Stay well
Health & Safety
Mérida is one of the safest cities in Mexico and food is generally fantastic — but a few simple habits will keep you feeling great the whole trip.
Do not drink the tap water
Mérida's tap water is safe for washing, not for drinking. Every hotel and Airbnb provides bottled water. If yours doesn't, walk to any convenience store — bottled water is everywhere and inexpensive.
Do
- Drink bottled water — for drinking, brushing teeth, and rinsing produce.
- Buy water at OXXO, Chedraui, Soriana, or Walmart. A 5-gallon garrafón is cheap and you can refill water bottles with it.
- Ask for drinks 'sin hielo' if the ice is not from a bag/purified source (most restaurants are fine — market stalls are the risk).
- Wash hands often; carry alcohol gel.
- Buy electrolyte drinks from a pharmacy (farmacia) or OXXO
Don't
- Do NOT drink tap water.
- Be careful with street food if this is your first time in Mexico.
- Skip unfamiliar street ice.
Traveler's stomach issues, briefly
Most cases are mild and self-limiting. Rest, hydrate with electrolytes (Suerox, Electrolit, or oral rehydration salts from a pharmacy), and pick up Topron at any pharmacy for symptom relief on travel days — we've found it works much better than loperamide.
Handy pharmacy meds
Any Mexican farmacia stocks a few useful over-the-counter options:
- Topron — works exceptionally well for diarrhea of any cause, including infectious.
- Paracetamol — this is simply acetaminophen (Tylenol) under its Mexican name, for fever and aches.
- Buscapina Duo — helps with stomach cramps, and also contains paracetamol (acetaminophen) for pain and fever.
Note: don't take Paracetamol and Buscapina Duo together — both contain acetaminophen.
Labels and dosage instructions are in Spanish — snap a photo and use ChatGPT or Google Translate to read them before taking anything.
This is general travel information, not medical advice. If you have a specific condition, talk to your doctor before you travel.