AQUA PARK or ACUAPARQUE
Aqua Park is a former rock quarry. It has a man-made lake, playground, tennis courts, soccer field, swimming pool, a pier, and several thatch-covered gazebos. Many wading birds make their home here. Water lilies and cattails are abundant. It’s a peaceful place to escape city living. Review Yucatan Bird Club blog 4th Bird Trip for details.
DIRECTIONS:
From Merida centro, drive east on Calle 59 (one way) about 4.2 miles to exit right onto Periferico toward Cancun. Calle 65 also goes east to the Periferico and exit right onto the Periferico.
Drive about 1.2 miles and exit right at the huge KOMATSU blue sign on a tall building.
Look immediately for the Aquaparque blue sign and turn right onto the dirt road (Calle 8A-1 according to google maps).
You have to turn left soon at a curve and one parking area is on the immediate right with huge, leftover metal works along the edge of the quarry. This spot provides an overview of the lake and facilities.
Walk to your left from the parking lot to find the road that leads down into the wetlands, soccer field and tennis courts. Discover nature inside Merida!
ECO PARK or PARQUE ECOLOGICO DEL PONIENTE
A former rock quarry with two levels. Upper level has shady walking roads, dirt track, small swimming pool, restrooms, gazebos, benches, tennis courts and soccer field. Lower level has walking road, small wetlands, bridges, and water lilies. See Yucatan Bird Club, 2nd Bird Trip for details.
Directions:
From Merida centro, travel west on Calle 59 A. (It’s one way.)
It becomes Av. Jacinto Canek
Move to left lane to turn at light for Circuito Colonias (Calle 116)
Right at Calle 69 at OXXO (similar to a 7/11 convenience store.)
Left turn into park entry before soccer field.
Park under the trees if possible in dirt parking lot. There are two smaller paved lots on Calle 116 if you don’t turn at OXXO.
No cars allowed inside park.
Get ready to explore!
NOTE: CRIT and ECO PARK are about 10 minutes drive from each other.
CRIT
CRIT and ECO PARK are about 10 minutes drive from each other. Former landfill offers surface water for waterfowl, wading and shore birds with one larger lake and two smaller ponds. For more details see Yucatan Bird Club blog, 2nd birding trip.
DIRECTIONS:
From Merida centro, travel west on Calle 59 A. (it’s one way.)
It becomes Av. Jacinto Canek
Right onto Periferico for 3.7 miles
After large sign for Parque Las Americas, exit and do a u-turn
at underpass and return to Periferco the direction you just drove.
Exit at sign CRIT Yucatan.
Right turn at orange, red, blue building/CRIT.
Lake is in front of the building. Park along paved road unless school is in session. Enjoy vista from road, then walk along left side of lake toward gazebo. Continue toward the larger trees and you will pass a small pond on your left. Cross the bridge and you’ll see a larger pond but it hasn’t recovered from pollutants. Waterfowl are more abundant during the winter. This is a peaceful view.
DIRECTIONS TO PARQUE ARCHEOLOGICO XOCLAN IN MERIDA
Parque Archeologico Xoclan has two parking lots, lot of boulders, wide paths, archaeological ruins and temporary wetlands. There are no facilities at either of two entries and trash is abundant along the paths. But this is unlike any other park in Merida and worth the trip to see the rocky landscape and rainy-season-only wetlands. It has two parking lots on either side of it.
From Merida centro, take Calle 59 A which becomes Av. Jacinto Canek.
At the COPPEL/SORIANA intersection, turn left off Av. Canek on Av. Merida 2000.
At about 1/2 mile or 0.9 km turn right at Calle 67 D. Proceed to end.
Quick left turn onto Calle 130 and park in dirt parking lot with one ceiba tree in the center of lot. Follow the wide paths to explore and to wonder.
ALTERNATE DIRECTIONS:From Merida centro, take Calle 59 A which becomes Av. Jacinto Canek. Continue on Av. Canek and take a left turn onto Calle 132. Parking lot and entry will be on your left.
Unless you walk the entire park, the ruins and the boulder fields are easier to see and closer to the Calle 130 parking lot.
yucatan bird club 
Is there public bus service from Merida to the park? Do your members do tours?
We are not aware of the bus names or numbers, but we’ll look into it. We have member outings almost every month. Watch the web site for postings or contact us at yucatanbirdclub@gmail.com
Any trips planned for Punta Allen in the Si’an K’an Biosphere Preserve? There are an incredible amount of migratory birds moving through that peninsula and the Ascension Bay area.
Thanks for the update. We are working with the Green Jay Cancun, Yucatan Jay Valladolid, and Brown Jay Bird Clubs for a calendar for the rest of the year. We’ll keep this in mind for fall migration.