The names La Ermita or Ermita are interchangeable. Dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje or Our Lady of the Good Journey, the Ermita Church was originally built in the 1700s as a wayfarer’s shrine.
This was the last place to say your prayers before you set out to Campeche, a dangerous trip west at that particular time. Our Lady of the Good Journey is Mérida’s equivalent of Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers.
There’s a small, interesting, beautiful garden and patio with access through a wooden door just across from the park. The garden contains medicinal and ornamental plants and trees along with a variety of flowers, ferns, and shrubs; all native Yucatecan species. Entry is free but access is limited. If the door is open, peek your head in and ask to see the garden. Some say the garden has ghosts . . .
The park opposite La Ermita’s church was also renovated a few years ago with a new playground, Wi-Fi connections, and computer docking stations.
The streets around Ermita have been reset and repaved with original bricks. Most people will tell you the bricks were imported from Europe, however the rumor is they purchased from a company in Cincinnati, Ohio!
