Welcome to our Partner Lodge: Luz En Yucatan, Merida, Mexico!

Luz En Yucatan is a unique boutique hotel which regularly hosts retreats such as ours. It is situated on the site of an old convent and offers an atmosphere of cloistered peace and tranquility in the heart of a bustling city. Each room at Luz is unique. While all offer high quality linen, drinking water, coffee making facilities, a fridge, AC and WiFi, some also have personal kitchens and patios overlooking the pool. At Luz, you can choose from a variety of serene spaces to write, indoors or outdoors. Tropical vegetation, Mayan statues, ochre walls and Mexican tiles create an ambience that cannot fail to inspire. Check out Luz on Trip Advisor; you’ll be impressed by the reviews.

Meals on our Retreat

Merida offers a wealth of restaurants, markets, cafes and bakeries to suit all tastes and budgets, so we’ll walk out into the city for our meals. Perhaps you’ll choose to join the group and savour great food and even better conversation – or it may be your preference to linger alone on an outdoor patio, write and watch the world go by. Luz has a kitchen available for the use of all guests, and there is always fresh coffee available at the hotel.

Sightseeing Opportunities

Some of our participants choose to focus exclusively on their writing while they are with us, taking our workshops in the mornings, and working on personal projects in the afternoons. However, if you’re attending with family and friends, or you’d like greater variety, there’s a wealth of things to do both in Merida and further afield. Within walking distance of our hotel, you will find terrific art galleries and museums. The city’s focal point is the attractive Plaza de la Independencia, bordered by the fortress-like Merida Cathedral and the Governor’s Palace, where you can view striking murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco. You’ll also find colourful markets and plenty of tourist shops selling Mexican handicrafts and other gifts.

Within a short cab drive of Merida, you can visit spectacular Mayan ruins, a pleasant beach, haciendas, cenotes for a unique swimming experience, pretty villages and natural attractions – such as the flamingos and crocodiles at Celestun. You can even extend your day and pay a visit to Chichen Itza. The staff at Luz En Yucatan speak excellent English, and they will take care of all your sightseeing needs. With writers likely to book together, you’ll save money on the cab trips, too.

How to Reach us

Merida is easily accessed from anywhere in North America. The international airport is a short cab ride away and offers non-stop flights from Miami, Houston and Atlanta. Writers attending from other cities will have a wide choice of connections. Alternately, you could fly directly to Cancun, taking a bus from there to Merida. You may even choose to combine our writing retreat with a few days on the Mayan Riviera. I am happy to offer travel suggestions at the time of booking, and if you are unused to traveling solo, I can make arrangements to meet your flight when it lands in Merida.