All about Parque Ecológico del Poniente in Mérida

The Parque Ecológico del Poniente in Yucalpetén district, west of Mérida, is not known to most tourists, but to some extent not even to the locals from other parts of the city.

The forest has different types of plants, such as the flame tree, the tamarind, the ceiba, the oak and many others. Parque Ecológico del Poniente is not a city park, but - like Acuaparque - a large natural park with long paths and a little outside.

There is a large duck pond and it is a good place to relax in the midst of great nature. Here you can go for a walk, go cycling or do sports. In the lake you can observe different species of fish and aquatic animals, ducks, herons and other species.

There is also a children's playground and plenty of space to run, climb and play for kids. It has a large sandpit with some old metal play equipment and a children's slide (don't expect too much).

However, there is no possibility to buy anything to eat or drink, so be prepared. You can of course bring a blanket and a picnic and make yourself comfortable.

Special trees

I would like to briefly highlight two special trees in the park:

One is the tamarind tree. The tree has brown, pod-like fruit with a sweet, spicy pulp that is often used in cooking all over the world (including Mexico). Almost every supermarket in Mexico sells sweets made from the sticky tamarind.

And the ceiba tree (ya'ax'che in Mayan) is a sacred tree for the Maya, which holds up the sky with its branches and reaches into the underworld with its roots. The ceiba can grow up to 70 meters tall and the trunk can reach a diameter of up to three meters.