Perhaps the best time to see the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets is Sunday, when vehicles are banned from the area and day-long music, dancing, markets and festivities take over - a delight after the usual traffic roar. Street markets are set up along C 60 as far as the Plaza Santa Ana and there's a flea market in the Parque Santa LucA­a.

There's plenty to do of a more commercial nature too, from mariachi nights in hotel bars to Maya spectaculars in nightclubs. Those aimed at tourists will be advertised in hotels, or in brochures available at the tourist office. By far the best of these events is the Ballet Folklorico de la Universidad de Yucatan 's wonderful interpretation of traditional Mexican and Mayan ceremonies at the Centro Cultural Universitario, C 60 and C 57 (Fri 9pm; US$2). Less obviously there are video bars and discos in most of the big hotels.

Apart from the hard-drinking cantinas (and there are plenty of these all over the city - including a couple of good ones on C 62, south of the plaza) - many of MA©rida's bars double as restaurants.