La Plancha Park, Merida - the Green Lungs of the City
La Plancha Park in Merida was officially opened on 19th November by the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This is a massive new addition to the many attractions in Merida, Yucatan. Although mainly advertised as an area for families, there’s enough here for any tourist.
It’s a big space at 22 hectares (about 55 acres). The park claims to have many attractions within it, as well as a link to the Mayan Train.
We live in Merida, so a new park is great. Many of our friends now make regular visits to La Plancha Park.
But what’s it really like? We’ve been to other new ventures in different parts of Mexico that haven’t quite lived up to the hype. So how does La Plancha Park compare?
So let’s explore it’s background and what you can expect to see.
UPDATE – the Amphitheater is now open – read about the first show at the Amphitheater
First Impressions
In mid-December 2023, we met up with a large group of friends to take a first look at the La Plancha Parque Park in Merida.
The first thing that struck us about the park was its size. We knew it was 22 hectares in size but when we arrived it hit us just how big that is. It’s not a square park and the first section, can feel quite long if you’ve had to park at the far end.
We didn’t explore all of this area as we needed to meet up at the eating area. But we all commented on how many ‘things’ there were in this area. By ‘things’, I mean climbing frames, kids’ and adults’ outdoor gym equipment, fountains, railway carriages (one of which has restrooms), and more!
Above us was an elevated walkway, which was closed as it was still under construction. That was a minor problem with our visit – although officially opened, only about 90% is completed. The full completion date is still unconfirmed but it’s likely to be in early 2024.
(The original date was October 2024, so the December 2023 opening is impressive.)
Although there is still work being done, we were very impressed with La Plancha Park. It’s a lovely, quiet spot in the heart of the city. The work looks like it’s been done to a high standard.
We certainly intend to return many times – and with Kona, our dog!
What is there in La Plancha, Merida?
Before going any further, it’s worth explaining what the park consists of.
La Plancha is in four sections. Crossing some of the sections are several walkways and cycle paths.
First Section of La Plancha
Depending on how you arrive (we came by car), the first section is the outdoor gym, with an interactive fountain, old rail cars, and something called the Roundhouse, which we couldn’t find. Furthest away from the rest of the park, and too far for us to walk(!) is the Cancha Deportiva or sports field, which has (or will have) spaces for soccer, touch football, volleyball, etc.
The amount and variety of equipment that comprises the outdoor gym is amazing and covers a large area. There are walkers, presses, bars, and things that mean nothing to me! There is fitness and fun equipment for all ages and skills.
Second Section of La Plancha
After crossing the main road – helped by friendly National Defence Guards – you will find the children’s play area with climbing frames and other games. Tarpaulins cover many of the games. In the park are four children’s play parks, nicely positioned throughout the other attractions, so parents can also enjoy the fun.
There’s also a reasonably large but shallow lake, Espejo de Agua or Mirror Lake. You can splash around in it if you or your kids want to.
Third Section of La Plancha
The third area consists of a skatepark, a Parque de Mascotas (for which read ‘dog park’), and the food court.
The food court, properly called Mercado Gastronómico Gran Parque la Plancha, is big. This partly translates to the gastronomic market in La Plancha – which is fine but seems a bit pretentious! So I’ll stick with food court.
The food court has the largest blades I’ve ever seen on the fans used to keep the air circulating! About half of the stalls were yet to open but we had no problem finding good food. We had tasty pastor tortas for MXN45, which is very good value.
There are more up market places like T-Bar if you want a cake or a frappe but there are many drinks places to choose from. There will be 41 stalls and five restaurants opened eventually.
Behind the food court is the skatepark, which had a few intrepid enthusiasts leaping across gaps and down dips.
The dog park is big and covers nearly 17,000 square feet (1,562 meters) and has a separate area for small dogs and large dogs. Both areas have a variety of activities for the dogs, such as hoops, tunnels, and boards.
Fourth Section of La Plancha
This consists of the Museo del Ferrocarril or railway museum. This has yet to be completed but promises to be a must for any train fan. Restored trains and carriages from a bygone Yucatan rail network are located throughout the park.
There is a large lake, nicely planted in places with water lilies and home to ducks and other wildfowl.
There is also a yet-to-completed enormous amphitheater, which will house between 5,000 and 10,000 people. (I assume the final number will only be known closer to completion.) The area is vast and should be able to house big outdoor concerts. (Perhaps Shakira might return?)
And last but not least, is the IE-Tram, which links Merida to the Mayan Train station at Teya. On either side of the tram station are bus stops, so you can arrive on the Mayan Train from Cancun (or wherever) via the IT Tram and quickly be in Merida.
The Amphitheater opened on 28th February 2024 – read about the first show at the Amphitheater
Other Highlights
An unusual attraction is the Museum of Light. It is open but has few exhibitions and the café and souvenir shop are still under construction. The main (only) exhibit is “Color, the Knowledge of the Invisible”, which will be on display for six months. It is a production by Fundación Telefónica Movistar. The expectation is that many other comparable exhibits will be shown to rival similar offerings in Mexico City. Entrance is free at the moment but will soon go up to MXN100 a person, unless you’re a student or resident.
Officially, there are 301 parking spaces allocated to the park, which seems an odd and low number to me. But they are located around the park and we had no problem parking, so that may be ok if most people arrive by taxi or bus.
When the park is completed, more than 3,000 trees will have been planted. They will take a few years to reach a decent size. The park should then act as a ‘green lung’ for the city of Merida. It should also be a haven for birds, and other wildlife in the center of the city.
When we visited, grass turf was being laid but there were still many areas that had no grass. Apparently, the project needed so much grass turf they exhausted the grass turf supply in Yucatan and had to buy from other states!
A Shortage of grass – and safety at the Park
The opening times are a bit vague, based on signs near the food court. Google says it’s open 24 hours, which makes sense as there are no fences, so it would be easy to enter at any time.
The struggle to get enough grass is a bit ironic as one of the main aims was to create green areas within the heart of the city!
Is the park safe? Very much so. In addition to security and military personnel, there are 129 strategically placed surveillance cameras, to monitor public spaces. And, of course, Merida is the safest city in North America!
What is the History of La Plancha?
This is a lovely park that happened by accident.
Going back nearly a century, the area was a Mayan neighborhood called Mejorada. The Mayan housing was demolished in the 1920s when the area was turned into a giant railyard.
The remnants of that 50-acre railyard had lain abandoned for 30 years and fallen into disrepair. Its last claim to fame was a Shakira concert in 2011 but since then it became an eyesore and haven for unsavory activities.
To reclaim the area, the President had been persuaded to donate the land for National Guard barracks and housing. However, its proximity to the famous tourist attraction of Paseo de Montejo led to suggestions for other uses of the real estate.
At one point there it was planned to have a Tren Maya (Mayan Train) station as part of the La Plancha Park, to bring people right into the heart of Merida. However, the cost of bringing the Mayan Train tracks into the center of Merida was high. It was also feared that there would be severe disturbance to residents and businesses during and after the construction.
You only have to look at the negative impact of everywhere the builders of the Tren Maya have been to understand local concerns. The fears, costs, and local protests soon squashed that plan.
It was at this point that the idea of a park on the lines of Central Park in New York was floated. The idea would not only promote tourism but give locals a focus for family activity and rejuvenate this part of Merida.
Construction on the park started on 20th September 2022. As well as specialists, the military has been heavily involved in the construction of the park. The park has cost over MXN1.3 billion to date.
Where is La Plancha? How do I get there?
This is a great new attraction in Merida. It is close to the Paseo de Montejo, which is itself one of the main attractions in Merida for visitors.
From the Paseo de Montejo, it is just over half a mile (about 1000m) and should take about 13 minutes to walk, by going along Calle 35 and then Calle 39.
The Park is accessible from all sides, with parking available on each side. It’s roadside parking rather than a car park so you may need to park and walk along Section 1 of the park, which is where most spaces can be found.
Taxis are likely to drop you off on Calle 43 but that depends from where you are coming – they will know the best drop-off point.
La Plancha Park is very close to the newly opened Gastronomic Corridor (Corredor Gastronómico de Mérida) located on Calle 47. If you’re in Section 1 of La Plancha it’s only a two-minute walk! The road is designed to be a link between La Plancha and Paseo de Montejo.
The Gastronomic Corridor will have 19 restaurants when completed. 11 are currently open as of December 2023 but the others are nearly finished. They offer food at a range of prices and culinary styles.
The concept to combine nearby culture with history, fun and food all in reasonably close proximity is brilliant.
How to find La Plancha
For more ideas about what to do in Merida, click here:
10 Best Things to Do in Merida for Fun and Culture
La Plancha IE-Tram station and the Mayan Train
La Plancha’s IE-Tram station is only 7 miles (11.8 km) from the Teya Mayan Train station. This makes it an easy destination for visitors using the train from Cancun or Campeche.
On either side of the tram station are bus stops and Ubers and taxis will be easy to find if you want to get from La Plancha to anywhere in Merida.
It’s a 15-to-20-minute walk from the IE-Tram station into Paseo de Montejo, which is fine in the cooler weather. From about March to November, you’ll want to use an Uber!
David H
After spending months in places like Playa del Carmen and Ajijic (near Lake Chapala, Guadalajara), my family and I have been living for the past four years in the Yucatan and enjoying this fabulous part of Mexico.
I've written many travel blogs for other travel sites over the years before starting Wonky Compass. I have three books published on Amazon.
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