so check in and while you wait for your table go have a mezcal at Fundacion.
Casa Wayib is just a few blocks from the Plaza and main cathedral. And likewise an easy walk to Paseo Montejo. On Sunday mornings they block off Montejo to traffic and you can rent bikes and tool up and down the grand old boulevard. Make sure that you stop at Helados Colon on Montejo for some of the best ice cream you will ever eat in Mexico.
Calle 60 is also closed to traffic on Sundays and there are many locals selling handcrafts and lots of good food stands in the Plaza. Santa Lucia has a little flea market that we have found some treasures at in the past.
Also a must visit is the mercado central, about a half hour walk. It's a riot of sights and smells and if you're a cook it's a treasure trove. We buy meat and fish there and it's always been fresh and wonderful. There's a big Le Creuset dutch oven in the kitchen: buy some pork, achiote paste and banana leaves at the mercado and you can make your own cochinita pibil! There's a Rick Bayliss cookbook in the pantry with the recipe - if you make it let me know how it turns out!
Manager info
Year Purchased: 2008
About: Hi, we are Geoff and Kyle and we're excited that you are considering our house for your trip to Merida. We live in Los Angeles and have finally realized our dream of having a second home in Mexico. Geoff is a real estate agent and originally from Auckland, New Zealand. Kyle is an LA native and a transportation engineer with the City of LA. We live in an area of LA called View Park with our 3 dogs and 5 chickens who give us fresh eggs every day. We are avid gardeners and grow everything from heirloom tomatoes to eggplants, zucchini and green beans. We've found a wonderful property manager in Merida in Andrea Traconis and know that she will take care of you down there the way we would. We LOVE our house and want you to experience as much joy and fun in staying there as we do.
Why Centro, Mérida, Yuc., Mexico:
We have been traveling through Mexico for years and have visited almost every corner of the country. When we decided to take the plunge and buy a second home here, Merida kept calling our names.
We love the Mexican people for their warmth and spirit, but the Yucatecos are even warmer and sweeter yet. We're constantly amazed by how welcoming the locals are - and how patient with our faltering Spanish!
We also love the languid tropical climate, the elegantly dilapidated colonial buildings, the layers of history and the culture that makes Merida so rich. Musicians play live music in one of Merida's parks every night of the week and there are symphonies, museums, Mayan ruins galore, gorgeous old haciendas out in the country and amazing food.
We love to drive out of town and swim in a cenote or have lunch at one of the haciendas. Or go to Celestun to see the flamingos or drive across to Tulum for a weekend on the best Caribbean beach you can imagine.
The Unique Benefits at this House:
We house hunted in Merida in late 2007 and must have looked at 50 houses before we found Casa Wayib. When we saw that ornate exterior we knew that here was something special.
The house was owned by an old man whose father had built in in about 1930. It was very dilapidated, with pieces of ceiling missing, wires hanging everywhere and very little working plumbing. But the soaring 20 foot ceilings and the original old cement 'pasta' floors captivated us and we could see the great potential.
A friend recommended local architect Victor Cruz to us and it has been a wonderful collaboration with him to realize the house's full potential.
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Photos
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Patio and Pool
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The pool at night
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Dining room and kitchen
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Kitchen
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Kitchen
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Dining room
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Sala
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Master bedroom
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Master bathroom
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Guest bathroom
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Casa Wayib exterior
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Terrace wall detail
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Patio and pool
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The patio at night
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Dining and Sala from entry
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Kitchen with traditional campana
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Dining room
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Sala
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Entry hall
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Master bedroom
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Guest bedroom
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Stairs to roof
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Architectural Digest June 2014
VRBO #575077
This listing was first published here in 2014.
Date last modified - Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Partner Offers
- Response time Within a few days
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- Calendar last updated 09/21/2016