Plaza Grande

The Plaza Grande is recognizable by the expansive shade of its large Indian laurel trees and the colorful, oversized letters spelling out the city’s name. Laid out in fifteen forty-two by Francisco de Montejo the Younger, the square was designed as the central axis for the new city of Mérida, built directly over the ancient Maya site of T'Hó. From its beginning, the site established the layout of the city, with the cathedral to the east, the seat of civil power to the north, and the residence of the Montejo family to the south.